So many friends are pulling and praying for me, I owe them all the latest news. I’m not planning to post on Facebook unless I’m asked to do so. Since I have alerted the world to this blog, I’m going to post here and let that be it.
So I’ve had several Speech pathologist appointment with Jesse Palmer, M.S. in Doctor Sataloff’s practice. He’s been more than helpful and encouraging. And, with his help, I’m making progress. I’ve learned exercises and procedures that bring my voice along and give me the ability to leave Mickey Mouse behind. I’m sure some of you remember my Mickey Mouse days when I couldn’t control my voice and I would squeak. Dr. Sataloff admonished me to stop using my false vocal folds and concentrate on my true vocal folds. Jesse and I concentrated on that. He helped me find out what the difference was and I practice “brining my voice from my belly.” It’s altogether fitting, since my June procedure was to rearrange my vocal folds and take adipose tissue from my belly and graft it into my larynx to close the gap that had been caused by repeated excision. It worked. The next task was to loosen the vocal folds from the tightness caused by the implant. That’s happening.
So, in a session prior to the High Holy Days, I told Jesse that I actually expected to sing. My range was minimal and I’m not altogether sure what’s going to come out but, again its progress.
Sure enough, Erev Rosh Hashanah found me in the synagogue in my favorite spot, in the end seat in the pew closest to the professional choir. Congregation Beth Emeth has its own volunteer choir, but for the High Holy Days, our music director (Mr. Stewart) leads a group of professional singers in the litergy appropriate to the season. They are wonderful to listen to and, as I’m right beside them, I hear them very well. I’ll share with you that the musical expression of faith is very important to me and I was thoroughly depressed by my inability to sing along. It kept me from services. I would croak over kiddush (for the non-Jew and the people who haven’t seen the blog post of “My Jewish Dog,” kiddush is the blessing of the candles, wine and challah every Friday evening at 18 minutes before sundown. It is the start of the sabbath. When I was on total vocal rest, I used a playlist on my iPhone that substituted.
So I sang on Rosh Hashanah services as best I could. And as I did, my voice became stronger and my range increased. Ten days later, at Yom Kippur services, I did it again. And again, my voice became more normal.
When I get tired or over work my voice, I can bring Mickey Mouse back. Not on purpose, don’t get me wrong. So I try not to overdo it.
In a prior entry, I spoke of my experience at Dr. Sataloff’s concert with chorus and orchestra when the superb sounds reminded me of 8th grade when I was chosen for All-County Chorus and I practiced with my music teacher in Withamsville Ohio before travelling to Batavia, the county seat for Clermont County. We gathered in the auditorium for our rehearsal, the same auditorium where we would perform a public concert that evening.
I’ve alway been one of the tallest in class. This was no exception so I was in the center of the risers in the top row — in the middle of all that music. It was spine tingling to hear orchestra and chorus singing those separately rehearsed parts now melting together. I was overwhelmed. And I told Dr. Sataloff I had the same experience at his concert. Anybody who knows me very well knows I gravitate to the front row. My usual remark goes like, “There’s alway room at the top. It’s the bottom that’s crowded.” So I’m in a great place to hear that incredible music, and I told Dr. Sataloff so. He remarked, “At our December concert, I want you on the risers with us.” Sounded like an encouraging promise to me.
At this rate, it just might be a reality.