HAPPY WORLD VOICE DAY 2024!!, SOVTE Round Up, ANCHORING, and PYV!!

Enjoy some educational & inspiring blog reading & be sure to roll your shoulders & focus on "low and slow" & nasal breathing as you do! Make it a GREAT day. YOU are worthy and YOUR VOICE is BEAUTIFUL. #DONTFORGETIT 

 HAPPY WORLD VOICE DAY 2024!!!

 HAPPY WORLD VOICE DAY!!!!!!! CHECK OUT THIS YEAR'S VIDEO ABOVE!!!


Around the WORLD, April 16th is the day when voice professionals take the opportunity to celebrate VOICE & EDUCATE the public on VOICE HEALTH & VOCAL CARE. It’s an annual worldwide event CELEBRATING the human VOICE & highlighting the significance of VOICE DISORDERS. The main goals of World Voice Day include increasing public AWARENESS of the IMPORTANCE of the VOICE & alertness to voice problems. The theme for 2024 is RESONATE, EDUCATE, CELEBRATE! This year’s theme calls us to highlight & share the critical role that VOCAL HEALTH plays in our PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL lives. And this is also one of my PASSIONS!!!!! (#occupationalvoiceuser , #prioritizeyourvoice )…What a BEAUTIFUL time for OCCUPATIONAL VOICE USERS (& EVERYONE!) to CELEBRATE & HONOR the beautiful INSTRUMENT that is the VOICE & focus on the IMPORTANCE of PRIORITIZING IT!


I’ve made a WVD video (the THIRD ANNUAL!) featuring several of my friends & all the ways that they choose to PRIORITIZE their VOICES…so grab some , watch & enjoy, & I hope this helps you feel INSPIRED & ENCOURAGED to prioritize YOUR voice today & everyday!


HUUUUUUUGE SHOUTOUTS to EVERYONE who participated this year (tagged on video & below)!!!!! The video turned out SO well!! Sending you all LOTS of voice LOVE!!!


@waltfritzpt @cammylawlor @lyndsey_slp @speakyourlegacyny @itsmealee2424 @kaylanicolei @thevoiceforum @luzelena18 @joyo76 @cs.kenn @carlie.madsenslp @voice_physio @thesingersclinicuk @ericarceneaux @ravisathyajith @msugumaran @fayaway19 @scharns @mvdonaker @sarahk_voice @soundwavesvc @kailajfh_voice @voicebrainbody @voicefituk @the_voice_rehab @fonoisadora @brookebeilman @kristie_voice @infinitehealthyliving @voxfit_

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#voxfit #voice #worldvoiceday #wvd #happyworldvoiceday #voicesfittoinspire #chooseyourbestvoice #speechpathology #speechpathologist #voicespecialist #prioritizeyourvoice
 

 SOVTE Round Up.... 

You guys KNOW how much I LOVE SOVTEs!!! Anddddd I REALLY LOVE when research demonstrates lots of reasons WHY I love them!

Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises (SOVTEs) elicit voice production that relies more heavily on non-linear source filter interaction than on adductory stress to give the voice acoustic power (Maxfield et al., 2015). SOVTEs LEAD TO MORE ECONOMIC PHONATION, WHICH MINIMIZES VOICE INJURY (Titze, 2006; Gaskill & Quinney, 2006; Croake et al., 2017). 

A secondary vibratory source at the distal part of the vocal tract (STRAW PHONATION IN WATER) produces fluctuating intraoral pressure that is hypothesized to create a MASSAGE-like effect on the vocal folds and the vocal tract leading to muscle RELAXATION, improved blood CIRCULATION, and more COMFORT (Meerschman et al., 2021). 

LOWER VOCAL FOLD IMPACT STRESS has been noted with straw phonation in water which offers promising vocal training and rehabilitation opportunities with minimal risk of phonotraumatic reactions (Meerschman et al., 2021). 

The Maxfield group (2015) found that straw exercises IN AIR using diameters larger than 3.5mm might not produce sufficient intraoral pressure for efficient and effective voice therapy, which encourages the idea that when doing straw phonation in air the diameter should be that or smaller to achieve the BEST RESULTS. 

The Meerschman et al. study (2021) used a regular drinking straw (5mm diameter, 21cm length) for all straw phonation tasks and found a trend of reduced vibrational amplitude during straw phonation in water (2cm depth), suggesting that this exercise leads to DECREASED VOCAL FOLD IMPACT STRESS and therefore creates an ideal basis for voice training and therapy. They also found that during straw phonation in air (with the drinking straw), vibrational amplitude and mucosal wave increased, which might possibly indicate insufficient supraglottic pressure to obtain favorable effects of the semi-occluded exercise. However, the study also found that straw phonation in air (with drinking straw) led to a significantly REDUCED  supraglottic (mediolateral) compression both DURING the execution, AND AFTER the therapy session, indicating less false VF adduction and therefore LESS HYPERFUNCTION.

Something to always keep in mind is that for VOICE TRAINING and REHABILITATION purposes, it is IMPORTANT that the POSITIVE EFFECTS REMAIN during non-SOVTE phonation (Meerschman et al., 2021). Said another way, the ultimate goal of SOVT-related therapy is to maintain that higher VOCAL ECONOMY during non-SOVTE phonation. The training/exercises are certainly important, but it is the EFFECTS and IMPACT of these exercises and how we CARRY them into our day by day and minute by minute vocal use patterns that is extremely important. That’s where that MAGIC happens!

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#voxfit #voice #sovte #semioccludedvocaltractexercise #sovt #vocaleconomy #voicetherapy #strawphonation #research #alwayskeeplearning #voicesfittoinspire #cheerstoyourbestvoice #speechpathologist #speechpathology #voicespecialist

ANCHORING!

ANCHOR!!! ️

️Some definitions of ANCHOR (verb) include:

“To SECURE firmly in position”…

“To provide with a FIRM basis or FOUNDATION”…

-And one of the featured related sentences (in the dictionary) that jumped out to me was: “the boat, no longer held fast by its anchor, swung wildly”… 

…How does this apply to VOICE?!️

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ANCHORING is a concept I learned most extensively about within my Levels One and Two Estill voice training, and it’s honestly one of my FAVORITES that I’m really PASSIONATE about.

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It is mind-blowingly SIMPLE but incredibly EFFECTIVE and consistently RELIABLE. It can be used to SUPPORT and ENHANCE SPEAKING VOICE and SINGING VOICE. In my opinion, it monumentally helps OCCUPATIONAL and PROFESSIONAL VOICE USERS to continue fulfilling the vocal demands of their work/passion without vocal deterioration and/or reversion to a laryngeal focus that will likely lead to vocal fatigue or changes in quality. It is also extremely EFFECTIVE in helping those with voice disorders, even patients with tremor or laryngeal dystonias. 

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ANCHORING essentially centers on the fact that we should engage/recruit/pull from/align with the BIGGER BODY MUSCLES and/or the SKELETON in order to SUPPORT our voice and shift our FOCUS to that (more efficient) region (vs the larynx). There are several “anchors” on which you are educated during the training that you can immediately apply to voice use with significant benefits. I always tell patients/clients that the BODY is ALWAYS THERE, READY TO SUPPORT YOU (because it IS!).

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How many times throughout our day, (especially in times of stress!), do we recognize a breathholding pattern, a shallow breathing pattern, and/or just a general disconnection of the BREATH to the WHOLE BODY and/or the VOICE to the WHOLE BODY? 

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ANCHORING is your TICKET to a beautifully supported and enhanced VOCAL JOURNEY. ️️ 

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#voxfit #voice #anchor #anchoring #estill #estillvoicetraining #occupationalvoiceuser #professionalvoiceuser #speechpathology #speechpathologist #voicespecialist #research #usethebiggerbodymuscles #engage #shiftyourfocus #voicedisorders #support #wholebodybreath #wholebodyvoice 

PYV: Anddd of course, always REMEMBER to PRIORITIZE YOUR VOICE! ... 

How are YOU prioritizing your voice today? And everyday? As an OCCUPATIONAL VOICE USER, it SHOULD be one of your top priorities! (Need any ideas? Hope you like the third annual WORLD VOICE DAY video above!!)....

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What do you need to know to keep your voice healthy?  You should understand how the voice works, how to protect and care for your voice, and how to use your voice and entire vocal mechanism in the most efficient, effective, and dynamic ways possible.  
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I’m super PASSIONATE about this population of voice users (I’m one and most of you are too!), and am HERE TO HELP! Reach out with any questions, concerns, or if you’d like to work together. Email me at [email protected] or DM me on @voxfit_ ...