The next British Voice Association study day, at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, focuses on the effects of ageing on the voice and the vocal problems associated with ageing. Surgical, voice therapy and singing solutions will be discussed.

Follow the link for detailed information and to book your place:

“Weak, Wobbly or Working?” The Multidisciplinary Management of the Ageing Voice

Sunday 25th March, 2012 11.30am – 5.15pm

Speakers include:

•Sue Anderson (Singing Teacher and Researcher)

•Phil Jones (Consultant Otolaryngologist)

•Liz McNaughton (Specialist in the Singing and Speaking Voice)

•Jane Shaw (Voice Specialist Speech and Language Therapist)

•Mark Watson (Consultant Otolaryngologist)

This summary of the results of the study contains some demographic information on the participants, followed by brief explanations of the assumptions tested and the results.

The last part contains the interpretation of the results. Danica has tried to turn the rather theoretical findings into as many practical tips as possible and has also referred to previous research.

If you are not interested in all the details, just skip to the very last page with a summary of all
recovery tips!

Download the results here.

Danica Giles MBPsS (Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society) is investigating the effect of stage fright on the health and well-being of professional performing artists as part of her diploma thesis at the University of Tübingen, Germany.  If you are interested, take a look at the advert below.

Danica will share the results of this very interesting survey with BAPAM and the information will help our understanding of performers’ health. Participation is voluntary and anonymous. Details of the survey findings will be available through the BAPAM website

This independent research project has been checked and approved by BAPAM but we do not have a role in the funding, design or analysis of this work. We will not ‘own’ the data or project findings.

Interested in research on the well-being of performing artists?

Participate in this online survey and you can win £100!

Are you a performer and would like to know more about how you can improve your health & well-being through recovery? Then I invite you to participate in a study about stage fright and well-being that I am conducting for my diploma thesis in psychology. Just follow the link below to a questionnaire that takes about 20 minutes to complete. Your participation is completely anonymous and you can leave the questionnaire at any time. The study has been given a favourable ethical opinion by the University of Surrey Ethics Committee. You will also be given the option to enter a draw to win one prize of 100 Pounds by providing your email address at the end of the questionnaire. In a few weeks’ time you will be able to read the results with tips on how to recover more effectively from stress (via a link given to you at the end of the questionnaire)!

CLICK HERE to complete the questionairre

Speakers include Professor Paul Carding, Mr John Rubin and Mr Julian McGlashan, and topics to be covered include meeting the challenges faced in voice clinics and new technologies such as high speed, high definition and 3D imaging.

BAPAM’s next Training Day for Performing Arts Medicine practitioners is scheduled in London the next day, Saturday 19th November, and covers areas relating to woodwind and lower strings players, disability rehabilitation, chronic pain, lifestyle and injury prevention. The full programme is to be announced.

In the nearer future, the BVA have organised an Interactive Rock & Pop Day for singers, teachers and voice therapists. It takes place on Sunday 25th September in Chiswick, London. Click here for more details and an application form.

Bookings are now open for the Foundations for Excellence Conference 2011 which takes place Monday 28 February – Tuesday 1 March at Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6DE.

Foundations for Excellence began as a Department for Children, Schools and Families’ Music and Dance Scheme conference in 2009 and now aims to provide practitioners, young musicians and dancers with access to current research, ideas, examples and good practice.

The 2011 conference gathers internationally recognised speakers (including Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist to BAPAM, Professor Rodney Grahame) to explore topics surrounding the nurturing and supporting of talented young dancers and musicians. Topics to be covered include:

Is Talent Innate or Trainable?
Ability or Image?
Developing and Supporting the Teacher
Matching Dreams with Reality
Lifestyle Strategies to Combat Performance Anxiety
Masterclass observation
Hypermobility
Training
Challenging Physiques
Teaching Young Voices Safely
Motivation and Goals
Supporting the Teacher’s Voice

Here’s the official flyer (or click on the image above): F4E Conference 2011

For further information and to book your place please visit the Foundations for Excellence website.

At our clinics, BAPAM doctors give medical advice to many performers with musculoskeletal injuries (temporarily) preventing their ability to pursue their careers/education. In addition to the physical problem, there is a psychological impact. Being injured is stressful! AT is one way of reducing the stress and tension which can exacerbate the effects of physical injury.

AT can be particularly useful for all forms of anxiety, including performance anxiety (stage fright), and panic attacks. The relaxed state induced by autogenic exercises restores regular heartbeats, normal breathing patterns, and increases concentration clarity and alertness. People report feeling more confident and energised.

Tammy Mindell, an Autogenic Therapist listed on BAPAM’s directory of practitioners, says, ‘a semi-professional singer learnt AT for other stress related issues. As an unexpected bonus, she found her singing greatly improved. She became less anxious about good performance, allowing herself to be good enough. The results meant that rather than over breathing and pushing the sound, I could relax and allow and enjoy a much easier and better quality performance’.

In some cases, advanced autogenic techniques may be used as a form of psychotherapy.

Useful links:

The British Autogenic Society is the professional and regulatory body for Autogenic Therapists in the UK. Their web site contains a wealth of further information about autogenic training.

Autogenic Therapists on the BAPAM Directory of Practitioners:

Tammy Mindel: www.autogenictraininglondon.co.uk
Giovanna Reitano: www.musarteandmore.com
Catalina Botello: www.autogenic-therapy.net

If you are worried about a medical problem, including anxiety or another psychological problem, you should consult your GP. If you are a performing artist and the problem is work-related you may also seek advice from a BAPAM GP at one of our free clinics.

Ian MacDonald is a singer and specialist voice coach for BAPAM.

VoiceSkills; an Ian MacDonald and Sef Hill collaboration.

See website for full details and how to book: www.voiceskills.org.uk

The Classical Voice

The Lady Chapel, St Peter’s Church, Kennington Lane SE11 5HY – 0790 4691850

10am – 5pm, Saturday, 18^th September 2010 – Booking NOW!

10am – 5pm, Saturday, 15^th January 2011

10am – 5pm, Saturday, 16^th April 2011

The Musical Theatre Voice

The Concert Artistes’ Association, 20 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9HP – 0790 469 1850

10am – 5pm, Sunday, 10^th October 2010 – Booking NOW!

10am – 5pm, Sunday, 23^rd January 2011

10am – 5pm, Sunday, 10^th April 2011

To sign up, please download this registration form and either print it out and return it by post or email it to Nóra Geraghty, whose contact details are on the form.

If you are an Ireland based performing artist with a work-related health problem, Dr Juliet Bressan, BAPAM’s doctor in Dublin, can advise you. Assessments are free for full and part time professional performers as well as students. To book an appointment please call us on 0044 (0)20 7404 8444. Click here for more information about BAPAM’s free assessment appointments.

If you’d like more information or to book an appointment please call us on 020 7404 8444.