Leslie Jones mentions:
>>>>If in doubt (or even if not!), working with a good speech
therapist (particularly one who has some background with singers or
is a singer himself/herself) is a really, really good thing!<<<<
I couldn't agree more Leslie. It really is a shame that in these
modern times where greed is the new religion and faculty funding is
pared back to less than adequate that undergrad singers are not given
at least a years work with a speech therapist as a requisite part of
their course work. (Or indeed all professions where use of the voice
is paramount. I'm especially thinking teaching here.)
The singing teacher I had for most of my undergrad time, was
something of an inovator here in her time. She was the one who
approached personal friends in other disciplines in this city (before
my time, way back in the early seventies) to make a specialty of
singers issues. (Her first degree was in sciences and she sang like
an absolute goddess!) So we now have two otolaryngologists to trust
and one (or maybe more by now) speech therapists and even several
Alexander technique teachers in this quiet little backwater of the
world doing excellent work for singers, but sadly only if you can
afford them, which is very hard as a student.
I think though that some work with a speech therapist is a sound
investment whether you percieve yourself to have a "problem" or not.
If you don't have current issues, such as pain etc, what you would
say to them is something along the lines of "I am a singer
(teacher/actor/motivator/radio journalist/fill in the blank) and
would like you to listen to my voice and observe me using it and give
me some exercises/advice on how to optimise what I'm doing, maintain
ease and avoid future damage. Also do you detect and faulty habits I
may have already aquired?"
My betting is they would be able to pinpoint several common mistakes
and give you a fairly accurate prediction of impending doom both
legitimately and >>unless you go to them for the "rest of your
life"<<. At this point you tell them you have limited funds and time
and wish to negotiate a set mumber of visits within your budgetry
constraints and set a plan of action that you are both happy with.
Once upon a time, the good old fashioned "Elocution" teachers did
most of this work, albeit maybe not quite as scientifically or in
some cases as effectively as a speech therapist might. Speech and
Drama teachers still can and do however, within a limited capacity in
my experience, and of course, once you have a problem can't be as
effective with their help. (A case of closing the gate only after the
horse has bolted.)
Make no mistake there are distinct differences in the way we use our
voice for speech and for singing (even in Speech Level Singing!!!!)
and if we are doing something faulty with our speech, the wear and
tear will eventually (or immediately) reflect in our singing voice
and no amount of remedial singing attention will fix the problem. You
can do all the right things vocally for singing and sing like an
angel, but at the end of the day, if you habitually abuse your
speaking voice you will suffer. Hence the need to examine your speech
habits as well!
I gained an enormous amount from the compulsory voice classes in my
acting studies. They were invaluable. But not the acting classes we
did as part of the Conservatorium course. Because that was skewed
toward "acting for opera" we didn't have the luxury of focusing on
proper voice work for acting. It was expected all the voice work
would be covered in singing lessons. And it's not the same thing.
Coming from this background I always integrate some basic (spoken)
voice work exercises with all my beginning students and those who
come to me more experienced depending on their background and needs.
The absolute basis of this work comes from people such as Kristin
Linklater (Freeing the Natural Voice) and Cicely Berry as these were
the gurus de jour when I was studying. (But doesn't stop there.) When
my students present with prolonged mystery hoarseness/sore
throat/fill in the blank that we simply can't ovecome, it's always
next step the otolaryngologist and/or the speech therapist,
preferably without wasting too much time. Some people do the most
outrageous things to their voices!
The current problem voice is the most difficult yet, a very promising
15 year old with a chronic cough that would appear to be caused by
the mother's chain smoking! EEK! How on earth do you politely get the
mother to give it up!?
>>>but finding the optimal speaking range for *your* voice is.<<<
Which is exactly what I did, much to her annoyance! LOL
>>>For me, maintaining an artificially high speaking range is much
more wearing than speaking in the part of my voice which is naturally
resonant -- for me, that is lower than for most sopranos<<<
Which is exactly the case for me also, Leslie. I have only ever
resorted to speaking a little higher for rest in extreme situations
and only then for short periods of time. My 'everyday' speaking voice
still remains non-indicitive of my upper singing range.
Anyhoo, I've rambled way too much. Sorry.
Michelle
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