Presentation: TMD in Trained Singers & Singing as TMD Therapy.
TMD is an umbrella term for disorders affecting masticatory muscles and/or temporomandibular joints (TMJs). General physical exercise has been shown to reduce TMD pain and improve function; however, the potential for singing as a targeted exercise has not been explored. A high number of singers report experiencing signs and symptoms of TMD, yet to date, no comprehensive study of TMD suffering singers’ jaw kinematics and muscle activities has been conducted.
The objectives of this presentation are to identify whether painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD) in singers is associated with injurious motor patterns, to evaluate associations between vibrato quality and muscle tension, and to differentiate the manner through which singers and non-singers use their jaw and masticatory muscles.
Theodora Nestorova, PhD
Bulgarian-British-American soprano, researcher, and teacher Theodora Ivanova Nestorova serves as Assistant Professor of Voice, Phonetics, & Dysphagia at Viterbo University’s Department of Communication Disorders & Sciences/Speech-Language Pathology Program. As a voice scientist, Theodora's vibrato research work has been published in the Journal of Voice and The Journal of Acoustical Society of America and won best paper, poster, and presentation awards at National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and Pan American Vocology Association (PAVA) conferences. An active educator and clinician, Theodora has been awarded the NATS Voice Pedagogy & Emerging Leader Awards and the McGill Excellence in Teaching Award. Theodora also maintains a private voice teaching and diction coaching (especially Slavic languages) studio at AXiO Performing Arts Medicine & ENT Vocalex Clinic in Montréal. A versatile vocalist, Theodora is the first-place winner of the American Prize in Vocal Performance, has recorded with international record labels such as Aparté and the world-renowned Bulgarian National Radio, and regularly performs across genres as one-half of the experimental soprano-cello duo, Pizzicanto. Theodora holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies/Applied Performance Sciences (McGill University’s Schulich School of Music), an M.B.A. in Arts Entrepreneurship (Global Leaders Institute for Arts Innovation), a M.M. in Vocal Pedagogy/Music-in-Education (New England Conservatory), and a B.M. in Voice Performance/Musicology (Oberlin Conservatory). A former Fulbright Scholar to Austria, Theodora was a Grant Recipient at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Theodora has trained in Laryngeal Manual Therapy with Myofascial Release, is a Performing Arts Medicine Association Certified Arts Educator in Vocal Performance, and is currently undergoing PAVA Vocologist Recognition. For more, see theodoranestorova.com
Financial Disclosure: Dr. Nestorova has no financial relationships to disclose.
Non-Financial Disclosure: Dr. Nestorova has no non-financial relationships to disclose.