Dear Networkers: I noticed a recent announcement about the Lee Silverman Voice
Treatment Program. I went to the Vanderbilt Voice Center a month ago and found
that the specialist there was acquainted with this work. Since I was on my
way to Boulder, Colorado, he referred me to the Principal Investigator of
this work: Dr. Lorainne Ramig, The Denver Center For the Performing Arts,
1245 Champa Street, Denver, Co 80204. 303/893-3206. She was very gracious and
saw me for an hour. She showed me a video of patients with whom she worked,
taken before, immediately after and 14 weeks after an intensive 16 session
program. It is 4 sessions a week for at least an hour for 4 weeks. It includes
basic vocal exercises, phrases and sentences, and conversational speech. One
learns to put a lot of effort into the speech production, as if one were
shouting. The results on the video were very impressive.
She said that any local speech therapist could do the program, with
direction from her. She sent me back to the VU Voice Center. The main thing
is not to work on articulation per se, for there is usually quick improvement
and then the therapist stops too soon. It is necessary frt the 16 hourss
to get the habits in place.
She gave me a whole pack of reprints of her work on this. Anyone
interested in this could request the same thing from her. I told her that
I would be putting this message on the network, which she welcomed. So feel
free to contact here and get the information.
I am going to start it next week. My voice is beginning to go, altho
fairly mildly right now. But I am a college professor and I need that voice
for the classroom. So I am going to drive right into it right now to do some
preventive work.
I can provide more info if anyone wishes.
Bob Newbrough
