The author covers principles learned in his own
exodus from communicative handicap to expressive
wholeness, relating the remarkable relationship
between music and language for the benefit of
all. Reader inquiries may be directed to "Contact Us"
or faxed directly to 719-676-6882.
Note: A fuller treatment of this topic, complete
with illustrations is available in Appendix A of Dr.
Chartrand's textbook HEARING INSTRUMENT COUNSELING,
2nd ed., International Institute for Hearing
Instruments Studies: Livonia, MI, 1999.
MUSIC, SPEECH & HEARING
By
Max S. Chartrand, M.A.,
DigiCare Hearing Research & Rehabiliation
INTRODUCTORY NOTE: The following is a treatment of a
counseling concept developed by the author over the
past twenty years, which combines music, speech, and
hearing in aural habilitation and rehabilitation. In
lecture format it becomes a vivid and descriptive
presentation for both hearing health professionals
and hearing impaired persons alike. Joined with a
live musical presentation, the lecture on which the
following is based has been given to hundreds of
audiences throughout North America over the past 20
years. This treatise represents the rationale behind
the concept and serves only as a partial treatment
of the subject matter.
BREAKING DOWN COMMUNICATIVE BARRIERS
Throughout the ages, languages have been as varied
as its cultures and traditions, and while it binds
whole societies together it stands as an almost
impenetrable barricade between people of various
lands and, often, people under the same national
banner. However, people in the same household, who
otherwise may not convey clearly intentions,
motivations, and aspirations, can be bound in mutual
understanding through music.
When a person enters into the netherworld of hearing
impairment they essentially find themselves, to
varying degrees, in a strange land filled with
people for which everyday communication is
challenging. As their hearing loss progresses, the
gulf widens, and they find one day that they must
make some substantial adjustments in their life:
hearing aids, speech reading, counseling, assistive
listening devices, and the like.
But, although those connective components help, they
don’t meld life together, joining hearts, binding
special moments, softening the rough edges of a life
filled with deadlines and compulsion. The nuances of
speech often betray the syntactical message, the
tone of one’s voice representing the warmth (or
lack) of expression, while the attendant
embellishments of verbal colorization adds depth and
drama. Removing, then, the abstract code of
language, one will still find a wealth of
communication occurring that, in its self, is the
heart and soul of language for those that will
recognize and respond to its clues.
MUSIC: THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
That is where music comes in: melody, timing,
emotion, dynamics, harmony, all wrapped into the
most complete form of language that breaks down
barriers not only of societies and cultures but also
between communities and individuals. Music,
therefore, is known as the universal language,
understood by all people in all cultures everywhere.
It is indeed the language of action, motion,
feeling, emotion, stimulation, and creativity. And
it is the one door left open by Providence for the
benefit of not only hearing persons but also those
with little hearing. One does not need to know
Spanish to appreciate, feel or understand Spanish
music. Nor does one need to know French, Italian, or
English to blend together understandings and
feelings communicated in the foreign mode. Here’s
the point: Of all the methods of communication which
can potentially assist the hearing impaired, the
development of musical skills and musical
appreciation can have the greatest impact on the
problems encountered as a result of hearing
impairment.
OVERVIEW OF REHABILITATIVE BENEFITS
Over the course of a career in music that spans over
three decades, most of that in the educational and
professional realm, the author has uncovered a
number of therapeutic benefits from music for the
benefit of the communicatively impaired. Here are
some of those discoveries:
1. Voice inflection. Probably no one noticeable
facet of those suffering from long-standing hearing
impairment is more prominent that the lack of
inflection in their speaking voice. Their lack of
vocal inflection, the rise and fall of the voice
that add expression and meaning immediately sets
them apart. The voice that speaks should be
perceived as a musical instrument putting on a
musical performance. The vocal instrument that has
not developed more than a couple of notes plays a
boring, repetitive melody with which few people will
find pleasant. Music is full of inflection, its very
rises and falls representing the waves and valleys
of life itself. Listen to the babble of the crowd,
the chorus of frogs on the pond, the swarm of
locusts in the trees, the interchange of greetings
between friends; they’re all symphonies!
2. Structure and development. Language is structured
to convey interlocking parts of its message. The
smallest components are comparable to the components
of melody, the larger components of whole
conversations reflecting the development of entire
musical productions. Structure is what lends
credence to the message, organizes it for all to
join in and become a part of its form.
3. Spontaneity. The exchange of friendly greetings,
the punchline of humor, the lightening of a
burdensom moment, the sharing of mutual feeling all
rely entirely upon timing and spontaneity. Music is
one continuous spontaneous flow of notes or it is
not music. The more whistleable a note, the more
spontaneous its components. Remove spontaneity from
communication, as from music, it becomes awkward,
laden with disjointed configurations, bringing
discomfort to both the giver and the receiver. It
ceases to bring communication but languishes in the
stress and strain of churlish uneasiness.
4. Being Alive! Comparing music to the English
language is like comparing poetry to prose; the
messages is still there, just a little larger than
life. In syntax the similarities abound, the nuances
vary slightly. Anyone that will learn music, hearing
and non-hearing, will communicate better in speech
as well . . . without music, however, speech is
nearly impossible to convey, and nearly as
impossible to receive. Music makes life alive! It
puts the mundane on the stage, sets the lights
aglowing, framing it with flourishing color and
dazzling backdrops!
Harmonics and hearing. We are consciously aware of
the fundamental frequencies of a musical instrument
or voice, yet it is the subconscious awareness of
the eminating harmonics that give us both aesthetic
appreciation of its beauty and abstract
identification of its message. Harmonics, given
birth via their corresponding fundamental tones,
have the most uncanny ability to seek out (or
reidentify) their fundamental parent, strengthening
and deepening the fundamental’s timbre. Therefore,
when harmonics are absent in hearing, much of the
true message is lost in the bland, colorless maze of
competing fundamentals. The challenge to the hearing
aid profession has been to amplify and preserve
those harmonics in a way that restores the
brilliance and color in music, speech, and life
overall.
MUSIC VS SPEECH-LANGUAGE
Many subcomponents of music and speech are directly
comparative. For instance, the smallest component of
music is called the note, made up of an attack, a
sustained tone, and a release. In the English
Language we have the syllable, usually made up of
three phonetic parts, called phonemes, a beginning
consonant, a vowel, and a closing consonant.
See figure 9.1 below:
The next stage of subcomponents between music and
speech is the smallest meaningful combination of
notes and syllables. In music it is called the
motive of the song—usually no more than two, three,
or four notes—which comprise the main ingredient of
a melody. Because of the clearly identifiable nature
of the motive, whole
Note ~~ syllable
Fig. 9.1
radio shows have been formed around “name that tune”
contests where only two, three, or four notes of a
piece are played, kicking off a flurry of calls from
listeners who try to be the first to name the tune
based on the motif! (See figure 9.2 below and see if
you can name the tune).
In speech, the equivalent of the musical motive is
the subject of a given communication, which usually
can be described in one, two, or three words. It is
the subject of discussion that lends identification
and commonality between the communicating parties.
For instance, if one were to talk about baseball,
many persons of diverse backgrounds will likely be
able to carry on an intelligent discussion with the
original subject remaining intact until a new
subject is introduced. The same may be said of other
common subjects such as weather, sports, politics,
religion, law, etc. What we have here are a myriad
of subjects which can be broken down into further
endless subjects as the microscopic counterparts of
the broader subjects. Such is the nature of research
which may start, for instance, with the broad
subject of biology, then breaking into a host of
specialty areas, examining first species, then
cellular, molecular, and, finally, atomic structure.
Music has the same capacity for endless
possibilities in its motifs.
This concept may be beneficial to the hearing
impaired peron by virtue of the fact that if, when
they join in on a discussion, they will ascertain
the subject or topic, many other details may then be
deducted, expected, second-guessed, and anticipated.
For instance,
Motive~~subject
Fig 9.2
if one were to hear the name of a political
candidate-—he speaker's position on the
favorability/unfavorability on this candidate not
yet clear—the impaired person must then detect in
the conversation whether the person is for or
against the candidate before they join in. Either
position must be determined by the listener before
offering input or some embarrassing moments may
encumber the conversation. Once the subject and its
relative direction is ascertained, therefore, the
impaired person may more confidently participate in
the interchange.
PHRASING: Music and Speech Similarities
Now, we get into the next stage of comparison
between music and speech which involves advancing
the topic into discussion, or the motive into
melody. The melody is formed by a combination of
motives, semi-phrases, and phrases. There are two
types of phrases that are applicable to our analogy
here: the antecedent phrase and the subsequent
phrase. The antecedent asks the question, beginning
at the tonic (I) of the key and ends on the dominant
(V) of the key, while the subsequent phrase usually
begins on the dominant and winds its way back down
to the tonic. See figure 9.3 below.
In speech, it is a little simpler to explain because
antecedent-subsequent phrasing is comprised
basically of a question-answer format. The
inflection of the voice asking the question starts
at its resting tonal position working its way toward
a higher plane, leaving a feeling of anticipation,
expectation, or non-finality. The listener knows a
response is expected because of the inflection, not
necessarily because of the syntax of the message. In
fact, most foreign languages rely upon inflection,
not syntatic conjugation to convey a question.
Example: “You are going to the store?” versus the
English version of, “Are you going to the store?”
which is not quite as inflected at the end of the
sentence as the foreign example. The answer, then,
picks up where the question leaves off and makes a
trial of finality back to vocal resting position.
(Antecedent Phrase? Subsequent Phrase Diagram)
Figure 9.3
One of the most effective imagery factors of the
above concept is that the hearing impaired may know
that a question is being asked by voice inflection
and pitch without actually discerning the individual
words. Placed into a circumstantial context they may
also have a clue as to what is being asked, and
therefore can formulate an answer. On a speech
therapy level, the impaired person may utilize this
concept in their own voice, practicing inflection to
convey phrasing in verbal communication. Three
effective exercises that will help improve anyone’s
communication ability, especially those with limited
ability:
1. Practice reading aloud stories of fiction and
adventure, mimicking the types of voices that fit
the characters of the story. Be dramatic. (Have a
child listen if it will help!)
2. More a tuned to the musical concept: while
listening to the radio or stereo, practice singing
aloud, mimicking the voice of the soloist. Imagine
that you are the soloist!
3. While listening to others talk, close your eyes
and concentrate on the inflection in their voices.
Try to make the inflection in your own voice more
interesting.
DEVELOPMENT: 3X
As in all forms of communication, there is a natural
unspoken inclination toward an orderly development.
Salespeople call it a presentation, the clergy call
it a sermon, school teachers call it a lesson, and
friends call it a discussion. In music it is called
a symphony, concerto, concertino, etc. The process
of developing these entities is made up of three
main parts:
I. Theme (or statement of melody, lesson, sermon,
etc.)
II. Embellishment (or development of the theme)
III. Recapitulation (brief repeat of the theme for
finality)
As the hearing impaired person enjoins a
conversation, there is often anxiety associated with
the effort. That anxiety is based upon the false
assumption that their chance to participate will be
gone and past by the time they have figured out the
nature of the discussion. Since music is structured
by form even more noticeably than speech, the person
who develops a deeper understanding and appreciation
for music will thereby learn (subconsciously) this
organizational sequence. Furthermore, they’ll
realize, as they join in a conversation, that if
they miss the point the first time around, there
will always be the second opportunity (in the
embellishment) where, incidentally, most
participants join in. And finally, if that is
missed, the conversation may be enjoined in the
final recap.
COMPARISON GO ON...
Comparisons abound between music and speech,
providing the user of this concept with valuable
means of compensation in speech understanding and
increased speech communication ability. Several
comparative factors exemplifying the similarities of
music and speech are as follows:
1. Style: In speech, style is often associated with
vocabulary, colloquiality
(accent), the use (or non-use) of vernacular
terminology, metaphorical treatment, and subject
matter. The style often predetermines how the
listener will receive the message. In music,
likewise, one cannot help but “tap their toe” during
a Dixieland style piece, or weep in a touching love
ballad, or get their blood flowing with a good
German polka. While in music the style is more
vivid, whereas it would be difficult to convincingly
croon a love song to a Dixie beat, or share lively
humor in a slow moving ballad, likewise would the
mismatch of style-to-message create communicative
havoc in speech.
2. Dynamics: Just as a personal message is spoken
softly, the soft melody pulls our attention to it by
its unintrusive flow. Its softness causes the heart
to yield, the ear to listen closely. However, the
message of great intensity becomes a somewhat public
announcement to anyone who happens to be in earshot,
the louder, bolder music imposing its presence upon
the involuntarily yielding audiences. Dynamics are
the loudness factors of both music and speech,
lending further definition not only in message, but
in the implied size of the audience.
3. Timbre: as one listens to a voice, certain
characteristics are, at once, identified. So vivid
are perceptions of timbre in voice, society has
categorically stereotyped personality, profession,
and even physical characteristics of the speaker.
The nasal of the phone operator, the bruskness of
the jailmaster, the smoothness of the salesman, the
resonance of the radio announcer, the bravado of the
ringmaster, all emanate from our interpretation of
the resonant characteristics known as timbre.
Accordingly, one may identify the difference in
timbre between the oboe and the clarinet, the
trumpet and the violin, although, for the most part,
these instruments share similar frequency ranges.
The bass viol can be easily discerned from the
tympani and the tuba. The trombone stands out as an
instrument toward nasality in the voice, the muted
trumpet even more so. The French Horn, covered by
the hand in bell, provides a splendorous depth to an
otherwise reverberate mid-range; the guitar, the
brashness of youth; the flute, the lightness of an
angel; and the organ, the mixed resonance of the
human chorus.
4. Tempo: In speech, a fast tempo of delivery
usually indicates excitement, impatience, and
believeability. The importance of each word is
outweighed by the total message, effects taking
precedence over substance, in some cases. The slow
spoken voice stresses the vowel sounds of speech and
subdues the stacatto of the consonants. In music the
fast tempo has earned the upbeat reputation, while
the slow tempo lends greater importance to each
individual note, sustained tones almost gaining a
life all their own, while a moderate tempo is
overshadowed by both the melody and accompaniment.
5. Articulation. Verbal communication is defined in
stops, plosives, liquids, nasals, and fricatives,
all speech sounds that we call consonants. Without
these defining sounds the English language, which
consists of approximately 80% consonants, and 20%
vowels, would be reduced to a dictionary of the
miniscule size of the Polynesian languages. In
music, articulation is one of the most critical
skills to master for the serious student. The legato
of the lullaby, the accent (sforzando etc.) of the
Sousa march, the stacatto of the polka, and a
combination of all three for every type of musical
message.
As a Counseling Concept
Others before this author have strived to quantify
and technically explain the uncanny similarities
between music and speech, only to find that to
effectively apply that information would be most
complex and cumbersome for the student whose
objective is simply communicative rehabilitation.
Indeed the treatment of this topic herein, however
superficial, represents the basic substance of
comparisons for most people to understand without an
advanced knowledge of either music or language. The
experiences of this author and many of his students
over the past two-and-a-half decades have provided
substantial evidence that rehabilitation through the
music/speech concept is in the doing not in the
acquiring of knowledge. Hence, is this author’s
contention that by exposure to music, developing
talent and appreciation, many communicatively
impaired individuals can overcome their handicap to
a substantial degree.
The following represents some basic counseling
pointers that will provide the “therapeutic”
backdrop for the hearing impaired in obtaining the
skills and benefits of music:
1. Develop musical skills. Choose a musical
instrument, the piano, organ, guitar, clarinet,
trumpet, saxophone, violin, you name, it even voice!
Sign-up for private or group lessons, practice daily
or as often as possible. Or, at the very least,
start a serious collection of musical recordings,
obtain a high quality stereophonic system, and enjoy
listening to and feeling with the music . . . let it
be part of your life!
2. Join the band or choir. In nearly every town and
city there is at least a church or community choral
group, a concert band or orchestra. Learning to play
with others develops harmonious spontaneity
literally! Blending with others is like joining a
conversation . . .
3. Stretttccchhh by joining self-help groups. In
every city is a Toastmaster’s Club, for instance,
that provides free opportunity for men and women to
learn improved speaking skills. Then, there are
other groups that stress opportunities of
participation which, although communication skills
may not be their actual purpose, can help the
impaired individual join in with an appreciative
group of peers for better interpersonal skills.
Summary
Language is acquired more by subconscious than
conscious effort. Music happens to be its highest
form, understood by all, providing the standard by
which all effective communication may be measured.
Effective communication is what creates and produces
and invents. It smoothes over the rough edges of a
harsh world and brings peace and understanding
between people. The scientific and educational
achievements of a civilization can often be measured
by the capacity of its language to communicate the
intricate parts of discoveries, observations, and
quantifications.
Moreover, the effective hearing health professional
is actually involved in the communication field. The
growing and expanding group of communicatively
impaired individuals in a world that increasingly
requires heightened communicative skills for
survival, progress, and happiness needs every
opportunity to join back into the world of
communication, even though indirect means facilitate
it. The message is loud and clear, everyone
everywhere, hearing and non-hearing alike, can
improve their ability to speak and understand by
making music a part of their life! |
|
|
|
|
