What’s really happening inside the larynx when we ‘tilt?’ In this episode, Alexa is joined by voice researcher 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

About the presenter HERE

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

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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.

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