NEWS ARTICLE
What does it take for an opera singer’s voice to last?
They are heard on stage but have long been invisible in research – until now. A Swedish study shows that opera singers’ voices depend on a good work environment to endure over time. With the right support and adjustments, both the singer and the voice can carry through an entire career.
Tired voice, coughing, hoarseness, pain. These are some consequences of a worn-out voice. Since the retirement age for opera singers was raised from 52 to 65 in 2014, the demands on a sustainable voice have increased.
With support from Forte, Viveka Lyberg Åhlander and her research team, led by Pontus Wiegert, studied how the work environment affects the voices of Swedish opera chorus singers at the opera houses in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. A total of 47 singers participated in twelve focus group interviews, and a survey was sent to about one hundred people.
– It was like a tap being opened. Many singers point out roughly the same things at all three opera houses. The singers are experts on what helps and harms the voice, says Viveka, professor of speech-language pathology at Lund University.
Work environment factors, such as recovery and time to care for the voice, matter for maintaining voice quality over time. The researchers also found that the psychosocial environment influences voice sustainability.
Little time for recovery and letting the voice rest
Double work shifts are demanding on the voice. Singers rehearse for a new performance during the day and perform another show in the evening, with only four hours of rest in between.
– The singers don’t have time to recover or spend time with family during that break. They get home around 11 p.m., still wound up, and can’t fall asleep for a couple of hours. The next morning they rehearse and perform again in the evening. Plus, they only have one day off per week. That’s not much recovery, says Viveka.
Double shifts can also mean adjusting vocal technique between opera and musical theatre, which further strains the voice. Recovery and physical training are important. Sleep and voice rest reduce the risk of long-term vocal fatigue. Many singers feel that the lack of recovery is the biggest risk for voice and body exhaustion – something that also increases the risk of illness over time. Many wish for structured voice rest and two consecutive days off per week.
Performing artists use their bodies as work tools, and physical training positively affects the voice. But according to many singers, there is no time to train during work hours. Singers also lack professional rehabilitation when voice problems occur. There is also no time or space for individual vocal warm-up; some have to warm up in dressing rooms or even bathrooms.
– Singers warm up on their own time before rehearsals and performances, says Pontus.
How the choir leader, conductor, and colleagues treat us is so important. Everything becomes tense if the psychosocial atmosphere is bad. My voice is my soul. But if the voice is weak, we need to expose ourselves and get rehab – without risking being canceled. There is no room for warm-up. I’ve had to warm up in the audience bathroom. Good physical fitness is health for the voice. But where is the time in the schedule to train? We are the employer’s product.
These quotes are voices from the opera singers interviewed in the study.
Strong identity in the voice
Opera singers often have a strong identity tied to their voice. Without positive, individual feedback, motivation can drop. This can also happen if a chorus singer feels low in the hierarchical ranking. Singers want management to not only see the opera chorus as a group but also acknowledge individuals.
Anna-Karin Simlund is vice chair of the SYMF union (Swedish Professional Musicians’ Association) and has worked as a singer at Gothenburg Opera for thirty years.
– When the retirement age was raised, it became very clear that more knowledge was needed in the industry for a sustainable work life and to avoid age discrimination. The research results need to be implemented in operations and opera education so that change happens. Good work environment and artistic freedom with responsibility can be combined and must become a given, says Anna-Karin.
Systematic work environment efforts required by the employer
Gothenburg Opera, as an employer, sees that much of what is requested in the study is already in place.
– We have a training coach and a voice coach, and six of the week’s 40 hours can be used freely. It’s important that we as an employer promote the work environment through systematic efforts and that individuals also use what the employer offers, says Lena Almung, administrative manager at Gothenburg Opera.
The psychosocial work environment depends on individual leadership.
– There can be a gap between the artistic leader and the chorus singers about what constitutes a high workload. But regardless of these differences, the chorus singers are devoted to art and the audience when they step on stage, says Lena.
She calls for research that also highlights the employer’s perspective.
– Rehearsal times are determined by whether the most expensive resource we have – the main stage – is available. The chorus needs to rehearse collectively to achieve a choral sound, and we plan together with employees to get good rehearsal times. We also invest heavily in a foundation for career transition.
New studies on vocal health in the later stages of a career
More studies are underway. In a quantitative survey involving the three opera houses, researchers want to see if work environment factors affect singers’ vocal health more at the end of their careers than at the beginning.
– If we get a good response rate, we can formulate practical advice for employers on how to promote a sustainable voice over time for singers, says Pontus.
Another study will focus on how menopause hormones affect the voice. Researchers hope to use this data to shed light on other voice-dependent professions, such as teachers, preschool teachers, and actors.
Lena Lindkvist (English translation by Forte)
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