getting teachers buzzing
Like many other professional voice users, teachers’ voices are essential to their work but often don’t get the attention they deserve. Homer Creative has started working with College in the Community at JCC to address voice care issues.
At a recent training day for tutors Valerie Jenner led a practical taster session. She says: “It’s not easy to do a practical session with a group of fifty or more but I wanted them to be physically as well as mentally involved because voice is produced by the mind and the body. So as well as a talk giving some explanation and top tips for looking after their voices and reducing strain, I invited them to stretch their bodies and take part in some practical exercises.”
Did they enjoy it? “Oh yes, they were really buzzing by the end and as a voice teacher I’d say vibration is always a good thing! And it was great for them to do something together that was absolutely geared to their needs. There is still very little voice awareness, let alone coaching, in teacher training and that is a very serious lack. Teachers can be lost to the profession through vocal damage and it’s an occupational hazard that employers with a duty of care need to be aware of. Luckily JCC try to take the same sort of care of their staff that they do of their students.”
Want to take care of your teachers and get them buzzing? Or maybe you or your staff are not teachers but use your voices a lot in your work? Either way contact us here or call Valerie on 0121 551 5544 and get the low down on voice care.
