2018 Report EVTA Voice Clinic - Europa Cantat - Tallinn, Estonia

by EVTA President Susan Yarnall Monks

EVTA were very pleased to offer this new initiative to ECA-Europa Cantat and were invited for the first time to offer a “Voice Clinic” at this amazing Choral Festival with over 100 choirs and 4500 individual singers, plus conductors, composers and music publishers, performing music across cultures, languages and genres.

We had originally thought of calling it a Voice Tent but were advised that Clinic would be more easily understood across the 51 countries taking part. However we did not feel the need for the boxes of throat pastilles so we put them aside, but we were grateful for the small room and keyboard and also for the explanatory page in the Festival Booklet. Having seen the success of this event a larger more prominent room might be more appropriate next time.

Working method

We had straws, a LaxVox tube and water, Pilates rubber band, FlowBalls plus some posters with vowel and consonant placement information using IPA, and books on vocal anatomy and EVTA flyers.

On average we had 20 singers each of the 5 days between 14.00-16.00 but in fact we usually started earlier and finished later so it was an intensive 3 hours! Susan Yarnall-Monks, President of EVTA ran all 5 sessions with the help of  EVTA members Sarah Algoet from Belgium and Antra Jankava from Latvia. 36% were male so there were more women but the young people  18% (under 18) were all female. 60% were under 30 years of age.

Countries represented were Spain, Poland, Portugal, Germany, Israel, Indonesia, France, Estonia, Slovenia, Turkey, Netherlands, Guadeloupe, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland.

We tried to deal with everyone individually but it was not always possible and some people preferred to sit and watch, and some came back the following days to ask more questions. The two teachers worked as a team, with respectfully exchanging different solutions to a challenge but always being open and honest.

We used BelCanto, Estill, CVT and Voice Science knowledge, teaching experience and an understanding what the individual could usefully take away with them, so not overcomplicating any advice, particularly as we stuck to English as our language of communication plus a lot of visual demonstrations. We talked about air pollution, the heat and humidity we were all experiencing etc. We recommended Ingo Titze’s Youtube video using a straw, LaxVox, FlowBall, hydration, nebulisers, and offered variations on the following from the internet.

We stressed to them to trust their own instincts and whatever a singing teacher or a book suggested always make sure that it was working for them, and not in anyway painful.

I decided, as this was a new venture and I wasn't sure how it would develop, to create a form for them to fill in, however sometimes there were so many in the room it was difficult to get accurate numbers and questions. We were not always able to do the quick vocal check list on everyone unfortunately.

Below you will find:

1. The form that I created;

2. Vocal function exercises that we used;

3. A summery of the questions, queries and challenges that participants came up with and our solutions.

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Voice Clinic Tallinn 2018

Name    ……………………………             Age………          Male/Female                      Nationality……………

Vocal Symptoms: (tick which applies to you)

•   Sore throat

•   Back/shoulder pain

•   Vocal discomfort

•   Acid Reflux

•   Dry throat

•   Persistent cough

•   Habitual Voice Loss

•   Tuning

•   Breathing

•   Sight singing concerns/Nerves

Quick Voice Check List

A.     Pitch of speaking voice “home note”  (own language counting 20 backwards)

B.     Vocal range………………….with 5 note fast light runs/glides

C.     Falling sigh (check for breaks or changes of timbre)

D.     Humming position (high or low)

E.      Open throat: Mamma Mia (watching tongue placement)

F.      Posture/Balance

G.     Neck Freedom/Tongue/Jaw

H.     Hip freedom/knees loose

I.      Diet/Sleep/Lifestyle

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“Vocal Function Exercises

The goals for voice exercises are much like those for other physical workouts or even physical therapy. Muscles and structures may be weakened, damaged, or out of coordination. These exercises will speed your recovery and prevent further problems by strengthening the system and helping it be more efficient.

General rules for Vocal Function Exercises

1. Exercises are done 2x each, 2x per day

2. All exercises are done as quietly as possible without breathiness

Exercises

1. Warm Up Exercise

Sustain the vowel “eee” as quietly as you can for as long as possible on the musical note...

(F) below middle (C) for males

(F) above middle (C) for females

2. Stretching Exercise

Glide from your lowest note to your highest note on the word “knoll” – “whoop” – or – on a tongue or lip trill

Goal = NO VOICE BREAKS

3. Contracting Exercise

Glide from your highest note to your lowest note on the word “knoll” – “whoop” – or – on a tongue or lip trill

Goal = NO VOICE BREAKS

4. Power Exercise

Sustain the musical notes (C-D-E-F-G) for as long as possible on the word “old” without the /d/.

Goal = ________ seconds (octave below middle (C) for males) (middle (C) for females)

Maintenance Schedule (subjective based on clinical judgment)

Week 1 - All steps 2x each, 2x per day

Week 2 - All steps 2x each, 1x per day

Week 3 - All steps 1x each, 1x per day

Week 4 – Exercise 4 2x each, 1x per day

Week 5 – Exercise 4 1x each, 1x per day

Week 6 - Exercise 4 1x each, 3x per week

Week 7 - Exercise 4 1x each, 1x per week"

Joseph Stemple, Ph.D.: The Blaine Block Institute for Vocal Analysis and Rehabilitation; “Voice Therapy for the Twenty-First Century”

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