PAVA Newsletter | Fall 2022 | Vol. 3 Issue 4 | English

FALL 2022 | VOL. 3 ISSUE 4

InFormant Paul M. Patinka, Editor Eimear McCarthy Luddy, Assistant Editor THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER FOR

IN THIS ISSUE...

Introducing New Board Directors - 2 What PAVA-RV

MARK YOUR CALENDARS January 14, 2023 (Saturday) PAVA New Year's Party — A New Year, A New Chapter!

Events & Times TBD - Stay tuned!

February 16, 2023 (Thursday), 9PM EST

Unexpected

Vocal Fry, Creaky Voice, and Singing Voice Pedagogy: Singing Teacher Attitudes and Usage - w/ John Nix

Pleasure in the

Sponsored by US Eastern Region (via Zoom)

Process - 8

September 29 - October 1 (Friday-Sunday) 2023 Hybrid Symposium @ Miami, Florida

Means to Me: An

Getting Personal: An Interview with Machan Taylor - 11

For more updates, click PAVA SOCIAL

Special Announcement - 13 Opinion - 14

Announcing: "PAVA 3rd Thursdays!"

Mark your calendars for the third Thursday of every month beginning in February for special PAVA Governors' Forums, Workshops and other activities!

Subscribe to PAVA Social Google Calendar!

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Introducing New Board Directors of voice and voice pedagogy at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina. I live only one mile from the beautiful Myrtle Beach shore with my husband Eric and two adorable pups, Henri and Coco. I earned a Ph.D. in voice pedagogy from The University of Kansas and an M.M. in voice performance and pedagogy from The Pennsylvania State University.

When I’m not dodging golf carts, I am most likely teaching, yodeling, reading,

AMELIA ROLLINGS PAVA President-Elect

Hello PAVA colleagues and friends! I am excited to serve the PAVA membership in the role of presidentelect after previously serving as membership director and as a member and co-chair of the PAVA Credentialing/ Specialization Committee from 2017–20. I have been a proud member of PAVA since 2015 and truly value the mission, vision, and goals of our organization.

I am passionate and eager to get to work as we aim to creatively advance our organization and vocology.

Currently, I am an assistant professor

drinking coffee, learning something new, or exploring all things voice. My primary research interests include small and large group voice teaching, contemporary commercial music voice pedagogy, historical voice teacher certification and education, and the effects of shoe heel heights, head position, and jaw opening on acoustic and perceptual measures of singing.

I enjoyed seeing many of you at the recent symposium in Minneapolis and look forward to connecting with many more of you at future hybrid PAVA events. Please reach out if you have ideas, questions, or if I can help in any way. Go PAVA!

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Introducing New Board Directors new website that will be a more accessible home base for all of us.That last part will take a while, so, in the meantime, we have two new tabs at PAVAVocology.org for you to visit to stay up to date:

PAVA SOCIAL This page is your central access to events. It is updated regularly to reflect upcoming events and has registration information. Also, if you

BETH FALCONE

subscribe to our PAVA Social Google

PAVA Communications Director

Calendar, PAVA events will also appear

As I step into my new role as

in your own calendar!

Communications Director, first off, hats off to Amanda Flynn and the

PAVA CHAPTERS

Communications Committee for their extraordinary work over

Want to get involved in a local PAVA

these past three years. I have big

chapter? Click the icon to see a full list

shoes to fill.

of Chapters and who to email!

Communications Director, to me,

This is a lot, as you can imagine. No

is about listening, amplifying the

one can achieve this alone. I am

passionate voices of PAVA, and

grateful to have Crystal Lau, our

expanding accessibility to those

Assistant Communications Director,

voices. I am committed to our

Paul Patinka, our new Operations

various communications coming

Manager, and two new communication

out in English, Spanish and

subcommittees to support this work:

Portuguese, our events having

the Social Media Subcommittee,

interpreters, and over the next

expertly led by Libert Garcia and Mae

three years, my goal is to have a

Coro from our Mexico Chapter.

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Introducing New Board Directors With their expertise, we plan to

to Ingo Titze, Brad Story, Daniel

expand our social media globally!

Boone, Dr. Bob Bastien, Leon

Translations Team: led by Mae Coro,

Thurman, and the VoiceCare Network.

Maíra Jaber, Vanne Merino, and

My mind was blown, and I was hooked

Daniela Longaray. Want to participate

for life. It was Leon that led me to

and help put the Pan in PAVA? Email

PAVA. I count my lucky stars that I was

me at

at that first Symposium in Greensboro.

Communications@PAVAVocology.org,

I was so warmly welcomed. All anyone

and we'll get you to the right place!

seemed to care about was my hunger to learn. Since I'm not very good at

A little about me—very little, because

science, I like to invent creative ways

no one has time to read anymore. ;-)

to teach it to myself and then do my

My path has been a winding one, both

best to translate that into the

as a performer and as a teaching

classroom. I am tremendously grateful

artist. I am a pianist first, and I caught

for the patience the experts among us

the bug for voice while playing for

have shown me.

others' voice lessons. My parents met in an opera workshop in Hot Springs,

I look forward to listening and to

Arkansas, and I was the house pianist

amplifying your voices. I'm honored to

for a reason. When it came to singing,

be here. Reach out any time. Thank

I was terrible. :-) But I learned that

you for having me as your PAVA

voices could change, that they weren’t

Director of Communications!

stagnant, and that fascinated me. My interest in Vocology, before I knew it was called that, started when I met Oren Brown (Discover Your Voice). I loved his premises: "Discover what your voice can do for you vs. what you can make your voice do," and "Less is more." I had the great fortune to study with him for a couple of years and to play for his studio in New York City.

Oren's workshop in Utah (1999) led me

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Introducing New Board Directors Center for Vocology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, home of the Summer Vocology Institute. I also hold a career-line appointment as an Assistant Professor, Lecturer in the School of Music here and work as the contracted voice coach for the University of Utah Voice Disorders Center. Vocology as the “science and practice of voice habilitation” is at the heart of all that I do professionally, and my heart has belonged to voice study since, in 7th grade, I auditioned for and landed the role of Major General Stanley in our middle-school’s

LYNN MAXFIELD Western Region Governor

I am so pleased and grateful for the opportunity to be joining the PAVA Board of directors as the Western Region Governor. I served as the association’s financial officer and treasurer in its fledgling years and it has been so fun to return to meetings and witness just how much growth has been achieved by the hardworking officers and members over the past few years. From efforts to support local chapters, to hiring administrative staff, to the rollout of the flagship PAVA-RV program, it is immensely exciting to see PAVA with the full wind in its sails!

By way of introduction, I currently serve as the Director of the Utah

production of the Pirates of Penzance. I grew up in rural southern Idaho, the youngest of 7 children in a home filled with an eclectic mix of music from Air Supply, The Carpenters, the Ramones, Garth Brooks, and the Beastie Boys, to Tchaikovsky, Handel, Mozart, and Beethoven. With so many older siblings, at least one radio was always on and I fell in love with the range of emotions that music could express, but it wasn’t until that first adventure with Gilbert and Sullivan’s raucous band of pirates and bumbling policemen, that I found my place as an artist. Today, while I am not on stage nearly as often, enabling and empowering expressive, free, and versatile communication remains the driving force behind my work. I look forward to what I can bring to and learn from the Pan American Vocology Association in the coming years.

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Introducing New Board Directors Rehabilitation endorsed by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Therefore, Phoniatrics in Mexico is the medical specialty that is responsible for the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of voice problems.

I am currently an MD, an MS, and Phoniatrician in Mexico City privately where I mainly attend to professional voice patients such as singers, actors, and other professionals, I also have the joy of being the President of the Mexico chapter of The Voice Foundation for 2 years where I have

CARLOS MANZANO

had the opportunity to organize

I am Carlos Manzano, a Phoniatrician

My passion for the voice started in my

from Mexico and I was elected to be

childhood with formal musical

Governor of Latin America for PAVA in

education as a singer and as a pianist.

the last elections.

For some years I also ventured into

Latin American Region Governor

academic events related to voice.

composition classes. At the moment he First of all, I would like to explain to

continued taking classes for periods

you what Phoniatrics is and how to

and I continue to sing in an amateur

become a Phoniatrician. It is

way on an occasional basis. I like all

important to mention that the

musical genres so I enjoy listening to

medical specialty of Phoniatrics is

music and going to concerts, I love

found in very few countries in the

listening to new sounds from different

world and Mexico has the happiness

cultures around the world.

that for 50 years it has trained Phoniatricians annually. I began my

In 2021 I had the opportunity to attend

training studying medicine for 7 years

and get certified in the Summer

at the Benemérita Universidad

Vocology Intensive at the University of

Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) in Mexico Utah with Dr. Ingo Titze and his and later the specialty of Phoniatrics fascinating team of teachers, in that for 4 years at the National Institute of

summer I had the joy of meeting

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Introducing New Board Directors different professionals from different disciplines and various countries that brought us unites the same passion for the study of the voice.

I have a master's degree in Medical

Extending our warmest welcome to Amelia Rollings, Beth Falcone, Lynn Maxfield and Carlos

Sciences from UNAM. My line of

Manzano as our new Board

research is acoustic,

Directors! We look forward

electroglottographic, and aerodynamic

to seeing where your

voice analysis in singers. In the teaching part, I have the happiness of

leadership takes us!

receiving residents of Phoniatrics every year for a few months to observe my clinical activities as a Phoniatrician. I also continuously give conferences related to voice issues in Mexico and

To contact our new Board Directors, please reach them via email:

Latin America at different congresses.

It is a great honor and a great joy to serve as governor of PAVA during this period and continue to strengthen the

Amelia Rollings pre-past-pres@pavavocology.org

development of Vocology in Latin

Beth Falcone

America. I once dreamed of combining

communications@

Medicine with Art and I am achieving

pavavocology.org

this dream. Many greetings from Mexico.

Lynn Maxfield western@pavavocology.org Carlos Manzano latinamerica@pavavocology.org

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What PAVA-RV Means To Me: An Unexpected Pleasure in the Process Like many, I clicked the “submit” button for the PAVA-RV application with both excitement and anxiety. What happens if I don’t pass the test? Am I still a vocologist? How do I prove that?

After graduating from the Summer Vocology Institute in 2019, I was ready to share with the world that I was now an NCVS-trained Vocologist! This was often followed by a congratulatory, “That’s awesome! What’s that?” Even my

MARITA STRYKER MM, PAVA-RV, RYT200

This year, PAVA officially launched the PAVA Recognized Vocologist (PAVA-RV) program, as well as announced our first

autocorrect is still confused. I believe that the PAVA-RV process has brought me clarity to answer that question fully.

So, while the added letters after my name may take a while for those outside of our voice nerd bubble to understand, I am proud to have a title

class of recognition. In this

for my multidisciplinary journey, hinting

issue, Marita Stryker - who is

at how I’ve ended up the practitioner I

among the first of thirteen

am today: MM (soon-to-be DMA), PAVA-

Recognized Vocologists - wrote

RV, RYT200

about the significance and impact of PAVA-RV recognition on her career as a Voice and Movement Educator, a singer, a director, and a Yoga Instructor.

I currently teach voice lessons in a variety of mediums and styles; I teach the new Contemporary Musicianship and Entrepreneur Development students at Shenandoah Conservatory,

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What PAVA-RV Means To Me as well as a number of Music Therapy,

opportunity to ask burning questions,

Music Education, and Music Theatre

and running to apply their wisdom to

Accompanying students. In my

my teaching. One of my other three jobs

independent studio, I have clients

at the time was teaching accessible

“Zoom”ing in from New York City, Austin,

circus in public schools and with multi-

L.A., and various tour locations, as well as

generational community groups. I was

local habilitation clients referred from

the personal assistant to the founders of

their voice therapists. I’ve coached

CircusYoga and The Human Art of Play,

clients for America’s Got Talent and

Erin Maile and Kevin O’Keefe. We taught

Disney, but also for college auditions

a mix of clowning, improvisation, yoga,

and church performances. The variety is

acrobatics, and dance; all done at a level

thrilling, and feeds me as a creative

where every participant felt successful;

teaching artist.

all done through play. While living in New York, one of my favorite classes to

So what makes me a Vocologist in

teach was a donation-based Yoga for

addition to being a singing teacher?

Performers class. I rented studio space,

I started my performance journey as a

Avenue Q or Hairspray, and we worked

dancer, and have always felt things deeply through movement and the body. I fueled my New York City audition life by becoming a yoga instructor and found it to be a perfect balance to the grind, with the added bonus of flexibility

right next to the latest callback for through a combination of pranayama (breathing practices) and asana (poses) that I considered useful for singers and actors, and discussed the “why” as the theme of the class. This remains a part of my teaching practice today.

when I booked a show! I was lucky enough to continue my yoga education

The element of play has become a

at The Breathing Project, under the

theme along my path, always

tutelage of Leslie Kaminoff and Amy

appearing in the best teaching and

Matthews. They veered from the popular

mentorship that I experience. I

training paths of the time and chose to

recently went back to school and am

focus on “embodied anatomy,” breaking

working toward my DMA in Voice

down anatomy and kinesiology and its

Pedagogy at Shenandoah Conservatory.

application in the yoga studio. You could

Within my coursework last year, I spent

call it an evidence-based yoga practice. I

time looking at the role of Singing Voice

work-studied my way through as many

Specialist in various voice clinics and

of their courses as possible, spending

independent settings. I can not express

extra time in the studio with the

how grateful I am to the

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What PAVA-RV Means To Me group of mentors I had the pleasure of

sequences of self-bodywork for tongue

working with and observing: Philip

and jaw release (thanks Christine

Doucette, Lynn Maxfield, and Dara Allen.

Schneider!); my background as a dancer

The variety of patient backgrounds and

informs how I teach dancers and athletes;

conditions within a Speech Language

my performance experience helps me

Pathologist’s and/or Singing Voice

guide students through different

Specialists’ caseload calls for not only an

performance situations and degrees of

incredible amount of knowledge, but a

amplification; I feel comfortable guiding

toolbox like Mary Poppins’ carpet bag.

my gigging artists through strategies to avoid overuse when the sounds are bad at

As a performer, I had the advantage of

a venue, or helping them navigate

sneaking into a professional career early

seeking medical help; some of my

as a dancer in the chorus at local Equity

students can name vocal anatomy and

theatre companies. I went to school for

tell me why we’re exploring certain

musical theatre, but also studied

acoustic strategies, and some just tell me

Western Classical music (first reluctantly,

if something felt good or meh. We play,

then happily). I spent my performance

we move, and we explore what moves us.

career bouncing between regional

If I had simply worked my way through

theatre companies, cruise ships,

one, predetermined path, I wouldn’t be

workshops and readings of new musicals

the teacher and vocologist I am today.

in the city, cabaret performances, and

And as the group of PAVA-RVs grows, I

concerts. While it never felt settled, it has

look forward to hearing about all of the

been a wild ride, and certainly adds to

unique journeys that have brought us

my Mary Poppins’ carpet bag as a singing

together, in this exciting and ever-

teacher and musical theatre educator!

evolving fascination of the voice.

Now we come back to putting together

Congratulations, Marita,

the portfolio for the PAVA-RV application. I realized that all of these

for receiving the PAVA-RV

seemingly random paths have come

recognition!

together to create the space I hold for those entering my studio. I almost always start sessions with a breath and body

Interested in getting the

check-in (a sequence of mindful breaths,

recognition? Click the icon

stretching, and humming); during a

below for more:

lesson, I may have students dancing around the room or doing short

PAVA-RV

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Getting Personal: An Interview with Machan Taylor To learn more about our cross-

Can you tell us a little about some

disciplinary interests,

projects you are currently working

InFormant editors will be

on or recently finished?

interviewing various PAVA members so we can all learn a little more about the diverse fascinations housed in our organization. In September

I toured a little bit this summer in Sicily and it's kind of funny. Because I toured with Pink Floyd years ago, I get these calls [to be] a guest vocalist with these tribute bands. So, I just got back at the

2022, Paul Patinka had the

end of August and I had the best time

honor of interviewing Machan

with the sweetest people. They treat

Taylor who recently returned

me like a Rockstar! It's so much fun and

from Sicily where she was

the food and the wine is incredible. I'll

performing with a Pink Floyd

be going to Chile in December to sing

cover band.

with another group. But I'm also trying to continue working on my own stuff.

I've been releasing songs of my own. I’m executive producing and co-writing material for a student of mine, this wonderful singer who I've been working with since she's nine years old and she's 18 now. It really feels good supporting young up and coming talent.

What about vocalization fascinates or inspires you the most?

MACHAN TAYLOR

The voice is like a fingerprint. It is unique to every human being on the planet, no matter what type you are,

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Getting Personal - Machan Taylor or, you know, what sound you think

developing the techniques so on and so

you have. Your actual voiceprint is

forth. So, I would like to get more involved

completely individual and unique.

and I'm going to pull the trigger on the

And I think that it's just a miracle

certification soon!

that we're able to make these incredible sounds and music. I

Do you have a mentor in your field

continually marvel at how the voice

whose work you look up to? Who is it

works and then in my teaching it's

and why?

such a thrill to see when someone gets a certain concept. And they end

There's so many! Dr. Titze, Kittie Verdolini

up getting these beautiful, full,

and so many people, Aaron Johnson is

resonant kinds of sounds. To hear

here in New York. So, I don't think there's

that, to see those transformations

any one person that I can say I really look

happen, it's really a thrill. I think

up to, but I would say that Dr. Titze and

that's what really turns me on about

Sundberg, the pioneers of the field.

teaching, you know?

Before COVID I had been taking a bunch of lessons with William Riley who's in New

What excites you about being a

York. But I've also discovered this

member of PAVA? How does PAVA

wonderful teacher in London and I've

fit into your overall career

taken some of his online classes, Dane

trajectory or goals?

Chalfin, and he is hysterical.

Honestly, I have not really been

If you had unlimited resources and a

involved as much as I would like to.

year of vacation, what is something fun

I'd like to start getting a little bit

you would like to do with that time?

more involved. I'd like to do the certification. I'm a little nervous

It is a really difficult question because

about getting into it because I know

there are so many places in the world that

it's going to require a little bit of

I still want to go to, like Egypt! I would

study and time and preparation, but I

love to see the pyramids and so many

do want to do the certification. And I

places. But I think for me, what would

just think that it really is the platform

really sort of satisfy my heart would be to

for what I believe is the future of

go somewhere like Sardinia and spend, I

vocal pedagogy. I think obviously

don't know, six months or a year, working

PAVA is, and the members of PAVA

on my Italian and sitting on a beach.

are people that believe in vocal science and are researchers that are

FULL INTERVIEW:

TRANSCIPT

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Special Announcement

PAVA 2023 Hybrid Symposium Miami, Florida

September 29 - October 1, 2023 (Friday-Sunday)

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Opinion The InFormant team welcomes opinion pieces from our membership.

These pieces do not reflect the opinions of the Board of Directors or PAVA as an organization, but serve as a platform for members to share their ideas about vocology. If you would like to share in InFormant, please contact the Communications Director at communications@pavavocology.org for more information.