What day is it?

Voice is a real gift, because without it communication between people becomes much more difficult. Many sciences study the human voice – biology, medicine, psychology, linguistics, music. However, we are used to taking the sound of the voice for granted, and we begin to think about it only when we suddenly lose it. Unfortunately, there are many factors in everyday life that can damage our voice, including smoking, alcohol, stress and shouting. However, appropriate knowledge and skills will help everyone preserve their voice throughout their lives. To highlight the invaluable value of the voice and draw public attention to issues related to its health, April 16 is celebrated every year World Voice Day.

How did the idea to celebrate World Voice Day come about?

“In the beginning was the Word” – so it is written in the Gospel of John. But a word is impossible without sound, that is, without a voice. Accordingly, the person who appeared later was immediately endowed with the ability to hear and reproduce sounds – he had hearing and a voice. The power of the voice so great that even the word itself was not limited to direct use – quite often we hear and use such concepts as the voice of the soul, the voice of conscience, the voice of blood or the voice of the past.

The voice begins in the lungs, which during exhalation create an air flow in the trachea and larynx. In the larynx there are vocal cords attached to the largest laryngeal cartilage, which is also called the caddy. When air passes between them, they begin to vibrate, creating a sound whose pitch depends on the frequency of vibration. The pitch of the voice is determined by the length and tension of the vocal cords, and for the sound to be clear, they must close tightly and vibrate symmetrically. Changing the position of the tongue, lips and palate determines what sound will be produced at the output.

Of course, many living creatures on our planet transmit information using voice, but they are not endowed with the same voice capabilities as humans. This indicates that the uniqueness of the human voice lies not so much in the anatomical structure of the vocal apparatus, but in our ability to accurately coordinate the vocal organs and transform sounds into meaningful speech.

Human voice

Since ancient times voice endowed with mystical properties – both life force and mortal danger. Everyone knows the ancient Greek legend about Orpheus, whose voice brought joy to everyone who heard it. Even the god of the underworld, Hades, under the influence of a beautiful voice, agreed to revive Eurydice, the dead wife of Orpheus. Other characters of ancient Greek mythology are the demonic Sirens, who lured sailors into a trap with their incredibly beautiful voices.

The human voice has been the object of attention of famous thinkers and healers since ancient times. Hippocrates believed that the source of the voice is the larynx, and he also wrote the first descriptions of the structure of this organ. Philosopher Aristotle and orator Demosthenes paid attention to special training to eliminate voice defects and speech defects.

The medieval doctor Avicenna has a scientific treatise dedicated to the mechanism of voice, as well as the structure of the vocal apparatus and its connection with the brain. Avicenna also studied diseases of the vocal organs and methods of their treatment. During the Renaissance, the art of vocal flourishes and the genre of opera emerges. The need for singers with strong and beautiful voices prompted scientists to study the theory of the voice, and also marked the beginning of vocal pedagogy, that is, the “production” of the voice.

Each singer has a unique vocal apparatus, and a correctly “placed” voice impresses listeners with the beauty of sound, rich timbre, wide range, clear intonation and power. By type, singing voices are divided into high, medium and low. For men it is tenor, baritone and bass, for women it is soprano, mezzo-soprano and contralto. Each of these voices is further divided into several varieties.

The first guess about the role of the vocal cords in voice production appeared in the 16th century and belonged to the Italian anatomist Andreas Vesalius. In the 18th century, this opinion was confirmed by Antonio Ferrein, a French surgeon who called the vocal cords “vocal cords”. In the middle of the 19th century, the Spaniard Manuel García, an opera singer and vocal teacher, first used a mirror to examine the larynx, which made it possible to see how the vocal cords function. This method, called laryngoscopy, became the basis of a new medical specialty — laryngology, which specializes in the treatment and prevention of throat diseases.

Phoniatrics

Around the same time, the first serious scientific works on phoniatry appeared, a medical discipline that deals with disorders of the vocal apparatus. In 1924, the International Association of Speech Therapy and Phoniatrics was established in Vienna. However, the fundamental study of the nature and problems of the voice required an interdisciplinary approach that would combine the knowledge and experience of all individual disciplines.

Therefore, in 1969, the American doctor Wilbur James Gould founded a special fund – The Voice Foundation. This organization brings together doctors, scientists, speech pathologists, vocal teachers and artists to share their knowledge and experience in the treatment and professional care of the vocal apparatus.

The idea of ​​dedicating a special day to the voice was announced in 1999 by the Brazilian Society of Otolaryngology. In 2002, the holiday was recognized by the European Otolaryngological Society, as well as the US Academy of Otolaryngology, and began to be celebrated at the world level.

World Voice Day in History

• 1969

  The Voice Foundation was created. Its founder was a New York doctor, Dr. Wilbur James Gould.
• 1971

  The Union of European Phonologists was founded in the capital of Yugoslavia, Belgrade.
• 1972

  The first annual Caring for the Professional Voice Symposium was held in Philadelphia.
• 1973

  The first gala concert of The Voice Foundation took place, which was later called “Voices of the Summer”.
• 1999

  Voice Day was held for the first time in Brazil. Soon it was implemented in Argentina and Portugal, and the holiday became international.
• 2002

  As a result of recognition of Voice Day by otolaryngologists in Europe and the USA, the holiday was named World Voice Day.
• 2012

  A global World Voice Day group of experts and doctors has been created. Currently, the group consists of about 70 representatives of various countries, who initiate and coordinate activities for World Voice Day in their countries.

Frequent Questions and answers about World Voice Day

How to celebrate World Voice Day?

This day has similar traditions in different countries – educational activities on voice health are usually held – lectures, seminars, meetings with doctors. Music institutions offer vocal master classes and also organize charity concerts.

World Voice Day is a reason to analyze the state of your vocal apparatus and, if necessary, contact a specialized specialist – a laryngologist or a phoniatrician. It is necessary to undergo an examination if there is a hoarseness of the voice, a feeling of a lump in the throat or physical discomfort when talking. Smoking has a particularly harmful effect on the voice, and this is another reason why you should get rid of this bad habit.

If you have singing abilities and a desire to develop them, then it is on World Voice Day that you can start doing it – for example, sign up for a class with a vocal teacher who will teach you proper breathing, rhythm, diction, articulation and other singing skills. It also helps a lot in the development of karaoke vocal abilities.

And you can also begin to get rid of the shortcomings associated with the voice – too loud or quiet speech, use of slurky, speech defects. A speech therapist will help in the fight against the latter, by the way, such classes are effective at any age.

Why is this event important?

On this day, we realize what an extremely important role the voice plays in our lives. Thanks to the voice, people open up to the world – in everyday conversations, in the expression of feelings or in political debates. The ability to express one’s thoughts clearly and loudly enables a person to feel confident in a social environment, but the loss of voice or its quality causes a feeling of helplessness.

In addition, the very tone of the voice, its intonations carry a lot of information about a person, convey his mood and emotions, influence the perception of other people. Studies have shown that people first respond to the voice and only then to the content of what is said. Therefore, effective, skillful use of voice can improve personal and professional relationships, help in careers and friendships. For example, with the help of the right intonations, it is often possible to prevent conflict, create trust or sympathy.

It is also very important to hear the voices of relatives and friends as often as possible. Even if the voice of a loved one sounds in the telephone receiver, it gives a feeling of warmth and peace. Also, this day promotes awareness of the need for everyone to take care of their voice health in order to preserve its uniqueness for many years.

When will we celebrate World Voice Day?