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what is vocology Vocology is the science and practice of voice habilitation, with a strong emphasis on habilitation. This includes vocal training for singing and speaking, and detecting and treating speech pathologies through speech therapy.
Vocology draws on the fields of Vocal Performing Arts, Logopedics, Speech and Hearing Science, Audiology, Neurology, Laryngology, and Otology, and relies on knowledge of vocal anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, perceptual-motor learning principles, acoustics, the physics of sound, and vocal pedagogy and practice. What does all that mean? It's the nitty-gritty of how we make sound and how we teach people to make the sounds they want to make. At VoiceScienceWorks we take contemporary research on the voice and translate it into directly applicable information so that you, the voice user, can immediately apply it in your practice. Brilliant minds have been working through complex bio mechanics, physics, acoustics and neurology for decades, helping us to better understand what actually happens when we sing. We can now access that complex information through straight-forward explanations and methods. From Dr. Ingo Titze's Principles of Voice Production: "One common element is habilitation, the process of 'enabling,' 'equipping for,' or 'capacitating.' Vocal habilitation is more than repairing a voice, or bringing it back to normal; it is the process of strengthening the voice to meet specific demands. For a significant sector of our population, a 'normal' voice is not enough to meet occupational or recreational needs. It would be timely for teaching institutions and professional societies to support the development of a specialty called vocology, the science of vocal habilitation and treatment of voice disorders. This would parallel audiology, the science of aural habitation and hearing disorders." Continue reading about the 7 Postulates of Vocology. |
Why it's important |
It's an instrument we can’t see
As one of the more complex systems in the body, the vocal mechanism is easily misunderstood from top to bottom. Since the entire instrument lies inside the body, instructors have had to rely on sensation and metaphor for hundreds of years in communicating to students how to habilitate their muscles to create reliable sounds. These sensations are essential to voice habilitation, but they aren’t the whole picture. By connecting ever-expanding scientific knowledge of the body with tried techniques from the past, we can determine why certain approaches work, and seek out new directions that would otherwise be unavailable to us. It's a leveling agent Vocology, as a science, offers us a chance to understand how and why the voice does what it does, and, importantly, what specific steps to take to strengthen the voice for desired goals. Through the creation of specific language based in scientific understanding, vocal practitioners are able to communicate complex ideas as they relate to all people, and avoid some of the conflicts that naturally develop from discussions based primarily in each individuals’ personal experience. It's a mythology buster The indirect nature of sensation and metaphor lead to mythology creation, and entrenchment around pedagogical approaches that pit studios against one another, and lead to potential damage in students. Conversely, we have found that when students have a conception of their voice as a reliable biomechanical construct, they are better able to relate to the sensations utilized to explore vocal technique. This also leads to students becoming self-observational learners, able to engage positively with all points of view. It’s emotional In addition to being the principal form of human communication, the voice is also deeply tied into our emotions. Nerves that carry important information to the body based on emotional responses pass directly by the voice. When we respond to external stimuli, the voice is one of the first places that measures a response. How we sound reflects one of our more personal observations of ourselves. These and other reasons make voice habilitation one of the more challenging and potentially contentious efforts. Having language that demystifies and clarifies measurable functions of the voice helps students learn with greater ease, and vocal professionals communicate with less-charged language. |
how we use it |
As Singers
We are both regular performers as soloists and ensemble members. We use vocology to guide our personal study, exploring vocal challenges through research and application of science-based approaches. We know from our own explorations that scientific knowledge can never replace experiential learning, and that singing requires artful intention and engagement. Still, a keen understanding of what makes the voice work guides this exploration immeasurably. As Voice instructors Our goal, as trained vocologists and teachers, is to help students understand the central aspects of scientific concepts in an experiential way. In a broader context, we use vocological terminology where prudent, and strive to use sensational and tactile language that is based in scientific understanding. We also depend upon a body/mind approach to learning, acknowledging gains in contemporary neuroscience that speak to a learner-centered approach to the body. We gear our instruction to be age-appropriate, and have seen the beneficial results of sharing scientific knowledge to children, youth, and adults of all ages. We aim to spend as little time talking about the concepts as possible, and we develop learning tools and terminology that reinforce learning, so that the singer's focus is always on the exploration of singing. As Choral Instructors The challenges of group vocal instruction require creative solutions, particularly when the singers have to perform together as a unit. We use vocology in every rehearsal, introducing it in voice training sessions and mini-lectures to establish concepts and the sensations. Once the student has a basic understanding of a scientific concept and physical sensations associated with it, we reinforce their understanding throughout the rehearsal, drawing on their knowledge to help them find solutions to challenging aspects of the music. We also utilize vocal analyzer software, interactive online tools, and other body mapping props to help the singers explore their instrument through an awareness of the scientific knowledge available to us. Importantly, we acknowledge that singers cannot spend their conscious energy processing scientific premises, so regular integration of knowledge into practice is essential. In our particular choral practice, the two of us work as a team, allowing for one-on-one interaction with singers, and the benefit of having two vocal professionals monitoring the complex interactions of group singing. As Researchers We continually ask questions, even of the ideas that we hold most dear to us. We take the approach that nothing is sacred, and that there is way more to know than we already understand. We enjoy reading the work of others, as well as regularly testing our own hypothesis. |
goals for this website |
Not only is this website a hub of collected information, resources and tools, it is also a map of where to find even more information, resources and tools. We have taken our understanding of research on the voice and shared it where you can access it, and we've worked to translate it into understandable language so that you can immediately apply it to your singing.
We created this site to be an online center for people interested in knowing more about voice science. This includes some practical ways that we have had success integrating it into our teaching. We don’t claim to be the world’s experts on any of these topics, but we regularly research this information, and put it into practice in our own voices, and with the students who we work with. Our aim is to provide as comprehensive a tool as possible, so, if you notice something missing, please let us know. If you have information to add, we'd love to hear from you. We hope that our focused definitions can help your own practice, and that we can help to connect others to current resources. |
limitations |
What Vocology is Not
"I call myself a Vocologist, a designation which has only recently come into the voice vocabulary. It is important to state that this designation does not currently carry licensure, nor is it certification to provide speech therapy as defined by the AMA, ASHA and other medical and therapeutic organizations. That said, I use the label vocologist to designate my special qualifications which allow me to work with a variety of vocalists on a myriad of vocal problems so that they might transition from a post-therapy phase toward an optimal level of vocal activity." -Lynn Helding, Head Founder of the Pan-American Vocology Association |
how to get involved |
Read more
Check out our Book Reviews page to find out what literature explores the bulk of voice science information and research Find out who is doing what Check out the researchers, teachers, methods, courses, websites, organizations and conferences devoted the the discoveries of voice science Explore the topics Using Vocology: A Singer's Toolbox is a page devoted to taking the many complex topics of how we make sound and making them clear, accessible and relatable Apply voice research to warm-ups and exercises Warm up with a purpose and check out a wide compilation of researched warm ups on the Warm Ups and Exercises page Take a course Courses on voice science and voice training are offered every year across the country and internationally. Check out the Courses page for a compilation of options. Take a workshop This Fall and Winter we are offering several Vocology Workshops on several campuses in the Boston area. Go to the Group Workshops page for registration information. Join the conversation Our Vocology Blogs page is a place to share and gain information from colleagues across fields. Comment, share, post and question! |
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"I LOVE the incorporation of vocology in choir. It brings a whole new element to singing that I never acknowledged before and I feel that we've benefited as a group from it. The greatest benefit that I think we receive from it is that we can find new ways to create a better sound and fix the road blocks we encounter."
-Phil L., New York |
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"The presentations in rehearsal have made me feel as though my instrument is so much more than the sound it produces; for other instrumentalists you can see the physical aspects of what they play, but for singers that image is not so clear. I now am a firm believer that knowing how my voice works has allowed me to become more aware of not only how I am producing my sound, but also how I can imagine the change occurring internally in order to produce that sound."
-Ally R., Vermont |
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"I really like learning about vocology because it puts a lot of abstract terms into concrete meaning. I've had a good amount of voice instruction over the years, but none of it really dealt with learning about our instruments. I think that knowing what makes the voice work is allowing me to better improve and monitor my own sound."
-Hannah G., Pennsylvania |
Laurel Irene
(Laurel Mehaffey) Soprano, Vocologist Laurel is known for her vocal spectrum, astounding audiences with power and drama, alongside stunning subtleties and clarion intensity. She has performed diverse roles such as Mozart's Queen of the Night, the creation of the title role in Philip Seward's "How To Date a Coloratura", and in choral/orchestral works like Poulenc's "Gloria". An avid teacher and vocologist, graduate of the Summer Vocology Institute at The National Center for Voice and Speech, she is the co-creator and director of VoiceScienceWorks, www.voicescienceworks.org, a non-profit organization committed to helping vocalists translate challenging, cutting-edge science into immediately applicable language. Through VoiceScienceWorks, she has given collegiate workshops across the country and presentations at the Pan-American Vocology Association, American Choral Director's Association and Acoustical Society of America. She currently resides in Los Angeles, where she is pursuing an M.M. in Vocal Arts at the University of Southern California while continuing to shape new projects with VoiceScienceWorks, and pursuing an active solo career. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Laurel served as vocologist for College of the Holy Cross and on the voice faculty at Bosse School of Music in Boston, worked for Seattle Opera, where she interned for Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffman", and received a B.A. from Oregon State University, where she studied with Megan Sand and Richard Poppino. Laurel made her international debut in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2015, soloing with the Universidad del Salvador orchestra. Visit www.laurelirene.com for more information |
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David specializes in new music, American music, and the intricacies of communication in choral singing and conducting. Living in Los Angeles, David is the co-founder and director of VoiceScienceWorks. Together with his partner, Laurel Irene, he helps vocalists learn to translate difficult voice science into immediately applicable tools. He is the Director of Music at the First Congregational Church in Los Angeles, is a voice instructor at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Hollywood, and sings, conducts, and composes with C3LA, the Los Angeles Choral Collective. David earned degrees from the University of Alabama (Sandra Willets), and Oklahoma (Dennis Shrock), and a DMA in Choral Conducting and Literature at the University of Colorado (Joan Catoni-Conlon and Larry Kaptein). In Boston, in addition to leading the College Choir and Chamber Singers at Holy Cross, he began Triad: Boston’s Choral Collective, a group that specializes in contemporary choral music, and sang bass in the LidaBros barbershop Quartet. In New York, David served as the assistant director to Harold Rosenbaum's Canticum Novum, conducted the Columbia University Glee Club, sang and conducted in C4: The Choral Composer/Conductor Collective, conducted the Brearley Singers and Chamber Orchestra, built a men's choir at the Grammy Award winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus Academy, and taught middle school boys at the Collegiate School. While in Boulder, David began Jubilate, a 50-voice a cappella touring choir, served as chorus director for the Boulder Bach Festival and associate artistic director for the Denver Bach Society, in addition to producing concerts of his own work. David is a voting member and a member of several committees of the board in the Pan American Vocal Association, the first professional organization devoted to vocology, and studied with Ingo Titze at the NCVS Summer Vocology Institute in Salt Lake City. As a composer and arranger, David writes primarily for the voice, often including instrumentation. His works draw from the range of techniques and approaches available today, striving in particular to integrate stylistic elements from across genres into a recognizably pleasing, yet new experience. As such, his pieces often include the rhythmic underpinnings of contemporary popular music with traditional choral textures. The presence of beatbox, rhythmically cyclical polyphony, and riffing are as common as homophonic hymn-like layering and fugues. David is also a songwriter and solo performer.
Visit www.drdavidharrismusic.org for more information |
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