| Abstract Title | Body Awareness and Neurodivergent Singers |
|---|---|
| Submission Category | Voice Pedagogy |
| Presentation Type | Workshop |
| Willing to Present as Poster? | Yes |
| Abstract | Body awareness is an essential component of human life. Interoception, our ability to sense and translate feelings from our bodies, helps us to monitor critical needs. The sensations we name hunger alert a need for food, sensations of thirst or dryness help us monitor hydration, and fatigue alerts us to a need for rest. For voice users, interoception can provide critical feedback for the use and care of our instruments. Voice users often work with a coach, teacher, or specialist to develop their body awareness for better facility with their instrument. Unfortunately, body awareness poses a particular barrier for members of the neurodivergent community. Just as sensitivity to light, sounds, and textures can be obscured in neurodivergent people, so can interoceptive messages be confused, mistranslated, or unrecognized. The size of the obstacle depends on the individual. Some people can reach adulthood without identifiable physical sensations that alert them to critical needs such as nutrition, elimination, and rest. They may employ alternative coping mechanisms that circumvent the obstacle of body awareness. When these individuals engage with the world of professional voice use, they are at a particular disadvantage, because they lack effective means for communicating with their own bodies. In this workshop we will examine some common difficulties associated teaching neurodivergent singers and explore various coping strategies to help voice students develop their sense of interoception. This workshop will include light movement and audience participation as we explore activities that can be used in the voice studio. |
| First Name | Thaddaeus |
| Last Name | Bourne |
