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AGMA Singers Invited to a Discussion on Maintaining Vocal Health with Two Industry Professionals Hosted by the OCCC

Published October 6, 2021   |  By Musical Artists  |  Post in All Areas
The Opera and Concert Choristers Caucus (OCCC) invites all AGMA singers to a discussion on maintaining vocal health with TWO industry professionals on Monday, October 25 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

The Opera and Concert Choristers Caucus (OCCC) invites all AGMA singers to a discussion on maintaining vocal health with TWO industry professionals on Monday, October 25 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Maintaining vocal health is critical for a singer, particularly as rehearsals and performances are ramping up. Join the multidisciplinary clinicians from the NYU Langone Voice Center, Dr. Paul Kwak (laryngologist) and Dr. Aaron Johnson (speech-language pathologist), as they discuss recommendations for maintaining vocal health and avoiding vocal injury as we return to performances as well as what to do when you are concerned about your vocal health. There will be plenty of time for Q&A.

Register for this exciting evening here. Registrants will receive the Zoom details in the days leading up to the event.


Paul E. Kwak, MD, MM, MSc, is a laryngologist and laryngeal surgeon at the NYU Voice Center, and Assistant Professor in the NYU Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, specializing in care of the professional voice and phonomicrosurgical resection of benign vocal fold lesions. He treats patients with vocal cord cancer, vocal cord paralysis, and laryngeal papilloma, and is experienced in surgical techniques for laryngeal microsurgery and use of the KTP laser. Dr. Kwak completed his clinical fellowship in laryngeal surgery with Dr. Steven Zeitels at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and his residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is also a graduate of The Juilliard School, where he earned a master’s degree in Collaborative Piano with Margo Garrett, studying vocal accompanying and opera coaching. Dr. Kwak’s clinical and research interests center on the care of the professional voice.

Aaron M. Johnson, MM, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a researcher and speech-language pathologist specializing in voice habilitation and rehabilitation and an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at New York University Grossman School of Medicine. His research laboratory, funded by the National Institutes of Health, uses novel translational research methods to examine the effects of vocal training on laryngeal neuromuscular mechanisms in the aging larynx. As a clinician at the NYU Voice Center, he works with his physician colleagues to diagnose and treat voice disorders in performing artists. Both his research and clinical interests stem from his previous decade-long career as a professional classical singer and teacher of singing. He is actively involved in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and the Pan American Vocology Association.