| Abstract | Objective:
The purpose of this study was to better understand the lived experience of singers in the LGBTQIA+ community with a history of vocal injury. Marginalized individuals, including the LGBTQIA+ community, confront greater discrimination, stress, and professional pressure (Meyer et al., 2013). For LGBTQIA+ singers, the relationship to voice grows increasingly complex as it intertwines with discrimination, identity, financial stability/success, and self-worth. Yet, no empirical study has looked specifically at the relationship between social hardship and vocal injury among LGBTQIA+ singers.
This qualitative study aimed to fill a gap in the literature, inviting LGBTQIA+ singers to share the story of their voice — the experiences that shaped their voice use, quality and perception. This study is unique in that it focuses on personal narrative and embraces a medical humanities approach, centering the human in the study, and drawing implications for future cultural/social awareness in the study/treatment of vocal injury (Wald et al., 2019).
Methods:
Eight participants were recruited via flyers posted to professional networks/social media throughout the United States. Criteria for inclusion included: being at least 18 years old, English speaking, LGBTQIA+ identified, singing professionally five or more years, having diagnosed past or present vocal injury, with access to a computer/internet. Sixty to 90-minute semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom. Open-ended questions focused on identity, stress/discrimination, voice history/injury, and medical experiences/evaluations. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions were coded independently by two raters. Description and content of codes were reviewed to reach consensus.
Results:
To date, eight participants have been interviewed. Interviews are being analyzed using phenomenological analysis. Although data analysis is ongoing, the aim is to identify the essence of the lived experience shared among all participants. Initial analyses suggest the presence of multiple themes including shifting identity, power, transformation and evidence of hardship.
Conclusions:
Results will expand on the limited literature regarding vocal injury and LGBTQIA+ identity and will be explored to understand how marginalized identity, linked to social stressors, may influence vocal trauma. A better understanding of identity may help researchers and clinicians more accurately address vocal injury and inform treatment with LGBTQIA+ singers.
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