In-class write-up: Voice Analysis

In the first conversation, three friends (Lauren, her roommate, and another friend) are being silly and just goofing around, talking in fake British accents, etc. One of the subjective qualities I noticed about the first conversation was that Lauren's voice in particular has a natural, sort of up and down rhythm. There was also a lot of laughter interspersing the conversation. Between the three people talking, they seemed to mimic each other's volume, although each person's pitch differed, as two of the people were girls, and one was a boy. Looking at the pitch graph on the analyzer, the pitch had a  fairly even rhythm  throughout the conversation, although it did rise in some places, too, such as when the friends got excited about something and spoke louder. Although it was hard to discern the pitch of each individual, as they were all talking at the same time and interrupting each other, the average pitch of the conversation was between 63-65. The overall loudness of the conversation stayed pretty consistent throughout, although it did rise a bit as the conversation progressed, spiking at one point when the friends were shouting.

 In the second conversation, Lauren is asking for help on her Chemistry homework at the library.  Lauren used a lot of interjections in the conversation, particularly "Oh!," and every time she did that, her voice rose in pitch and loudness. Lauren's average pitch was 65, and her loudness was at -18. The professor's average pitch was 64, and his loudness was -23. Lauren's voice also fluctuated more as she spoke, while the professor had a  more monotone voice. This difference in loudness illustrates a key gender difference in that males typically have deeper voices than females.

As we can see in these two conversations, voice as a performance tool changes to fit the context of each situation. In a more formal, academic setting, Lauren used a different voice-pitch and loudness- than she did in a more relaxed, informal setting. The context of the conversation itself was shaped by the setting of the conversation, too. A more serious, academic setting calls for a similar use of vocals; you wouldn't shout or laugh in the library, for example. Similarly, among friends in a relaxed setting such as a dorm room, you are comfortable to use a fuller range of vocals to more clearly and freely express yourself to your friends.