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I am very lucky to have a super-smart younger brother who is studying Alzheimer's, as well as other forms of dementia. While we don't understand the causes exactly, we do know that patients with Alzheimer's are unable to get rid of the 'plaque' that builds up between and inside nerve cells in the brain over time.
Here's where singing comes into play. We do know that people with higher levels of education seem to be less at risk to developing Alzheimers' than others. While the role of education is unknown, there are two possible theories. One, that the brain is like any muscle; if you keep it active, it resists disease more effectively. And two, that learning strengthen and creates new connections between nerve cells to resist this buildup of plaque in the brain. When you take voice lessons, you are engaged in a very diverse and broad form of education that engages numerous functions of the brain. While music certainly engages the creative sections of our brain, music also engages the more 'logic' oriented parts of our brain. Music is actually a form of math (frequencies and harmonies). Singing also develops our motor skills and languages (especially if you are learning to sing in multiple languages!). In addition to giving your brain a mental workout, we do know that singing reduces stress, enhances your lung capacity, and reduces your heart rate. Now, I don't want to give the impression that taking voice lessons stops Alzheimer's (it doesn't). But voice lessons are not just about 'singing better.' It is a form of continuing education for people of all ages that enhances our physical and mental health. DS The terms of voice teacher, therapist, and voice coach are often used interchangeably by advertisements. However, those term mean very specific skill sets that designate the focus of an instructor.
A voice teacher is an instructor who specializes in building the vocal instrument of a student, usually in a one-on-one lesson. In many ways, voice teachers are similar to a good doctor: they listen to you, analyze your vocal strengths and weaknesses, and devise a course of action to make you a better singer. A good voice teacher should be able to work with all types of voices, male or female, but may specialize with certain types of genres and singers depending on their knowledge and experience. A voice therapist is an actual doctor (ENT) who specializes in treating singers who have developed physical impediments to their singing. Before you get worried, most singers will never need to visit an ENT! However, if you are singing professionally, bad habits can cause physical problems such as nodules and polyps. These problems need the help of a doctor before a student should resume their normal singing routine. A voice coach is a pianist who specializes in the style of a certain genre of music, such as Mozart opera, modern musical theater, or French art song. Their job is not to improve your singing technique but to make you a better singer stylistically. While some coaches do have knowledge of vocal instruction, they generally refrain from that instruction and refer you to a voice teacher for help. DS |
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