A Voice Apart

This time, my reader,  I’m not writing about singing, speech or even voice repair (those services which I advocate for almost 4 decades). This time, I’m going to express my opinion about what’s happening in the arts world – will it be music, ballet, figure skating or what have you. This past Saturday, on October the 28th, My husband and I paid a “gazillion” amount of money to attend a Canada All-Star Ballet Gala which was held in one of Toronto’s most prestigious venues for the arts which is now called the Sony Centre (formally known as O’Keefe Center). I, however, am a big fan of both - ballet and figure skating. In fact, in figure skating (which also entails a lot of ballet elements), I myself have spent over a decade skating; first for the professional career and then just recreationally. My very serious education in music, and also my dedication to music, took over my (also very serious) hobbies such as ballet and figure skating. Evidently, a lot changed ...

Chronic Laryngitis In laryngitis, you will find that laryngeal mucous membrane is congested, swollen and is full of mucus. Chronic laryngitis happens as a result of continual attacks of acute laryngitis. Since the larynx is responsible for producing voice, this can naturally affect the voice of any individual. Causes Excessive use of the voice for singing, especially in a dusty atmosphere, often leads to chronic laryngitis . Heavy smoking, exposure to chemicals, poisonous fumes and harmful gases can also cause this disease. Breathing from the mouth and obstruction of the nasal sinus can precipitate chronic laryngitis. Also, in some cases, respiratory diseases such as influenza, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and the common cold can cause chronic laryngitis. Symptoms • Hoarseness in the voice/Lost voice • Throat irritation (itchiness and scratchiness) • Difficulty in swallowing • Swollen lymph codes • Change in voice • Pain in throat Treatment If you...

I am sure, my readers, that you, most likely, are puzzled by the very intriguing title of this blog.  What do we mean by “sweat and drench workout of the body”, you may ask? I have explained in numerous publications that the Vocal Science™ method is a very unique and holistic approach to voice mechanics and the human being as a whole.  The physiology and anatomy of one’s physical makeup, in this instance, is literally treated as a person’s  “instrument”  (in a manner of speaking). Any musical instrument (before the player attempts to extract its maximum capacity) has to be tuned and has to be, so to speak, intact, to say the least. Unfortunately, the majority of our clients do not come to our  organization  with "very sound" physical bodies; I.e., some of them are not at all fit and practically unable to “walk and chew the gum at the same time”, figuratively speaking. To restore someone's voice and put it back to balance, takes an enormo...

We have many people inquiring about various voice disorders; but the most nasty of them I would qualify as Spasmodic Dysphonia – especially for sufferers whose speech has been severely compromised due to that disorder. The above-described voice disorder sufferers have been experiencing uncontrolled spasms in their voice, which sometimes also travels to their vocal anatomy from their chest or even their stomach! I could, perhaps, compare it to a form of epilepsy; and in this case, I personally gave it the name of “vocal epilepsy”. The sufferers of spasmodic dysphonia also often have difficulties to swallow their saliva and some foods for that matter. It is definitely a disorder of a neurological nature, but also (and I am quite sure of it) is, quite often, emotionally induced. Due to this fact, it often manifests in the various organs of one’s physical body; whereas, unfortunately, the human voice is not excluded. ‘Is this disorder curable’, you, my reader, may ask? My a...