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Vocal Health Tips for the Music Educator Jessica Timman Schwefel, Oshkosh
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Teachers are required to use their voices for long periods of time throughout the day, resulting in high intensity occupation- al voice use. As a result, vocal dysfunction has been a common issue for many in the teaching profession. Recent studies have concluded that teachers are twice as likely to experience voice dysfunction than those who are not in the teaching profession.1 Music teachers are unique because they may have very large classroom sizes and may also teach at multiple schools within a district. Music teachers also differ because they regularly sing and speak throughout the day. Even further, many music teach- ers also perform outside of the classroom and sing in shows, concerts, ensembles or other venues. Therefore, it is essential that teachers learn to care for their voices to ensure a long-term career.
Vocal fatigue, laryngitis and voice dys- function can interfere with your ability to teach effectively. Long-term overuse and misuse of the voice can even result in vo- cal injury, resulting in prolonged absences from teaching and the need for voice therapy. The intent of this article is to give you basic information to keep your voice in optimal health for years to come.
Know Yourself
I believe the first rule to optimal vocal health is to know and care for yourself. Some people have a propensity to speak loudly or over use the voice. Someone with a boisterous personality probably uses his or her voice more than someone who is more reserved and shy. If you are a talkative person with a high vocal intensity job, you will need to be more careful and aware of your voice use. A good rule of thumb is that your voice will always tell you what it needs. Pay attention to mo- ments when you feel thirsty and vocally tired and make adjustments based on those needs. Pay attention if your speaking or singing voice is feeling hoarse, scratchy or sore. The voice will always give you signals that it needs rest. Allow the voice
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the rest when you are feeling symptoms of vocal fatigue.
Also, pay attention to your overall health. Factors such as allergies, acid reflux, food intolerances and lack of sleep can affect your vocal health. Be in regular contact with your doctor to regulate any health concerns you have.
Care for the Speaking Voice
In many cases, the source of many vocal problems lies with your everyday con- versational voice. Some people may not be aware of misuse or abuse in this area, because we use our speaking voices daily without much thought or awareness of basic vocal technique. Keep away from chronic throat clearing and shouting, and also be aware of the voice when having long and emotionally charged conversa- tions.
The most significant area for music teachers in terms of speaking is to refine your classroom management skills. Do your best to save your speaking voice by refusing to talk over your students, their singing, or their instruments. Commit to the idea that you never need to talk over your students and their instruments. This not only saves your voice, but it really keeps the noise level in the music class- room to a minimum. In addition, integrate non-verbal cues in the classroom to signal students to keep noise levels down. You can always modify your lesson plans to include more listening and reduce the amount of speaking required for a lesson. You can record separate vocal lines or parts for demonstration and modeling pur- poses. If you are feeling vocally fatigued, keep your vocalizing to a minimum during prep periods and breaks. Allowing the voice to rest between classes is key.
Warm Up and Cool Down the Voice Warm up the voice before your day. Warm-up exercises help prepare the voice
“The most significant area for music teachers in terms of
speaking is to refine your classroom management skills.”
for heavy use. Much like an athlete, high- intensity voice users perform better and longer when they take the time to warm up the voice. You can always do some lip trills, humming or vocal sighs to initially warm up the voice. Simple slides and scales can help prepare the voice for a full day of use. Breathing exercises can help engage muscles in the abdominal wall that are associated with breath support.
In addition, a cool down is also useful in caring for your voice. The concept of a cool down is not to increase tone, but rather relax the muscles of the larynx as- sociated with speaking and singing. Straw exercises have been shown to help stretch and relax the muscles associated with voice use. Slides and sirens also prove very useful in this regard.
Hydration
Hydration is an essential element of your vocal care. Your vocal folds need adequate lubrication to maintain healthy vibra- tion, but especially to endure prolonged voice use.2
In order to stay adequately
hydrated, it is suggested that you should drink 64 oz. (8 cups) of water every day. However, fluids ingested moisten the mouth, but not your larynx or vocal folds. Eighty percent of the liquids you drink are absorbed through the intestine, makes its way through the blood stream,
January 2017
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