Question: The team set out to study the type, duration, and frequency of vocal warm-ups being used by collegiate and professional singers.
Results: The average warm-up duration was 5-10 minutes with 54% of participants reporting they always use vocal warm-ups. Female singers used vocal warm-ups more than male singers. The most common warm-ups were ascending/descending five & eight tone scales, glissandi, and arpeggios. Twenty-six percent of participants reported experiencing vocal problems.
Thoughts: The study highlights a lack of consistency in warm-up exercises with just over half of collegiate and professional singers self reporting consistent vocal warm-ups. The self reported warm-up activities vary in some cases greatly from the warm-up protocols used in studies focusing on vocal warm-ups.
Reference: Gish, A., Kunduk, M., Sims, L., & McWhorter, A. J. (2012). Vocal warm-up practices and perceptions in vocalists: a pilot survey. Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice Foundation, 26(1), e1–e10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2010.10.005