Sydney University Postgraduate reseearcher Samantha Warhurst, from the university’s Voice Research Laboratory is seeking radio presenters, journalists and voiceover artists to be part of a study of how radio professionals use their voices. radioinfo covered the opening of the facility last year.
The Voice Lab is conducting a study comparing the voices of radio presenters with those of normal speakers with no vocal performance experience. Information from the study will be used by speech pathologists and doctors to improve diagnosis and treatment of voice problems (i.e. husky, croaky voices) in radio presenters.
If radio presenters’ voices are different to those of normal speakers then it follows that voice problems in presenters should be diagnosed and treated differently to those in normal speakers.
Warhurst has told radioinfo: “The information from our study will also assist those who provide vocal training to radio presenters. We are looking for male or female radio presenters (e.g. voice-over artists, announcers/broadcasters and news broadcasters) who have been working professionally over the past year.”
Criteria for those offering their voices to science are:
- Aged 18-50 years
- No history of voice problems or difficulties in the last year
- Proficient in English
In return for your participation you will receive a free comprehensive voice assessment that will include various measurements of your voice quality and the functioning of your vocal folds and a full report of your assessment results. You will also receive a DVD of your vocal folds vibrating, taken by the most-advanced laryngoscopic camera in the Southern Hemisphere.
The voice assessment (of about 45 mins) will involve a short voice recording, imaging of your vocal folds using videolaryngoscopy and a brief questionnaire about your voice. It will be held at the University of Sydney’s state-of-the-art voice research laboratory at the Cumberland Campus, Lidcombe NSW.
You will receive a small reimbursement for your travel expenses in coming to the Cumberland Campus.
Email Samantha Warhurst at [email protected] or call 0402 835 994 for more information and to book an assessment time. Or contact Dr. Cate Madill at [email protected] or on (02) 9351 9262.