Looking at a Voice

Have you ever wondered what a voice actually looks like? I mean, what actually happens in there?

Well, the first way of looking at a voice is to book yourself into a Voice Clinic for an endoscopy session (where you have a camera inserted into your nose or down the back of your throat).

The second (and easier) way is to have a look at my latest addition to the Vocal Process website. Looking at a Voice is the UK's (and possibly the world's) first endoscopy video ebook.

Go back with me a couple of years. I've been coaching singers professionally for more than 20 years, but I had never really seen what a voice actually looked like. Well, I thought it was about time I started looking at my voice - after all, when I majored in oboe at music college (yes, really) I knew how to take my instrument apart and what the pieces did.

So a couple of years ago I found myself in the voice clinic in Nottingham with a small camera up my nose. Looking at your voice is just so fascinating - you can see your vocal cords* working and everything moving when you speak or sing. I've been wanting to share that video ever since.

*(The scientists are calling them vocal folds now as they are actually folds of muscle and tissue).

Well it's finally happened. I found a great ebook programme called Ebook Pro that can take embedded audio and video files. So last month I put up the first in a series of downloadable endoscopy videos. Because these videos are designed for people who have not seen a voice before, I have started each one with a commentary with photographs that tell you the name of each structure that you see. Then there's a section of the endoscopy video and I tell you about things to watch out for.

I didn't want to charge an enormous amount of money for them (and you should see how much some of the American institutions are charging for theirs!), so you'll see on the website that each download costs just a few pounds. Also being digital files, they're available immediately. I've already had a great response from these, with downloads from as far afield as Australia and South Africa.

I'm always interested in feedback so if you like the idea of the Looking at a Voice series, let me know what you think. You can also suggest vocal video ebooks you might like to see - I've already got orders for a video ebook on opening your throat (retraction) - that's coming soon!

Visit http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk for the latest downloads:
the Vocal Process eZINE (free electronic magazine)
86 things you never hear a singer say (free ebook)
Looking at a Voice (endoscopy video download)