Singing in Co-Harmony: An Intro to Trauma-Informed Voice Care with Megan Durham

​Singing in Co-Harmony: An Introduction to Trauma-Informed Voice Care

​From the individual experiences of physical and emotional abuse, to widespread stressors caused by social injustices and systemic oppression, it is increasingly apparent that the art of teaching includes navigating the trauma and chronic stress of students and teachers. Trauma-informed care originated in the healthcare profession for understanding the lived experiences of patients. “Trauma-informed care is not trauma-specific care; it does not propose to heal the trauma nor even to address it directly” (Purkey et al., 2018, p. 170), but instead it recognizes that the behaviors and decision-making of others might be influenced by trauma. Using the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s sixfold framework of cultural and gender equity, safety, transparency, peer support, choice, and collaboration, this workshop will weave discussion with somatic practice to explore trauma-informed voice care. TIVC aims to provide a collaborative, emergent scaffolding that prioritizes singers’ lived experience and cultivates greater compassion and connectivity within the voice studio, while maintaining high integrity in vocal artistry.