This short audio clip is of a high school aged female singer with a vascular (blood filled) lesion of the right vocal fold. The vocal fold is also irregular, swollen and stiff, and therefore does not vibrate well. Because of the irregularity of the vibratory margin of the vocal fold, the glottis does not close completely. The definition of breathiness is turbulence noise of air escaping through the incompletely closed glottis. This can be heard in this sample. You can also hear that she runs out of breath quickly. However, the breathiness is not as severe or apparent as it is in the breathy/paralysis clip. One could think that she is simply using a breathy style in the context of the song, or that she is young and needs to "focus" or "support" the tone. In fact, however, the vocal fold is badly damaged.
Resource Type: Audio
Resource Name: Lions Voice Clinic, University of Minnesota
Level: Basic
Category: Vocal Health and Wellness
Reviews
This audio clip is best used as a companion to the breathy/paralysis clip, in helping the listener understand the sound of breathiness. It will also be helpful to listen to other audio clips from the Lions Voice Clinic, to gain better understanding of the sounds of various vocal anomalies. It also serves as a reminder that it is important to have a laryngeal examination rather than assume the problem with the voice quality is technical.
