What would you consider to be the main focus of your career or your “speciality”?

My career has encompassed a multifaceted trajectory, integrating research in injury prevention, wellness, belting techniques, and evidence-based practices for optimizing performance and facilitating injury recovery. Over the course of more than 25 years, I have had the privilege of concentrating my professional efforts on the care and advancement of elite vocal athletes.

How did you discover your calling for your speciality? How did it start?

From a very young age, my dream was singular: to be “on Broadway.” And in many ways, I’ve fulfilled that dream—through work connected to Broadway productions, national tours, television, and opera stages across the globe—though not in the exact capacity I originally envisioned.

Growing up immersed in a family-owned business of physical therapists, elite athletes, and coaches, I was exposed early on to the principles of injury prevention and performance maximization within the sports medicine model. That foundation planted the seeds for a broader understanding of what high performance could mean beyond athletics.

While pursuing my undergraduate BFA in Musical Theatre at Shenandoah Conservatory, I met one of my earliest and most influential mentors, Dr. Janette Ogg. She recognized and encouraged my unique interest in bridging science with performance, validating my entrepreneurial instinct to pursue an unconventional path.

With the continued guidance of mentors such as Dr. Joseph Stemple, I went on to complete a master’s degree in speech-language pathology and ultimately an interdisciplinary Ph.D. that integrated both training at UC medical school and a pedagogy portion at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (along with advanced training in acoustics, aerodynamics, and voice disorders). My dissertation focused on both the objective and perceptual aspects of the Broadway belt voice, bringing my academic and artistic passions into full alignment.

This journey, rooted in both personal aspiration and professional curiosity, has allowed me to discover a calling that combines science, performance, and the pursuit of vocal excellence at the highest level.

What do you love the most about your work?

What I find most rewarding in my work is witnessing the full recovery of injured performers and seeing them return to their artistic passions. Restoring their voices, their confidence, and their ability to share their talents with the world. Equally fulfilling is the problem-solving aspect of my work. Each human voice/vocal athlete presents a unique set of challenges, and I thrive on the process of uncovering individualized solutions to meet the demands of the artists, the roles they play and the market that they serve. Every client is a complex, dynamic puzzle, and it's a privilege to help piece together the path to their optimal vocal function.

In your opinion, what qualities do you feel make an “excellent” Vocal Pedagogue?

In my opinion, an excellent vocal pedagogue is someone who can skillfully bridge the gap between art and science. It is important to honor the rich traditions and proven methodologies of the past while embracing emerging research, evolving pedagogical approaches, and advancing technologies. Excellent pedagogues must be both artist and analyst, be able to integrate evidence-based principles with intuitive, individualized instruction that supports each singer’s unique voice, goals, and artistic identity.

Building Blocks - Questions About Key Areas of Voice

Breathing

Breath serves as the primary power source for vocal fold vibration and has long been a foundational pillar in vocal training. While traditional pedagogy has emphasized various breath management techniques, our evolving understanding of respiratory physiology invites a broader, more nuanced perspective. I encourage vocalists and pedagogues to deepen their exploration of the neural control of respiration, particularly how the limbic system (our emotional processing center) influences breathing patterns. Individual respiratory tendencies often correlate with body type, and this should inform personalized training approaches. As vocal athletes, it is essential to recognize the role that exercise physiology and targeted muscle strength training play in optimizing respiratory muscle strength and function, and to integrate these principles into contemporary approaches to breath training. I'd also encourage revisiting the historical methods of breath training as historically taught by pedagogues from different regions (e.g.. Italy, Germany, France) as they offer valuable training and biomechanical insights that continue to enrich our modern pedagogical practices.

The Larynx

The larynx is a dynamic organ composed of cartilages, ligaments, and muscles. Our scientific understanding of the larynx has evolved exponentially, from the foundational observations of Manuel García to the sophisticated, multidisciplinary research of modern day. If I have to highlight several areas/discoveries that have significantly shaped the way I think, teach, and treat vocal athletes, they would include the following:

Physiologic Laryngeal Changes Across the Lifespan. One of the most impactful insights is the recognition of physiological and biological changes in the larynx across the lifespan. Training a child’s voice is not simply adapting adult techniques to a smaller scale; it requires an approach that honors developmental stages. Likewise, as artists sustain professional singing careers well into later life, it becomes essential to understand and accommodate the natural aging processes of the voice.

Laryngeal Biology and Muscle Typing Advances in our knowledge of the cellular structure, muscle fiber composition, and biochemical environment of the vocal folds and intrinsic laryngeal muscles have deepened our understanding of fatigue, recovery, and targeted training. These insights are transforming how we address vocal load and design effective rehabilitation protocols.

Evidence-Based Prevention and Injury Management The emergence of specific, evidence-based strategies for injury prevention and treatment marks a pivotal advancement in vocal health (see more on this below). These tools enable more proactive, individualized care for vocal athletes, helping to sustain long-term performance careers.

The Unquantifiable Voice (i.e. Don't put TOO much science in the art!) Despite all our scientific progress, the voice remains a profoundly human instrument. There are intangible, ineffable qualities that defy currently available measurement techniques and perhaps should. These elements contribute to the artistry and emotional impact of the voice, reminding us that not everything can be quantified.

Through continued curiosity, I hope to continue to enrich my perspective and reinforce a holistic, evidence-informed, yet deeply artistic approach to vocal pedagogy.

Acoustics/Resonance

Advancements in modern technology have significantly deepened our understanding of vocal acoustics and resonance. Innovations such as imaging of the vocal tract, sophisticated acoustic signal analysis, and the ability to conceptually separate/decouple the source (vocal fold vibration) from the filter (resonance spaces) have transformed voice science.

While there is value in examining the subsystems of voice independently, it is ultimately the interaction between these systems that shapes the quality, efficiency, and beauty of sound production. One of the most powerful and complex aspects of voice training lies in optimizing the resonance characteristics of an individual's unique vocal tract. Anatomical variations in vocal tract length, oral cavity shape, tongue size, palatal arch, and nasal structure (to name a few) requires that no single training approach fits all. Tailoring resonance strategies to the individual remains a central challenge and opportunity in effective voice pedagogy.

Vocal Registration

Vocal registration has historically been described somewhat differently in the speech science literature compared to the singing pedagogy literature, often leading to semantic confusion among singers, voice teachers, and scientists. In my view, while terminology plays a role in interdisciplinary communication, a more critical focus lies in understanding the underlying physiological and acoustic mechanisms. Specifically, vocal fold adduction patterns, subglottal pressure and airflow dynamics, and the resonance strategies used to produce specific sounds efficiently.

Ideally, a shared vocabulary across disciplines that accurately reflects common acoustic and physiological phenomena would help bridge these conceptual gaps. Current terminology varies widely from one-, two-, or three-register theories to terms such as fry, chest, head, mix, falsetto, whistle, or the classification of M1 and M2 mechanisms. Moving toward a unified, functional language would enhance both teaching and research by promoting clearer interdisciplinary dialogue.

Vocal Health

As someone whose entire career and research trajectory has centered on vocal health, injury prevention, and recovery, I fully acknowledge my bias in this area. In an ideal world, we would place greater emphasis on preventative vocal wellness rather than responding reactively through vocal crisis management. In my experience, most professional voice users are highly attuned to their vocal needs and actively engage in healthy vocal practices.

However, the increasing prevalence of self-diagnosis often fueled by internet searches or social media posts, even from well-meaning and respected voices in the field, has introduced a troubling trend. While access to information is valuable, inaccurate or non-evidence-based advice can lead to harmful outcomes.

Preventative, evidence-based vocal care is essential for long-term vocal longevity. Much like elite sports athletes, most professional voice users will experience some degree of vocal injury and/or illness during their careers. The key difference in recovery outcomes often lies in the level of vocal health maintained before and after the injury. Prioritizing education, prevention, and early intervention remains critical for supporting sustainable, healthy voice use in the long term.

Vocal Style

In my opinion, vocal style refers to the distinctive characteristics, techniques, and expressive choices of a given vocal athlete that are associated with specific musical genres or performance traditions. Different vocal styles may encompass variations in registration, vocal production, timbre, articulation, phrasing, vibrato use, dynamics, resonance strategies, and stylistic ornamentation. Vocal style are often shaped by biases and artist experiences rooted in cultural, historical, and aesthetic influences. It has been my experience that "great singers are great singers" and can sing many styles, but, some voices are more easily suited to sing certain styles more efficiently than other voices.

Posture & Body Alignment

In today’s performance landscape, even within classical settings, it is increasingly uncommon for singers to simply stand and sing without physical engagement and movement including dancing, stage combat, raked stage. In defining posture and alignment, I consider these related but independent. Posture refers to the perceptual positioning of the body, often influenced by character or dramatic intent, while alignment describes the objective positioning of the skeletal and muscular systems, particularly the relationship between joints.

A comprehensive understanding of both posture and alignment is essential, as each plays a critical role in the efficiency and function of the vocal subsystems. I strongly advocate for integrating both concepts into vocal training to support healthy, sustainable voice use and expressive performance.

Teaching Methods/Communicating complex ideas about singing.

I believe that effective voice teaching begins with the recognition that every student brings a unique learning style to the studio, just as each teacher brings an inherent instructional approach. It is the responsibility of the teacher to identify and understand the diverse ways students learn, and to style flex their teaching methods accordingly to meet the individual needs of each artist.

Communicating complex concepts about singing requires more than delivering information; it includes an understanding of the student's current knowledge, experience, and their vocal goals. There is no one-size-fits-all or formulaic method in voice training. Each singer, each song, and each situation calls for a tailored approach grounded in an strong understanding of anatomy, physiology, and vocal function to meet artistic demands.

Ultimately, I believe that successful teaching is rooted in meeting the student where they are intellectually, emotionally, and physically and guiding them toward greater awareness, efficiency, and artistic expression.

Are there any books or international organizations you would recommend we add to the VocalPedagogy.com resources page?

I'm a huge vocal pedagogy book nerd!! There are entirely too many to name, from the historical, seminal vocal pedagogues, to modern day writers - I honestly have several bookshelves filled just with these texts.

Final Thoughts (Words of Wisdom/ Resources)

It is one of the greatest honors and priveledges of my life to be entrusted with an artist’s most valuable and personal instrument: their voice. I feel profoundly fortunate to have discovered the intersection of passion, purpose, and profession, which makes my work both meaningful and deeply fulfilling.

Many individuals don’t fully realize the importance of their voice until they face challenges that impact their ability to communicate or express themselves artistically. My best advice is to prioritize preventive vocal wellness and to train smarter, not harder. A thoughtful, evidence-informed approach to vocal health supports not only longevity in performance but also the pursuit of consistent artistic excellence throughout a singer’s career. Keep learning, keep pursuing your vocal goals.

Please note that Dr. Wendy LeBorgne is not affiliated with VocalPedagogy.com and we do not give out contact information. We hope you enjoyed the interview!