World Voice Day 2023

Abstract

World Voice Day 2023 Robert T. Sataloff (bio) CARE OF THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE Each year, the journal of singing publishes an issue highlighting World Voice Day. The journal is committed to collaborating with the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), the Voice Foundation, and other organizations to support World Voice Day. This article is modified periodically and republished before World Voice Day (April 16th) in order to remind people to prepare to participate in its commemoration. This topic has been discussed previously by the author and others (see References). All singing and acting teachers, physicians, speech-language pathologists, nurses, voice patients, and others who care for and about the voice, should work together to raise awareness of the importance of the voice and of developments in voice care. Some years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized a particularly high rate of laryngeal cancer in Brazil. In April, 1989, the Executive Committee of the Sociedade Brasileira de Laringologia e Voz (Brazilian Association of Laryngology and Voice), a multidisciplinary society that includes physicians, speech-language pathologists and singing teachers, proposed April 16th as “Voice Day.” Later, that idea was transformed to a national voice week, and even a voice month in some locations. Soon, other societies around the world recognized the importance of public education about voice; and the European Laryngological Association (www.elsoc.org), the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAOHNS) (www.entnet.org), the Voice Foundation (www.voicefoundation.org), the American Laryngological Association (ALA) (www.alahns.org), American Bronchoesophagological Association (www.abea.net), the National Association of Teachers of Singing (www.nats.org), and other organizations began collaborating to establish an annual celebration of voice. The AAO-HNS recognized this event in 2002, and the name World Voice Day was adopted. World Voice Day was celebrated in the United States for the first time on April 16, 2003, supported by the AAO-HNS, the Voice Foundation, the American Laryngological Association, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and numerous other societies and organizations. A summary of the evolution of World Voice Day can be found on the website of the AAO-HNS, at World-Voice-Day.org, and in a 2007 editorial by Svec and Behlau. Typically, World Voice Day activities include lectures, concerts, educational programs, clinical voice screenings, and media events scheduled to take place on and around April 16th. Web-based educational initiatives may be found through the AAO-HNS, Voice Foundation and World-Voice-Day.org websites, and elsewhere. Laryngologists, speech-language pathologists, [End Page 483] nurses, singers, singing teachers, actors, acting teachers and others organize celebratory events in cities throughout the world. Voice professionals are bound together by a commitment to expand public appreciation of and knowledge about the human voice, and to raise awareness about the importance of good voice health and education. For example, in Philadelphia, Voice Foundation World Voice Day events have included a PECO Crown Lights display visible throughout much of the city, singing performances, and lectures on voice care, readings for children at venues such as libraries, stand-up comedy performances, cabaret events, and other activities. Extensive events honoring World Voice Day take place each year in Lisbon, Portugal, under the auspices of Professor Mario Andrea; in the Detroit area under the guidance of Dr. Adam Rubin; in Pittsburgh with Dr. Libby Smith; in San Francisco with Drs. Clark Rosen and VyVy Young; in Los Angeles under the guidance of Dr. Michael Johns; in Cleveland through Dr. Michael Benninger; in Paris with Dr. Jean Abitbol; in Beirut under the supervision of Dr. Abdul Hamdan; and in many other cities. In addition to the physician-led events, the National Association of Teachers of Singing supports World Voice Day actively, and many events throughout the United States are organized by singing teachers, as well as by speech-language pathologists and other voice professionals. Future activities are likely to be even more expansive. Many will be coordinated through the relatively new ad hoc World Voice Day planning committee, notable for its broad international representation. The group’s initial meeting was held in Erlangen, Germany, on July 4, 2012; and the organization is committed to sharing...