Injury
In preparation for my focus groups, I have been going through my literature from module 2 and noticing if any themes popped out from my research on vocal health so far. I noticed a couple of things that were getting mentioned a lot, the importance of education and awareness of your vocal health, and the perceived stigma surrounding vocal injury.
I stopped to consider what my own feelings were about stigma and vocal injury and remembered something that happened a few months ago. While I was still teaching musical theatre for children, I had a vocal injury concern. I had been teaching my Monday class which was a particularly tough class behaviour wise. I had had an especially difficult class that week and noticed my voice was painful afterwards and felt like it might go. I reached out to my manager, explaining the situation and that I had a genuine concern that I might have done real damage and that I needed cover for some of my classes. She refused and basically said there was nothing she could do. So I ended up teaching for 2 more days. Later in the week, thankfully, my vocal issues morphed into a bad cold so I knew it wasn't a pure vocal issue. As soon as I reported my symptoms to the company and they were frightened it might be Covid, I was immediately given cover for my classes.
Looking back on it, I can't believe that I was expected to sing and shout on a potentially damaged voice and not taken seriously even by people who were once performers themselves. I'm curious as to why that didn't qualify as a legitimate reason to take time off and go to the doctor, considering my voice was one of my main tools when teaching musical theatre. I can't believe that I've sung and performed on a hoarse voice a few times, even on laryngitis once!
I wonder how this compares to the dance industry and if other physical injuries are given the time they need to heal? Are dancers ever asked to dance on an injury and push through it?
It will be really interesting to see what emerges from these focus groups and what ideas other performers have about this.
Hi Shelley, I found this really interesting! I can't believe you were refused rest when you were in pain, but as soon as they suspected Covid, you were given cover (like that couldn't have been the option before). This must have been horrible for you. As a dancer, I have never been forced to dance on an injury. At college, if they suspected a serious injury, we were checked by a physio before we were allowed to go back to dance class. However, as a professional, I have performed with minor injuries and sickness bugs because I was afraid that I would leave a bad impression to choreographers. The things we do for our jobs ay!
ReplyDeleteThat's so interesting! I've seen it crop up in my literature a few times that it happens a lot that performers push through pain or illness because they don't want to seem unprofessional or be labelled as unreliable. And I know I'm guilty of it myself for sure, not wanting to let people down or seem like I'm being precious. The stuff we do indeed haha!
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