Deep muscles, deeper understanding: An investigation into abdominal muscle activation during vocalization and the impact of active training for the stage actor

Abstract

Stage actors need breath control for voice projection and resonance. However, little is known about the abdominal muscle activation during vocalizations of different sounds and different lung volumes. The impact of training on muscle activation is likewise under-reported in the literature. This Voicing describes the content of an intervention used in an intensive six-week series of training workshops and forms the basis for a research project where muscle recruitment before and after was measured in both trained and untrained performers. Through participation in this intensive workshop, an untrained performer demonstrates changes in muscle recruitment with reduced activation of the global muscles and improved muscle efficiency.