Kate's Voice

It’s that time of year again and teachers everywhere are working hard to make themselves heard above the roar of the students.  I know I’ve written about this before, but this year, the problem has been aggrevated by the cuts in education.  Many teachers have even more kids in their classes than ever.  This means that there is more noise to speak over and less time to be patient. The risk of hoarseness and laryngitis is real, even chronic laryngitis is entirely possible.    But most teachers will not get help.  They will keep speaking and yelling when their voices are tired or hoarse, get some rest over night and return to do it again the next day. Not only does this represent a health risk to teachers, but it also represents a risk to our children’s education.  A study in the Journal of Voice showed that children’s comprehension was negatively effected by a teacher’s dysphonic voice.  So, isn’t it time we seriously addressed this issue?  I’m just sayin’…..

This video was created after 9/11/2001.  It is a tribute to the victims and also to the Love displayed by so many who lit candles with the belief that we can create a better world even in our grief, and that we must do that for the sake of the many lives lost.  It was created by Chad Huebner and produced lovingly by my partner, Doug Simao.  The musicians are me, on violin and voice, Baba Elefante (composer),  on bass, Ron Kobayashi on piano, Steve Dixon on drums and Dave Murdy on guitar.  I hope you enjoy it.