216 | The Voice Teacher’s Role in Vocal Health Challenges with Dr. Heather Nelson
Episode 216 features vocologist, Dr. Heather Nelson and explores the ethics of diagnosing vocal health issues, and how our genuine desire to help can sometimes lead us beyond our scope. Heather brings clarity to what you can and cannot say, and how to support singers with care and professionalism. You’ll also learn how to work with students who are waiting for a medical diagnosis, or who choose not to seek one at all, without overstepping your role. If you’ve ever wondered where the line is, this episode will help you navigate it with confidence.
🔹[2:20] About Dr. Heather Nelson
🔹[3:40] A “typical” week in the life of a vocologist
🔹[7:40] Educational paths for vocology
🔹[13:00] Understanding the ‘scope of practice’ boundaries
🔹[17:00] Changing voices and vocal health
🔹[20:30] Looking for patterns in the singing voice
🔹[24:35] Finding the right specialist for voice issue
🔹[37:15] How to work with students awaiting medical diagnosis
🔹[44:43] How anxiety and depression affect vocal health
🔹[51:04] Building a support team around vocal health
🔹[54:20] Heather’s Vocal Pedagogy Parties
Mentioned in This Episode:
🔗 FULL VOICE Music Live Teacher Trainings https://fullvoicemusic.com/shop/teacher-training/workshops/
🔗 Vocal Ped Parties with Dr. Heather Nelson https://www.drheathernelson.com/contact
About Our Guest:
Dr. Heather Nelson is a vocal nerd who loves studying how it all works together, and then telling people about all the cool things she finds. She aims to take all the science-y goodness and translate it into understandable terms and into practical strategies that can actually make a difference to the independent voice teacher and the choir director in the trenches of school music life. Additionally, as a vocologist she loves working with wonky voices who have a little something extra going on, like vocal injuries, tough vocal changes, and sticky voice problems that won’t go away. Puns and terrible jokes are her love language, and fun, optimism, and curiosity are the three values that drive her business.
website: www.drheathernelson.com
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drheathernelson/
