| Originally published: May 19, 2020 Updated: January 22, 2021 |
What is Voice Therapy?
Depending on how demanding our singing tasks are, how well-suited we are for the sounds we are trying to make, and general factors of health and environment, some singers encounter vocal health troubles often, while others never have a single worry. It doesn’t seem fair, does it?
Despite their best efforts, many singers find themselves feeling hoarse or losing their voice at some time or another. The reality is, that many singers will now and again run into vocal fold injuries or vocal fold irritation that will manifest as reduced range, power and flexibility. This can be stressful and demoralizing, especially if others are counting on them for some kind of project such as a stage production, choral concert or performance in a cover band.
The good news is, that almost all vocal fold injuries and voice changes can not only heal, but also be fully eradicated with voice therapy. In the case of a vocal fold injury (such as nodules), ENT doctors will tell you what to do to heal, and make sure you heal as quickly as possible. Once you are healed, however, there is almost always work to do. A post-injury singer often finds that their voice still doesn’t quite function normally, even though the injury has visibly healed. Furthermore, singers want to make sure they avoid whatever factors led to their injury in the first place. A voice therapist (speech-pathologist, speech-therapist, vocologist) will train you to bring your voice back to full function, and will coach you how to move ahead with your singing and speaking commitments, yet avoid a repeat injury. Voice therapists are like the guardian angels of singers!
To learn more about voice therapy, get your premium account and take Alysia Jeske’s course, Visiting a Voice Specialist.
Insta-Live Chat: Being a Full Time Singer During Isolation
Catch our Instagram Live Chat from May 20th, 2020 with New York-based, full-time singer Emily Braden as we chat about the ups and downs of being a working singer in the pandemic.
Quote of the Week
“Make every performance a deeply felt, honest and fearless declaration of your soul.” — Lisa Popeil. Lisa is one of our instructors at Singdaptive – take video lessons and courses from her with your premium account.
How to Handle Mistakes Mentally
The past does not equal the present. This is the message Simone Niles, vocalist and transformational coach, teaches singers who are struggling with making mistakes and the fear of making mistakes on stage. She explains that a mistake is just feedback. To learn more from Simone Niles on how to handle and think about mistakes, get your premium account and take her course on Singdaptive.
Kathy Alexander is VP of Curriculum for Singdaptive. She was a staff writer for 6 years at VoiceCouncil Magazine and works for the University of Victoria as a practicum supervisor. Kathy is also a singer, vocal coach and choir director. Career highlights include guest appearances in Europe with Quannah Parker jazz fusion band in Norway, and back on the West Coast with Vision TV’s Let’s Sing Again, The Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra and the Victoria International Jazz Festival.
