I remember when I was in my undergraduate program and I was taking an introductory course on the voice and voice disorders. During that semester I developed an upper respiratory infection and although the infection healed it left my voice in bad shape. It did not help that on top of being a full time student, I also worked three different jobs that were very vocally demanding. I was fortunate enough to have access to a speech – language pathologist and one who specialized in voice care, my very professor! She gave some simple ideas on how to care for my voice and in a few weeks my voice returned to normal. But not all of us have easy access to free voice consultations and therapy.

My goal is to outline some simple ideas that will hopefully keep your voice healthy. Follow these guidelines on a daily basis and if you ever find that you are experiencing a change in your vocal quality (i.e., roughness, hoarseness, breathiness, weakness) and it persists for more than ten days then please consult with your primary care physician.

Every Day Vocal Care

Hydration is key: It is critical to hydrate our bodies on a daily basis. We can hydrate on the inside and the outside. Sip on water throughout the day. Ideally you want to consume eight 8 – oz glasses of water per day. Additionally, you can place a humidifier in your bedroom at night to hydrate environmentally. The hydration will assist with breaking up the mucous that can collect on our vocal folds. That will prevent unnecessary throat clearing and/or coughing which can be damaging if done excessively.

Reduce your caffeine intake: Caffeine is a diuretic and therefore can be dehydrating. Caffeine can found in a variety of products including coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, chocolate and energy drinks. Try to stay away from caffeine and when you do consume products that have caffeine, just drink more water that day to compensate.

Don’t smoke: Smoking of any kind is bad for your overall health and additionally puts you at risk for future laryngeal pathologies. Smoke changes the composition of the vocal folds and individuals who smoke are strongly encouraged to discontinue smoking.

Medications: Different medications can have an effect on the voice. This includes inhaled steroids, antihistamines, ace – inhibitors and diuretics. You should be familiar with your medications side – effects and consult with your primary care physician if you have any concerns.

Follow these general guidelines and remember if any concerns arise, it is important that you contact your primary care physician for further evaluation.

I have attached some pictures from the trip.

Enjoy!

This year I hope to blog more on the topic of voice as it applies to singers and actors. I also am exploring the subject of voice and communication therapy for the transgender/transsexual population.

Check back soon for new blogs.

Happy 2012!

One of the more non – traditional roles of a speech – language pathologist is serving as an accent modification (or accent reduction) coach. This is an elective service, in which professionals and individuals choose to participate in a program that reduces their accent and improves communication. Not all accent modification programs are created equal but one commonality does exist…it takes time and hard work!

The approach that Los Angeles Voice Therapy uses is known as The Compton Pronunciation of English as a Second Language (P – ESL) Program. It is designed to be a 13 – week course, in which 19 target sounds are chosen and worked on systematically for 13 weeks, once a week with a certified administrator of the program and the remainder of the time the client does assigned homework on a daily basis. Of course this program can be varied to a 7 – week program or a 3 – day intensive course, depending on the clients need and level of motivation.

Here are some tips on how to improve your speech and be better understood by colleagues, employers, clients and friends:

1. Consider your rate of speech; are you speaking too fast? Slow it down and clearly articulate each sound in your words, phrases and sentences.

2. Consider the vowels; how are other native speakers of American English shaping their vowel sounds? Listen and try to imitate them.

3. Pick a word a week to work on. Is there a word that you have trouble with? Ask a friend, who is a native speaker of American English and ask them to model the word for you. Practice saying that word (or phrase) for a week and then following week pick a new word (or phrase).

We are all born with a unique “vocal instrument”. Our vocal folds, larynx, lungs and articulators are what determine our vocal pitch and range. However, we are not bound to the habitual pitch that has been established over the years of speaking. We speak everyday, totally unaware of the fact that we can make minor changes to our articulators, which can actually improve the quality and pitch of our voice. Below are some pointers to getting you on the track towards a more pleasant pitch and improved vocal quality.

Vocal Hygiene: It is important that we tend to the needs of our vocal instrument. Our vocal folds need to be hydrated, so it is important to make sure we sip water throughout the day to keep them moisturized. Additionally, we should be aware of how much caffeine and alcohol we consume on a daily basis as both are very dehydrating to the body. If you smoke and you have chosen not to quit, think about how often you smoke and if you have a big presentation coming up try to limit your smoking so that your vocal folds can be in the best condition for speaking.

Say “Um – Hum” – Morton Cooper developed a simple way to find a client’s optimal pitch, simply by taking a breath and saying “Um – Hum”. When you say “um – hum” hold the last sound and say 1, repeat the “um – hum” and say 2, do this up to the number 10. Listen to the quality, feel your tongue, throat and jaw, are they relaxed? Are you pleased with the sound quality? This is a very simple technique and it opens up the individual to the idea that they might have a better pitch and quality that they can speak with. Give it a try!

Nasal or Non – Nasal: When you speak do you sound like you have a cold? Do you sound like everything you are saying is coming through your nose? Or do you feel like you sound nasal when you need to, such as when you say words that have the N, M and NG sounds in them? Listen to yourself speak and take note of any nasality or lack of nasality you might be hearing. Remember that the only time you should sound nasal is when saying words with the N, M and NG sounds are in them. The remainder of the time the sounds that are not nasal, will come through your oral cavity (your mouth).

Breathing and Loudness: Take note of your breathing patterns in your day-to-day interactions. Try to keep a smooth, rhythmic breathing pattern, which will not only keep your relaxed but will provide you with the appropriate respiration for phonation. As you phonate (produce voice) take notice of how loud or not loud you are. Are you speaking loudly in a private one – on – one conversation? Or are you using a quiet voice to keep the conversation between you and your communication partner? If you are at a noisy restaurant, are you increasing the loudness of your voice to make sure your friends and/or colleagues can hear you? Learn to use appropriate loudness by taking notice of how others are speaking, if others are very loud then it is probably an appropriate time to speak loudly. If others are quiet then it might be a situation where quiet voice is appropriate.

Use the tips and tricks in this article to begin exploring other ways to use your voice. You might find a voice that you didn’t even know that you had. I leave you with an interesting article I read on the trend of what is being called a “creaky voice”.

So how can you ensure that the first impression that people have of you is a good one, an accurate one? Lets look at the following points, which can be utilized in our everyday professional (and personal) lives to make good first impressions and continue to strengthen the professional relationships that we already have.

1. Eye Contact – Our eyes are communication tools and if we know how to use the tool, we can greatly enhance our communication experience. It is important to make eye contact with your communication partner, but do not stare them in the eye for long periods of time. This can make the person feel uncomfortable. Rather establish appropriate eye contact initially and as you speak you might look to the side or down for a moment as you go through your points of conversation. Using a raised eye – brow or squinting your eyes might even assist in showing your listener that you are interested in what they are saying. So the next time you are engaged in conversation with someone, pay close attention to the way you use your eyes in communication.

2.  Posture– A confident stance or walk sends a message to anyone that sees you. Do you notice how some individuals give off confidence just in their walk? Our day to day lives often place us in front of computers, tablets and phones that require us to put our heads down, hunch our shoulders forward and this posture remains with us unless we actively choose to stand tall, with our shoulders rolled down our back and arms hanging comfortably at our sides. Take notice of how you sit during a team meeting. Are you sitting upright, with your chest slightly forward and your head up, perhaps slightly tilted forward in one direction to communicate that you are engaged in the meeting? Or are you leaning back in your chair, looking down or twisted up like a pretzel with your knees and ankles crossed? Our posture communicates how we are feeling and how interested we are in the conversation at hand, so again, notice your posture and make an effort to “own your space” and sit tall, be engaged with your whole body and learn to give off a confident energy in your interactions with people.

2. Handshake – A handshake doesn’t have to be over the top to communicate confidence. A confident handshake means you give the person your whole hand, not just the finger tips, have a firm but gentle grip, as you confidently give the person’s hand a shake. Lean in with your body a little bit to, again, engage the whole body and give off a confident first impression.

3. Center of Gravity – Your center of gravity is where you carry your weight when you stand or walk. When you walk, notice if you carry your weight in your shoulders, your lower back, your hips or legs. Your center of gravity should start in your core region (abdomen)  and come down your legs, so that you feel grounded. If someone was to try and push you over, they shouldn’t be able to do so, unless of course they put in a lot of effort. This is important, particularly when you are giving a speech or presentation. The speaker who is firmly grounded can then move his or her arms more freely and will be able to have better breath support and therefore an improved vocal quality and loudness.

4. Voice – Our voice is the most important communication tool. Our voice gives away how we are really feeling. If your voice is shaky, it can imply that you are nervous. If your voice is too soft, your listener won’t be able to hear your message. The first aspect of improving your vocal quality is to ensure you are attending to the needs of your vocal folds. You need to drink adequate amounts of water, avoid smoking, excessive amounts of caffeinated drinks and alcoholic drinks and make sure to not overuse your voice before a big presentation. During the presentation, focus on taking full breaths that go into your belly and from your belly support your voice and project it out towards your listeners. Even in one –on – one interaction, it is important to have an appropriate pitch and volume.

This above mentioned tips and tricks are just the beginning to making sure you make a first impression that is positive. Consider trying out one or two things and notice if it changes how you go about your daily professional (and personal) interactions.

 Ralph Waldo Emerson, “What you are speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you are saying.”

The other day, I sent a text message to a friend and it read, “Ok I’m done just sitting around if I can help out let me know.” After I sent the message, I re-read it and realized that I had sent the wrong message. What I meant to say was, “I’m done. Just sitting around. If I can help out, let me know.” There is a world of a difference between the first message and the second message. The first sounds like I’m frustrated with sitting around and I want to do something about it. The second one sounds like I just finished what I was doing and now I’m sitting around. If I can help out, I’m available. This text message is not the first and won’t be the last text that sends the wrong idea. Everyday, more and more people are using text messages, instant messages, social networking sites and e-mail to communicate with one another. Everyday, fewer and fewer people choose to meet in person or even pick up the phone.

When we have a face-to-face conversation with someone, we have a number of factors that help us get the message across. We have our eye contact, body language, vocal inflection and most importantly, the ability to correct a miscommunication immediately. Over the phone, conversations still have the vocal inflection and ability to correct a miscommunication. With a text message, you simply have typed words, often with poor grammar, and the way your message will be interpreted is at the mercy of the one receiving the message. At least we have emoticons that allow us to set the tone of the message.

So if face-to-face communication at its best is still challenging, what hope is left for us who choose to communicate via text messages, instant messages, email and social networking sites? How can we be sure that we are communicating effectively? It is important that we take effective communication into consideration when we send a text or instant message. We can start by simply proof reading our text messages to ensure that we are sending the clearest message possible. But more importantly, at some point, it would be wise to check in either over the phone or face-to-face with the person we are texting, to make sure that there wasn’t a communication breakdown. Use of emoticons helps as well.

[line]

Tina Babajanians, M.S. CCC – SLP, is a speech language pathologist working in Los Angeles, California. She works in variety of settings including elementary schools, full-time and hospitals, per-diem. Her passion is voice therapy and she is working on launching a private practice that specializes in the treatment of voice and resonance disorders. You can visit her website and find her on Twitter @lavoicetherapy.