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Keep Your Singing Voice Healthy! is written for all singers, whether beginner students or seasoned professionals. It is a practical self-help manual that shows singers how to take charge of their vocal health. Written by two laryngologists, it explains the structure and function of the vocal apparatus and gives clear, practical advice on managing common health issues, dealing with doctors and medications, and preserving good health--all from the singer's perspective.
List of contents
- Preface
- 1. The Vocal Apparatus
- 2. From Function to Performance
- 3. Examining Your Instrument: A Hands-On Tour
- 4. Monitoring Your Voice
- 5. The Glissando Test: A Simple Vocal Check-Up
- 6. Hearing and Singing
- 7. Muscle Tension and the Voice
- 8. Frequent Complaints, Common Sense Solutions
- 9. A Practical Approach to Allergies
- 10. Visiting the Voice Doctor
- 11. Common disorders of the Larynx
- 12. Vitamins, Supplements, Medications
- 13. Alcohol, Coffee, and Tobacco
- 14. Cortisone and the Voice
- 15. Voice Rest
- 16. Mindful Practice: A Medical Perspective
- 17. Diet and Singing
- 18. Exercise and Vocal Health
- 19. The Living Instrument: The Voice Over Time
- 20. The Singer: Artist and Artisan
- Appendix 1. Ten Simple Tips for Keeping Your Voice Healthy
- Appendix 2. Anatomic Intermezzo: What Do You Call That Thing?
- Index
About the author
Anthony F. Jahn is Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He is the author of more than 100 scholarly papers and several textbooks on vocal health. He has had an association with the Metropolitan Opera for more than 40 years and is also Adjunct Professor of Vocal Pedagogy at Westminster Choir College in Princeton.
Youngnan Jenny Cho, MD is Assistant Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She has lectured internationally to both singers and physicians on disorders of the professional voice and is on the faculty of the Bel Canto Institute in Florence. Dr. Cho oversees health services at three Lincoln Center performing venues, including the Metropolitan Opera, where she is Director of Medical Services.
Summary
Many common vocal health problems may be successfully self-managed by singers. Even when a visit to the doctor is needed, an understanding of how the voice works, and, more importantly, when, and why it doesn't work, empowers the singer, and can make a medical visit more effective.
Written by two prominent laryngologists with many decades of experience in treating singers, Keep Your Singing Voice Healthy! is a practical self-help manual that shows all singers, from beginner students to seasoned professionals, how to take charge of their vocal health. The authors demystify medical terms, explain the anatomy and function of the vocal apparatus, and give simple advice on managing common health issues, dealing with doctors and medications, and maintaining good health--all from the singer's perspective.
Additional text
As a performer on both the operatic and musical theater stages, I find this book presents an outstanding source of information about the singing voice. It is a must-read for singers and actors who seek a long professional career.
