20194322

SHOULD SINGERS USE WEIGHTS?

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 13:35:15 GMT

Yes, absolutely - in the right way!

There is far too much false information provided to singers about weight/resistance training being 'bad' for their voices.... and that's simply not true in most cases, because it depends on each individual and their circumstances. In this video, I present my opinion and thoughts on this matter as well as providing some simple top tips and example stretching to help with post workout tension.

Self-Help for Singers

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 10:15:32 GMT

PART ONE & TWO

As part of my services I always like to provide clients with self-help techniques that will enable them to take some control outside of the clinic, and after or between our sessions.

These techniques are not a substitute for Manual Therapy applied by qualified practitioners and as fairly basic, but are very effective and help a large amount of people maintain better vocal health from a physical perspective, between sessions and at times of very high vocal demand, such as touring and/or recording.

Feel free to check out the videos below - you might find some of the techniques useful.

Any questions, just drop me a line.

BVA Tension Release 2020

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 15:58:25 GMT

Helping Voice Users Unlock Tension

I had the absolute pleasure of being asked to present at the British Voice Associations 'Tension Release' seminar last month at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester .

The weather was horrendous as we endured yet ANOTHER storm, but the atmosphere at the seminar was amazing! The sold out event saw a mixture of Singers, Vocal Coaches, Speech & Language Therapists, NLP Practitioners, Physiotherapists and Osteopaths gather to listen to presentations and discuss everything related to helping identify, manage and ultimately reduce feelings of tension for voice users.

I presented on 'Manual Assessments of Muscle Tension' and also gave some insight into Vocal Massage and Manual Therapy as one option; but we also looked at 'Voice Therapy Techniques', 'The Vibrant Voice Technique' which involved the use of vibrators (yeah, that's not an auto-correct) and even delved into NLP hypnosis to address some of the more psychological aspects of tension.

We also had the opportunity to look into research (which is ongoing) relating to the use of vibration therapy for reducing tension symptoms around the larynx; the initial findings where interesting and I can't wait to see the end results in the future. I may even become a subject, so watch this space!!

What I loved the most though, was that everyone in the room was completely open to others beliefs and opinions even if it didn't match their own, or those that were taught as part of their industry specific training. Everyone chipped in positively and shared openly their own experiences relating to muscle tension, the challenges, the struggles and means of overcoming or managing it. I think everyone was able to take something away that may help them and others to reduce symptoms of tension, and generally increase awareness regards vocal health and wellness.

Another brilliant event by the BVA who do so much to help voice users. Check them out if you're not already a member.
https://www.britishvoiceassociation.org.uk/membership-join.htm

Vocal Massage Should Not 'HURT'

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 17:37:26 GMT

No pain no.... NO NEED! (in my opinion)

Vocal Massage is still considered a relatively new therapy to those outside of the manual therapy world, but it's actually been around for years!!!

The one thing that I constantly battle with is peoples misunderstanding about what it feels like, or what it should feel like. Some people truly believe that it's horrific and painful. What's even more scary is that people believe that it has to be in order to be effective. I've actually heard people brag about it - like it's some badge of honour that they survived?!

Now, everyone has their own opinion on this (and not just when it comes to Vocal Massage either), but I wholeheartedly disagree and think that this couldn't be further from the truth. Why?

Well firstly, a good therapist should communicate to the client at all times during a session of any therapy. They should be communicating verbally to ensure their comfort, to work with the client in order to establish areas that they feel need attention, and also to gather more information about that person and their symptoms. They should also be looking for non-verbal communication from the client - unconscious and conscious reactions to what they are doing. These might be one or more of the following - a client holding their breath, gritting their teeth, squeezing their eyes closed, clenching fists, flinches etc etc. These all give indications of how a client is receiving the treatment.

So, if a treatment is painful you will certainly exhibit some non-verbals. If your therapist is ignoring them and not communicating to you, then are they fully aware of what they're doing; do they see a treatment as one-sided and that they are the expert and know exactly what you need and what you can tolerate?

Secondly, if someone causes you pain what happens? What is your response likely to be? Would you lay down and relax, and let them continue to cause you pain? Absolutely not in most cases. You would more than likely start to (even subconsciously) defend yourself. I don't mean physically lashing out, but certainly most peoples response to painful manual therapy is to tense up, brace themselves, and sometimes hold their breath. All very natural responses to pain and things we're not comfortable with.

So I guess we need to ask ourselves; why are we having manual therapy? Most of the time it's likely that one of the reasons is because you're in pain or some level of discomfort already, or you feel like you need help to RELAX muscles and structures that you feel symptoms of tightness and/or restrictions in. Would having someone man-handle you make you relax? Does causing pain to an already uncomfortable/painful area make it less painful?

Would you really feel relaxed and invigorated after such a session; or simply just relieved that you can now relax because you and your larynx aren't being 'attacked'?

I have to stress that these are my opinions and I am sure a number of people will disagree - that's fine. The thing is, everyone has their own preferences when it comes to administering and receiving manual therapy, and that's okay too. The worlds big enough for all of us, but for me personally, manual therapy shouldn't be painful and it doesn't make sense to me that it should be either. I am not saying that there will never be moments of discomfort during Vocal Massage, (it's inevitable) but discomfort and pain are two very different things.

Discomfort in my dictionary is 'bearable' for a period of time. Discomfort is manageable. You can experience discomfort for a short time without tensing, bracing or 'running away'. And this is why I communicate continuously with all my clients both verbally and non-verbally. If I see non-verbal cues mentioned above, I will always question - 'are you okay?' 'would you like me to stop?' 'can you bare with this level of discomfort for a little longer?'. They (the client) are in the driving seat no matter how much of an expert I think I am, or how much pain I think they can and should tolerate. Manual therapy of any kind should be a two way street, and in my book never painful.

My last question to you would be - if you could achieve the same (and potentially better) results without going through pain; which would you choose? I know what I would do.

The Importance of Maintenance...

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 08:48:51 GMT

And why you should consider Vocal Massage?

I'm extremely lucky to work with all sorts of incredible voice users and feel truly blessed to help them keep their voices in good health as part of their vocal health routines. It's especially important to look after your voice if you're using it day-after-day and night-after-night. Even more so if you're adding energetic, strenuous dance routines and performances to it; not to mention the stresses and strains of daily life!

However, a huge amount of voice users don't actually look after their voices enough considering that it's essentially their money-maker!!

Like anything, if you use your voice regularly, or even to excess, it will become tired.

Scrap that! That statement is not actually correct. Essentially 'the voice' is just air! So, 'the voice' doesn't actually become tired, it's the muscles and structures that work together to produce sound that become tired, and as a result your voice quality and sound changes in a variety of ways.

Usually it causes a croaky or hoarse quality and makes creating sound effortful and laborious. Singing or speaking should be as effortless as possible - more effort usually means over working already tired muscles.

This is where Vocal Massage come in! Athletes have regular soft tissue massage, manual therapy and osteopathy type treatments during training and performance to reduce the risk of injury, the effects of training and competition. Voice users are no different - we simply uses different muscles to perform our specialism. The effects on those muscles are no different from that of an athletes. They get 'stiff', 'tired', 'sore' and sometimes even stop working or become over active as a result of being used.

If you don't look after them they will eventually let you know, which usually means a reduction in vocal quality, control and range. Worst case scenario it could result in vocal rehab or a period of voice rest - which is never good when you have a run of shows or gigs scheduled, recording booked or rehearsals to get through.

Vocal Massage (as it's now being coined) will help to reduce the effects of fatigue by reducing symptoms of muscular tightness, restriction, soreness and helping to lower the resting position of the larynx, which is often raised following long periods of voice use due to natural and adaptive muscle shortening. It also helps the voice user to physically relax the body and mind, not just 'the voice', helping to reduce anxiety and nervous sensations.

A 'Vocal Massage' will not only focus on the larynx, but other areas such as the jaw, neck, shoulders, ribs, diaphragm/abdominal region and sometimes even the hips!

Interested? Get in touch and have a chat.

Silent Reflux

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 11:08:59 GMT

Top Tips to Reduce & Manage Reflux

Laryngo-pharyngeal reflux (LPR) is fairly common in singers. What causes it is not always clear, because it can be caused by a number of factors and underlying medical conditions. However, LPR is largely influenced by lifestyle choices; or certainly aggravated by them.

LPR is where small amounts of the stomachs acid makes it way into the upper pharynx affecting the back of the larynx and causing irritation. This is because the pharynx and larynx are not designed to withstand the acidic nature of this fluid in the way that the stomach is, and theoretically it should never get that far anyway.

LPR is often called 'silent reflux' because most people that suffer with it don't experience the classic symptoms of heartburn or indigestion, and therefore don't associate it with acid reflux until they see a GP or an ENT Professional.

The most common symptoms are:

A sensation of a lump in the throat
Regular throat clearing and a build of mucus in the throat
Difficulty swallowing solids
A hoarse, tight or croaky voice
A sore, dry and sensitive throat
An acidic taste at the back of the throat
A chronic cough
An excessive need to burp

Below are a few simple and general tips to help manage and reduce the symptoms of reflux. However, please ALWAYS seek advice from a medical professional to ensure you have the correct diagnosis and treatment protocol in place, if you have any of these symptoms on a regular or long term basis.

#LPR #acidreflux #reflux #laryngopharyngealreflux #silentreflux #singers #vocalhealth #vocalmassage

#laryngealmanualtherapy #laryngealmassage #larynx #thevocdoc #cwtherapyrooms #lookafteryourvoice #lookafteryourhealth

British Voice Association - Rock & Pop Weekend 2018

charlieedwardward@yahoo.co.uk (Charlie Ward) — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 10:52:50 GMT

Guest Speaking & Friends

I was asked earlier in the year to speak at this bi-annual event organised by the BVA (British Voice Association) and was very flattered, but had no idea what to expect.

When the list of the other speakers came out I was so excited, and slightly nervous!! Three of those I was sharing the stage with where my vocal and performance coaches from when I was a student at VocalTech (now part of the BIIM Empire) and are some of the industries best and most well respected. Another two of the speakers are highly regarded professionals in the world of vocal health and rehabilitation. NO PRESSURE!!

The day was incredible, and was off with a bang starting with Vocal Harmony Exercises from the incredible Kim Chandler. It was so good to catch up with 'old' friends face to face, rather than via social platforms. It was also great to meet so many new people including Vocal Coaches, Speech and Language Therapists, ENT Consultants and Singers from all over the world!!

I was there to talk about the common issues that voice users/singers face, the effect on the body, the voice and how Laryngeal Therapy helps with rehabilitation, and most importantly prevention as part of a vocal health routine. It's been a while since I have done any formal speaking so understandably I was a little nervous. However, the audience welcomed me and the topic sparked some really interesting questions. I left the stage feeling that I had spread awareness of this type of therapy, what it is, what it does, and that it is something everyone has access to, which was my main goal. It prompted so many questions that I spent an hour after the event answering those we didn't have time for during the session.

The other presentations where really interesting, informative and highlighted the importance of such events for anyone interested in or working with the voice. Everyone was engaged, discussion and debate was encouraged and fun was had. The day ended with just as much of a bang with Craig Lees fantastic Choral Workshop, which had everyone on their feet and dancing in the aisles before heading home.

Thanks to Kim, Craig and the BVA for having me. It was brilliant. I will certainly be there for the next one, even if I'm not speaking.

If you want to join the BVA or check out their other events, go to www.britishvoiceassociation.org.uk

The Diaphragm - A Common Misconception

charlieedwardward@yahoo.co.uk (Charlie Ward) — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 13:58:02 GMT

Do You Know How It Works?

Talking with singers over the last couple of weeks, has highlighted the misunderstanding associated with the diaphragm.

The diaphragm contracts (shortens/tightens) when we breathe-in. Breathing out occurs as a result of the diaphragm actually RELAXING . The muscle fibres of the diaphragm recoil to their resting and lengthened state, passively pushing air out. It is not the other way around.

Obviously when we sing, we need that all important ‘support’ to help control the outflow of air for sustaining phonation and reducing the strain on the vocal folds and larynx. So, instead of completely relaxing as it does during rested breathing, the diaphragm maintains tone and recoils in a controlled manner supported by the extended engagement of the internal and external intercostals resisting the recoil and the abdominals remaining relaxed.

#diaphragm #vocalhealth #vocalanatomy #vocalmassage #laryngealmassage #laryngealmanualtherapy #singers #actors

#voiceusers #didyouknow

Backstage @ Main Stage Godiva Festival 2018

charlieedwardward@yahoo.co.uk (Charlie Ward) — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 09:35:31 GMT

Promoting Laryngeal Therapy & Vocal Health

After a trip to the States, I touched ground in Heathrow and within hours was back to it. This time, only a few minutes down the round in Coventry.

I had the absolute pleasure of being invited to the Godiva Festival this year to offer free 'Vocal Massage' to all artists performing on the main stage of this incredible festival. This festival is one of the largest in the UK and is absolutely FREE to enter. Yep! FREE to enter, and always has a great line-up of music old and new.

It was a busy weekend and an amazing opportunity to spread the word about this therapy and the benefits it has for voice-users, especially those who are gigging and touring. We had some brilliant conversations with the artists, their backing vocalists and management; they tried it, they liked it, and went on stage feeling more relaxed and vocally 'free', and we helped them to wind down after their performance too.

They also liked the free aluminium water bottles we were giving away. We didn't have many left by the end of the festival!! #passonplastic #refillable

I have to give a big 'well done' to everyone involved in the festival, it was amazingly well managed and put together by people with a genuine love of music and a desire to put on a cracking show!

I very much hope to be back next year.

What Do These People Have In Common?

charlieedwardward@yahoo.co.uk (Charlie Ward) — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 15:21:38 GMT

More than you think!

It’s probably not instantly obvious to everyone. It’s probably not obvious to the people in the photos either; and that’s my point. These people often treat themselves very differently when it comes to looking after their bodies, their livelihoods and tools of their trade, when in-fact they should all be doing similar things.

So, what’s the link? ��

They are all ATHLETES! ��

Yes, that’s right. Athletes. They might execute different activities and actions, but they are all athletes. ‘Sporting Athletes’ and ‘Vocal Athletes’ . They all use muscles to perform, and quite often they use them excessively.

The difference between them though, is that ‘Sporting Athletes’ tend to look after their bodies a little better than the ‘Vocal Athletes’ (in my experience). Most ‘Sporting Athletes’ will have some form of physical or manual therapy on a monthly, weekly and even daily basis when performing, to aid the recovery of their muscles and reduce the effects of exercise , fatigue and the risk of injury .

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting it needs to be exactly the same for all ‘Athletes’, but there is clearly a rationale behind it, and as a voice-user you’re using muscles to a similar intensity as that as a runner (for example) just different muscles.

❌ In comparison very few singers, actors or speakers get regular manual therapy to help with the affects that singing and speaking has on the muscles associated with voice production; and for some this will increase the risk of vocal fatigue, poor technique and compensatory behaviours, which can sometimes lead to injury.

✅ If you use your voice in a professional or amateur capacity, think of yourself from this day forward as a ‘Vocal Athlete’ and look after those muscles once in a while with some manual therapy as part of your vocal health routine .

Laryngeal Therapy & Vocal Massage

charlieedwardward@yahoo.co.uk (Charlie Ward) — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 15:38:30 GMT

VOICE COUNCIL MAGAZINE ARTICLE Oct 2017

Sadly the Voice Council Magazine is no more, and the site will at some point close down :(
Here's an article I wrote for them back in October 2017 about Laryngeal Therapy and why you should consider it.

Tongue Tension

charlieedwardward@yahoo.co.uk (Charlie Ward) — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 08:49:00 GMT

Simple ways to relieve tension

Tongue tension effects a large number of voice users, often without them truly knowing that it's part of their problem.

Tongue tension can cause vocal fatigue, reduction in range, poor pitch, compensatory behaviours, inefficient production of sound and reduces the quality of resonance.

This video very briefly outlines why this can happen and includes some simple stretches that might help if you struggle with tongue tension. Even if you don't, tongue stretches (there are loads!!) are worth adding in to your vocal health routine from time-to-time.

The Tongue (VIDEO)

charlieedwardward@yahoo.co.uk (Charlie Ward) — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 16:11:06 GMT

THE TONGUE - Don't let it tie-up your voice!

JUST �� at how hard your tongue works when producing sound �� This incredible video by Tyley Ross, shows him singing the same phrase in 4 different styles, and highlights the difference in the tongues position, amongst other things.

The tongue is one of the bodies strongest muscles and the only muscle attached at one end! #pubfact As well as eating, the tongue is also used for articulation when we speak or sing, and effects the voice in 2 different ways.

�� Acoustically - it shapes our resonate chambers to create specific sounds and vocal qualities.
�� Biomechanically - being attached directly to the hyoid bone it can affect the position of the larynx, the way that it functions and creates sound.

Being such a strong muscle and working constantly when speaking and singing, the group of muscles that make up the tongue collectively (yes there's more than one), often become fatigued and 'tight'. This 'tightness' effects our resonance, ability to create certain sounds, the ease of singing, and the position of the larynx, which in some cases causes compensatory behaviours that can be damaging to our instrument in the long term.

As a visual comparison, you can see in the image above all four mixes at exactly the same point in the song. The position of the tongue is different in each creating a different sound, but exactly the same not and vowel.

I'm hoping to show some interesting ways of stretching the tongue and releasing tongue tension very soon, but it could also be worth getting your tongue tension checked out by a professional. I treat the muscles of the tongue and floor of the mouth as part of every vocal massage session, because it is so influential on the voice. Don't get tongue tied!!

#vocalmassage #tonguetension #tonguetied #laryngealmassage #laryngealtherapy #singers #vocalhealth #vocalist #voiceusers
#voicehealth #actors #speakers #voiceover #presenters #thevocdoc

Vocal Fold Cycles (VIDEO)

charlieedwardward@yahoo.co.uk (Charlie Ward) — Fri, 18 May 2018 10:03:49 GMT

DID YOU KNOW ��

Sound is produced when air from our lungs cause the vocal folds (vocal chords) to vibrate rapidly in a sequence of vibratory cycles.

�� For men that’s around 110 cycles per second
�� For women that’s around 180 to 220 cycles per second
�� For children that’s around 300 cycles per second

Look after your voice, it works hard even when you're not using professionally!

#thevoiceisawesome #humansareincredible #voice #vocalmassage #laryngealtherapy #vocalhealth
#physicaltherapyforsingers #singers #voiceusers #endoscopy #vocalfolds #voiceover #actors #speakers

Stay Tuned.

charlieedwardward@yahoo.co.uk (Charlie Ward) — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 18:57:21 GMT

New Blogs Coming Soon!

We're doing a little housework, tidying up old content and creating new blogs about all things voice. Check back soon.