By Kathy Koenig, Voice Coach and Speech-Language Pathologist
Most of us have experienced losing our voice at least once in our lives (maybe as a consequence of having a cold, or just from overuse) and know how hard it is to communicate with others when our main communication tool is out of order. But imagine if this were to become a permanent situation? Voice deterioration happens more often than you think, because sometimes we just take our “body tools“ we use daily for granted.
It’s time for prevention!
During my studies at a private institute in Germany, I attended individual singing (classical italian school) and rhetoric (professional speaking) classes, instrumental play (piano) and breathing training on top of my therapeutical studies. I had chosen this institute because I knew I’d be able to combine my passion for music and language with my interest in therapy and helping people. In my exams, I had to write a thesis, do several tests and hold a mock voice coaching and therapeutic sessions. I also had to perform on stage, presenting my life-long vocal, speech and instrumental play achievements. Though it was challenging, all parts of the final exam were nationally certified and state-approved.
Experiencing this change in my body language, my voice, and my speech on my own during my studies, made me feel thrilled about getting started and helping other people to benefit from my knowledge in finding their own voice.
Back in Germany I worked in the field of Voice Coaching and Speech Therapy, with a lot of different people with different professional backgrounds, conducting individual sessions, as well as workshops and seminars. During my 5 years in China and with ELG, I work individually with clients conducting Voice Therapy, and have been missing conducting Voice Coach workshops.
Finally an impulse from within the educational community made me think about launching seminars on “voice to rejoice“. While working closely together with teachers, in my work as a speech and language pathologist, to support our little clients in the best possible ways, I started noticing that more and more teachers approached me to ask about how they can use their voice better. Obviously, many of them use their voice all day long, and teachers reported often losing their voices, not being able to talk for days, feeling very exhausted by the end of the day, ending up with only a feeble voice or even nodules on their vocal cords. I always shared some tips in passing, but I really felt it was time to offer more, to offer preventive service to help teachers and other professionals from being limited in their jobs as a consequence of losing their voice.
Together with ELG’s Management Team, we came up with a concept to help the community before serious injures or restrictions start showing up. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise of this unique holistic, and integral concept of body, voice and breath.
kathy koenig, M.Sc.
Speech-Language Pathologist, Voice Coach
Kathy is a Speech-Language Pathologist, and loves finding opportunities to work with children and adults to help them strengthen their speech and language skills. Her voice coaching includes helping singers and training ordinary people in the art of extraordinary expression.