Vocal Toning for Health
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What is vocal toning, and how can it improve health? Vocal toning is a form of musical improvisation wherein the singer vocalizes on open vowels. Although it is an old practice, it was not widely performed in Western cultures until relatively recently. Laurel Keyes' 1973 book, "Toning: the creative power of the voice," introduced the practice to the West (Snow et al., 2018). Keyes' technique focused on grunts, growls, and ascending vocal lines. Between 1987 and 1992, several sound healers introduced additional vocal toning techniques (Snow et al., 2018). A popular toning technique, introduced by Jonathan Goldman in 1992, relies on sustaining one pitch on an open vowel for the length of the exhale.
In the 1990s, the scientific community began studying the effects of toning. Toning is relaxing. It can reduce tension, anxiety, and stress measures. In a study comparing the cardiorespiratory benefits of singing to toning, toning produced greater decreases in breath rate (Bernardi et al., 2017). The study showed that singing slowed breathing from an average of 14 breaths per minute (bpm) to 11.5 bpm. Toning slowed respiration to an optimal rate of six breaths per minute, thereby improving heart rate variability. Significant because good heart rate variability indicates an adaptive and flexible stress response, which is essential for health and wellness.
Singing and toning can naturally reduce breaths per minute. Although the psychological benefits of singing are touted, the cardiorespiratory benefits are less evident than those of toning. However, both practices affect breathing, reducing the number of breaths per minute. Toning decreases breaths per minute more than singing. The difference could be that sung music is dependent on variables like tempo and phrase length; the singer must regulate their breath to match the composer's intention. The same variables do not exist when toning. Instead, the singer vocalizes for the length of the exhale, which can vary, and naturally lengthens as the mind and body relax. A daily practice of short periods of breath per minute reduction can enhance heart rate variability. If you enjoy singing, you may also enjoy toning for even more health benefits.
References
Bernardi, N. F., Snow, S., Peretz, H. D., Orozco, P., Sabet-Kassouf, N., & Lehmann, A. (2017). Cardiorespiratory optimization during improvised singing and toning. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 8113. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-07171-2
Snow, S., Bernardi, N. F., Sabet-Kassouf, N., Moran, D., & Lehmann, A. (2018) Exploring the experience and effects of vocal toning.Journal of Music Therapy,55(2), Summer 2018, Pages 221–250, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/thy003
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