Unit 1 Vocabulary

Question 1

Vocal folds

Answer 1

folds of muscle that vibrate to create sound. Commonly referred to as vocal cords, the vocal folds are housed inside the larynx

Question 2

Larynx

Answer 2

top part of the trachea that houses the voice box. It is made out of cartilage and muscle and adjusts the vocal folds for speech and swallowing

Question 3

Trachea

Answer 3

part of the throat that carries air into the lungs–commonly called the windpipe

Question 4

Vocal Tract

Answer 4

the passageway of the voice, made up of the throat (trachea, larynx, and pharynx), mouth, and nasal cavity

Question 5

Uvula

Answer 5

portion of the soft palate that is visible in the back of the throat above the base of the tongue

Question 6

Soft palate

Answer 6

section of the roof of the mouth that extends backward until the nasopharynx

Question 7

Hard palate

Answer 7

section of the roof of the mouth that extends from the middle forward to behind the top teeth

Question 8

Nasal cavity

Answer 8

empty space behind the nostrils that extends back until the top of the throat

Question 9

Articulators

Answer 9

teeth, tongue, lips, and palate that change sound into recognizable patterns

Question 10

Prologue

Answer 10

introduction section of a performance that sets up context and setting

Question 11

Improvisation

Answer 11

the act of creating music unrehearsed, on the spot

Question 12

Jacopo Peri

Answer 12

wrote the first modern operas in the late 16th century

Question 13

W.A. Mozart

Answer 13

one of the most famous composers during the Classical period. He wrote for all different instruments, composing 22 operas in total

Question 14

Richard Wagner

Answer 14

a revolutionary German composer who redefined the genre during the 19th century