World Voice Day: NIDCD Offers New Resources

On April 16, 2009, the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and other organizations in the United States and around the world are celebrating World Voice Day.

NIDCD joins the efforts of these organizations to encourage men and women, young and old, to assess their vocal health and take action to improve or maintain good voice habits. This year, we are featuring resources that you can share with your patients, clients, friends, and family members.

• Video: Learn more about your voice by watching a videotaped conversation with NIDCD program director Lana Shekim, Ph.D. In this 5-minute video, Dr. Shekim discusses how voice is produced, what makes our voices different, how the voice becomes damaged, what careers may make you more prone to voice problems, things you can do to protect your voice, and research that NIDCD is funding to help prevent and treat voice damage.
  
  
• Interview and performance video: Read an interview with NIDCD-funded researcher Ingo R. Titze, Ph.D., a distinguished professor who has studied the human voice for more than 30 years. He is the author of Principles of Voice Production, an introductory text used worldwide, and has published more than 500 articles on voice. Also, watch a video of his performance with Pavarobotti, a voice simulator/singing robot created by Dr. Titze and colleagues.
  
  
• Written materials: Read NIDCD fact sheets on voice disorders and how we can protect our voices:
  Taking Care of Your Voice  
  Vocal Abuse and Misuse
  Vocal Cord Paralysis