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Professional Voice Users

Professional Voice Users. Presented by: Nikki Tessari. Professional Voice Users. Anyone who requires a certain voice quality to have an effect on others This includes public speakers and singers

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Professional Voice Users

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  1. Professional Voice Users Presented by: Nikki Tessari

  2. Professional Voice Users • Anyone who requires a certain voice quality to have an effect on others • This includes public speakers and singers • If voice is damaged within these professionals: it can be detrimental to their careers and how they are perceived by those around them

  3. ProfessionalVoice Users • Professional speaking voice falls into two categories:

  4. Common Problems • They put ridiculous demands on their voices • Little tolerance for illnesses and unrealistic expectations: “the show must go on” • Many have inadequate and inappropriate training • Singers and Actors may have two jobs: leads to excessive vocalization • Posture issues

  5. Demands of Various Careers • Telemarketers • Boredom and fatigue along with psychological problems of constant rejection • Poor posture from sitting in inappropriate chairs with no headset • No training in breath support • Broadcasters • Worked in fixed head/body position • Lower-pitched voice to sound forceful • In dirty and dusty studios for long stressful hours • Don’t take many sick days • Salesmen • Perform under pressure: no sales=no income • Carry heavy bags through the airport • Spend hours in airplanes with dry air and loud background noise • Teachers • Work in old musty environment • No amplification • Often present to a nonreceptive audience=stress

  6. Bogart-Bacall SyndromeJames A Koufman, M.D. • Named after Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall • Condition most common in singers, actors, and radio and TV personalities • These people speak with a fundamental frequency that is too low, poor breath support, and laryngeal muscle tension • Causes muscle tension dysphonia • Distinguishing characteristics: Walter Cronkite to Peter Jennings • More common in women: social pressure to compete with men

  7. Vocal Abuse, Misuse, and Overuse • Abuse • Yelling, screaming, and singing loudly • Causes nodules, contact ulcers, and vocal fold swelling • Avoid screaming at all times: when performing and not performing • Abuse with professionals is inappropriate and neglectful • Misuse • More habitual: speaking out of range and character voices (BBS) • If they sound like they are straining, they are: point out the obvious • Overuse • Can happen to anyone: individuals must know their limit • Most common when suffering from infection/virus

  8. General Voice Problems • Aging • Takes more effort to stay fit as you age • Pressure to work later in life: living longer, social security, breakdown of family • Dentures, tongue thinning, TMJ, posture, hearing loss • Accidental Injuries • Be safe: use seatbelts and common sense • Abusive Injuries • Drinking, smoking, drug use

  9. General Voice Problems (cont’d) • Infections/Diseases • Head colds, tonsillitis, laryngitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia all can damage a career • Limit exposure by avoiding closed, crowded, poorly ventilated spaces: such as elevators • Alter lifestyle to prevent lung cancer and high blood pressure • Medication • Can have effects such as: drying, sedation, mood changes, and anxiety • Drink lots of water

  10. Treatment for the Professional Voice User • Preventative care/ Vocal hygiene • Instructional care for maximal performance • Reversal of dysfunction and pathology

  11. Vocal Hygiene • Proper care and use of the vocal mechanism: preventatives • Increased vocal cord lubrication • Nasal breathing: so air can be filtered, purified, and properly humidified by the nose and sinuses • Avoid irritants, smoking, heavy drinking, and dust • Use diaphragm breathing • Maximize relaxation throughout body • Identify and avoid vocal abuse • Use easy on-set phonation

  12. Instructional Care • This is for the professional who wants to maximize his/her vocal function: range, pitch, loudness • Inform about all aspects of: • Vocal hygiene • Normal phonatory process/ vocal mechanism • Breathing techniques • May obtain information from a SLP for goals and techniques to work on

  13. Reversal of Dysfunction and Pathology • Must first see laryngologist to rule out a laryngeal pathology • The SLP will be working with hyperfunctional/ hypofunctional activity in the vocal mechanism • Must identify the poor vocal behaviors and work to eliminate them • If therapy is not effective, the client may develop nodules or polyps

  14. A Team Approach • May all work together to preserve a career: despite less than perfect health • Professionals include • Primary Physician • Otolaryngologist • Speech-Language Pathologist • Voice Coach • Job Supervisor

  15. The Speech-Language Pathologist’s Role • After the client has been examined by the laryngologist, the SLP must: • Take baseline voice documentation • Do an acoustical voice analysis • Perform therapeutic manipulation: “unloading” • Therapy done to remove any temporarily compensatory vocal behaviors • Obtain optimal breath support • Soften the hardness of glottal attack • Reduce the rate of speaking • Reduce laryngeal and neck muscle tension • Make an independent diagnosis • Perform speech/voice therapy • Determine dismissal criteria

  16. What the Patient Needs • A caring professional who understands that their voice is their career • An understanding of their weaknesses, their diseases, and their medications • Should be encouraged to take as few risks as possible, exercise regularly, get plenty of rest, and minimize stress • This information and treatment should lead to a long career as a professional voice user!!

  17. Resources • Mitchell, S.A. (1996). Medical problems of professional voice users. Comprehensive therapy, 22, 231-238. • Koufman, J.A., Blalock, D.P. (1988). Vocal fatigue and dysphonia in the professional voice user: bogart-bacall syndrome. Laryngoscope, 98, 493-498. • Neely, J.L., Rosen, C. (2000). Vocal fold hemorrhage associated with coumadin therapy in an opera singer. Journal of Voice, 14, 272- 277. • Rarnalingam, R. (1997). Care of the professional voice. Help, Health Library. Retrieved on April 19, 2003 from, http://www.healthlibrary.com/news/news15dec/story1.htm. • Watts, C.R., Clark, R., & Early, S. (2001). Acoustic measures of phonatory improvement secondary to treatment by oral corticosteroids in a professional singer: a case report. Journal of Voice, 15, 115-121. • Wate Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Center for Voice Disorders. Retrieved on April 19, 2003, from http://www.thevoicecenter.org/medicine_vocal_arts.html

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