Vocal Science Helps Amy Kahn Be Heard

Amy Kahn ’19 was one of the more than 600 undergraduates who walked across the stage at Saint Mary's commencement ceremony in May. And when the Bells of Saint Mary’s played, she sang and laughed with her fellow graduates, not just because she was graduating, but also because she could actually raise her voice in celebration.

For years Kahn has suffered from severe stuttering, and a whisper of a voice as a result of spasmodic dysphonia— a neurological disorder that affects the voice muscles in her larynx. But after enrolling in a new vocal science course at SMC, the results have been dramatic and she now has a clearer sounding voice.

"I spent about 20 years at Kaiser as a medical social worker. And when I hit about age 50, I started to lose my voice. And by the time I was in my later years of 50, I had to stop working. I couldn't even say good morning. I had no voice whatsoever," said Kahn. "So, I was on disability for a number of years."

Botox injections that paralyzed one side of her vocal chords allowed her to speak in a whisper, and there was an ever-present stammer. Despite her limitations, Kahn was still able to play a musical instrument, and managed to teach private music lessons. “I was teaching oboe and flute, just without any music credentials. So I decided to come back and finish my music education that I had started online.”

At Saint Mary's, she met Julie Ford, an associate professor in the College's music program and who directs SMC's internationally acclaimed choir. Ford works closely with Kelly Burge, an adjunct professor who recently introduced a new course in the music program called Vocal Science. Based on Estill Voice Training—a pioneering science-based pedagogy for voice training for performers, the new course helps singers approach musical genres by learning how to use their voices anatomically to emulate every musical style, from gospel to opera. However, when Ford heard Kahn’s halting speech, she thought Burge's vocal science course might help her, not to sing, but to speak more clearly.

“Spasmodic dysphonia is a neurological condition where the mechanisms that draw the vocal folds together, and apart, spasm, and they seize up,” said Burge. “So the vocal folds are drawn together, and you can't breathe or initiate a tone without tremendous amount of exertion. Even inhaling, if the folds are closed, is difficult to do.”

In the vocal science class, students learn the anatomy of all the muscles involved in producing a human voice. In addition to using technology to analyze a spectrum of sound waves related to vocal characteristics, they practice isolation exercises that focus on the muscles involved in making certain sounds. By placing a finger under the chin, or along the throat and making certain sounds, such as a cat’s meow, or growling, Burge observed that students gain a greater understanding of the vocal impact of controlling certain muscles in the throat, neck and jaw. “All the different components, the muscles that maneuver the voice around,” she said.

After receiving permission from Amy’s doctor to work with her; Burge embarked on an effort to assist Kahn with her speech. “And I said, let's design some exercises that isolate primarily the geniohyoid muscle, which attaches to the chin, because that was one she could feel,” said Burge. “There's a few around the backside of the larynx as well, that when they flex, they open up the voice and help thin out the vocal folds.”

The result of the hours of exercises and Amy’s consistent work with Burge eventually paid off. “Kelly Burge worked a miracle in just three months,” said Kahn of her vocal science teacher. Burge explains it another way. “It's crutches. That's the way I would describe it. Finding other muscles that can pick up for what a compromised voice can't do.” 

Professor Ford added that as a result of two recent grants, more students can benefit from the College’s focus on vocal science. “I have received two grants, the Faculty Development Grant and Innovative Pedagogy Grant, which will help establish Saint Mary’s as an affiliate of Estill Voice Training International; there are currently no universities in the Western US with this affiliation, and only three or four in the USA.”

Understandably, the new course is garnering attention off campus. In a recent KCBS News Radio interview, Kahn spoke about her life challenges and how the College’s new vocal science class helped make a dramatic difference for her. “It totally changed my life and has given me a second chance, at being able to speak again.”