Abstract
World Voice Day is celebrated annually on April 16th. This important event is highlighted each year in this editorial, to help raise awareness and encourage laryngologists to participate in multidisciplinary events to celebrate World Voice Day.
In April 1989, Brazilian otolaryngologists established a National Voice Week. The World
Health Organization had noted a particularly high rate of laryngeal cancer in Brazil.
Soon, other societies around the world recognized the importance of public education
about the voice; and the European Laryngological Association (
In the United States, World Voice Day was celebrated for the first time on April 16,
2003. It was supported by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
(AAO-HNS) (
On April 16, typical World Voice Day activities include lectures, concerts, educational programs, and media events. Web-based educational initiatives may be found through the AAO-HNS Web site and elsewhere. Laryngologists, speech-language pathologists, nurses, singers, singing teachers, actors, acting teachers, and others organize celebratory events in cities throughout the world. They are bound together by a commitment to expand public appreciation of and knowledge about the human voice, and to raise awareness about the importance of good vocal health and education.
For example, in Philadelphia in 2014, World Voice Day events will include clinical voice screenings for professional vocalists, a medical voice care lecture, free voice screenings, Giving Voice: a recital at the Academy of Vocal Arts, a vocal health discussion for the Philadelphia Men's Chorale, a vocal health workshop for fitness trainers, and a cabaret concert.
Extensive events honoring World Voice Day will take place is Lisbon, Portugal, under the auspices of Professor Mario Andrea; in the Detroit area with the guidance of Dr. Adam Rubin; in Pittsburgh with Drs. Clark Rosen and Libby Smith; in Atlanta under the guidance of Dr. Michael Johns; and in many other venues. In addition, the National Association of Teachers of Singing actively supports World Voice Day, and many celebratory events around the country are organized by singing teachers.
Future activities promise to be even more expansive as guided through a new ad hoc World Voice Day planning committee with broad international representation. The group's initial meeting was in Erlangen, Germany, on July 4, 2012, and the group is committed to sharing the excitement of voice science, pedagogy, and the vocal arts globally in collaboration with like-minded existing groups.
The AAO-HNS has developed a Web site, fact sheets on common voice problems, and materials for press releases to assist local communities in developing World Voice Day events. These materials are updated regularly and are available through the Academy. The Academy also establishes annual World Voice Day themes for the American celebration. In the past, these have included “Listen to your voice, it might be telling you something”; “Put your best voice forward”; “Don't tax your voice”; “Invest in your voice”; “Love your voice”; and others. The 2014 theme is “Educate your voice.”
Too many communities in the United States and elsewhere still are not celebrating World Voice Day actively. This event provides an opportunity for all of us to collaborate with colleagues in speech-language pathology, singing, acting, public speaking, education, the media, and other endeavors. Vocal health is critical to our communication-oriented society, but the voice does not receive the public recognition and appreciation that it deserves. World Voice Day offers us a perfect forum through which we can refamiliarize ourselves with the latest advances in laryngology and voice care, and educate our colleagues, patients, and communities via lectures, free voice screenings, community outreach programs, and other initiatives.
The past few decades have seen remarkable advances in voice diagnosis and treatment that have raised the standard of care for all voice patients. World Voice Day is a perfect time to highlight these advances and to educate the public about the current state of the art in voice care. All otolaryngologists, speech-language pathologists, otolaryngologic nurses, singing and acting teachers, performers, and patients are encouraged to collaborate in this important, international celebration.