University of Winsconsin where Dr Nathan Welham works.
Posted on November 19, 2015

Scientists grow working vocal fold tissue.

Medicine/ Science

Some interesting news.  Scientists have managed to grow vocal fold tissue from a few human starter cells.  The team of medical scientists, lead by Dr. Nathan V. Welham of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, then managed to transplant this new tissue to a larynx.  Further to this they have been able to get functional sound from it.  This ground breaking development, as reported in Science Translational Medicine (Volume 17, Issue 134 link), opens up the future possibility of new treatments for previously incurable conditions.

 

While we are able to currently treat a range of voice disorders, via therapy and surgery, some patients have fallen into a category where there are very few, if any, treatment options.  With incurable cases, medical practitioners will try to alleviate some of the speech issues but inevitably some patients are faced with complete voice loss.

University of Winsconsin where Dr Nathan Welham works.

University of Winsconsin where Dr Nathan Welham works.

In routine cases the vocal folds are quite responsive to our current treatments.  Not only are they small and capable of great power, but they can (if treated by a knowledgeable team of laryngologists, surgeons and therapists) have some layers sliced open for cyst removal with the full expectation of making a perfect recovery.  The ideal result is that a patient has all essential (speech) and non-essential (singing) functions restored.

 

However where a patient’s condition involves malformation or destruction of the vocal folds, then medical staff can struggle to repair what is not present.  Some examples include sulcus vocalis where the vocal folds are not formed properly in utero, incidents where a patient’s vocal surgery has accidentally removed too much vocal fold tissue, and patients of aggressive laryngeal growths and cancers where large sections of tissue must be removed to preserve the whole.  Having the facility to grow and transplant vocal fold tissue, could potentially restore a patients ability to speak.

Larynx with grown vocal fold tissue transplanted to the lower fold.

Larynx with grown vocal fold tissue transplanted to the lower fold.

We have already transplanted an whole larynx into a patient, and now a small section of cultivated vocal fold tissue onto an external larynx.  Couldn’t we just transplant a vocal fold?  Yes we could, and this has been subjected to research, but it has limitations- donors being one.  Being able to cultivate tissue could open up more possibilities including growing different size tissues for children and adults.   Obviously we are a long way off this medical trial becoming a normal fixture in your local hospital- it has not yet been tested in a live human.  However I am sure that the team will be working to progress this initial breakthrough as quickly and safely as possible.

Posted on February 27, 2015

Course: ‘The Meeting of Science and the Senses’ with Stuart Barr

CPD Courses/ Teaching

AOTOS Logo

Who: AOTOS (Association of Teachers of Singing)

What: Development day (South East Area). ‘The Meeting of Science and the Senses’ with STUART BARR

When: 11:00- 17:00, 2nd May 2015

Where: Field Place, Worthing, BN13 1NP, UK

Open to: Members and non-members

Cost? Prices range from £20 (student) to £60 (non-member). Special prices for members and guests.

Deadline? 25th April 2015

Visit the AOTOS site for an application form and contact details.

 

Other info:  Stuart Barr, formerly President of the British Voice Association, looks at modern approaches to voice training and explores ways of combining them with traditional methods.  In the afternoon, he will give a masterclass to illustrate practical aspects.

 

Singer’s Voice Disclaimer.

Posted on February 25, 2015

Course: ‘The Singer Speaks, The Actor Sings’ Lynette Erving and Pamela Rudge

CPD Courses/ Teaching

AOTOS Logo

Who: AOTOS (Association of Teachers of Singing)

What: Development day (South West Area). ‘The Singer Speaks, The Actor Sings’ With LYNETTE ERVING and PAMELA RUDGE

When: 11:00-16:30, 26th April 2015

Where: Kingswood Senior School, Bath, BA1 5RG, UK

Open to: Members and non-members

Cost? Prices range from £20 (student) to £45 (non-member).  Special prices for members and guests.

Deadline? 10th April 2015

Visit the AOTOS site for an application form, information flyer and contact details.

 

Other info:  Many of us teach a wide range of pupils, not only in age but, also genre and style, with many of our school age pupils coming to us for help on audition pieces for drama groups, shows and drama schools.  For singing teachers who work in schools, where there is an active drama department, a greater understanding of the differences and similarities between the singing and spoken voice would be highly beneficial and, perhaps, help to bring greater collaboration and respect between such creative departments as music and drama when all under one roof.

Pamela Rudge, current Head of Music and Singing and, Lynette Erving, former Head of Voice and Speech at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School will look at the differences and similarities between the singing and spoken voice.  The day will include practical demonstrations of voice and singing; bridging the gap between speech and singing; movement and body awareness and, the day will end with a brief look at the Drama School audition process.

 

Singer’s Voice Disclaimer.

Posted on February 23, 2015

Course: ‘Vocal Development Masterclass’ Janice Chapman

CPD Courses/ Teaching

AOTOS Logo

Who: AOTOS (Association of Teachers of Singing)

What: Development day (Northern Area). ‘Vocal Development Masterclass’ With JANICE CHAPMAN

When: 10:00-16:30, 19th April 2015

Where: Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester, M3 1SB, UK

Open to: Members and non-members

Cost? Prices range from £15 (student which includes a year membership to AOTOS) to £50 (non-member).  Special prices for members and guests.

Deadline? 5th April 2015

Visit the AOTOS site for an application form, information flyer and contact details.

 

Other info:  AOTOS are delighted to welcome our Honorary President, Janice Chapman to give a Vocal Development Master Class as the Northern Area Development Day for our 4oth Anniversary year. In the morning she will talk about her work, so well known to many of us from her best-selling book, ‘Singing and Teaching Singing – A Holistic Approach’.  She will then give a class to members who would like to participate.  After lunch attention turns to pupils of members, and the opportunity to discuss teaching tools with pupils and teachers together.  It promises to be a fascinating day.

 

Singer’s Voice Disclaimer.

Posted on February 22, 2015

Course: ‘When Health Issues become Vocal Issues’ Sara Harris

CPD Courses/ Teaching

AOTOS Logo

 

Who: AOTOS (Association of Teachers of Singing)

What: Development day (Central Area). ‘When Health Issues become Vocal Issues’ Functional Anatomy- can it help us in our work?  With SARA HARRIS

When: 10:00-16:30, 11th April 2015

Where: King Edward VI School for Girls, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2UB, UK

Open to: Members and non-members

Cost? Prices range from £20 (student) to £45 (non-member). Special prices for members and guests.

Deadline? 28th March 2015

Visit the AOTOS site for an application form and contact details.

 

Other info:  AOTOS is delighted to welcome the renowned specialist speech and language therapist Sara Harris to talk to our members and guests.  Sara has an extensive knowledge of the human voice and as singing teachers and singers, we know how important the health of the voice is to us, whether using our own voice to teach or understanding the voice of a student that we are teaching.

Singer’s Voice Disclaimer

Posted on February 21, 2015

Schirmer’s Twenty-Four Italian Arias

Classical/ Music Books/ Singing

This morning my attention was turned to a new post on BuzzFeed on Schirmer’s Twenty-Four Italian Arias.  The bright yellow A4 song book which plagues most singers at some point during their lessons.  I dubbed it ‘the yellow peril’ a few years ago.  A staple in an school and college learner’s lessons.  I’ve even seen professional concert singers use it.  A favourite with the various exam boards and music festivals.  A good decent book which any singer can buy find they will sing most of the pieces (if they wish).  Yet it doesn’t always sit well with academics who want an historically accurate authentic reproduction.  It has value in it’s own rite as a snapshot of a particular editor’s view- but the best singer will research the historical context and create their own ornaments.  I think I have amassed four different copies in my music cupboard so far, although the one I treasure the most is the edition I used in my early singing lessons and exams.  It is well-loved, and in need of structural repair, but contains the first solo Italian aria I was taught (Caro Mio Ben).

Little Yellow Peril

Little Yellow Peril

BuzzFeed writer Nina Mohan has created “The Definitive Ranking of ‘Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias'” which gives the reader a short comic context of each aria or song, plus a recording or an illustration.  As if this wasn’t enough, she also ranks them.  You can see where Caro Mio Ben placed by visiting the article here.

I know many other singers, and singing teachers, who have used this book.  Judging by the view count of the article, many singers have identified with a post on the yellow book (which now comes with a backing track CD).  I’d love to know which songs you have sung from the collection, and which song you sung first.  Any particular favourite?

 

 

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