ABSTRACT
Therapy approaches designed to improve the disordered voice may be equally effective
when used to enhance the normal voice. A holistic approach to voice therapy is based
on a continuum of voice wellness from the disordered voice to the elite voice of the
healthy performer. Individuals take charge of the wellness of their voices by following
good principles of vocal hygiene and exercising the vocal mechanism in a healthful
manner. All voices may be improved on this continuum toward the ideal. When voice
therapy techniques attend to the three subsystems of voice production, respiration,
and phonation and resonance, the techniques fall into the category of holistic voice
therapies. Vocal Function Exercises is one holistic voice therapy approach that has
been found to be effective in improving those with voice disorders and enhancing the
normal voice. This article introduces the concept of holistic voice therapy and describes
the specific Vocal Function Exercise Program.
KEYWORDS
voice therapy - holistic health - Vocal Function Exercises
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Joseph C StemplePh.D.
369 West First Street #408, Dayton, OH 45402
Email: jstemple@dhns.net