Lessac Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy (LMRVT) is an approach to voice therapy based on motor learning theory and provides a standardized method of providing conversational voice therapy to meet client-centric objectives.
Goal of Resonant Voice Training Center is to teach patients to produce resonant voices, clinically defined as having a quality that feels easy and buzzy in the face. According to research findings, paying too much attention to how a skill is performed impairs long-term retention and performance.
Vocal Straw Exercises
The Resonant Voice Method emphasizes vibratory sensations in lips and face without exertion or strain to the throat. Humming and singing with nasal sounds or words helps choristers produce vibratory pressures easily while maintaining vocal fold closure and maintaining a balanced vocal tract (Verdolini 2002). Furthermore, this holistic approach relies on introspection/observation tools like scan-gel-show-tell to help their patients find optimal representations for themselves.
One of the most widely-practiced resonant voice exercises, straw phonation is one of the most widely practiced exercises for developing resonance in one’s voice. A 3.5 mm diameter straw is placed between lips to create a semi-occluded vocal tract which improves vocal fold vibration efficiency, increasing acoustic power, while simultaneously decreasing tension in the larynx. Furthermore, this exercise can promote neutral voice while simultaneously teaching children how to control breath flow and vocal fold movement.
Another fun straw-related vocal exercise is Y buzz, a simple vocalization utilizing vibration techniques similar to straw phonation. This allows a singer to locate resonance points behind two front teeth, feel energy move up their nasal bridge cartilage into their brain, and increase forward resonance in their voice. Y buzz can also be combined with other forward resonance exercises like chanting or acoustic singing for maximum impact!
Practice vocal strain-reduction exercises to avoid nodules and other vocal issues such as throat irritation and acid reflux, among others. It should be noted, however, that inspired patients may attempt to incorporate resonant voice training into loud speech before visiting a clinic for assessment – leading them to potentially risk re-injury and additional granulomas formation.
Vocal tract exercises that open and semi-occlude, such as blowing bubbles and lip trills, may also help ease laryngeal tension. Furthermore, these exercises facilitate the beneficial acoustic and perceptual outcomes associated with less vocal tension – such as reduced spectral energy, improved voicing economy and greater vocal clarity.
Vocal Function Exercises
Lessac Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy (LMRVT) teaches patients to speak and sing with fuller sound by teaching them how to control vocal motor movements that will improve voice quality, lower effort level and prevent new granulomas or polyps from forming on vocal folds. Created by Katherine Verdolini in honor of Arthur Lessac and Mark Madsen for their contributions in Resonant Voice Theory and Motor Learning respectively, LMRVT has proven effective at correcting croaky voices.
Resonant voice training requires clinicians to focus on vibratory sensations in the front of mouth and face while demonstrating easy phonation. Nonspeech exploratory exercises such as y buzz and vowel sighs help students locate resonance points behind two front teeth as well as feeling energy flow up from nostrils through nasal bridge and cartilage into brain; in addition, y buzz can be an effective technique to minimize strain at throat level.
Once a patient has learned how to perform a y buzz and vowel sigh, clinicians provide further instruction in applying this technique in daily speech. Beginning by encouraging them to practice using their resonant voice in whisper mode before gradually increasing it up until loud speech becomes comfortable for them, students are also encouraged to practice outside the clinic and with other people so that their voice works in different circumstances.
Studies have proven the efficacy of resonant voice techniques, yet their teaching must be approached carefully. Inspired patients may attempt to use these skills outside the clinic before mastering them fully in clinic settings – potentially risking further vocal injuries and increasing nodule formation rates. Therefore it is critical that students receive guidance from professionals who can monitor their progress and ensure they do not take unnecessary risks with their vocal health.
Nonspeech Exploratory Exercises
Lessac Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy (LMRVT) can be an invaluable asset in helping individuals improve their croaky voices. When employed correctly, LMRVT helps patients regain a fuller, more robust sound while alleviating symptoms associated with nodules or polyps of their vocal folds, such as nodule noduling. Furthermore, LMRVT teaches patients to control their vocal motor movements to avoid straining their voices further in future.
LMRVT differs from many other voice therapy approaches in that it uses specific voice techniques that promote resonant speech. Examples of such exercises include tube phonation – where speaking or singing through a partially blocked-off straw creates backpressure to unload vocal cords and maximize vibration efficiency; other exercises in LMRVT’s program involve semi-occluded consonants like fricatives and nasals (/m/ and /n/). These explorations can either serve as nonspeech explorations or be integrated into connected speech as key training gestures and embedded cues.
One such exercise involves humming. According to a recent study, this proved successful at decreasing supraglottic hyperfunction in those suffering from muscle tension dysphonia, by decelerating vocal fold adduction during prephonatory adjustment phase and relieving transient laryngeal closures. Furthermore, voices produced through hummed voice showed higher values of minimum angles and less steep slopes within their glottal area waveform.
Lessac Madsen approach goes beyond simple mechanical voice production by emphasizing emotional manipulation for effective communication. Patients learn how to use their voices more effectively to express emotions such as anger, fear and sadness through voice production; additionally they receive guidance in using whispered voices and taking advantage of natural tones with this technique.
Prior to beginning any resonant voice therapy, a speech and language pathologist will take their patient through an assessment process involving full-body introspection and observation, scan-gel-show-tell sessions and physical manipulation until their client exhibits ideal representations of resonant voice behavior. Once achieved, speech pathologists teach clients to integrate this new voice behavior into everyday conversations using imitation phrases specifically tailored for individual needs.
Vocal Hygiene
As with anything in life, maintaining good vocal hygiene is crucial to the long-term health and quality of your voice. Similar to maintaining your car with regular service and tuning up as necessary (vocal rest), keeping shouting to a minimum, and staying away from situations which could put undue strain on it is required for optimal function and sound!
Vocal hygiene is an integral component of treating many different voice disorders and helping prevent future ones. It includes providing education on the importance of protecting one’s voice by hydrating adequately and avoiding harmful behavior such as excessive yelling or screaming. Through your Lessac Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy training, you will learn how to provide clients with personalized vocal hygiene programs tailored specifically for them.
Recent research demonstrated the efficacy of vocal hygiene education to both improve hoarseness quality and decrease the chance of surgery for benign vocal fold lesions. Patients participating in laryngeal fiberscopic examinations who were randomly assigned either receive vocal hygiene education programs or not; those receiving educational sessions experienced significantly more lesion resolution compared to control group participants.
Vocal hygiene education is often included as part of most voice care plans; however, its efficacy varies by population. To maximize adherence and therapeutic outcomes, metatherapy and motivational interviewing should be integrated into patient-centric practice approaches to ensure your patients have all of the tools necessary to successfully follow through without your assistance.
As a speech-language pathologist, your goal should be to empower clients so that they can take the steps needed to protect and preserve their voices. By teaching them how to hydrate properly, avoid harmful behaviors, and perform appropriate vocal exercises, you can ensure optimal vocal health for them – thus keeping their voice functional and healthy, so they can communicate more efficiently with those around them. Remember: your voice is your most precious tool so ensure it receives all the care it deserves!
