PURPOSE: to evaluate the vocal handicap of amateur singers of church choirs. METHOD: we interviewed 42 amateur singers from church choirs, 20 men, and 22 women, between 18 and 59 year old. Everybody answered a questionnaire containing questions about self-perception of singing and vocal practices and the protocol Modern Singing Handicap Index (MSHI), composed by 30 questions regarding disability, handicap, and defect. We performed a screening for perceptual classification of adapted or changed voices, and measured the degrees of change. RESULTS: the total average score was 23 points in the MSHI. The highest subscale scores obtained were "defect" (10.9), followed by "disability" (7.6) and "handicap" (4.5), with the difference between them (p = 0.001). Singers who have never passed through singing lesson had higher scores in the "handicap" (p = 0.003). The higher was the score of MSHI, the score given by singers in relation to their own voice sank (p = 0.046). Participants with altered voice quality had higher scores on handicap and disability subscales and on total domination of MSHI when compared with those who have adapted vocal quality (p = 0.012, p = 0.049 and p = 0.015, respectively). Moreover, the greater is the degree of voice alteration, increased scores were related to disability subscale (p = 0.022). CONCLUSION: church singers have major vocal handicap. When you have voice disorders, this handicap is even greater. The higher is the degree of voice alteration, the greater are the limitations regarding the singing voice. Vocal singing lessons seem to minimize the handicap.
Voice; Voice Disorders; Habits; Music
