¡Bienvenidos a Miami!

September 28 through October 1, the research team at Utah Center for Vocology traveled to Miami to attend the 2023 Pan American Vocology Association (PAVA) symposium. PAVA is a non-profit association made up of voice professionals from all voice related vocations including SLPs, ENTs, Professional Singers, Voice Teachers, Voice for the Actor Coaches, music directors, stage directors, and others who work with human and animal vocalization. Many of our team currently serve on the board of directors and some even helped found this international organization.

Dr. Maxfield and Dr. Manternach gave a presentation titled “Toward a More Thorough Definition of Vocology” that was well-received and generated some wonderful discussion. As vocology is a relatively young field where experts are still working to agree upon a concise and inclusive expression of the word, they combed through some of the founding vocology documents and publications to answer the question “What is vocology?”.

Dr. Titze presented the work of the Vocalization and General Health working group, a coordinated effort between dozens of SVI alumni and UCV colleagues across the world to gather and organize existing research on health impacts of various forms of vocalization of humans. He also had an opportunity to promote a new book he has co-authored with speech-pathologist and SVI graduate Karin Titze Cox, "Voice is FREE after SOVT."

There is always such a diverse array of topics discussed at the PAVA symposia, and this year was no exception. From research presentations, to hands-on workshops, to the new “PedTalk” sessions, there was a tremendous amount of high-quality information to absorb.

For vocologists just starting our their careers, like SVI Grad and Research Assistant Fiona Blume, PAVA is an incredible resource and networking opportunity to connect with researchers and practitioners who are working on similar specialties in their fields. "The PAVA symposium was an exceptional event that left me feeling inspired and motivated," Fiona shared.  "The informative talks delivered by the speakers were thought-provoking and kept me engaged throughout the entire event. I left the symposium with a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm, eager to apply the insights gained from the event to my work."

The Utah Center for Vocology is the home of the Summer Vocology Institute, an intensive training program that has educated more than 450 voice specialists from around the world during its 21 year history. These students go on to make major contributions to the field, both in research and clinical or studio practice. The PAVA Symposium is one of the many professional gatherings held around the world where our SVI grads showcase their own research.

"It’s always nice to see so many SVI graduates presenting their work at PAVA. It’s gratifying to see how they continue to be involved in the field and I always enjoy the chance to catch up," said Manternach.

We look forward to the important contributions PAVA and its members will continue to make to our field in the coming years and are very proud to be a part of their work.

Photos L to R: Dr. Titze; Dr. Maxfield and Dr. Manternach with SVI Graduates; Dr. Maxfield; Fiona Blume

Photo Credits: Brian Manternach and Fiona Blume

 

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