RESEARCH TO PRACTICE...
Wendy Sims, MMEA Research Chair
Finding Your Voice: Strategies for Good Vocal Health Cynthia A. Williams Phelps, University of Missouri
As a music teacher, how many times have you struggled to find your voice? How often does your voice feel strained and fatigued? Perhaps you have experienced lost teaching days due to poor vocal health. You are not alone. Professional voice users, or professionals who rely on their voices as an integral part of their jobs such as teachers, vocalists, and actors, are at an increased risk for developing vocally related health issues. As professional voice users, teachers carry a considerable voice load throughout the day due to the instruction and feedback they provide and are among a higher risk group than non-teachers (Bovo, Galceran, Petruccelli, & Hatzopoulos, 2007; Ferreira et al., 2010; Hackworth, 2009; Hackworth, 2010; Sampaio, dos Reis, Carvalho, Porto, & Araujo, 2012; Van Houtte, Claeys, Wuyts, & Van Lierde, 2011).
Studies indicate that music teachers are in an even greater risk group because they frequently engage in singing activities and talk in noisy environments, and may develop vocal health issues more often than classroom teachers (Hackworth, 2007; Hackworth, 2009; Hackworth, 2012; Morrow & Connor, 2011). Work environment and health problems play a large role in vocal dysfunction (Ferreira et al., 2010) and may lead to other personal difficulties. Environmental factors (noisy classrooms, space constraints, dust, humidity, and temperature) may contribute to vocal fatigue, hoarseness, and dry throat (Hackworth, 2012; Sampaio et al., 2012; Van Houtte et al.,
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2011). These factors exacerbate work tension and psychological stress. As verbal communication with students and parents becomes increasingly difficult, teachers may feel limited in current and future job performance, and may even consider a career change because of vocal health issues (Bovo et al., 2007; Hackworth, 2009; Van Houtte et al., 2011). Through prevention techniques, teachers may thwart vocal problems and maintain good vocal health. In the following sections, I describe vocal health behaviors, address factors that cause vocal stress, and recommend strategies for nurturing healthy vocal habits.
Vocal Health Behaviors and Vocal Stress
Vocal health behaviors are actions and habits that have an impact (positive or negative) on our vocal health. Behaviors that may have a negative impact on vocal health include smoking, breathing second- hand smoke, consuming and abusing alcohol, and consuming too much caffeine. Insufficient hydration, inadequate sleep, experiencing acid reflux, coughing, clearing the throat, speaking excessively, speaking in noisy environments, and yelling are additional behaviors that may have a negative effect on vocal health (Ferreira et al., 2010; Hackworth, 2009; Hackworth, 2010).
Vocal stress may be due in part to overuse and misuse of the voice. Factors that contribute to vocal stress may include classrooms with poor acoustics, speaking loudly
enough to be heard over a noisy background, verbal instruction while students play or sing, singing while students sing, singing alone, and serving on bus and lunchroom duty (Bovo et al., 2007; Hackworth, 2009; Morrow & Connor, 2011). As discussed previously, music teachers may be at a greater risk for developing vocal dysfunction than classroom teachers. Morrow and Connor (2011) found that elementary music teachers had a significantly greater vocal load when compared to elementary classroom teachers. The results demonstrated that the particular vocal demands placed on music teachers were greater than general classroom teachers, on top of an already vocally stressful profession (p. 370).
Additional factors, such as gender, may play into vocal stress patterns. Women may present “greater predisposition” to vocal disorders, as noted by Sampaio et al. (2012), due to the smaller size of the larynx and vocal frequencies similar to those of children, which may lead to increased vocal use to be heard over them (p. 280). Ferreiro et al. (2010) discussed consideration of not only physiological and anatomical qualities of females, but gender- related social aspects that may contribute to vocal health issues, as well (p. 88).
Whether a teacher is female or male, universal strategies to teacher vocal health reside within self- assessment; vocal care training, and vocal hygiene practices. Developing
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