I arrived just after the start of the lecture by ENT surgeon Mr Declan Costello and made the mistake of clearing my throat, much to a room of disapproval. Mr Declan Costello was stood at the front, armed with lecture slide and remote conscientiously flicking through pictures of the vocal anatomy having apparently just remarked on the vocal faux-pas that is clearing of the throat. It seems the assembled audience had been alerted to the grave damage that something like that can have on the voice right from the offset. And that was just the start of the nugget filled discourse we were lucky to hear from someone who was very well qualified to be lecturing to an audience of professional voice users.
Mr Costello is not only an ENT surgeon but a singer himself, having studied music at Cambridge before undertaking a second degree in Medicine. Perhaps one of a rare breed in the world, he held a captive audience fascinated, hanging on his every word. His lecture contained useful information about vocal anatomy, physiology and pathology focused at singers in particular. But can knowing too much about the anatomy be a bad thing for a singer? Mr Costello doesn’t think so, he says: “It’s definitely useful to have a basic overview of how you produce sound, how changes in the structure of the larynx can change the quality of the voice, and how resonance works as well. Some singers are concerned about knowing a bit too much anatomy, and then end up thinking about their singing in too much of a mechanical way. That’s obviously not what I want to do, that would very much inhibit the artistry of singing. But if you have an idea of what a healthy larynx looks like, roughly what goes where, and how it all works, then that is definitely useful and good for vocal hygiene.” After an explanation about the science behind voice production and how parts of the body are involved in producing sound, he went on to explain the causes of voice disorders in professional users.
Following the main lecture, the group of almost 60 enthusiasts and professional voice users were split up into three smaller ones. In his session, Mr Costello conducted an examination of the vocal cords of a chosen few audience members, in a bid to lay bare the inner workings of this long fascinated-over instrument in real time. He believes giving professional voice users a chance to see their instrument can be very beneficial and admits: “There’s a lot of mystic about laryngeal anatomy and laryngeal examination and people are frightened of being examined and don’t want to come to a voice clinic with the fear of what might happen to them. So if we can demystify then that would be good.”
The event was organised by Just Sing! a Stevenage based social enterprise which works to promote the health and social benefits of singing through a community choir, workshops, performance events and talks. The aim of this event was to give an insight into the important role the whole body has when it comes to producing a healthy and well powered voice.
Physiotherapist Chris Lewis along with vocal coach Liz Harley conducted another session looking at how successfully treating tensions in the body can maximise a person’s vocal potential. In essence his technique deals with managing and treating the effects of daily life on a structure called the myofascia, which is a continuous connective tissue spread all over the body linking muscles throughout. This means that restrictions in one area can create a pull – causing tension and strain – in any other part of the body anywhere from head to toe.
He demonstrated his theory and how it can similarly have an impact on the muscles required for singing through various volunteers in the group. Aaron Owen Bailey, a singer and actor was the first to take part in the demonstration. He was asked to sing a warm-up scale, and while he did this, Chris Lewis observed him closely. Chris says: “While they sing, I watch out to see if they’re displaying any ‘trick movements’ or any little tendencies to move one way or another. At the same time I am also listening out for any breaks or restrictions in any part of their range. From that information I may change the body position and see if that improves the sound. If someone’s pivoting on their right leg at certain parts of their register, then I will take a closer inspection of their leg or back on the treatment couch. After that, Liz and I get them to re-do the exercise and see if there are any improvements in the voice.” Chris says a history of the person is also taken, they’re asked whether they’ve had any injuries or whether they’ve changed anything in their daily routine in the past 12 to 18 months. He then gives specific treatment depending on what he has found during the overall examination. Chris Lewis who works extensively with professional voice users like singers, actors and public speakers has been developing this work over the last few years. He calls the technique Vocal Support Therapy and says it’s designed to “optimise performance by ensuring supporting muscles or postural positions are working at their anatomical and physiological maximum for an individual’s body”. He also says that “by allowing the muscular system to work more efficiently with no strain, we enable the vocal folds to work at an optimum level maximising an individual’s vocal potential.” Through this technique, Chris also hopes to empower professional voice users to self-manage and maintain healthy practises to keep any tension at bay. He’s also adamant that people have a realistic view of his work. He says: “The important thing to realise is we don’t improve a person’s vocal quality by coaching; all we’re doing is enabling their brain and their body to access their voice better.” The session was was an eye-opener to say the least, and certainly gave insights into how sensitive the vocal mechanism can be to factors seemingly unconnected at first. For example, “posture may affect muscle tension in the back, in turn causing extra vibrato in the voice,” Chris says.
Meanwhile Aaron Owen Bailey who has previously had some sessions with the duo is optimistic about the treatment. He admits: “Before you’d see a vocal coach and they would just say sing, and if you weren’t hitting the notes they’d say why aren’t you hitting them? But to know that there is some physicality involved, which is holding the voice back really helps. I’ve had some sports injuries that were affecting my voice and which I’ve been living with for 6 to 7 years now. I am reassured to know there’s something that can be done, before it was just pop a few pain killers and get on with it and sing. I’ve now realised that there are parts of my voice which I can access by treating my ailments.”
The final cog in the wheel was a more holistic look at the body through the Alexander technique, through a fun and relaxing session conducted by Glyn Williams. It is a method Glyn says he can vouch for especially as a professional musician. He says: “The more you’re aware of how things work in the body, the less likely you are to inadvertently do the wrong thing. The most integral thing in the Alexander technique is the neck, it’s important to keep it free of tension, so the mechanics of the body can function more efficiently. Alexander felt people have more tension than they need, so everyone can benefit from more alignment. It’s usually when people get into pain and discomfort that their body tells them they need to do something. A lot of people can get away with it, but if demand exceeds the body’s ability then the body complains.” He believes the Alexander Technique is essential for performers and says that’s why so many musicologists are including this into the curriculum. He says: “The more information you have the better off you are. There’s a saying that in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is King, so the more you know the less ignorant you are.” And that was a message echoed by the organisers of the event too, as they attempted to inform and empower through a series of fascinating sessions, which no doubt stoked a renewed curiosity and spark in so many professional singers and voice users present.
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