Portland Magazine
August 4, 2023
A new class on vocal technique and its health benefits—for the singer and non-singer alike.
“Finding Your Voice” is a new class, developed by associate professor and director of vocal studies Nicole Leupp Hanig. The class will be cross-listed with students in the Integrative Health and Wellness program. During the COVID-lockdown period, Nicole could hear, through her students’ voices, that many of her students were feeling depleted. One of her voice students, Audrey Lewis ’23, who is also a nursing major, says her voice lessons were a “safe haven,” especially given the pressures and stressors on nurses over the past three years. Nicole also started getting calls from high-powered corporate professionals asking for help with their speaking voices. Poor body alignment—due to stress and sitting for so many Zoom calls—was wreaking havoc on their ability to use their voice effectively.
An evidence-based voice teacher and a professional classical singer, Nicole told them she wasn’t a speech therapist, but she could coach them with proper vocal techniques. And the techniques helped the students to sound better and feel better. After taking a class on “The Musical Breath” developed by a voice teacher and respiratory therapist in the UK, Nicole started wondering: “How can I turn this [class] into something for everyone?”
The answer to that question is an interdisciplinary class at UP for singers and non-singers called “Finding Your Voice.” Beginning with exercises for the muscles needed for speaking and singing, she will cover techniques that can relieve the breathing distress that arises from anxiety or other causes. Students will learn to link those methods to the sound and pacing of their voices, such as using inflection in speech to soothe (important for nursing). Then they’ll start to sing together—focusing on the ways group singing activates the part of the nervous system that regulates mood. The class begins in the fall.
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
503.943.8000
This website uses cookies to track information for analytics purposes. You can view the full University of Portland privacy policy for more information.
