Christina Fackler MUSE 258 Teaching Kids to Sing 1996 Chapter 5: The Healthy Voice Kenneth H.

Phillips Music teachers tend to notice vocal abuse in adolescence Adolescents are likely to damage their voices, and develop poor habits o It is the responsibility of a music teacher to help their students develop good habits and fix vocal issues

KNOWING YOUR VOICE Session 1: Vocal Structure By the end of the lesson students will be familiar with: Identify the larynx and the three structural cartilages o Thyroid o Cricoid o Arytenoid The voice is similar to a wind instrument in that it is powered by breath Pitch is made by the vibrating of the vocal folds The brain sends an automatic signal to the vocal folds so that they open and close The breath is the power source for phonation Too much pressure on the vocal folds by yelling or coughing can cause swelling, hoarseness, or permanent vocal damage The larynx changes during adolescence Session 2: Vocal Health By the end of the lesson, students sill be familiar with: The symptoms of voice disorders The three causes of voice disorders o Organic o External o Functional How the vocal folds handle abuse Physical problems that may result from prolonged abuse The possibility for surgery if persistent abuse occurs 10 ways to protect the vocal folds Different ways to handle hoarseness, sore throat, or laryngitis How to handle singing with a cold or allergies The relationship between speaking and singing

This chapter was pretty easy to understand. It is incredibly important for music educators to teach their students how to keep their voices healthy. After all, they may be the only ones to stop/prevent vocal damage. The breakdown of these complicated topics is really great for teaching adolescents. I really enjoyed the specificity in the breakdown of the lessons, including assessment for after the lesson. This will be a great tool for my classroom.