Osteopathy

Does anyone here know about osteopathy?

I am seeing an osteopath, Dr. Mary Bayno, recommended by NYC's most in-demand vocal coach/therapist, Joan Lader.

I can't believe in the year and a half I've spent seeing countless voice therapists and ENTs, not ONE said, "Gee, maybe we should send her to someone who can physically manipulate and relocate the muscles and bones that are out of line!"

I have had two sessions with Dr. Bayno. The main interferences when I sing are from my hyoid bone and tongue being out of alignment. Both are being pulled to the left by muscles (the hyoid bone is the only bone in the entire human body not connected to other bones; it is held in place entirely by muscles).

It scares the everloving SHIT out of me that my entire laryngeal area is tilting the wrong way.

Dr. Bayno tried to release the tongue during the first session/consultation, but then she said the muscles in the back of my head are so tense that she needs to work on those first before she can release the tongue.

But on the second visit, I said to her, "Do you think we will be able to release the tongue when the time comes?" and she said, "Yup!"

I forgot to ask her if she can realign the hyoid bone, but since it is connected to the tongue, that is probably a given. I found on a website, "Treatment to normalize the thickened suprahyoid tissues and thus to restore the hyoid bone to its natural position produces remarkable results in many cases of throat trouble, such as tonsillitis, pharyngitis, etc. " So we know that osteopaths DO work on realigning the hyoid bone.

Right now I have my middle range. Low range is breathy/gravelly from the tongue depression, high voice wobbles from asymmetry of tongue movement.

If these treatments don't work, I'm jumping off the tallest building I can get to the roof of without security stopping me. Not joking.

Let's pray for the best.

Myofascial release therapy

So, I've been receiving myofascial release therapy treatments from a fabulous masseuse named Christine (www.lifelightmassage.com/vmassage.html). In just three sessions, she got me belting again without pain! Although I do feel a slight knot on the side of my throat after, but considering I used to get stabbing, sharp pains after I tried to belt, or a feeling like I was choking, that's progress.

Evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJLIARUSpe8
And: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X04F92jdsGY

I can't believe it took me so long to find this treatment. I did get some treatments from an ENT who charged a whopping $250 for just 30 minutes. A disgrace! 30 minute sessions weren't doing ANYTHING for me, and now I get 90 minute sessions for less than his $250. Plus, Christine is much better at it.

I have little control over my very high and very low voice, which is most likely due to my tight cricothyroid muscle, which is the muscle that tilts to allow expansion and tension of the vocal folds, making it responsible for very high and very low pitches. I keep trying to sing low like I did before that voice "therapist" fucked me up with straw phonation, but I only feel my low voice on the left side of my throat and it cuts in and out of fry if I try to hold it out, and currently I can't do slides. Christine said the cricothyroid is much tighter on my right side, which explains why I feel like my low voice is stuck on the left.

I have been pushing every day to try to regain my low voice, but I'm realizing now I should probably lay off and wait for more myofascial treatments to manually release the tightness that is limiting my vocal muscle mobility. I'm supposed to see a "miraculous" osteopath, Dr. Mary Bayno, on April 27, who will probably spend 3-8 sessions with me, once a week. Then the plan is to go back to Christine for maintenance. Christine advised me NOT to sing the day of a massage to give the muscles a chance to "learn" their new (correct) positions.

This is how my low voice sounds now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTJTLwYs93k It's breathy, but I posted a full performance video in a Sentenced/Poisonblack fan group and got a lot of "likes" and a few very nice compliments in the comments section. The thing is, a lot of pop singers purposely sing with a breathy voice, so people who aren't vocal scientists don't hear it as an issue. Plus, a microphone does WONDERS for a breathy voice! The lead singer from Lillix has a very breathy chest voice and it is beautiful. Still, I wish to regain my full, lush low voice which was once very thick, velvety and sultry. But I'm realizing now I can't expect results there until I've had more hands-on, osteopathic/myofascial treatments.

I am amazed that in the nearly 2 years I spent going to voice therapists and ENT's, not one mentioned seeing an osteopath. I feel like if it had been mentioned to me a year ago, I'd have seen one and I'd be better by now.

So, everyone please wish me the very best with this highly recommended osteopath and myofascial release treatments. It would be just perfect if I could go straight back into voice lessons and not voice therapy after these treatments, but we will see what happens.