Keynote Presentation: Customizing Vocal Exercises: Case Studies in Singing Voice Rehabilitation
It takes a team to help singers experiencing voice disorders successfully recover and get back in the game. Historically, both singing teachers and speech-language pathologists have been a part of this rehabilitation team. The treatment plan often includes voice therapy, and singing voice exercises are usually one of the components of the plan. There are numerous factors to consider in developing a vocal exercise regimen for singers in the rehabilitation setting. While there is often overlap in the content of vocal exercises for habilitation and rehabilitation, specific rationales and objectives for a therapeutic vocal exercise regimen can be quite different from a habilitative program.
In either setting, exercise selection and design should be based on a strong foundation in anatomy, physiology, and acoustics of singing as well as motor learning. Exercises must also be consistent with the singer’s training background, style of singing, and personal goals. In the rehabilitation setting, there must also be a deep understanding of how the diagnosis differentially impacts the vocal subsystems, objective voice measures, and perceptual characteristics of the voice. There should be a clear rationale for how each exercise in the individualized rehabilitation protocol will address the underlying voice problem and facilitate recovery.
This presentation will use case studies featuring some of the most common functional, neurological, and structural voice disorders to provide examples of therapeutic regimens in which the diagnosis guides the design to optimize resolution or adaptive compensation through vocal exercise and technique.
Panel: Bridging Art and Science: The Role of the Singing Voice Specialist in Vocal Health and Performance
This panel will explore the multifaceted role of the Singing Voice Specialist (SVS) in bridging the gap between vocal artistry and clinical science. Featuring both SVS-teachers of singing and clinical SVSs, the discussion will highlight the unique contributions of each perspective to vocal health and performance. Topics will include collaboration with healthcare professionals, strategies for integrating science into voice training, and practical approaches for addressing the needs of singers in various settings. Attendees will gain insights into how SVSs navigate the intersection of art and science to support singers in achieving their best vocal outcomes.
Leda Scearce, CCC-SLP, MM, MS
A singer and voice teacher for over 35 years, Leda Scearce provides voice evaluation and rehabilitation therapy to singers, actors, and other vocal performers with voice injuries. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in voice performance from Indiana University, and a master’s degree in speech pathology from Boston University. She is currently Clinical Associate Faculty at Duke University School of Medicine, where she is Director of Community Engagement in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences and Clinical Singing Voice Specialist and Director of Performing Voice Programs at the Duke Voice Care Center. Scearce is a frequent speaker at national and international voice conferences. Her performance experience includes appearances as leading soprano and soloist with opera companies, orchestras, and music festivals across the US, and she has served as voice teacher and artist faculty at five universities. She is the author of Manual of Singing Voice Rehabilitation: A Practical Approach to Vocal Health and Wellness (Plural) and co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Voice Pedagogy, which will be published in 2025 by Oxford University Press. She is a founding member of the Pan American Vocology Association and served as President from 2017-2019.
Financial Disclosure: Ms. Lader is receiving an honorarium from NW Voice for presenting. She also receives royalties from Plural Publishing, INC. for her book “Singing Voice Rehabilitation: A Practical Approach to Vocal Health and Wellness.”
Non-Financial Disclosure: Ms. Lader has no non-financial relationships to disclose.