Stretching for the singer: Moving beyond routines

Exercises and stretches for the singer/performer can easily be found online, many of which seem to conflict with or contradict others. Does this dilemma make one model wrong or another model better? Join me as we unpack these and other issues.

With full disclosure, I am not a singer or teacher of voice. I’m a physical therapist who teaches manual therapy and related exercises to speech therapists, voice professionals, and other clinicians working with the performing populations. So, with such little direct exposure to your target audience, what can I contribute? Personalization of the stretches/exercise.

In my nearly 40 years as a physical therapist, I’ve seen much in the way of claims of superior models and methods, though seldom is evidence-based proof provided to bolster such claims. After much exploration, I’ve noticed a few elements missing from those models and sought to include them in how I work with clients and teach my work to others. Separating myself from the traditional perspective where the clinician/teacher/coach is viewed as the expert, capable of deciding on the proper intervention, I began empowering my clients to become their own experts. This empowerment is the basis for my presentation for the Voice Study Centre.

Spend a few hours with me looking deeply into limitations in the clinician/teacher-as-expert model and how we can balance out power towards the values and preferences of the individual client/student. Even a concept seemingly as simple as exercise and stretching can be made more person-centered by applying a few core principles. You will come away with knowledge of beneficial stretches and exercises to enhance performance and remediate problems, and you’ll also leave the talk with a deeper understanding of shared decision-making, the foundation of my work.

Please be prepared to apply this work to yourself or a companion. I would advise that you refrain from wearing any facial/neck lotion or makeup and have a small piece of cloth handy for some of the mouth-based work.

🏷️ 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