Voice Studio of Sarah Barber

Exciting news! I’ll be back in NYC and available for lessons at Ripley Grier this July.

Current and new students welcome — a perfect chance for us to touch base in-person to refine your book, dig deep on technique, or polish that audition presentation.

NYC students—feel free to spread the word to your colleagues who may be interested.

Message directly to schedule. See you in the 🍎!

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🎙️🔬 Why a Narrow Tube Above Your Vocal Folds Makes All the Difference 🔬🎙️

For decades, voice science leaned on a simple assumption: the vocal folds produce sound, and the vocal tract shapes it. But what if that’s not the whole story?

This is the key. The shape of the vocal tract—especially the narrow epilarynx tube just above the vocal folds—not only filters sound, it enables it.

Here’s how:

🔹 The epilarynx tube acts like the mouthpiece of a trumpet—a high-impedance segment that boosts the energy transfer from the glottis into the vocal tract. It doesn’t just color the sound—it lowers the pressure needed to start and sustain vocal fold vibration. That’s huge for singers and speakers aiming for efficient, resonant phonation.

🔹 When the epilarynx is narrow and the pharynx is wide, it creates a strong “inertive reactance”—a kind of acoustic energy feedback that helps the folds oscillate. This reduces the amount of lung pressure needed, making phonation easier and more sustainable, especially at higher pitches.

🔹 The epilarynx clusters the 3rd, 4th, and 5th formants, creating the singer’s formant or “ring”—that signature bell-like tone prized in classical singing. But it also plays a role in twang, belt, and resonant speech—where control over this region impacts efficiency and tone color.

🔹 Piriform sinuses? They work against you if you’re chasing ring. These side branches of the pharynx absorb energy—creating spectral “zeros” that can diminish acoustic power. The study suggests that minimizing their influence (through shape or muscular control) can enhance vocal ring.

🎯 The takeaway?
The lower vocal tract isn’t just passive real estate. It’s an active participant in voicing. Adjustments in the epilarynx, pharynx, and piriform sinuses change the game—altering not only what your voice sounds like, but how easy it is to produce.

For voice teachers, SLPs, and vocologists, this means:

✅ You’re not just shaping vowels—you’re shaping oscillation itself.
✅ Techniques that increase vocal ring or resonance aren’t just aesthetic—they’re acoustically efficient.
✅ Training strategies can target these structures to reduce vocal load and increase power.

Sometimes, small spaces make the biggest difference. The epilarynx is one of them.

Text adapted from "Acoustic Interactions of the Voice Source with the Lower Vocal Tract" by Dr. Ingo Titze and Dr. Brad Story, Published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, May 1997

Meet the singers sharing their talents at the Studio Showcase Recital on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2:00pm mst.

Join us in-person or via livestream: https://youtube.com/live/_JHmSSZbpgM?feature=share

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Founder of Colorado Springs opera company to retire during 25th anniversary season Martile Rowland, an internationally renowned opera singer, founded Opera Theatre of the Rockies 25 years ago and the Vocal Arts Festival at Colorado College 20 years ago. She's transitioning into

The Voice Studio of Sarah Barber is now enrolling for Fall Term 2023 (lessons begin August 14th!)

Current students—make sure to send in your scheduling requests this week.

Waiting and new students—I’m happy to announce I have expanded my schedule to accommodate a few additional weekly lessons (online or in-person.) These times will go quickly, so please visit the new studio website at www.BarberVoiceStudio.com to learn more and/or inquire.

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