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Almost all people who stutter sing fluently. Heather Grossman is a Board-Certified Specialist in Fluency Disorders and Clinic Director of the American Institute for Stuttering (AIS). She explains why we don’t stutter when we sing, and how music is used to increase fluency and speech control for those who stutter. We also discuss well-known musicians who stuttered, and resources offered by AIS.
Guest
Joining me today is Dr. Heather Grossman, Board-Certified Specialist in Fluency Disorders and Clinic Director of the American Institute for Stuttering (AIS). Dr. Grossman is one of a small number of speech language pathologists holding a PhD in fluency disorders who works primarily in a clinical setting. She is a sought-after expert on stuttering, presenting regularly at national and international conferences for professionals. She is also regularly called upon for journalistic and media coverage of stuttering.
Notes
We discuss:
- Why don’t we stutter when we sing?
- Charles Van Riper (renowned speech pathologist) said, “Music serves as a carrier for communication.”
- Well-known musicians who stuttered include Ed Sheeran; Elvis Presley; Lazaro Arbos, an American Idol contestant; Carly Simon, B.B. King, Bill Withers, Nancy Wilson; and Mel Tillis.
- How is music used to increase fluency and speech control for those who stutter?
- What is AIS, and what resources does it offer?
- AIS’ tagline: Speak freely. Live fearlessly.
- You will find AIS therapists on the referral lists from these other leading organizations:
- The American Board of Fluency and Fluency Disorders (www.stutteringspecialists.org)
- The National Stuttering Association (www.westutter.org)
- The Stuttering Foundation of America (www.stutteringhelp.org)
Connect/Other Resources
Other episodes we mentioned or that you may enjoy:
- Ep. 20: Music Heals the Soul, with founder & Dove Award winning songwriter Steve Siler (we mentioned this episode, where the guest discusses the different hemispheres of the brain used to process language and melody)
- Ep. 77: Music interventions in speech development & disorders, with Laura Moorer, M.A., CCC-SLP
- Ep. 131: Are musicians better able to learn an additional language? with Jennifer Krizman, PhD
- Ep. 85: Smule – Connecting the World Through Music, with CEO Jeff Smith, PhD
- Ep. 49: “Traditional learning methods don’t work for me.” Utilizing Multiple Intelligences in Learning, with Graeme Winder
- Ep. 96: Restoring function and quality of life for those with Multiple Sclerosis; with Betsy Hartman, MT-BC
- Ep. 60: How does music training affect children’s Social-Emotional Learning, and how is SEL affected by a pandemic? With Dr. Assal Habibi
- Ep.39: Parkinson’s Disease Interventions with Music; “Music provides structure for movement.” Marion Haase, M.M.
- Ep. 4: Music Rewires the Brain (Maegan Morrow): Maegan is the therapist who used music therapy to help US Rep Gabby Giffords re-learn how to speak being shot.
- View all episodes related to Science & Health
In-Episode Promo
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Coda
Heather says: “If I had to name ONE piece of music that spoke to me at very important time in my life (teenage years of angst), it would be Space Oddity by David Bowie. I was convinced this was not the music, Bowie was not a person of earth and I was not a person of earth either, so the draw was profound!
Closing Words
Thank you so much to Heather for joining us today, and enlightening us on music’s relationship to yet another human experience. As always, there are lots of links in the show notes, as well as a transcript of this episode and a list of related episodes you may enjoy.
All Enhance Life with Music episodes are evergreen; so check out the back catalogue for more ways that music can make your life better.
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You can always connect with me on email (mindy@mpetersonmusic.com), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Thank you so much for joining me today. Until next time, may your life be enhanced with music.
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