Since 2001, Dr. Ragan has been privileged to work in affiliation with outstanding voice teams throughout the Seattle area and beyond. Her primary clinical partnership has been with the University of Washington’s Division of Laryngology Performing Voice Clinic, within the Department of Otolaryngology, headed by Dr. Al Merati. She also collaborates with the University of Washington Voice Section in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, and works with additional laryngologists, including Dr. Craig Villari at Bellevue Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic and other leading voice clinics throughout the country.
The role of a Singing Voice Specialist (SVS) requires specialized training in the anatomy and physiology of the five interdependent systems of the voice—respiration, phonation, registration, articulation, and resonance. In addition to technical and pedagogical expertise, the SVS must understand voice disorders and principles of rehabilitation in order to assess how injury or pathology impacts vocal function. This knowledge allows the SVS to work collaboratively with the medical voice team to develop individualized rehabilitative plans for singers recovering from vocal injury.
Although many professionals have worked in this capacity for decades, Singing Voice Specialty is still an emerging field. Its formalization began in the 1980s, when Dr. Robert Sataloff first proposed a dedicated program for the care of the professional voice. The field of Arts Medicine was officially established in 1987, and in 1991, at The Voice Foundation Symposium, further discussions—led by Dr. Sataloff, Dr. Ingo Titze, and others—helped shape what we now refer to as the voice team approach to caring for the singing voice.
