Vocal Professionals: A Case Study

INTRODUCTION

The voice plays an essential role in communication and human relationships and serves as a modality of transmission of articulated messages and conveying thoughts. In today’s day and age, there are a number of professions that require individuals to use their voice continuously, such as singers, teachers, actors, pastors and many more. (Neto, 2009). As the service sector continues to grow, more and more personnel depend on their voices for their livelihood. Such professionals therefore are relatively at a higher risk of experiencing a voice problem. (Usha devadas, 2013). Voice problems in professionals who use their voice as an instrument for work, may directly affect the quality of the individual’s voice, interfering in social,

Koufmann and Isaacson in 1991, evolved a classification of vocal professionals based on their voice use and risk. The Elite Vocal Performers (Level1) included sophisticated voice users like the singers and actors, where even a slight vocal difficulty cause serious consequences to them and their careers. Level 2 included the Professional Voice Users for whom even a moderate vocal difficulty would prevent adequate job performance. Clergymen, lecturers/teachers, politicians, public speakers and telephone operators would classify in this level of voice users. In the level 3, the Non Vocal Professionals included, teachers and lawyers. They can perform their jobs with slight or moderate voice problems; only severe dysphonia endangers adequate job performance. Level 4 was the Non Vocal Non Professionals that included labourers, homemakers and clerks. The Non Vocal Non Professional is the person who is not impeded from doing his or her work when they experience any kind of dysphonia. (Vijayalakshmi basavaraj, 2010). Individuals who use their voice professionally are subject to the development of laryngeal pathologies caused by the influences of phono trauma and vocal misuse on the

Further, priests often perform rites and ritual services in many locations that do not provide amplification such as sanctuaries and cemeteries, thereby increasing the likelihood of speaking at high intensities for extended periods (Middleton, 2008). Vocal hygiene practices may be different in the various levels of professional voice users. Boominathan, Nagarajan, Sharadha, and Sharanya (2004) and Boominathan and Shruthi (2005) profiled the vocal and nonvocal habits in Carnatic and light music singers which indicated several poor vocal hygiene habits among trained Carnatic and light music singers in India. It may be speculated that priests, similar to Carnatic singers, follow traditional South Indian methods of practice would resort to home remedies and not seek professional help as the first treatment option. Ancient traditional practices (consuming milk with pepper or turmeric) and empirically proven methods handed down through generations are practiced among these different voice professionals in India to prevent voice problems. (Smith, Gray, Dove, Kirchner, & Heras,