What You Need To Know About Vocal Nodules

Vocal nodules are calluses that form on the lips of the vocal folds because of persistent contact abuse. The nodules disrupt the movement and vibration of the vocal folds during singing (and speaking). The deeper cause of vocal nodules is weak and uncoordinated muscular action in the larynx (and a constricted pharynx), which prevents the vocal musculature from managing efficiently the stresses of voice production.

For singers, the inability to observe directly the actual functioning of their vocal apparatus, and the lack of sensations during singing, have caused not a little mischief, not the least of which is that singers often do significant damage to their vocal apparatus without being aware of it.

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The Catona Cocktail

Updated on Friday, October 5, 2012 at 02:12AM by Gary Catona

The Catona Cocktail promotes vocal health by reducing inflammation, working as a natural antibiotic/antiseptic, generating heat flow, and promoting muscular flexibility.

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A Shot To The Throat: Restoring Larry Carlton's Voice

When I first arrived in Los Angeles, I remember hearing on the evening news that a famous jazz-fusion guitarist, Larry Carlton, was shot in the throat by an intruder on his property in Hollywood Hills. Taken to the trauma center at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Burbank, he arrived in critical condition. Because the bullet passed through his jugular vein, doctors said he could have died instantly; that Larry survived, to be sure, seemed like a miracle. In fact, he made a remarkable recovery but for one problem: the bullet had severed the main nerve to his larynx (the recurrent laryngeal nerve), paralyzed his left vocal fold, and reduced his voice to a whisper.

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Johnny Bush And Spasmodic Dysphonia

Johnny Bush lived with spasmodic dysphonia for thirteen years. At that time, there was no effective, long-lasting cure for this disorder, so Johnny volunteered his throat for experimentation. Allergy medication, acupuncture, biofeedback, hypnosis and even psychological counseling, were all a part of his desperate attempt to regain his voice. Nothing helped. Part of the problem was that it wasn’t clear what spasmodic dysphonia was; that is, was it a neurological, muscular, or perhaps even a psychosomatic, disorder? No one knew, and to this day, the causes are still unclear, although many are convinced that the condition has neurological basis.

Johnny was tempted to try two invasive techniques that promised the possibility of partial relief. One was a risky operation (developed by Dr. Herbert Dedo), in which the nerve (recurrent laryngeal nerve) responsible for the spasming vocal fold movement is sectioned (severed).

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The Myth Of The Aging Voice

Part of the problem of trying to understand the human voice (whether for speaking or singing) is that a number of its fundamental truths are counterintuitive. This means that what appears to be the case is often not necessarily so. For example, many singers (and teachers) believe that we cannot change our voices in any significant way through voice training; that we are largely “stuck” with the voice with which we were born. In fact, the highly adaptable nature of the vocal muscles guarantees that our voices could be built if effective vocal exercises are properly employed.

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