Vocal Labs director Elle Holiday joins Alexa this week all the way from Adelaide in South Australia. Elle is a voice-specialising speech pathologist and singing teacher whose methodology is customised and based on evidence, focusing on retraining vocal techniques, enhancing performance stamina, and fostering confidence. Elle offers services in voice care, voice training, rehabilitation, and massage therapy. Elle is here to discuss training the speaking voice versus training the singing voice.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• As a singing teacher, Elle listens for signs of strain, roughness, breathiness, strength/loudness, breathing patterns, and onset/offset when assessing a student’s speaking voice at the start of a lesson. These observations provide crucial insights into their overall vocal status.
• If a student experiences vocal trouble, Elle recommends gentle rehabilitative exercises, avoiding high-intensity belting, and singing repertoire in a lower range. If issues persist for more than two weeks, she advises seeing a medical professional for further assessment.
• Singing teachers should not diagnose students but can recommend seeing an ENT and speech pathologist if they hear vocal anomalies. Teachers can help students sing safely until a formal medical assessment is conducted, ensuring students’ vocal health.
• In vocal rehabilitation, intensive therapy typically spans about 12 weeks from diagnosis to discharge. Elle works intensively with students for the first four weeks, then helps generalise the techniques into daily life. Success largely depends on the patient’s commitment.
• Key differences in vocal therapy for speaking versus singing include the emotional component in singing and the need to unlearn singing habits for the speaking voice. Safety and identity considerations are also more prominent in speaking voice work, highlighting its unique challenges.

BEST MOMENTS 

“Singers with vocal injuries, who have rehabilitated from vocal injuries, are the people we should be seeking out the most for information on the voice.”

“If you were a football player and you do your ACL on the field, no one says you have horrendous football playing technique.”

“Safety is a huge thing in the trans community.”

EPISODE RESOURCES

Guest Website:

vocalab.com.au

Social Media:

Instagram: @vocalabau

Elle’s Advanced Vocal Technique Workshop: avt.vocalab.com.au

Relevant Links & Mentions: 

• (Singing Teachers Talk Podcast) Ep 75 – Vocal Rehabilitation for Singers with Dr Jenevora Williams 
• Vocal Health Education: vocalhealth.co.uk
• Voice Care Centre: voicecarecentre.co.uk 
• The work of Sarah Brown: sarahkbrownvoice.com & @vocalhealthskb
• The work of Andrea Fleming (Performance Anxiety) 

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ABOUT THE GUEST 

Elle Holiday, based in Adelaide, South Australia, is a voice-specialising speech pathologist and singing teacher. As the director of VocaLab, she provides voice care and training, including vocal rehabilitation, specialised training for transgender clients and professional vocalists, and massage therapy for muscle tension dysphonia. Elle’s evidence-based methodology focuses on retraining vocal techniques, enhancing performance stamina, and fostering confidence. Through her Instagram @VocaLabAU, she offers free, accessible voice education.