Short Courses & Events / Archive

Respiratory Aging and Its Effects on the Voice: Mechanisms and Training Approaches

Tuesday 17th December 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

As the larynx undergoes physiological changes with aging, vocal performance is often affected. Older adults may for example notice shifts in the quality of their voice or experience increased effort when speaking or singing. Additionally, age-related or disease-related changes in the lower respiratory system can reduce the amount of airflow and pressure needed for voicing, further compounding the vocal challenges faced by older speakers and singers.

With aging, some individuals may therefore benefit from approaches directly targeting the respiratory system – as a complement to more traditional vocal exercises – to enhance their voice quality and voice-related quality of life. In order to identify the most effective respiratory approaches, it is important to first understand how respiratory function impacts voice production in aging, and the mechanisms of action through which targeted respiratory exercises may improve voicing.

During this course, we will (1) describe the principal respiratory changes occurring with aging and their effects on voice production; (2) explain the different mechanisms by which some respiratory exercises may impact voice outcomes, with an emphasis on those that are particularly relevant in aging; and (3) provide a concrete example of a respiratory exercise that can be used to improve respiratory and voice outcomes, inspiratory muscle strength training.

By the end of this course, you will have a deeper understanding of the intricate interactions between the respiratory system and the larynx, and how these interactions can be enhanced to help mitigate some of the effects of aging on the voice.

🏷️ Price £30 (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

Maude Desjardins

Maude Desjardins is an assistant professor at University Laval and researcher at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Rehabilitation and Social Inclusion (Quebec, Canada).

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Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.

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Sorry, 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.

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Voice pedagogy has advanced significantly in the last decades in relation to knowledge of the vocal apparatus (anatomy and mechanics), acoustics, and performance psychology (to name just a few subfields) – this is a wonderful thing! Nonetheless, musicianship and the foundations of music theory are still relevant to the teaching and coaching of singers and this course aims to empower voice teachers and coaches with skills to support the fundamental musicianship development of their students.

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