Advances in Medicine Lead Stars to Surgery

, is the title of a NY Times article that tells you, ‘The rash of singers who have canceled concerts this fall to undergo throat surgery — Adele, Keith Urban, John Mayer — might suggest that touring takes a terrible toll on the vocal cords. Yet doctors who specialize on vocal issues point to something else to explain the cancellations: new diagnostic tools and surgical techniques.’

Wait a minute! Wait a minute!! How does that make sense? It’s not the riggers of being on tour, but that there are new diagnostic tools and surgery for the singers to reply on? That’s like say to your kid – go ahead and play hockey without any protective gear because we can get you patched up with surgery when your body gets smashed to bits in the rink. No, it’s ok, really. Go ahead.

Dr. Steven Zeitels states in the article, “Is there some epidemic? No,” he said. “The only thing different happening is the singers know better how to take care of themselves, the doctors know better how to take care of them, and what has been happening always is just getting noticed.”

If the singers were taking better care of themselves, they wouldn’t need surgery! To my logical, vocal trainer mind, none of this makes sense.

The challenge to Adele, Keith Urban and John Mayer, among others, is to learn how to sing. Don’t basketball players practice all the time? Of course they do. Their coaches are on them all the time to perfect the technique of the game. Why is this not so for singers?

The pubic adores these singers and their music. Don’t the singers have a responsibility to their fans who have made them mega stars? A responsibility to be honest with their music and to actually know how to sing and be good role models for mega-star-wanna-bes?

Taylor Swift, in an interview on ’60 Minutes’ with Leslie Stahl,talks about being a role model to millions of young people. She doesn’t smoke or drink much or do drugs. That is certainly commendable of her. But what about the fact that her fans spend millions of dollars on her recordings when she doesn’t really sing in tune? She lets the studio magic take over and make her sound good. Isn’t that part of what she should be modeling to her fans? Being good at what we pay for?

I talk about these issues with my young students. We often start the lesson with – ‘I’m never going to have to cancel a tour because of vocal damage! I’m learning right now how to sing, how to sing healthy and natural.’ My young students are determined not to sing badly or out of tune or in any way that is harmful. That’s taking care of yourself and your fans at the same time.

For more information about Sing Like You Speak and Sally Morgan, go to SingLikeYouSpeak.com