For singing and voice improvement. Hear what you really sound like. Used in conjunction with the Singing and Speaking Theme.

HearFones were developed for singers, to help them hear their own voice, even when singing in a choir. Because our voice carries forward, away from our ears, the actual singer is the last one to hear what is really going on. For singers, hearing their voice is vital to quality. But good breathing is also vital, as any singing teacher will tell you. And breathing is the core of life.

If HearFones for singers help them hone their skills, then what about others?

More and more speech-language pathologists are prescribing HearFones for their patients to improve their voice, relax tension, and practice new language skills. The detail one hears with HearFones is just what is needed to learn and perfect new habits, including breathing.

William James' famous quote "learn to do by doing" enters here, through what psychologists and neurologists call "motor learning", practicing and monitoring good technique to internalize a desired skill. This subconscious subroutine, properly learned, is forever available on call.  When done incorrectly it may well be an exercise in futility inviting malaise.

Reports from HearFones users tell of autistic folk tempering their social skills, of second graders calming down, of improvements in spasmodic dysphonia, and even suggest that HearFones could help reduce hypertension. And because the same vocal folds one uses for speaking and singing are also the door to one' s inner body vibrations, a window to what' s going on inside oneself.

HearFones can play a major role in optimal breathing, the gateway to a better life. Voice is simply wind influencing and being influencing by the body's various membranes. Voicing is an instant feedback loop that helps one stay in touch with their feelings and emotions, moment to moment.  The better you develop your breathing  the more efficiently and varied you can use your voice. Breathing is your primary source of energy. Sleep your primary source of energy recovery. Better breathing often results in more restful sleep.   

Not only can a person listen clearly to the sounds of their breathing, whether tense or relaxed, but that same person can hear the tell-tale sounds of tension in their voice compared to the beauty of their happy, relaxed voice. Contrast the soothing sounds of a lullaby to the angry, distressed shouts of a heavy-metal singer. Artistry aside, tension in the body and in the vocal folds makes all the difference, and in the long run can lead to a broken voice, or worse, to a fractured life.

Studies claim that singers live longer. Is there a message here?

The foundation of speaking and singing is the way you breathe, and hearing and feeling the sound you produce, moment to moment.

HearFones is a registered U.S. trademark of NEXTEP, Incorporated.

SPEECH

"Mike, I just put on my HEARFONES and my voice improved immediately.
Grateful as always,
I hope you are doing well.  I have been all over the map with my voice....but I would say it has definitely improved, even on bad days, since the clinic in September.
I think of you often when I am standing and meditating!
Betty Ronga"