Voice Academy text

The text only option is provided for teachers who'd like their vocal health information presented as simply as possible — especially for printing hard copies — or for teachers without easy access to a computer or Internet connection. If you use this simplified format, of course, you can't hear audio samples, watch videos, view aminations, or interact with some features.

Main Office
Nurse's Office
Media Resources
Gymnasium
Science Center
Auditorium
Ladies Room
Teachers' Lounge
Acoustically-Unfriendly Classroom
Acoustically-Friendly Classroom


Main Office

The Admissions Director

Contact information

Need to contact us?

Mail
Julie Ostrem
Voice Academy
Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Phone
319/335-6600

Fax
319/335-8851

Email julie-ostrem@uiowa.edu


Site sources

Website resources

1. Interested in seeing the information sources used to create this website? This (lengthy) list includes research manuscripts, books, personal communication with experts, the websites of others...

2. Or, how about exploring other websites that may be of interest to users of the Voice Academy?

 


Technical tools

Computer whiz

Are technical problems getting in the way of learning? Here are some tips:

1. Adjust the canvas size of your monitor to 1024 by 768 pixels.

2. Check your browser to make sure you have Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher, or Netscape Communicator 6.0 or higher.

3. Do you have the ability to watch movies and listen to sounds?

Need more detail?


Suggestions, anyone?

Suggestion box

Do you have strategies or tips that have helped your vocal health, and you'd like to share them with your fellow teachers?

Contact us, and we will establish a bulletin board with the best tips for all to see. Here are a few favorites so far:


Nurse's Office


The root of the (voice) problem

The unwell voice

Vocal problems are common — about 10-20% of all children and 7% of all adults have voice disorders at any given time. (The incidence for teachers alone is higher — about 15%.)

The causes of these problems, however, are quite varied. Voice disorders can be caused by disease, injury, over-use or environmental exposure.

Symptoms for most voice disorders are remarkably similar:

The key to correcting most voice disorders is to get medical help if the problem doesn't resolve promptly. Sometimes what you thought was just a hoarse voice — due to an ordinary virus or an episode of over-use — could be a symptom of something bigger.

Signal of disease

Because teachers are prone to voice problems, it's easy to imagine that fatigue or overuse are always its cause. However, a teacher's problematic voice could be the symptom of another, and possibly, serious illness.

When it comes to disease, teachers face the same risks as the general population. Many medical circumstances can impact how the voice sounds. Consider that your larynx is located on the "super highway" of important body parts: your heart, lungs, nervous system.

Diseases that show up in the voice (as hoarseness, tremors or other voice changes) include:

Unsure? See your doctor.

Voice Illnesses

Diseases affecting the voice

Cancer: Symptoms include voice change, chronic sore throat, swallowing difficulty or restricted breathing. Treatment depends upon size and location of the tumor, whether it has metastasized, and patient age and health.

Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis: This uncurable virus provokes wart-like growths in the vocal tract. Untreated, the lesions can increase in size and bulk until function is severely impaired. Standard treatment is periodic laser vaporization.

Endocrine Dysfunction: A hoarse voice and reduction of pitch range may signal hypothyroidism. Blood samples determine hormonal imbalances. Treatment usually includes medication.

Nerve or muscle system diseases include vocal tremor; vocal fold paralysis; and spasmodic dysphonia (uncontrollable squeezing of laryngeal muscles). SD is treated with periodic injections of botulinum toxin into the problem muscles. Trauma's impact on the larynx

Vocal fold scarring: Poorly performed surgery is the most common source of vocal fold scarring. This can result in chronic hoarseness, double pitch in the upper singing pitch range and limitations of vocal capabilities.

Although voice building and conditioning can reversed this condition to some degree, they will not restore normal mucosal vibration.

Bodily injuries: Initial diagnosis of most bodily injuries occurs in a hospital emergency room. Voice-producing structures may be crushed or otherwise damaged. Injuries involving the larynx will most likely be evaluated in the outpatient office of an otolaryngologist.

The goal of all traumatic injuries is to preserve functions as near Vocal overload

Laryngitis: This is inflammation or swelling of the vocal folds caused by excessive use of the voice, infections, or irritants. The vocal folds — in a swollen state — cannot vibrate normally, sounding raspy, breathy and hoarse.

Nodules: Small callous-like growths on the vocal cords result when the vocal folds are forced together harshly over a long period of time, resulting in breathy, raspy and low-pitched voice. Vocal rest and voice therapy are most often prescribed.

Polyps: Similar to vocal nodules, but nodules are more like callouses and polyps like blisters. Voices are low-pitched, hoarse and breathy.

Contact ulcers: Less common, these result from reflux disease or forceful vocal fold closure. Ulcers may result from frequent harsh throat clearing.

Cysts: These resemble tiny "skin tags" in the vocal fold, causing hoarseness and loss of high pitch ranges.

Medications and voice

Rx and voice

About half of the top 200 prescribed medications could affect the user's voice. Some prescribed medications may make you cough, dry out your throat or even make you sound hoarse.

A medication's impact on voice and speech may vary greatly from person to person. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about potential side-effects of their prescribed medications. Remind your health care team of the importance of a well-functioning voice as a tool for you to do your job.

If you are having vocal side effects, perhaps a different medication — without unwanted effects — can be substituted. Over the counter medications

Over-the-counter medications can cause just as many vocal side effects as their prescribed cousins. Here is a short list of possible vocal trouble-makers:

Antihistamines dry out the mouth and throat.

Nasal sprays, if used for too long, can cause "rebound" congestion.

Peppermint tends to relax smooth muscle. This may be especially problematic for those prone to gastric acid refluxing into the throat.

Aspirin products thin the blood. Rigorous voice use while using the products may make you more likely to sustain a vocal fold hemorrhage. Tylenol (acetaminophen) does not have this effect.

It is worth a few minutes to read labels. Understand the substances you put into your body. If it's natural, is it safe?

It's tempting to resort to natural or herbal remedies to clear up voice problems on your own. While many teas, roots or extracts are harmless, here are a couple of problems with this strategy.

1. Some herbal substances have "vocally unfriendly" side effects: dehydration, blood thinning tendencies, hormonal changes, or a potential for inactivating prescription medicines.

2. Patients often conceal their use of herbal medicines from their doctors and pharmacists, and thus, their health care managers do not have a full picture of a patient's health care status.

Everyday sniffles and discomforts

Everyday illnesses

Colds and sore throats: It is the rare, lucky teacher who avoids catching at least one nasty cold or virus per year. The close proximity and questionable hygiene of young people besieged with viruses place the teacher at great risk of contamination.

Caused by viruses, colds easily travel in a closed atmosphere such as a classroom. They typically last 4-6 days and can cause a sore throat, hoarseness, laryngitis or respiratory infection.

The best way to prevent a cold is to build a healthy body: exercise, eat right and rest well.

If you catch a cold, take it easy. Relax, eat lightly, and blow your nose gently to prevent further sinus or middle ear problems.

You may feel it's impossible to skip a day, but bed rest is the best medicine for a cold. Let your body heal itself, and don't spread the infection to your Allergies and other damp conditions

For teachers with allergies, management is key — and protecting your voice is a high priority.

An allergy is the hyper-sensitive response to something in your environment. The allergen usually produces swelling of the mucous membranes in the nose and mouth, which may interfere with vocalization.

Once you know the offender, you can try to avoid it. Barring that, medications can help.

If allergies are more than a mild annoyance, you would benefit by working one-on-one with a physician with specialized training in these conditions (an allergist).

Beware of the dual-edge of antihistamines: While antihistamines dry up mucous secretions (and make you feel better), they dehydrate voice tissues. If you use them, sip water throughout the day.

Reflux's havoc on the voice

Acid rain from the stomach

Reaching for antacids a lot lately? Your stomach may not be the only thing that needs to be checked out. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can significantly impact your voice.

GERD is increasingly named as a culprit in voice disorders. One study found GERD to be a problem in more than three-quarters (78%) of patients with hoarseness and half of all patients with voice complaints.

The problem arises when stomach acids travel back up through the esophagus and then irritate the tissue in the back of the throat and larynx.

GERD also can indirectly cause voice problems: GERD sufferers sometimes cough or clear the throat frequently, which may harm tissues of the larynx. Others with GERD tend to use excess muscle tension when they speak (in response to the altered feeling in the larynx). What are GERD's symptoms?

Many people associate GERD with heartburn. In reality, however, only about half of all GERD sufferers have heartburn symptoms.

So, what are GERD's symptoms? Gain control of GERD

There are three basic approaches to tackling GERD: diet and lifestyle changes; medication; or surgery.

Self-management tips:

Voice care

What to expect at the voice center

If you need a voice check-up, your visit likely will be in three parts: a medical history; examination of the vocal folds; and voice assessment and possible treatment.

At your check-up, it is important to give detailed information on overall health status, medications, allergies, voice use, eating habits, sleep patterns and any concerns you may have. Even subtle clues could be at the root of a voice disorder.

The vocal fold exam: Since vocal folds are hidden in the middle of your neck, your voice team relies on imaging to get a good look. A tiny camera — either placed on a flexible wire and inserted in the nostril or on a rigid rod held at the back of the throat — records pictures of your vocal folds in motion.

Most clients tolerate these procedures very well. However, if a person experiences discomfort or a feeling of gagging, a mild anesthetic will help.

The videostroboscopic instrument is actually quite remarkable and allows your voice team to get a good look inside your larynx.

What's voice therapy?

Teaching people how to correctly use their voices is nothing new. Vocal pedagogy — for actors and singers — originated in the middle ages. Teachers who knew nothing about vocal anatomy advised students based upon what they saw and heard. The result: an emphasis on articulation, pitch, projection and proper breathing techniques.

Modern speech-language pathologists can use those same elements — along with ever-increasing scientific and medical knowledge of the voice - to provide care.

Ideally, the speech-language pathologist focuses on habilitation (optimal usage of the voice under less than ideal circumstances) as well as rehabilitation (repair).

Therapy may be the only treatment needed. A recent study showed voice therapy alone usually reduces the size or eliminates vocal nodules. However, voice therapy Phonosurgery

Surgery performed to improve the voice is called phonosurgery. Its success is highly correlated with the experience of the surgeon. Physicians specializing in ear-nose-throat conditions (otolaryngologists), AND sub-specializing in voice surgeries are called laryngologists.

Surgery is appropriate for only some voice patients, usually if: Phonosurgeries are often: laryngeal microsurgery (removal of small lesions); or medialization surgery (moving and/or injecting material to improve closure of the paired vocal folds).

Many phonosurgeries are same-day surgeries, and some procedures do not require general anesthesia. A few days of voice rest often follows surgery.

A team approach to voice care

A bright idea

Voice care teams are an increasingly-popular trend in the treatment of vocal disorders. At many voice centers, a team of professionals will work cooperatively to care for your voice.

That team will likely include:

- an otolaryngologist (a physician with specialized training in ear-nose-throat problems);

- a speech-language pathologist (a therapist with a master's degree who has been certified by the American Speech Language Hearing Association);

- an otolaryngologic nurse (a registered nurse skilled in the care of laryngeal disease); and

- a voice educator (a trainer who specializes in skilled, healthy use of the voice during speaking and singing).

These experts will work as a team and communicate frequently about the role each expert will play in the treatment of your disorder.

Media Resources

Information on amplification systems, please

Do I need it?

Tired of struggling to be heard? So are most teachers. Some have found a solution in amplification systems.

Teachers - particularly those who are naturally soft-spoken - face a daily struggle to crank up the volume. In trying to do so, teachers may overtax structures not meant for this daily burden.

Raising the voice once in a while is probably not harmful, but a constant, unnatural vocal pattern may be destructive over the long haul.

So how can an amplification system help? Put simply, a voice amplification system is an artificial way to reduce the distance between the student and the teacher. The result: the teacher can speak at a comfortable volume yet be heard in noisy environments.

Another benefit: amplification systems equalize sound. Thus, the teacher's voice is distributed equally to each student. Dueling systems

In broad terms, there are two categories of amplification systems: portable, which are attached to the teacher; and wireless systems built into the classroom.

A few pros and cons between systems:

A portable system travels with the teacher (classroom, playground, etc.);

Portable are less expensive than wireless systems;

Portable systems - although lightweight - must be worn;

Teachers must remember to charge the portable pack each day;

A wireless system installation requires permission to alter the classroom;

Schools can elect to alter all classrooms simultaneously, making the project more economical and possibly preventing other teacher's voice problems.

Portable systems require a wire between the mic and amplifer. Will I squeak and squeal?

Here's the feedback on feedback. It's caused when sounds coming out of the speaker get recycled through the microphone, creating a disagreeable, high-pitched noise.

To prevent feedback, make sure the original sound (your voice) only goes through the amplification system once.

How?

Use only as much amplification as needed. Volume can be controlled on portable systems by the twist of a knob.

Keep the microphone away from the speaker equipment. For fanny-pack systems, keep the speaker pointing outward or possibly even a bit downward. With built-in systems, avoid walking in front of the speaker.

Keep the microphone close to the lips. Manufacturers recommend placing head-mounted Who will pay for it?

With the limited salaries of teachers, even a portable amplification system may be out of reach. Suggestions for financial assistance include:

Contact vendors. Mention that you are a teacher. One vendor reported that he gives his deepest discount to school teachers.

Involve your doctor, and ask for a prescription for a "Voice Prosthesis." Most insurance policies cover prosthetic devices.

Ask your parent/teacher organization to help raise money to supply amplification systems for the entire school.

Seek corporate sponsors. A local civic organization or business may find this to be an excellent way to help the community.

Educate your school board and administrators. Wages for just two days of substitute teaching will pay for a portable system.

Nuts and bolts

Nuts, bolts, woofers and tweeters of amplification

An amplification system requires just a few basic parts:

1. Microphone to pick up the sound of your voice (and if the mic is wireless, a receiver is also needed);

2. Amplifier that increases the level of sound;

3. Speaker to distribute the louder sound to the surrounding area; and

4. Power sources to keep the system running.

These components come in a variety of different forms. The ideal unit for you All about mics

A microphone that keeps the hands free to do other tasks (like write on the blackboard) usually works best. Another priority: many teachers say they'd prefer NOT to be confined to a podium.

You will probably prefer a microphone worn on the body. Dozens of models are available, and manufacturers are constantly creating lighter, more comfortable units.

Considerations for decision-making:

Lightweight models may be more comfortable, but less durable.

Head-mounted mics pick up the voice well but may interfere with glasses or hair styles or may be uncomfortable for people sensitive to pressure on the head.

Lapel or lavalier mics may be more comfortable for daily wear but tend to pick up more body noises — such as swallowing or tummy growls — compared to a mic worn near the mouth. Project the voice

Once a teacher's voice signal is captured by the microphone — or the microphone and its receiver in a wireless system — it is made louder (amplified) and distributed by the system's amplifiers and speakers.

Your choice of systems relates to practical matters. Technology has created systems small enough that the amplifier and speaker can be worn like a fanny pack around the teacher's waist. Other more powerful systems are the size of a suitcase and can be carried much like a laptop computer.

Portable amplification systems are designed to be primarily used by one person, and thus, the teacher will probably have at least some influence in the selection.

If entire classrooms are altered to accommodate a wireless system, however, the school system's facilities managers must be involved, as these systems require alterations to classrooms. Juice to the system

All amplification systems require energy. How they get it depends upon the model you select.

Some microphones have a separate power source, often a small battery. Others plug into the amplifier and draw power from that system.

Many portable systems come with rechargeable batteries designed to hold enough power to get you well through the school day, extracurricular activities, after-school meetings, etc. All you have to do is remember to plug it in so it will be ready for the coming day. The battery packs are similar to those of a laptop computer or digital camera.

With the built-in (FM) systems, of course, the power source has been considered and installed by the acoustic technicians. The wireless mics either are recharged overnight in a portable docking station or run by a battery.

Expert advice

Check it out!

A fictional teacher wants further information and has cornered three experts: a scientist, a vocologist, and a teacher with experience using an amplification system in the classroom.

Would you like to listen in?

Q: But, if the volume of the teacher goes up (with an amplification system), won't the kids get louder still?

A (scientist): Actually, that's a great question. It is probably best not to think of amp systems as weapons in a "war of sounds." Rather, amp systems are a teaching aid for students who are missing many of their teachers' words.

A (vocologist): Many experts call them sound equalization systems. In other words, the teacher's speech is distributed equally to each student in the classroom.

More Q's and A's?

Studies about voice

The numbers don't lie

Selected statistics about teachers and voice:

- Teachers are about 4% of the U.S. workforce, yet are almost 20% of the patient load in voice centers.

- Teachers spend an average of 49.3 hours per week on teaching duties.

- Nearly 15% of students (ages 6-19) show signs of hearing loss.

- Teachers are almost twice as likely as other professionals to be concerned that voice problems will impact their future employment.

- According to a recent study, 76% of people with voice problems report that the disorder will adversely affect their future job functions.

- In a study comparing teachers to non-teachers, about 20% of teachers (but only 4% of non-teachers) said they've missed work due a voice problem.

- When those with voice disorders were surveyed, about two-thirds reported depression.

- Voice disorders caused by abuse and overuse are the most common, but also the most preventable, types of voice problems.

Voice studies

How researchers are trying to help you:

A number of investigations prove one thing: voice disorders are no stranger for those in the teaching profession. What they're working on, however, is the who, what, why and how to fix the problem.

Would you like to learn more about recent research studies about teachers and voice?

This list is not comprehensive-many new studies are currently underway-but it should give you some idea of how researchers are trying to help you take care of your voice.

Take time to relax your voice

Time for a vocal stress-buster

A virtual voice-saver for elementary teachers

Do you read fiction aloud to your class each day? Ask your parent-teacher organization and community leaders to solicit volunteers to read to the children. Often, people are more willing to volunteer their time if they have predictable, limited and occasional tasks.

For example, perhaps a local business would allow 20 of its employees to each take 15-20 minutes one day per month to read to your class after lunch. This is a small contribution for each person, but the teachers gain a much-needed "vocal nap."

Chattervox and me: a voice journal

A teacher's own experience

A middle school vocal music teacher — who had never tried an amplification system before — was provided with a portable system. She recorded her thoughts about its ease of use, comfort, and effectiveness for a six-week time period.

Would you like to see her journal?

Gymnasium

Meet your personal (voice) trainer

Stand straight, speak easy

Your personal (voice) trainer says: Poor posture not only causes back aches and shoulder pain: slumping affects your voice. When your midsection droops, your lungs cannot fully inflate to give your vocal system a steady air stream to fuel your speech.

Slouching also leads to unnecessary tension on muscles and joints, making them tired and poorly prepared to support your voice.

When standing, balance your body's weight equally on both legs.

Separate your feet slightly with one foot a bit in front of the other.

Align hips below the shoulders.

Slightly bend your knees to put more weight on the balls of your feet.

Let your head "float."

Working with students? Crouch, or bend at the hips and knees. Don't bend at the waist with your knees straight. Feed your voice well!

Your personal (voice) trainer says: Nutrition and vocal health are as interconnected as nutrition and overall good health.

The good nutrition, healthy voice link:

Vocal fold tissues constantly replace damaged cells with fresh ones. Good nutrition facilitates this process.

Speaking requires well-orchestrated, energetic movements of many small muscles. Muscles work best when they are well-supplied with energy sources and when waste material is promptly removed.

Too much fat limits muscle coordination, strength, and endurance of vocal functions.

Make this your nutrition mantra: Eat a well-balanced, varied, low-fat diet; drink sufficient liquids for adequate hydration; and match caloric intake with Move, stretch, sweat and sway!

Your personal (voice) trainer says: Exercise promotes efficient breathing, relaxation, increased vocal flexibility, and good body alignment.

Try for at least 30 minutes of exercise three times a week. It probably does not matter what type of exercise you do (other than the fact that people tend to stick to exercise regimens they enjoy).

Try something new: kickboxing, Pilates, square dancing, badminton, a co-ed volleyball team, rock climbing, speed walking.

Explore exercise patterns: work out first thing in the morning, or just before bed, or break up your session into 10-minute blocks.

Go to bed and wake up about the same time each day (even on weekends).

Take frequent mini-stretch breaks during the day to relieve tension.

Your fitness shows in your voice! Free your voice from tension

Your personal (voice) trainer says: Unquelled stress is an enemy of the voice. It causes your shoulders to rise, neck to constrict, and belly to tense — all of which work against an ample intake of air and easy, well-coordinated voicing on the out breath.

Research shows that — in high-stress situations — people raise their pitch and have more fluctuations in their voices. These conditions are tough on the vocal anatomy and even rougher on the psyche.

Teachers — and most voice patients — report similar feelings when the voice is impaired: diminished vocal flexibility, range, loudness, or ease of voicing.

Many people become hoarse. In some cases people actually "lose their voices" for a time due to their distress.

Even quick, simple strategies keep undue tension at bay. Look for "vocal stress-busters" sprinkled throughout the Voice Academy.

Vocal hygiene

Hygiene for voice

Vocal hygiene isn't washing your mouth out with soap.

Vocal hygiene, rather, is a phrase used by voice specialists (vocologists) for behaviors individuals can do to maintain good vocal health.

Here's a "what not to do" list:

Do not:
overuse dehydrating substances (antihistamines, alcohol, caffeine);

persistently cough or clear the throat (sip water instead);

habitually yell or shout;

speak at an inappropriately low/high pitch for extended periods;

excessively talk;

talk or sing over background noise (reduce background noise instead);

push the voice;

smoke; or

Management tips

1. Know signs of vocal trouble:

Your voice loses range or just sounds different than normal;

Hoarseness doesn't clear up in 2-3 weeks;

You routinely wake up with a low or groggy-sounding voice;

Speaking seems to require excessive energy;

Others ask you if you are sick.

2. Know that it is good for your voice to use its full range - not unlike a musical instrumentalist playing scales. However, it is harmful to consistently use one end of the range (very high or very low).

3. Teachers may fall into a habit of "snapping" the vocal folds open and shut quickly (often to get their students' attention). These glottal attacks, usually on a word beginning with a vowel (like "everybody") may be harmful.


Hydration and voice

The fluid factor

The relationship between drinking water and vocal health is complicated and not fully understood by scientists. Must we drink 64-80 ounces of water per day?

Facts:
We don't store excess water. It simply passes from the body as urine. You can't super-saturate or preventatively hydrate body tissues.

Drinking a lot of water causes frequent urination, but teachers get few bathroom breaks.

The water we drink travels down the esophagus. It does not pass by the vocal folds to directly hydrate them.

While scientists don't have all the answers, they suspect vocal folds are a low priority in terms of where the body directs fluid.

A diet rich in water-based foods (fruits and vegetables) makes water drinking less important.

People are not the same. We have varying hydration needs. What is adequate hydration?

One barometer for adequate hydration is urine color. Dark urine indicates less hydration than clear or pale-colored output.

The truth is, water does keep the mouth and throat lubricated, facilitating speaking. Therefore, thirst is a reasonable barometer of water need. Some people report that speaking is easier when they drink more water. If possible, teachers should keep water close by to sip when needed, if only to keep the mouth and tongue moist.

Here's a secret from singers: munching an apple can ease your speech. Pectin, found in apple skin, has been reported to stimulate the salivary glands. The extra moisture in the mouth will likely make speaking easier. Liquids to use with caution

Alcohol and caffeine: Some liquids, such as coffee, tea, colas and alcohol, dehydrate the body. In other words, they draw fluid from tissues.

Research has shown that dehydrated vocal folds do not vibrate efficiently. So, if you enjoy your morning java, go ahead, but follow it up by refilling your mug with water.

Mouthwash: Alcohol or mint in many mouthwashes may irritate the vocal system. If you like a morning swish of mouthwash, go ahead and rinse — just don't gargle. If you need to gargle, use salt water instead.

Also, understand that persistent bad breath could be a symptom of a low grade infection, gastric reflux from the stomach, or possibly some other medical trouble. Mouthwash won't cure these problems.

Voice muscle workouts

Vocally buff?

Can you bulk vocal muscles like you build biceps? No!

Knowing 75% of the vocal fold is muscle, why shouldn't you strengthen that muscle (the thyroarytenoid) for a stronger voice?

A weak voice does not necessarily originate from weak vocal muscles. In fact, research shows that we only use about a third of our laryngeal muscle capacity to speak.

The key is to precisely coordinate — rather than bulk up — vocal muscles. This is the essence of what serious singers do in their voice lessons.

Teachers, too, can benefit from using vocal muscles in a coordinated and efficient way. Little laryngeal muscles fine-tune the voice, but you should leave the major task of taking in and maintaining airflow for speech to the big guys: the large abdominal and intercostals (rib) muscles.

Weighty issues

Extreme athletics and voice

Extreme sports may exact a price on your voice-producing structures.

Weight lifters exhale when lifting and inhale upon release. This pattern probably won't harm vocal folds. Breathing the reverse pattern — a common mistake — does strain the larynx. To compound the problem, many weight lifters hold their breath when lifting heavy loads, displacing some of the pressure to the vocal folds. These little muscles weren't meant to do this type of work.

Teachers may make the same mistakes when, say, carrying a load of books or moving desks around the room.

In general, sports that change normal breathing patterns (such as swimming) should be examined. Could it be that an altered breathing pattern for the sport has become the routine breathing pattern? Ask yourself: is this the ideal breathing pattern for teaching?

The coach's corner

Vocal burden of coaching

If teachers are vocal athletes, PE teachers and coaches must be vocal Olympians! They must shout instructions in vocal minefields.

Consider:
Outdoors: There are few hard surfaces to contain sound waves. The voice fades as it travels.

Indoors: Acoustics are a major problem, especially in gyms and indoor swimming pools. Multiple hard surfaces and high ceilings create an echo chamber.

Cold: When we're cold, we raise our shoulders, tighten the neck and jaw, pull back our heads and fold their arms across our bodies. It's tough to vocalize healthfully in this position.

Teaching by example: Vocalizing while demonstrating an exercise, particularly while lying down or putting the body in a vocally unfriendly position, means less breath support is given to the voice and more stress is put upon the vocal muscles. A survival guide

1. Use a megaphone. Make one out of cardboard or simply cup your hands around your mouth.

2. Close the gap. When instructing students, have them stand near a wall or "huddle" so you can use a normal voice level. Have them remove helmets or other protective gear while you are talking.

3. Keep warm. Muscles usually work best when the body is warm.

4. Don't speak against the wind. Nobody will hear you. Catch students' attention with gestures, a whistle, flags or some other means.

5. Consider using a portable amplification system. These devices can be worn fanny-pack style to boost teachers' voices both indoors and out.

6. Solicit help, if possible. For example, with traveling teams, allow another teacher or chaperone to supervise on the bus. Your voice probably needs the rest. No voice recess for teachers

It's easy to identify the vocal pitfalls of being a coach, gym teacher or aerobics instructor. Hoarseness, sore throats and voice loss are common casualties of the profession. Classroom teachers face many of the same problems.

Most elementary teachers must report to recess duty. They may shout to gain students' attention, over the noise of playing or fighting children, and in all kinds of weather. They may return indoors to an overheated and poorly ventilated building.

Elementary teachers with no singing or voice training also find themselves regularly singing during activities. Middle and high school teachers may supervise extracurricular activities. Teachers with no voice training undertake drama, music or singing classes.

Is it any wonder teaching is considered a vocally risky profession?

Inside the men's locker room

Confidential to men

"My voice is too high and feminine. I look like a man — I want to sound like a man. What can I do to lower my pitch?"

First, just listen to many voices — both male and female. There probably is more overlap between female and male voice pitches than you thought: males often speak at 65 to 260 Hertz, while females speak in the 100 to 525 Hz range. Thus, a voice of 100 to 260 Hz is just as "masculine" as it is "feminine."

But men do adopt effeminate voicing and speaking patterns sometimes.

1. The root cause may be behavioral: was a dominant female the developing boy's "vocal role model?"

2. Anatomically, smaller vocal structures typically produce higher pitched (more feminine) voices. In general, people are unhappy with their voices when their bodily statures and voices do not "match" (for example, a large rugby player with What can I do?

For a male with a natural pitch on the high side, it's tempting to continuously press the larynx downward to achieve lowered pitch. This is potentially harmful.

It is far better to work with a vocologist (voice specialist). The vocologist can help sort out causes of a high-pitched voice and teach you to use your lower pitch range in a healthy manner.

Is surgery to permanently lower voice pitch an option? A few cases have been attempted to alter the configuration of the larynx. At best, the results have been mixed.

Science Center

Sound production

A closer look at vocal folds

Lots of lovely layers

What is a vocal fold: muscle, soft tissue, fluid? All of the above! Like skin, vocal folds have layers — five, to be exact. Each layer contains a specific make-up and purpose, and by working together they enable you to speak.

There is no other structure in the body quite like the human vocal fold.

Its outermost layer, the epithelium, is a thin skin that acts as a barrier and vibrates easily.

Just inside the epithelium is the lamina propria — three layers of non-muscular tissues. The outer and middle layers contain stretchy fibers (elastin) that allow your cords to stretch; the innermost layer of the lamina propria has fibers that keep it from stretching too much out of shape.

Finally, the largest and bulky part of the vocal fold is a muscle that can shorten or lengthen, thicken or thin, and stiffen or relax. It makes up about three-quarters of the vocal fold.

Each layer contributes a necessary and unique component to voicing.

Sticky, squishy vocal folds

The multi-layered vocal folds make it a fascinating subject for research. Because each layer's composition is distinctly different from that of its neighbor, its behavior also varies.

Two areas of particular interest to scientists are the "sticky" and "squishy" factors. Investigators would more likely label these viscosity and elasticity.

Both characteristics impact how easily the vocal folds can settle into vibration. If vocal folds are overly sticky or don't deform well when brought together, voicing is effortful.

Scientists believe vocal fold cells repair work heavily impacts tissue behaviors. For example, if cell repair work is significant — due to rigorous voice use — viscosity and elasticity are affected.

Thus, traditional wisdom is correct. After a heavy voice-use day, teachers should try to then vocally "take it easy" during cell repair.

Is your voice based on environment? genetics?

Nature versus nurture of voice

Science can tell us how voice is produced, but what determines the way your voice sounds? Genetics? Environment?

Little research is available. Since most people genetically related also grow up together, it is difficult to separate genetic and environmental influences. Voice scientists suspect both factors play a role.

It may not surprise you that genetic factors influence vocal quality. After all, voice qualities are largely determined by the size and shape of your larynx, neck, throat and facial structures — all determined by genetics.

But the influence of environment is too strong to be ignored. Consider regional accents or a family whose members all speak too loudly.

Psychological factors such as abuse, low self-esteem, fear, or grief can cause a virtual lump in the throat. Many emotional problems have a way of appearing Male vs. female

The most basic genetic difference is, after all, sex. Vocally speaking, post-adolescent females usually have higher and lighter voices as compared to males. Why?

1. On average, the male larynx is about 20 percent larger than that of the female. The part of the vocal fold that vibrates is more than the 20 percent size difference we might expect, though. Rather, the vibrating portion of the vocal folds is more like 60 percent longer in the male as compared to the female.

2. The vocal fold edges in the male favor easy closure of the airspace between them. Because of innate differences in shape, women tend to have more air escape during song or speech, or "breathy" voices.

3. Without delving into mechanical laws, male vocal anatomy allows men to produce more acoustic power. In other words, it is easier for the male vocal system to create a powerful voice. Defuse your vocal environment

So, you can't change your social history and you can't easily change the anatomical shape of your voice-producing structures. But, you certainly can de-stress your body.

Try a vocal stress-buster.

Use yawns: Recreate that relaxed feeling you get after awakening from a refreshing nap.

Open your mouth wide and yawn. Let some air escape. Your throat feels open and easy. Open your mouth wide and yawn again. Sigh a little as you release the air. Yawn again, this time making a full-blown sigh on your exhalation.

This technique makes voicing feel easy, doesn't it? This is called your easy voice.

A yawn-sigh technique is actually a form of voice therapy. (We've only presented a brief sample here.) Yawning helps the speaker drop the larynx, widen airspace between the vocal folds and open up the throat for relaxed voicing.

Changes with age

How age changes your voice

The same changes that affect your body as it ages — less muscle and strength, more body fat, slower movements, and degeneration of body tissues — impact your voice as you get older.

Usually — as people age — their speech slows down, syllables and words are elongated, and sentences are punctuated with more pauses for air. Pitch and loudness may be reduced, and tremors can appear. All in all, an older person's speech lacks "pep."

Scientific studies show:

1. As they age, men's larynxes change more than women's, and these changes occur earlier.

2. Male voice pitch tends to rise with age, while female voice pitch stays the same, or may lower slightly.

3. Many elderly people have hearing loss. This may cause them to speak louder, Vocal limitations

Age will undoubtedly bring changes to your voice. Healthy living can delay some changes, but no one stays young forever. At some point — like the rest of your body — your voice will age.

Larynx cartilages become harder (and therefore less flexible) with age. This may reduce a person's pitch range, which is particularly significant for those who enjoy singing.

The respiratory system tends to work less efficiently as we age, thus speaking will become a more difficult task.

Microscopic studies of the fibers located in vocal folds show that these structures become stiffer and thinner, producing higher pitched voice, especially in males.

The bulky muscle of the vocal fold — the thyroarytenoid — may shrink with age, creating a weaker, breathier voice. Control your vocal destiny

The good news is that you have some control over how quickly your voice ages. A nutritious diet, rest, exercise and a positive attitude all help to keep the body working well. Exercise strengthens muscles and increases lung capacity.

There is some evidence that an older, but healthy, person can have a stronger, better functioning voice than a younger, but less healthy, individual.

Some of the ageing of the structures in the larynx aren't necessarily detrimental. Remember that effective voicing isn't dependent on brute force, but rather, a well-coordinated onset and offset of the laryngeal muscles.

Some voice therapies may help to re-energize an ageing voice. For example, certain techniques can tone laryngeal muscles, while others are designed to teach how to use more forceful patterns to produce an audible voice.

Scientific essentials

Dr. Voice Science explains...

Voice Qualities: What's in your voice that makes you sound the way you do?

Is your voice: yawny, breathy, rough, strained, pressed, nasal, hoarse, pulsed, resonant, or tremorous?

Voice qualities are based on:

1. How tightly we close the vocal folds: loosely fit vocal folds create a breathy sound.

2. How symmetric the vocal folds are: out-of-synch vibrations result in a creaky, froggy or rough voice.

3. How much muscular tension presses the vocal folds together: excess tension produces a strangled, strained or tense voice; too little produces a weak or dull voice.

4. How the vocal tract is shaped and how freely airflow moves: certain configurations help the voice "ring."

5. How balanced the air emits from the nose and mouth: excess air out the nose Dr. Voice Science explains...

How voice travels: Recall your high school physics teacher explaining sound?

For many of us, an analogy of a stone dropped into a quiet pond was helpful. As the rock displaces water, waves ripple from the central point. The motion gets passed on to surrounding water, until the ripple effect dies out, or the water reaches the shore.

In the same way, your voice displaces air surrounding your mouth, but the major effect is a chain reaction of sound waves.

If you make a high squeak, air around you moves up and down rapidly (short wavelength). A low grunt makes air move up and down slowly (longer wavelength).

Remember: a short wavelength will go past you at a high rate (more frequently). A long wavelength travels slower. This is the key to sound frequency: the higher the pitch, the higher the sound wave frequency.

Emerging technology

Hot topics in research
Voice recognition: Synthesized speech was first produced mid-century. Since then, we have gone from merely emitting speech sounds to dictation programs that can handle continuous speech, recognize recurring word patterns, get smarter with use, and save the user countless hours.

The simplest programs respond to a specific user's voice and vocabulary. More complex programs are voice-independent and match vowels and consonants in speech groups to words in a dictionary.

Because of varied accents and dialects, no perfect program has yet emerged.

It also makes us wonder: as the burden for a task such as word processing is shifted Hot topics in research
Voice simulation models use scientific laws to mimic the way the body produces voice.

Scientists start with images of the head and neck (MRI's) as the system produces vowel and consonant sounds.

Customized software connects these still shapes to imitate the human while speaking. Powerful computers integrate (mathematically) how airflow (breath), vibration of the vocal folds (phonation), and behaviors of the vocal tract and articulators contribute to voice.

How are the scientists doing? Listen to simulated samples of female and male voices.

When perfected, the simulated voice model can aid in the study of voice and speech disorders, singing and even speech training and rehabilitation. For example, the voice surgeon can "test" the influences of his plan for surgery on the computer model before s/he takes Hot topics in research
Tissue engineering: Scientists are attempting to bioengineer human voice structures outside the body.

They collect human vocal cells, and carefully grow them under special laboratory conditions. The process is not unlike a gardener carefully nurturing a seed into a healthy plant. The cells multiply and are subjected to vibrations by a device to mimic the vibrations of the vocal folds.

While growing a complete vocal fold in the lab is far from reality, initial steps to artificially engineer simple vocal cells are encouraging.

At some point in the future, patients whose vocal folds have been injured by cancer, severe trauma or chemical exposure can be given new, fresh vocal tissue.

Auditorium


Meet the theatre vocal director

Warm up your body

The theatre voice coach says: Runners stretch and jog lightly before a race to avoid injuries. Similarly, actors warm up their voices. The rich tradition of theatre offers a collection of effective techniques to get the voice ready to go.

Do warm-ups daily. Think of these warm-ups as other routines you follow because personal health is important to you: like flossing your teeth or taking a multi-vitamin each day.

Actors stretch their bodies mainly to release unnecessary tension. Excess tension impedes the free flow of breath and interferes with optimal functioning of the muscles used for speech. Stretching also gets blood flowing to your rib muscles; these muscles will work hard in your teaching day.

As you warm up your body, remember that good body alignment is essential to good voice use. Exercises prepare your muscles to bring you to an upright relaxed posture so you are ready to speak. Ready, set, breathe

The theatre voice coach says: Breath is the generator that powers the engine of the voice. Full and effective breathing gives the voice power, energy, resonance and flexibility. All actors work with the body and breath before moving onto other areas of voice development.

What are earmarks of a voice-friendly inhalation of air?

Breathe in through the nose to warm and moisten air.

Shoulders should not move upward, and upper chest remains still.

Diaphragm (area just above the navel) expands.

Abdominal muscles (around and below the navel) relax.

Your intercostals (or muscles between your ribs) in your sides and back expand as the lungs fill with air.

Allow your breath to do the work of speaking. In other words, let your words float on air. Don't push from the throat. Hum your folds to life

The theatre voice coach says: Mmmm, your vocal folds are buzzing to life. To warm up your folds, try this:

Hum at middle pitch or slightly higher.

Use good breath support; feel the throat open.

Take new breaths to keep your hum going.

Think of humming as a vocal fold massage.

Once you've hummed a minute or so, glide your hum up in pitch, then back down to a low-pitched hum.

Imagine a silent "m" bouncing off your diaphragm like a trampoline. Once your "m" has bounced, visualize it coming up your trunk and around the bend at the back of your throat to just behind your closed lips.

Toward the end of the journey, do you feel the vibration of the "m" just inside the lips and nose? Finally, release the "m" as a hum.

This exercise not only warms up your vocal folds, Warm up your articulators

The theatre voice coach says: Articulators — the tongue, lips, soft palates, jaw, and others — shape your sounds into words.

To get the most out of these parts, it's important to remember one thing: BREATHE.

For example, release the lower jaw by saying, "ouch." Did you breathe before you spoke? Disconnecting your speech from your breath forces you to "push" words out from the throat.

Articulator warm-ups relieve tension, but don't over-do them. "Little, but often" is a good motto. Your articulators get a strenuous workout in your teaching day. Unnecessary tension only adds to their burden.

Judy Leigh-Johnson, a theatre voice coach and lecturer at The University of Iowa, demonstrates some of the exercises actors use to prepare themselves to speak. See these videos in the Notes section.

Make the most of what you've got

Exploit your natural resonance

Resonance refers to the amplification, richness and quality of your voice. Metaphorically, think of your mouth and throat as the speakers of your stereo system. Are you projecting a voice with poor resonance or one that is fully resonant?

Exploiting your natural resonance spaces is a wonderful skill for teachers to develop. By using the nooks and crannies of your unique vocal structure for resonance, you will find that your voice carries well without increasing your volume. This takes the load off your vocal folds.

Resonant voice might be described as sounding "buzzy." Can you hear the effect of resonance on the sound [ee] in these recordings?

Female, low resonance

Female, high resonance

Male, low resonance

Male, high resonance

How you can add resonance

We all have three sound-resonating areas: the nose, throat and mouth. Not surprisingly, these are the places where you feel vibration when you speak.

Practically speaking, you can do little to alter the nasal cavity, but go for optimal resonance with your throat and mouth.

Alleviate tension in the throat, keeping the airspace open for your voice to pass seamlessly through.

Open your lower jaw during speech to expand the mouth.

Avoid excess tension in the soft palate, lips, tongue and jaw.

Keep the tongue out of the way, lying flat in the mouth with the tip behind the bottom teeth unless needed to shape sounds.

Use your vowels. We mostly hear resonance through vowel sounds.

Strive for a balance of air passing through the nose and mouth for pleasant, clear speech.

Your voice in the spotlight

A bright idea

Integrate your voice work into daily routines.

Practice vocal warm-ups following your morning run, walk or workout. If you train with weights, do your voice work at the opposite end of the day. Voice work and weight training don't go well together.

Hum in the shower to warm up vocal folds. They love the moisture in steam!

Hum in different pitches to release the range, increase vocal variety and relieve monotony. You can hum anywhere!

Exercise your jaw before or after brushing your teeth.

Warm up your articulators while commuting to work.

Release shoulder tension by moving your shoulders forward and backward in small circles.

Hum at the end of the day (perhaps as you reorganize your desk or drive home). Stick to middle-pitch "mmmm's," and think of it as a cool down.

Teachers are vocal performers

Each one teach one

Select a poem or a paragraph from a work of literature. Read the selection aloud to a friend or co-worker, and have your partner evaluate your speech according to this checklist: