Optimising Voice Quality through Nasal Hydration. What are the Implications for the Voice Community?
Tuesday 20th May 2025, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (London Time)
Vocal folds vibrate at extremely high frequencies. In males, the fundamental frequency (F0) averages around 125 Hz, and in females, around 250 Hz—equivalent to approximately 7,500 and 15,000 revolutions per minute (RPM), respectively. This RPM greatly exceeds, for example, the centrifuge of a washing machine spinning at 1400 RPM, or a car engine in acceleration, going between 3500 and 4000 RPM. That is the reason for which high-speed vibration causes significant friction on the tissues of the vocal folds, and if the mucosal layers are not in optimal condition, this can result in phonotrauma and vocal pathologies.
Thereby, the Vocal folds need a high degree of humidity to be able to vibrate at their normal high frequency. Hydration makes the tissue more flexible. The moisture of the tissue is one of the first factors that is lost when there is a pathology or when an unusual overload is suffered. Furthermore, hydration is one of the most effective measures to recovering function in emergency situations. For instance, voice professionals have to deal with stress, anxiety, fatigue, and changes in the environmental temperature. They endure dryness of the performance space, because of the air conditioning or the heating. All these factors affect the voice and can make performance more difficult.
Drinking water is excellent for the hydration of the whole body but it hydrates the vocal folds slowly. The ideal and fastest way to moisturize the vocal folds is directly through the respiratory system.
Researchers have proposed the use of nebulisers to superficially hydrate the vocal folds and boost vocal function (Vermeulen et al. 2021). In addition, we proposed another method of superficial hydration: nasal hydration using a damp gauze (Borragán et al., 2021) among other techniques, and we observe hydration effectivity.
This session will explore the different methods of hydration, and we will present our research findings and explore the implications for the voice community.
🏷️ Price £20 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 Certificate of attendance available
María Borragán Salcines
María works in Centro de Foniatría y Logopedia (CFL) and teaches at University of Gimbernat-Cantabria, Santander (Spain). She is an expert on the PROEL method and in neuropathology.
Carles Expósito Rovira
Carles Expósito Rovira, PT, PhD and SLP student. He works in Fisio Taddeo, Palma (Spain) and Centro de Foniatría y Logopedia (CFL), Santander (Spain), and is an expert on the PROEL method.
Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.
Learn MoreSorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.
Tuesday 28th July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
“Too Much, Too Little, Just Right!” - The Balancing Act Model
Robert Edwin
The Balancing Act Model encourages singers to explore the extremes of singing, and from those extremes, establish their most efficient (balanced) voice and performance techniques. Join the renowned singer/actor and author Robert Edwin as he covers many aspects of the singing process including breathing, phonation, resonation, articulation, and attitude. If you’re involved in music theater or opera, you’ll find the Model to be especially helpful in developing character voices for roles such as Nathan and Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. If you’re just looking to find out what your body and voice can do, The Balancing Act Model can provide many answers!
Thursday 30th July 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS | Person-Centred Singing Teaching
William Leigh Knight
Only around 3% of the population fall into the category of amusia while over 17% consider themselves ‘tone-deaf’; and this does not account for non-singers, a wider group sometimes described as ‘tuneless’. So, who are ‘the voiceless’? Join William Leigh-Knight as he unpicks this question and considers the purpose of training a voice, when it is considered such a natural human attribute, and he expands on the principles that drive his own practice, which may be summarised as ‘person-centeredness’
Monday 3rd August 2026
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Tuesday 4th August 2026
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Wednesday 5th August 2026
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Thursday 6th August 2026
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Friday 7th August 2026
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
(London Time)
Level Two Certificate in Accents and Phonetics with Louisa Morgan
Louisa Morgan
Build on your foundational knowledge of accents and phonetics in this week‑long lunchtime course designed specifically for voice teachers. Whether you have completed our Level 1 Certificate or already possess a basic working knowledge of phonetics and accent work, this Level 2 course will help you deepen your skills, sharpen your analytical ear, and expand your practical toolkit for teaching.