Anatomy of the Voice & Vocal Health Unit Plan
Vocal health is an extremely important topic for me, as I struggled with maintaining vocal health in University. I went to a couple of ENT specialists, vocal coaches, and a speech therapist to guide me on my vocal journey and prevent vocal injury. Through that experience, I realized performers have a fear of sharing their vocal injury stories for various reasons, making any singer who develops an injury feel alone and at fault. I strive to break this stigma by making students aware of their voice (sound & anatomy), possible vocal injuries and how they can keep their voices healthy.
This purpose of this unit is to discuss how our voices work, develop strategies and resources that students can use to maintain vocal health, and encourage students to reflect upon their own voices and individual progress.
Unit Summary: This unit will focus on the parts of a voice, vocal injuries & remedies, maintaining vocal health and the benefits of singing. Students will be given a variety of opportunities to explore their own voices in each lesson, through built in exercises and repertoire rehearsal with their new knowledge informing their vocal journeys. They will be assessed through reflections (T/C), 1 quiz (K), and a portfolio project where they will track their vocal progress in vlog form (A), concluding with a final presentation.
Online in a Hurry – Episode 16: Drama & Music Online
In April, 2020, I was asked to participate in a project for the Office of Open Learning at the University of Windsor. Dave Cormier, an online learning professor and active arts supporter, asked if I’d do a quick interview about my experience with teaching theatre online. I was currently involved in developing an educational theatre package and virtual performance with a local theatre company (The Kordazone Theatre; LINK to Virtual Performance HERE: Fearless Frieda & the Giant) , as well as teaching music theatre classes online so I was extremely excited to share my experiences. I had been following Dave Cormier and Bonnie Stewart’s Webinars about online teaching and have learned so much from them so I was so glad I got an opportunity to speak with Dave live! Building a personal learning network and having conversations with experts from a variety of fields continues to help me grow as an educator. This video was shared on YouTube, Twitter, and on the Office of Open Learning’s Page.