Vocal health – Total Voice

Should you stop using vocal fry?

by Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Being Heard, Breath Support, Myth Busters, Owning the Room, Powerful Speaking, Professional Speaking, Singing, Vocal health, Vocal Injury, Voice for Stage, Voice Therapy, Voiceover

Vocal fry is a creaky sound that many of us make at the end of a sentence (at least occasionally), and some people use throughout their speech (the Kardashians brought this into the limelight). A lot of people consider it unprofessional and problematic, but is it?

How to stop clenching your jaw

by Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Being Heard, Powerful Speaking, Professional Speaking, Vocal health, Voice for Stage, Voice Therapy

Clenching or grinding the teeth can be related to various physical problems, but I’m interested in it because it can mess with voice and speech! So let’s look at why we do it and, most importantly, how to stop.

Stressed? Try humming for health

by Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Breath Support, Myth Busters, Owning the Room, Powerful Speaking, Professional Speaking, Singing, Stage Fright, Vocal health, Vocal Injury, Voice Therapy

Yep, simply humming can affect your body and mood. I’m going to discuss a little of the data, and then give you a simple way to play with it on your own.

None of this is surprising, really, when we consider the widespread use of sound waves in Western medicine. Ultrasound is a vital non-invasive diagnostic tool, and sound waves are frequently used to treat tumors, kidney stones, broken bones, blood clots, and so much more.

One simple way to instantly add authority to your voice

by Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Being Heard, Owning the Room, Powerful Speaking, Professional Speaking, Vocal health, Vocal Injury, Voice for Stage

I’m frequently asked to help people sound more authoritative in the work place. The request may come from their own feelings about their speech, or from a supervisor who notes this as an area for improvement. Spoiler: lowering your pitch doesn’t help!

conitnue reading

Always clearing your throat? Here’s help.

by Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Myth Busters, Powerful Speaking, Vocal health, Vocal Injury, Voice Therapy

Chronic throat clearing can cause throat irritation and hoarseness. There are several possible reasons you might be clearing your throat a lot. Typically it is due either excess mucus or irritation of your vocal cords. Those can come from a variety of sources. Let’s break them down.

Do you have a weak vocal cord?

by Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Being Heard, Powerful Speaking, Professional Speaking, Singing, Vocal health, Vocal Injury, Voice Therapy

Vocal fold weakness (technically called paresis) is a surprisingly common problem, and it can go untreated because it can be difficult to diagnose.