Dr. Barbara Mathis is Professor of Music at Lamar University where she teaches studio voice, language dictions, structure & function of the voice, and graduate vocal methods. She received BM, MM, and PhD degrees from the University of North Texas and has taught at other universities and public schools in Texas, Alaska, and Florida. Dr. Mathis studied voice with Virginia Botkin and Alan Lindquest, coached with Regine Crespin, John Wustman, Harold Heiberg, and Berton Coffin, and served in a research internship with Van L. Lawrence, M.D. She is an active soprano soloist, choral and vocal clinician and speaker. Dr. Mathis has presented research papers and lectures for universities, national and international medical conventions, and professional music organizations. Her specialties include vocal coaching, vocal pedagogy, and vocal health and rehabilitation. In her spare time, Barbara enjoys seasonal decorating, reading, swimming, and long walks with husband George and dog Dusty.

One of the most important decisions a singer must make involves not only finding a suitable vocal technique, but choosing appropriate vocalises and exercises which will develop and train the voice as well as help maintain it to ensure a long and healthy vocal life. Eventually, the individual singer must take responsibility for his or her own vocal development, maintenance, and health. In the event that misuse, overuse, or some other factor should cause vocal fatigue or a more severe problem, beneficial therapeutic exercise becomes priceless.

Therapeutic exercise for the body is not a new concept, historians have traced its use from ancient times to the present, and general theories and basic principles for therapeutic exercises have developed for its use. Vocal exercise also stems from earlier centuries as a beneficial activity for general body hygiene and good health,2 and has developed as a training and therapy technique for the speaking/singing voice. Singing exercise as therapy for the voice is also not a new concept but has not been widely used for various voice disorders; nevertheless, sources do attest to the benefits of singing in relationship to vocal and general body health. For voice professionals to

understand fully the principles and benefits of good vocal exercise, it is necessary for them to have knowledge of general exercise theories, the structure and function of the vocal folds and other parts of the larynx, the development and character of various exercise routines, and results from the exercises on the physiological and functional properties of the voice.

The goal of good vocal exercise might well follow the definition of general therapeutic exercise that Licht presents: "therapeutic exercise is motion of the body or its parts to relieve symptoms or to improve function."3 Kottke defines therapeutic exercise as the prescription of bodily movement in order to correct impairment, improve musculoskeletal function, or maintain a state of wellbeing, and further states that it may vary from highly selected activities for specific muscles to general activities for restoring a patient's peak physical condition.4 Specific exercises are active movements whose design seeks to restore function by strengthening particular muscle groups, mobilizing certain joints, or reeducating neuromuscular coordination. Colson and Collison, experts in progressive exercise therapy, believe that this type of exercise is of great value in the treatment of injuries and disorders of the locomotor system where certain muscular groups and joints are affected and the rest are comparatively normal. They state that all types of specific exercises must conform to three basic principles:

1. They must be performed in a smooth and rhythmical manner, so that they do not subject muscles and joints to sudden unexpected stresses and strains.

2. They must be based on sound starting positions.

3. They must provide smooth progression from the stage of extreme weakness to the stage of full use against the stresses of normal working conditions.

In addition, all exercises that aim to strengthen weak muscles should provide as wide a range of movement as possible.5

More:
Excercise for the Voice