Vocal “Junkie”, in the manner of speaking... Addicted to the sound of your voice? How Distractive could that be...?

Non-Surgical Voice Repair has been my forte for 4 decades and counting...

I’ve worked with both - regular people with speaking/singing voice problems, ‘wannabes’, so to speak, and, of course, professional speakers and singers. This blog is mostly about professional singers who have done nothing but sang and performed most of their lives.

Understandably, the voice is their prime ‘instrument’ and, nevertheless, those artists’ livelihoods would very well depend on it. However, down the road, their voices would experience natural wear and tear, in a manner of speaking.
Obviously, these people would become alarmed and, nevertheless, frightened - rightfully so!

Usually, it would start in the later stage of their professional lives, as their voice would not be able to withstand the same workability and, nevertheless, sound pressure on their vocal anatomy, as they were able to in their younger years.

Needless to say, most of those artists have been naturally quite talented, but, at the same time, they never actually had experienced using the right vocal technique which, actually, would save and protect their voice(s) for life.

So before they knew it, the symptoms of an overworked voice began to surface. Some of them are coming to me with such vocal disorders are; Pre-nodule conditions or already with full-blown nodules, polyps, cysts and lesions on their vocal cords and on other parts of their vocal anatomy.

For many years, deep inside, they knew that something had dramatically changed with respect to their vocal performance. They realized it, but it usually takes some time to admit it, even to themselves.

As they go along, the condition keeps persisting and then, on that premise, they begin their internet search for a voice treatment or even cure. Some of them, out of desperation, jump straight onto the operating table in hopes that when they will come out of the O.R., they will be as good as new and will sing as good as before and better.

The others are looking for a ‘magic pill’, as well as conventional vocal instruction, not realizing that dealing with any vocal problem is a huge task and definitely requires a highly qualified voice specialist. It also requires from those artists to be in full cooperation with the instruction and treatment(s). 

The majority of those people are naturally very frustrated, extremely scared and totally obsessed with the sound of their voices. My recent US client, through the process of his pre-nodule treatment, was literally coming on and off of what I call a ‘vocal orgasm’...

When we overcame his vocal injury and started the actual vocal instruction, not only was he 'flying off the handle' from excitement, but continuously kept listening to his own voice without any anticipation of the next segment of the song coming.

When I pointed it out, he said to me: 

“But Diana, I am addicted; it is like a drug to me. I guess I am a vocal Junkie, as I am completely addicted to my voice, especially now. I never heard my voice sounding this way for many years!”

With these words, he crawled towards my chair, then kneeled down in front of it and touched my feet.  That gesture suggested great respect and admiration for a Teacher, Mentor or Guru, he explained.
I, actually, first learned that from my former voice repair client, who came to me from India many years ago.

He too performed the same gesture to my enormous surprise then, and after I recovered from the shock of the unknown, he gave me a full-blown explanation of that ritual.  

On a separate - but related note: Teaching “an old dog new tricks” is not very easy.

We all know that bad habits die hard.

Due to that process, I have to free the artist from any ‘addictions’ they may possess:  

• Misalignment of the physical body

• Poor connection between mental clarity and motor skills

• “Dropped down the floor” jaw

• Stuck out (as a pregnant ballerina), stomach (lol)

• Fears and insecurities about accepting the new modality of the certain proper vocal and overall behaviours

• Elimination of what I call “vocal narcissism” behaviour (me, myself and I, and…my voice)      

The name of this game is to find a balance which has to be achieved by a performer on every level: Mental, physical, emotional and, nevertheless, vocal. Once the above components are acquired and achieved, no 'addictions' or bad behaviour could take place, and not only vocally speaking...