The University of Southeasterns PhD in Chemistry

The University of Southeastern's PhD in ChemistryUniv. Chemistry, the university of Southeastern, is considered to be a high caliber of teacher for the aspiring graduate student. A potential student should seek out this type of education for a serious career.The Department of Physics includes a two-year program of study for college students with academic specialization in Electromagnetism, Waves, and Space and Time. In addition, the Department of Chemistry offers two-year programs for students with academic specialization in organic chemistry, solid state chemistry, and thermodynamics. A student wishing to major in the applied sciences is strongly advised to enroll in the three-year program in Physics.Applied physics is focused on the laboratory techniques of mechanical, electric, or nuclear physics. Students who need a degree in chemistry but are unsure whether Physics is a good college option should attend the major in Applied Physics and earn a PhD in the other discipline.The univ ersity of Southeastern offers a minor in chemistry that leads to the PhD degree. This minor is designed to develop chemical technicians as researchers. Students can also earn an undergrad degree in Biochemistry and begin a career in this department. If a student is well-prepared for the MS in Chemical Engineering and wishes to pursue a career in the laboratory, the MS in Biochemistry is an excellent option.Undergraduate students will find the Univ. of Southeastern curriculum to be a mix of Science and general education courses. To earn a BS in chemistry, a student must successfully complete at least one laboratory science class and the methods lab. Courses in analytical chemistry, light sources, spectrometers, solid state physics, and electronics are also required for a BSC in chemical engineering.Many students choose the doctoral program in Univ. Chemistry for a challenging and highly rewarding career. Univ. Chemistry has the highest average PhD in chemistry among all chemistry deg ree programs in the UnitedStates.University of Southeastern offers several graduate degrees and certificate programs that are relevant to students seeking a career in chemical research. Students who plan to specialize in one area, such as atmospheric research, environmental studies, or plant development, may be able to enter the PhD program with one- or two-year prerequisites.

4 Things to Consider when Restarting A Career - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 4 Things to Consider when Restarting A Career - Introvert Whisperer 4 Things to Consider when Restarting A Career In the current economic realities, we all now know people with work gaps.  People by the 1000’s have been laid off and are still searching for jobs after 1 or 2 years.  It’s an issue, but it doesn’t have the hiring stigma it once did.  Now try to imagine not working for the past 10 or 15 years.  That’s not a work gap.  That a career restart, if in fact it’s not simply a career launch. This situation happens most frequently with women who have delayed their career to start and raise a family.  However, this is not the sole domain of women, as I have known of men who have had to take years off for raising a family or caring for aging parents.  If you are in this position of restarting or launching a career in your middle years, I know you are concerned about your prospects.  There are real issues; and some real thought that you have to put into plotting out your career. Here are the issues and solutions for you to consider: Not knowing what you would do.  This is a problem for most people launching a career.  It’s just that now you have a few more considerations in life that you didn’t previously have.  You may have children demands, mortgages and location restrictions to add into the decision. Solution:  Please don’t launch a job search without getting clear about your career.  You will have a muddled mess; you won’t like the results.  Review the next points on the issues you have to consider.  Just know that you have work to do to figure out your career direction; you will need some time and resources to get yourself prepared. Education is dated.  For many people who launch a career following college, there comes a point where the experience outweighs the value of your education.  The experience is more specific, current and relevant.  What you learned in college, while good, has a shelf life.  If you obtained a degree and haven’t amassed much, if any, work experience, you have a job search problem. Solution: Depending on what career you have selected, you will most likely need to go back to school.  I would spend time with a college advisor to discuss the best course of action.  If you are starting a business, this issue goes away.  You don’t need a degree or a “fresh” degree to start a business.  But for most employment, you may be considering, unless pursuing unskilled labor, you will have to bolster your education. Work is dated.  Similar to the education, the relevancy of work gets dated as well.  To help make this point: The general guideline for how much work history you put on a resume is to stop somewhere around 15 years.  If you haven’t been employed for over 10 years, much has changed and is not going to impress prospective employers. It’s almost like not having any experience. Solution:  Volunteer.  I know I sound like a broken record about volunteering, but it’s the one true untapped resource for a job seeker.  There is everything a standard business would have in a non-profit, only they can’t pay for many of those functions.  If you’re willing to speak with a non-profit group about their needs and your career direction, you may find yourself able to learn something new. It will also be immensely helpful to the non-profit group.  This work experience is up to date and good for your resume.  A second solution is to seek temp work doing something in or close to your new career. Restart is hard.  Everyone I have seen in this situation finds it daunting and difficult to shift gears.  It is a change in lifestyle, as well as a personal change.  There is nothing that will go untouched when restarting a career. Solution:  Don’t try to tackle the elephant!  Create a plan for making a decision.  Then execute on those things to arrive at a good career decision.  Next create a preparation plan, whether it is getting another degree, certification, degree refresh or whatever.  This will be the first point where you will start making bigger changes in your life, so list those in your prep plan.  Most likely you will start to have a routine schedule you will need to work around.  Many people facing this change try to wrap their arms around all of the parts at once.  Break your actions down into manageable parts. When faced with restarting a career, the best attitude to take is that you are starting a journey.  There will be many steps along the way, a few curves and bumps, but the scenery will be great.  You will arrive at your new career at a time that is perfect for you. Do you know what your next career step is?   Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable.   Get your copy now and start your action plan today: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential.

How Will ACT Scores Change in 2015

How Will ACT Scores Change in 2015 Beginning in the fall of 2015 (with additional modifications slated for 2016), test-takers who opt to sit for the ACT will receive a score report with several key changes. The creators of the ACT ultimately hope to offer more robust scores, with additional assessment categories and data that will help colleges and students better determine whether they are ideal matches for each other (as well as whether students, more generally, are prepared for higher education). Here is some great information onhow you can improve your ACT score. Here are some ways ACT scores will change in 2015: ACT scoreswill include a STEM score The revised ACT will provide institutions and students with a STEM score, which will measure an individuals performance on the math and science sections of the exam. The inclusion of this score is consistent with many educators goals to better promote STEM learning (or education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Students who are strong in STEM fields may ultimately benefit from increased economic opportunities. ACT scoreswill include an English language score Students will also receive an English language score that consists of their English, reading, and writing results. In combination with the STEM result, the English language score will better reflect a students ability to enter the workforce (progress toward career readiness), as well as his or her faculty in reading comprehension. The text complexity indicator determines how well a student understands college-level reading materials. These are some greatACT English tipsyou may find helpful in your studies. ACT scoreswill speak to more immediate needs Overall, these changes are intended to make ACT scores more detailed and relevant to todays world, without modifying the entire reporting system. The ACT will retain its four core portions (English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science), each of which will still be assessed on a 1-36 scale. The composite mark, which averages the four sections, will also continue to utilize the 1-36 scale. The ACT will update its Writing test Additionally, the ACT creators will release an updated version of the optional essay, which will involve additional scores for four sub-sections: Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use, as well as the essay's one overall score. Currently, the ACT essay describes an issue and supplies two separate points of view. It then challenges students to state which point of view they believe is correct (or to provide their own point of view). Students must support their opinion with specifics. Students are allotted 30 minutes to complete their essay, which is scored from 2 to 12. Topics can be very diverse, but one example is whether high school curriculum should be extended to a period of five years. Students argue for or against this concept. Here is some great information you will want to read ifyou are on the fence aboutwhether or not you should take the ACT Plus writing. The ACT has not yet revealed specific alterations to the Writing portion, but the essay will prompt students to evaluate multiple perspectives on a complex issue and generate their own analysis based on reasoning, knowledge and experience, according to an official ACT statement. Whether the ACT will continue to allow students 30 minutes to write their responseor extend or shorten this timeis not yet clear. It is important for students to understand and process the ways ACT scores will change in 2015 in order to have a firm grasp on how they will be tested. Working with ACT practice testsis an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the content. In order to maximize success on the exam, prepare accordingly! [RELATED: What is an Average ACT Score?]

Arizona State University A Student Interview

Arizona State University A Student Interview Armin earned his bachelors degree in physics from Arizona State University. He specializes in economics tutoring, Mandarin Chinese tutoring, and a number of other subjects. Below, he shares his experience at Arizona State University: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Armin: Arizona State University offers a very diverse campus. Bikes, scooters, and longboards are possible modes of transportation, but there are certain areas where only walking is allowed. Buses are available to take you to other campuses and there are free buses to get you around Tempe. Parking on campus is hard to find. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Armin:The professors are very friendly and you can always schedule appointments with them. The teaching assistants are all really nice, as are the academic advisers. Everyone is readily available when students need assistance. How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Armin:Dorm life, for me, was very closed in because the people on my floor did not interact much. However, I had a great relationship with my roommate who was from China. Regardless, ASU is so big that youll run into people and form friendships constantly. Dining options are great, as there are many places for students to eat on campus. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Armin:The ASU business school is one of the top business schools in the country. Engineering is a pretty popular major as well. I studied physics because it was very fascinating to me. The university, I would have to say, gave me the best possible teachers to teach my major-related courses. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Armin:It was very easy to meet others and make friends. There are countless groups and organizations available for students to get to know one another. I think Greek life is not as prominent at ASU as it is on other campuses. How helpful are the Career Centerand other student support services? Armin:The Career Center helps many students prepare for the post-college transition. Many of my friends attended the recruiting events, but I have not heard of any receiving job offers as a result. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Armin:The libraries are great. The main one, Hayden, is very large and partially underground. The student union has good food and great places to study. Dorm lounges are alright places to socialize and study as well. Describe the surrounding town. Armin:ASU has the Marquee Theatre which has popular bands playing quite often. Mill Avenue has many food options and other activities, and its also within walking distance of campus. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Armin:Some classes are huge, while some are small. It really depends on the major and level of the course. I would say the class sizes were appropriate for the subjects taught. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Armin:The experiences are plenty. I got to perform a piano song in front of an audience, study country music (something I knew nothing about), learn Chinese, and come up with my own dance routine and perform it. I had a lot of great experiences at ASU. Check out Armins tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Tips to Help Your Child Maintain School-Life Balance

Tips to Help Your Child Maintain School-Life Balance There is no doubt that being out of school in the summer months can affect your child academically. The concept, sometimes called summer slide, can have a significant impact on students. However, children also need a break from school, and summer should be a time when they can relax, recharge, and get ready to start next school year strong. It can be hard to find ways to strike a balance between school and life for your student, but tips to help your child maintain school-life balance include helping them enjoy organic learning, using community resources, and rewarding hard work. Do you want to ensure that your student has a relaxing and productive summer? Here are three tips to help your child maintain school-life balance: School-life balance tip #1: Help your student develop an organic love of learning One of the best things you can do for your child this summer is help instill a genuine love of learning in him or her. Standard school subjects might not always be the most engaging for every student, but each child has hobbies and passions that spark his or her interest. Use your students interests to combine learning and enjoyment. For example, have her use at-home technology to learn new facts about a subject of her choice each week. You can also spend time with your child in mock school scenarios, where you play the student while he teaches you the new things hes learned. This can help your child feel like the expert! [RELATED: 3 STEM Activities for Students This Summer] School-life balance tip #2: Capitalize on community resources Local libraries are rich with potential for summer learning. For a student who is already an avid reader, consider getting him or her a library card. Even for those who dont enjoy reading independently, local libraries often have the following activities: book club discussions movie screenings of popular book adaptations points programs with prizes to help incentivize reading. Along with libraries, community centers and schools may also be spaces that offer productive fun for students over the summer. Check to see whats around where you live. Being involved in a librarys summer reading program or a community centers extracurricular activity can help your child make friends while still maintaining academic skills. [RELATED: How to Create a Summer Reading Program for You and Your Child] School-life balance tip #3: Work hard and play hard In an ideal world, fun and school would always go hand-in-hand. However, since there will be times that your student might need to practice school skills that he or she doesnt enjoy, it can be helpful to use a timed schedule that your child is aware of in advance. For older students, you can explain the importance of practicing skills over the summer, and then ask them to help you set a work/play schedule. For younger children, a realistic schedule might be a given number of pages that they should read out loud to you before using toys and technology. Timed schedules work well for all ages. Set a timer with a no-distractions policy whenever its ticking.Instill responsibility by having your student mark off each day on the calendar that he or she successfully finishes some school work. Also ensure that you dont push too hard outside of this schedule. Play time begins as soon as the timer goes off! [RELATED: 6 Summer Learning Programs for Students of All Ages] Summer is a time for fun and play, but it can also be a productive time for students to practice the skills that theyve learned in school. These tips can act as a starting point for maintaining school-life balance that will leave your child feeling refreshed and ready to go when school starts in the fall! Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

Top Tips to Build Your Guitar Technique

Top Tips to Build Your Guitar Technique Why Good Technique is the Most Important Part of Learning the Guitar. ChaptersTechnique Produces Consistency Across StylesA Good Posture to Improve your Guitar TechniqueWork on the Basics to Improve Your Guitar TechniqueCreate a RoutinePlaying guitar, whatever your musical style may be (whether it’s blues, rock, funk, reggae, hard rock, metal, country, etc.) requires that you’ve learned the guitar basics. It means that you've mastered things like handling a pick, placing your hands on the fretboard, and identifying different power chords, barre chords, and aspects of music theory.Each style has its own techniques and it is impossible to avoid learning them if you want to improve your guitar playing.However, more importantly, a guitar player needs good technique for a more fundamental reason. If your technique - your posture, your hand movements - are not good, then you will only get so far. A day will come, when your technique will hold you back.Sure, you'll be able to play your major scale, a bit of rhythm guitar, and the occasional guitar solos. But the longer you go in your guitar course with attending to your poor technique, the more work you will have to do to correct it when you have to.For the beginner guitar player, this is really the thing that you need to remember. Knowing how to play the guitar  well, rather than just  decently, all comes down to this.If there’s anything that’s the same across all of the different styles of guitar, it’s technique.Whether you’re trying to learn the techniques of a virtuoso and play like Satriani, learn a smooth style like  Richie Havens with open tunings and barre chords, or learn basic lines to really bring out the emotion in your playing, technique is a key part of learning to play the guitar.But how do you learn how to play guitar well? How do you improve your technique?And after all, just what is technique anyway? It’s the ability to create the proper notes and produce the sounds you want - efficiently, tirelessly, and comfortably.  Why Improve your Guitar Technique ?I mproving your basic guitar technique will give you more confidence in yourself and your abilities, and you’ll also be better able to master your instrument and play anything you like.You ain't going very far with your fingerstyle if you don't attend to your technique - to the position of your index finger and all the others. You'll only stall with chord progressions if you don't have the barre chord technique correct. And blues guitar and other guitar tricks will remain just dreams if you don't get your picking up to scratch.Improving your guitar technique means acquiring good habits by focusing on the small details.And what are those?It could mean improving your seated posture, the way you hold the guitar or place your fingers on its neck, or even improving the muscles in your arms. In your first guitar lesson, you might find that you tense up a lot when you play songs. Your guitar teacher will have to train you to sit correctly when you are playing - to ensure you have the best guitar technique you can have.By focusing on these details, you’ll be able to distinguish yourself from other guitarists and move on to the next level.How do You Improve your Technique?The benefits of improving your guitar technique are clear:A new fluidity when you play and move your fingers over the fretboard. This will be incredibly useful when you move onto the more complex lines of jazz guitar and rock guitar.Being able to play at increased speed. Some guitar licks are really very quick (as in, over ten notes a second!) - and if you haven't nailed your technique during guitar practice, there is no chance you are reaching those speeds.Better transitions between chords and sequences, avoiding jerky sounds. When moving from one guitar chord to another, beginners often pause. You don't want this. But if you have been comfortable with your open chords, this shouldn't last for too long.A more comfortable position when playing. You want good form and use of muscles without any tensi on in your body whilst you are playing the guitar. If something hurts, you're doing something wrong.The Different TechniquesIn the world of guitar you will hear of many different techniques.Depending on your style and skill you could focus on:Legato - linking together a certain number of chromatic notes with hammer-ons and pull-offs instead of picking. This gives a nice smooth sound to your blues licks and to other guitar solos.String-skipping or jumping between strings. This is a right-hand technique - either in complex rock riffs or in songs, played with a pick, that might otherwise be played with fingerstyle guitar techniquesStrumming patterns. Every chord progression demands a different strumming pattern - and you'll have to learn how to read these rhythms on tablature, hear the rhythms through your own ear training, and to get the flexibility of your right hand.Vibrato  - The sound that gives individual notes their beautiful soundLicks - single-note melodic lines. These lines m ake up guitar solos. But players like Clapton and Hendrix would have hundreds of different licks that they could make into different solos.Fingerpicking - playing with the fingers of your right hand. People who play acoustic guitar will know well about this.Tapping - playing with both hands as if you were playing notes on a piano.Want to learn guitar like Van Halen? It's all about technique.A Good Posture to Improve your Guitar TechniqueYou may already know this, but learning guitar requires regular practice.Whether you’re learning to play with a teacher in private guitar lessons near me or at a music school - or all by yourself in front of your computer with the help of some online guitar software, online guitar lessons near me, and your webcam - practice is the key.It will help you improve your skills and develop habits that you’ll retain throughout your life.But good posture is the only way to ensure that you'll want to keep playing throughout your life. Because you ain't goi ng to want to play your favorite songs if it makes your uncomfortable. Obviously.Make Yourself ComfortableTo improve your guitar technique, you must be comfortable when you play.Find yourself a comfortable chair where you can position yourself, and make sure that you have enough space to hold and play your guitar properly. This'll be your new guitar chair.The most important thing is to have a good seat where you can sit properly and not unnecessarily tire your back. You're not going to be headbanging and dancing around the room when you are just practicing your guitar music.Don’t choose a chair with an armrest, as you will not have the space to move and play properly. Armrests will also make it necessary to lean forward on the guitar and give you bad habits.Hold Your Guitar ProperlyLearning to hold your guitar properly is key is you want to improve your technique and learn the main and basic chords for guitar.If you are right handed, make sure that you hold the guitar so that your right hand lies between the bridge and the sound hole.Your left hand should support the neck.A classical guitar should be played on the other knee!Hug your guitar to your body and hold it so that the smallest strings (the ones with the highest pitch) are at the bottom. Make sure that the body of the guitar sits snugly against your stomach and torso.The guitar should rest on the same leg as the hand with which you’re picking the strings (right hand, right leg, for example).Different guitar players have different postures - but they should really all roughly be similar. You don't want to be strumming the guitar too far down the guitar neck - for example.If you play the classical guitar, you'll probably have been told by your guitar instructor about the specific classical technique. If you're right-handed, you'll have the guitar sat on your left knee - ideally raised by a footstool.Tune your GuitarIt’s impossible to play your guitar properly and improve your technique without also tuning it. Any beginner guitar lessons will cover this - but, if they don't, you'll find free guitar lessons online that will show you how to do this.Before practicing, beginning a class or performing, you need to tune your guitar to get the proper sound - unless you want the songs to sound totally out of tune.Playing on an untuned guitar could easily ruin your practice and make learning all but impossible.Decide on your tuning method, you could use a tuning fork, an electric tuner, an online tuner, the adjacent strings technique, or even an app on your smartphone. The important thing is that you know how to tune a guitar.Learning to Use a PickTo achieve perfect technique, you need to learn to use your pick - or plectrum - properly, and thereby avoid any bad habits or achy muscles.Take it between your thumb and index finger, or your thumb and ring finger - and practice your up and down alternate picking movement.Work on the Basics to Improve Your Guitar TechniqueWork on the Transit ions between Notes and ChordsTo achieve a clean, smooth style of playing the guitar, practice your notes and chords until each string plays with the same sound and intensity.For the notes, a solid foundation of your technique will come through practising different scales - the blues scale, the pentatonic, or the major scale. This is a simple exercise that will improve your dexterity and your knowledge of the fretboard.With chords, begin with the major chords, ie those that fall between the first and third string. Besides C and E, other important chords are F, G, A, and D, and the minor chords.Practicing transitions between these chords is not something limited to guitar lessons for beginners. As the chord shapes become more complex, you are going to have more to practice - as you'll move into different parts of the guitar and its fret board.And it's worth knowing that you can play a major chord - say a C major, but really any chord - in many different places all over the fretboard.P ractice Using a MetronomeTo make sure you have a regular and even rhythm when you play, use a metronome. It’s one of the standard tools and equipment that any good guitarist should have.The metronome will make you play each note properly and improve your sense of rhythm when playing guitar.But it also works as a crucial tool in the guitar method of speeding up your playing. Guitar teachers and other professionals use this a lot to gradually build up the speed of a particular lick or passage. Because if you speed up very gradually, you don't notice you are speeding up!Develop Your Music Knowledge whilst Training Your Technique.If you’re taking guitar lessons with a teacher or at a music school, you will surely be shown guitar tabs with the basic ranges and chords that you need to know.If you’ve decided to learn guitar on your own, begin by learning the major, minor, and major seventh chords.  Then you can graduate to the pentatonic scale. This scale is popular with rock and blu es musicians and uses five notes.By practicing your scales regularly, you will improve your dexterity and transitions - but also your musicality.Want a little practice? Choose a scale and include it in a piece you’re working on. Practice it in order, out of order, and by skipping every other note.Learn a Few Guitar Songs……but we wouldn’t recommend starting with difficult songs or the famous jam track, ‘Stairway to Heaven.’It is important to learn some easy songs with basic (and repetitive) guitar chords. The Beatles, Nirvana, and Oasis are all great candidates for some first songs.Learn them and your practice will become much more enjoyable. Don’t just learn a simple riff, but try to learn the whole song.  Learning the whole song will help you better understand the composition of the music, and it will also help improve your playing and endurance.Find a guitar solo that you like too - and keep practising that until you get it. If you can read music, you will be able to find many famous solos on guitar online.Create a RoutineRegular Practice.It’s important to play regularly in order to improve your technique.In fact, it’s better to play for 10 to 15 minutes every day, than to practice for three hours once a week.You’ll not only improve your playing, but you’ll also increase your muscle memory, which is key to achieving fluid playing.If possible, you should play at least four or five times a week in order to improve your dexterity. Try to pick a specific time every day and dedicate it to practicing your guitar. If you’re struggling to find the time, rest assured that there is no such thing as a bad time. You could practice after work, during your lunch break, or before breakfast.You should also keep the practice routine as diverse as possible - from playing through a first song to practising improvisation, arpeggios and scale exercises, and some chord work.Always Warm UpJust like with sports, it’s important to warm up. One of the best g uitar tips that we can give you is that warming up is one of the most important things you can do.Make yourself comfortable and begin with a few exercises to warm up your fingers. Try some notes from an easy scale.Anything that can be easily repeated is a great way to warm up, so don’t hesitate! This will help your technique at the same time.Combine work and pleasureTo stay motivated, make sure that you’re also working on pieces and riffs that you enjoy.Begin with your scales, and then move on to something that you like.Don’t forget to take breaks during your guitar playing sessions.You can have fun with your guitar too!Alternate between ‘work’ (playing ranges or exercises) and ‘fun’ practice sessions to stay motivated as you learn.This will ensure that you know how to place your fingers for barred chords or to play an arpeggio.Make it a challengeTo improve your guitar playing technique, you must always keep moving forward. Identifying a goal is a good way to do so, bu t make sure that it’s achievable.It’s pointless to try to learn a ‘pull-off’ or a ‘hammer-on’ if you don't know the more basic techniques.Otherwise, you could always take classes, but you’ll need to find guitar lessons near you.Set yourself a small challenge every week and work regularly to achieve it. Make a note of your progress so that you can appreciate the work that you are doing!Working on your technique will not be something that you regret in the long run! So, even though it feels like a little dull for the beginner - remember to think ahead to the future.

Voice Therapy for Singers How to Know When to Get Help

Voice Therapy for Singers How to Know When to Get Help Suzy S. As a singer, your instrumentyour voicerequires special care and precautions to avoid injuries. But what if the damage is already done? What symptoms should you watch out for, and when is it time to look into voice therapy? Learn more in this guest post by Corona, CA teacher  Milton J... As singers, we understand that the voice is an instrument all of its own. Furthermore, we should also understand that our voice is a muscle that requires its own workout, and is subject to injury much like other muscles in our body. So, what can we do to prevent these injuries from happening? Read on to learn more about vocal health and vocal therapy. What is Vocal Trauma? Vocal trauma is an acute form of stress that comes from the misuse or overuse of the vocal folds within the larynx, or voice box. The vocal folds are thin strips of smooth muscle tissue with a mucous membrane positioned opposite from each other within the larynx. It is the vocal folds that move and vibrate when air passes by them which, when resonated through our vocal cavities (throat, mouth, and nose), creates our vocal tone. When we’re being silent, those vocal folds are open so that we can inhale and exhale more freely. When we begin to speak, our brain sends the neural signal to the vocal folds to snap together in conjunction with the air passing by them to vibrate and create speech. What Can Vocal Trauma Lead To? When damage is done to these vocal folds, it can lead to possible bleeding and the formation of blisters known as nodes (paired growths on both sides) or polyps (one growth on one side). These growths restrict the pliability of the vocal folds, keeping them from vibrating and oscillating properly. Ergo, you will not be able to sing. The most common reason why nodes or polyps form is due to bad singing habits. Failing to properly warm up and continuing to sing when ill or vocally fatigued are the biggest contributors. Hoarsenesswhen the voice sounds breathy, raspy, or strained and feels scratchyusually accompanies vocal trauma. If you feel you have been practicing these bad habits, let your vocal teacher know quickly. When Should I See My Doctor? If youve had vocal or throat discomfort for more than three weeks, especially if you haven’t been sick, make an appointment with your doctor. Additionally, if youve been coughing up blood, a feeling of a lump in your throat, difficulty swallowing or breathing, experience pain when speaking, or have a loss of voice for more than a few days, place an urgent call to your physician. If your vocal trauma has been prolonged, your doctor may refer you to an otolaryngologist, or an ENT (Ears, Nose, and Throat) doctor. This doctor will most likely used an endoscopea thin tube with an attached camerato get a better look at your throat, larynx, and vocal folds. They may also put you through vocal exercises to determine voice irregularities. Your doctor is the only one who should be diagnosing you, and will let you know how to proceed. Voice therapy can include relearning healthy vocal techniques (and eliminating bad habits), specific vocal exercises, or even vocal rest for a designated period . Rememberdont ignore any discomfort. If you continue to sing while exhibiting the symptoms listed above, you risk doing further damage to your vocal folds. What Can Be Done to Minimize the Risk of Vocal Trauma? I cannot stress enough the importance and necessary usage of proper vocal warm-ups. You should not use your voice for singing without having warmed up your voice beforehand. Think of it as stretching before a run or workout; your vocal folds are muscles that must be warmed up for them to operate at peak capacity. Additionally, in your vocal lessons, your teacher should properly assign your voice type and range so you can operate within your voice capacity, in addition to working on exercises and repertoire that can expand your vocal range safely. A lack of or wrong assignment of your voice type and vocal range could lead to hoarseness and subsequent vocal trauma as outlined above. If your voice teacher has not done so, please let them know you would like to have this information available to you. I hope this information helps you in your vocal training. Happy singing! Milton J. teaches guitar, piano, singing, music recording, music theory, opera voice, songwriting, speaking voice, and acting lessons in  Corona, CA. He specializes in classical, RB, soul, pop, rock, jazz, and opera styles. Learn more about Milton here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by  archer10 (Dennis)