Shirley Tennyson on the most common vocal disorders in vocal performers. The mechanisms of the Passagio, the importance of posture in singing, the dos and don'ts of vocal hygiene and vocal conservation, and the importance of a healthy speaking voice.

Shirley Tennyson, MA, EdM CCC-SLP, is a certified Speech-Language Pathologist with a particular interest and training in voice disorders. She graduated with Master's Degrees from Ohio University and Columbia University.

Her specialty is working with people who have voice disorders caused by such things as polyps, nodules, or cysts on the vocal folds, a paralyzed vocal fold, atrophied vocal folds, as well as voice problems resulting from neurological conditions, e.g., spasmodic dysphonia, Parkinson Disease, etc.

As a singer/actor herself, she particularly enjoys helping singers of all genres, actors, and performers resolve their vocal issues. Anyone who relies on his or her voice to earn a living is considered to be a professional voice user. This would include teachers, clergy, attorneys, salespeople, and receptionists just to name a few.

In our discussion today we talk about the most common vocal disorders in performers i.e nodules, polyps, vocal fold hemorrhage, and Edema, what they are, and how they form.

How problems with the singing voice can often be traced back to how you use your speaking voice. We discuss the mechanisms of the Passagio. We discuss why posture is so important to accessing your optimal sound, the dos and don’ts of vocal hygiene and vocal conservation, and last but not least breath.

Connect with Shirley Tennyson, MA, EdM CCC-SLP

Linkedin | email mentioned at the end of the interview

Links to resources mentioned:

• https://www.essentricstv.com
• Alexander Technique
• Feldenkreis