Happy, Healthy Vocals
Swindon based choirs and singing groups for all, focused on vocal health and mental well-being.
Vocal Health Training in the Workplace
I have put together a programme for helping professional voice users, including teachers, call centre employees, barristers and many other professions, with their vocal health. I can tailor the programme towards specific needs.
My training includes how to monitor your voice so that vocal issues can be spotted early. I will also go through the warning signs to look out for and I will give some practical excercises that will help to minimise any swelling to the vocal cords and enable you to continue to 'get through the day' if there are any issues developing. My training includes a flyer that can be used, with my top vocal health tips, as a reminder.
For professional voice users who need to project their voices safely, such as classroom teachers, barristers, vicars and ministers, there will be a focus on exercises that help with this. The exercises that I teach are quick and easy to do and can be incorporated into daily routines - for example, whilst driving, using the bathroom etc. I have flyers with reminders that can be displayed in the workplace.
Classroom Teachers
In terms of why we should be talking to teachers about their vocal health, there has been research to show that teachers are 8 times more likely than people in other professions to develop voice related problems (statistics from Voice Care UK), which is estimated to be costing around £15 million a year (RNIB, 2008 survey). Vocal issues will also have an impact on classroom management and teachers well-being.
Call Centre Workers
A study, commissioned by the Instution of Occupational Safety and Health released in 2012, found that one in four call centre agents suffer voice problems with around one in ten being diagnosed with a voice problem. Of the call agents surveyed, 60% reported having difficulty making themselves heard against background noise and 41% said they had failed to be heard by the customer on the other end of the line.
Many other professions are affected by voice problems and would benefit from vocal health education - anybody who is using their voice to communicate for much of the day will benefit from just one hour of vocal training. If you would like find out more, please do get in touch.
My qualifications are from Vocal Health Education and more information can be found on the website (vocalhealth.co.uk). Through this company, I have become a Vocal Health First Aider and I have passed the first module of the Vocal Habilitation Professional Course, which has given me even more knowledge about vocal health - I am conitnuing with this company to gain even more experience and knowlege.