Is Beatboxing Safer Than Singing?

January 4, 2014 Alan Cross 0 Comments

That seems like a silly headline, but it’s actually from Scientific American. Check it out.

[R]esearchers took a close look at what happens inside the throat as the beat goes on. They snaked thin video cameras through the noses of four male beatboxers to watch their voice boxes during performance.The study found that beatboxing is actually probably safer than normal singing—or the screams of a rock star—because the glottis between the vocal cords stays open more and the force doesn’t get concentrated in any one spot. The work appears in the Journal of Voice. [Andrew Sapthavee, Paul Yi and H. Steven Sims, Functional Endoscopic Analysis of Beatbox Performers]

The full article can be found here. Thanks to Rupinder for the link.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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