Vocal Disorders: Evaluation, Treatment, and Maintaining a Healthy Voice

Typically, vocal inefficiencies can be diagnosed and cared for by a singer’s voice teacher. Breathing, alignment, and resonance issues are often normal, and almost every singer will face at least one type of vocal inefficiency throughout the course of vocal study. However, when a singer’s vocal tract becomes disordered, proper phonation becomes difficult, even with a voice teacher’s guidance. Vocal disorders differ from inefficiencies because they must be treated under the supervision of a medical professional. Because a singer’s voice teacher is the primary caretaker of their students’ voices, it is the voice teacher’s responsibility to have an understanding of vocal disorders, and be able to refer a singer to the specialists that can aid in treatment, should a disorder arise. The voice teacher needs to be an integral member of this voice care team, and may assist the singer in successfully completing a voice therapy plan, if the vocal disorder requires one