Vocal manual therapist, vocal coach and published researcher Lydia Flock joins Alexa on Singing Teachers Talk to discuss all things massage. Lydia works at the Voice Care Centre in London and from her clinic in Oxford. Find out how Lydia’s vocal injury as a teenager influenced her career path and inspires her work with clients.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Lydia experienced a voice injury when she was 17 and it really rocked her vocal identity and how she perceived herself as a singer in terms of her longevity and stamina.
- A vocal injury is not just the injury itself, it’s the intricate muscle system that will still be reacting to it for years down the line.
- There are lots of different facets of vocal manual therapy and one of those is manipulation. The aim with manipulation is to create space and potentially stretch the muscles.
- When we yawn, the thyroid cartilage drops down and the space between the cartilage and the hyoid bone increases. When we swallow, that thyroid cartilage is going to lift up and that space is going to be smaller.
- Laryngopharyngeal reflux or LPR is a condition in which acid that is made in the stomach travels up the oesophagus and gets to the throat. Symptoms include sore throat and an irritated larynx. Treatments consist mostly of lifestyle changes.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is a digestive disorder that affects the ring of muscle between your oesophagus and your stomach.
BEST MOMENTS
‘I was so nervous to touch another person’s larynx, I didn’t want to hurt them’
‘Quite gentle things can be really effective and have long lasting effects’
EPISODE RESOURCES
Guest Website:
- @oxfordvocalmassage
- @flockstarscoaching
Contact Email:
- lydia@oxfordvocalmassage.co.uk
Relevant Links & Mentions:
- Voice Care Centre & Stephen King: co.uk
- Jing Massage: jingmassage.com
- Modern Vocal Training: com
- Charles Ward: bapam.org.uk/practitioner-search/mr-charles-ward
- Craniosacral Therapy with Caroline Laurence: carolinelaurence.co.uk
- Journal of Singing: nats.org/cgi/page.cgi/about_journal_singing.html
- Vocal Health Education & The Thinking Voice Podcast: co.uk
- The Singing Athlete by Andrew Byrne
ABOUT THE GUEST
Lydia Flock (flock@voicecarecentre.co.uk) is an exceptional vocal manual therapist, vocal coach, and published researcher, with a particular interest in exploring vocal identity in relation to vocal manual therapy. One of Lydia’s favourite aspects of being a therapist is the journey of working with each client individually to discover what is most useful for them from a practical and professional perspective. As someone who experienced vocal injury herself, Lydia understands that vocal challenges go beyond the physical, and so Lydia leans into the psychological vocal empowerment that is possible through her work in manual therapy.
Lydia was endorsed for the prestigious Global Talent Visa (under Exceptional Promise Criteria) by Arts Council England. You may find Lydia’s research in the peer-reviewed academic journals Voice and Speech Review and Journal of Singing (in press). Lydia trained as a massage therapist with Jing Advanced Massage Training in Brighton, UK and specialised in vocal massage after training in Vocal Massage and Advanced Laryngeal Manipulation with Stephen King/Vocal Massage Training. She is currently furthering her manual therapy skills and understanding of pain science through the Advanced Clinical Massage Training certification at Jing Advanced Massage Training (expected completion September 2022). Lydia holds an MA in Music Theatre from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and a BA from the University of Virginia (BA in Drama, with honours). She also trained at Ithaca College’s BFA Musical Theatre programme.
When not working at the Voice Care Centre, Lydia is working at her Oxford clinic, Oxford Vocal Massage and coaching through her holistic voice company, Flockstars Coaching.
Link to podcast presenter’s bios
