Thyroid Tilt Under the Microscope: Perception vs Physiology

What’s really happening inside the larynx when we ‘tilt?’ In this episode, Alexa is joined by voice researcher Dr. Mathias Aaen to unpack the science behind thyroid tilt - exploring what his latest studies reveal about pitch, vocal fold lengthening, and healthy singing. The pair cut through common misconceptions, translate research into studio-ready language, and ask the big question: are our teaching prompts actually doing what we think they are? If you love practical pedagogy grounded in solid science, this one’s for you. WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST? 2:58 What is tilt? Anatomy & physiology 6:35 CVT framework 16:13 Study results 22:45 Physiology vs the perceptual 25:36 Teaching prompts 43:10 Vocal fold length and pitch change 48:14 Enemies of tilt 52:37 Common misconceptions about tilt RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS Investigating Laryngeal “Tilt” on Same-pitch Phonation—Preliminary Findings of Vocal Mode, Metal and Density Parameters as Alternatives to Cricothyroid-Thyroarytenoid “Mix” by Mathias Aaen et al Correlating Degree of Thyroid Tilt Independent of fo Control as a Mechanism for Phonatory Density with EGG and Acoustic Measures across Loudness Conditions by Mathias Aaen et al Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.131 Mastering Research Papers: How to Read with Ease and Extract Knowledge: https://www.basttraining.com/blog/ep-... Complete Vocal Institute: https://www.completevocalinstitute.com Dr Ian Howell Dr Mark Tempesta: https://www.music.unt.edu/people/mark... Kerrie Obert: https://www.obertvoicestudios.com Dr Ingo Titze Estill: https://www.estillvoice.com CVT App: https://completevocalinstitute.com/app/ Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica Manuel Garcia Praat ABOUT THE GUEST Mathias Aaen, PhD, is a voice researcher, educator, and certified rehabilitation specialist. He serves as Honorary Researcher at Nottingham University Hospitals and VP of Research & Collaboration at CVI, and was previously a Fulbright Fellow at UC Berkeley. His work focuses on voice physiology, acoustics, auditory-perceptual analysis, and voice habilitation and rehabilitation, with groundbreaking research into the physiology and health of contemporary commercial music styles, including rock and heavy metal. He recently completed a PostDoc investigating the CVT framework as a clinical treatment for dysphonia in MTD and ABI patients. An award-winning researcher and Authorised CVT Teacher, Mathias is also an active performer who has worked with leading opera houses and voice professionals worldwide. SEE FULL BIO HERE: https://www.basttraining.com/blog/ep-... ________________________________________________________________________________________ 🎁 FREE RESOURCE: Grab your free guide — 'How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence.' Learn how to understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice and know exactly what to do next in lessons. 👉 https://singingteacher.basttraining.c... FUTURE PODCAST SUGGESTIONS Do you have a burning question on the voice or being a singing teacher? Maybe you have a topic you want us to explore or a guest you’d like to hear from? Let us know by completing the Podcast Suggestion Form: https://forms.gle/naUum9N3unzNMPLN8 ABOUT BAST TRAINING BAST Training is here to help singers gain the confidence, knowledge, skills & understanding required to be a successful singing teacher. Whether you are just getting started, have some knowledge gaps you want to fill or if you wish to gain a singing teacher qualification, we're here for you. https://www.basttraining.com QUALIFICATION https://basttraining.s3.eu-west-1.ama... BOOK A FREE CALL http://basttraining.com/bookacall CONNECT Updates: http://bit.ly/BASTUpdates Email: info@basttraining.com Free Group:   / beasingingteacher   PODCAST Click here: https://linktr.ee/basttraining ___________________________________________________________________________________________ "The course is packed with wonderful information. It's a really great launchpad that can take you in so many directions. After completing the course I feel 100 times more confident and qualified to really make a difference to my students. The support and resources available are extremely valuable". David Valks, Aust