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Summary: Miracle Cure for Vocal Fold Paralysis
Review: At the time when I was diagnosed with paralysis of the vocal cords, I consulted the leading Ear, Nose and Throat doctors in America, who told me I would never sing again. These leading voice doctors told me that my problem was hopeless. At that time, I had been singing opera for 24 years and was singing as Cantor of one of the leading synagogues in the United States. As a professional singer, I understood quite clearly what Dr. Cooper was writing about in Change Your Voice, Change Your Life. His writing is concise and easily understood. The exercises in this book are simple and easily understood by the layman.I immediately bought Change Your Voice, Change Your Life because I was very familiar with Dr. Cooper's articles on Vocal Suicide, especially his article, "Vocal Suicide in the Speaking Voice of Singers." This article appeared in the Journal of the National Association of Teachers of Singing of which I am a member. This association, I might add, holds Dr. Cooper in high esteem. I had been following his work for years. The great Metropolitan Opera Bass, Jerome Hines, had Dr. Cooper write a chapter in his book, "Great Singers on Great Singing," on how Dr. Cooper miraculously saved his voice. After reading Change Your Voice, Change Your Life, I realized what needed to be done. I clearly understood what Dr. Cooper wrote about, but I wanted hands-on therapy. I traveled from Philadelphia to Los Angeles to work personally with Dr. Cooper. I arrived there on a Monday morning and in the short space of three hours of his therapy my problems were corrected. I left that Friday with a voice. That was 15 years ago. I have not had a voice problem since 1985 when I was diagnosed with the problem. Dr. Cooper performed a miracle for me. He changed my voice, and my life! Richard Allen Opera Singer, Cantor and Rabbi
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Summary: Good advice, if you follow it confidently
Review: Being a classicaly trained singer, I had heard from many that one should always speak at optimal pitch, with proper resonance, and with correct diaphramatic support. However easy this was to apply to my singing voice, I was at a loss when it came to figuring out how I could do this while speaking. It took a lot of searching to find even small university articles on developing healthy speaking voices, which were of limited help. Most book on vocal rehabilitation are no longer in print, or are of little help to someone who expects mention of the vocal mechanism as the classical tradition suggests. My vocal teacher had to do a little searching until she finally found this book which she enthusiastically handed to me during one of my lessons. "Change Your Voice, Change Your Life" by Morton Cooper is a simple, and easy to comprehend way to get you on the right track to a healthy speaking voice. The author's style is entertaining and pleasant and he seems to know what he is talking about. The method is extremely simple, and will take you little more than an hour or so. The exercises are presented right at the beginning of the book, so you can get started right away. The thing is, there are only two main excercises (which Cooper deems the "umhmmm" method and the "Instant Vocal Press"), and consist of only five or so pages. Rather simple and self-explanatory though they are, they surely will be a wonder to most readers. A startling 96% of Americans have neither heard of diaphramatic support or optimal pitch. (And if you fall under this statistic, I suggest you read through this book.) Cooper uses the rest of his book to explain why he thinks this is so. He mixes stories of some of his patients' experiences with his own commentary of society's "voice types." (These "voice types" are of no relation to the singing voice types: soprano, mezzo, contralto, tenor, baritone, or bass. His "voice types", rather, refer to vocal stereotyping and improper usage of the mechanism.) My experience with this book was a positive one. I finished the book over a course of only two days (and keep in mind I am a student with a thoroughly formidable schedule), and found my natural voice within a week. Although I initially found Cooper's stories and commentary a little tedious, I now know that all this drilling had a purpose. He jams it into your head that your past voice was neither physically healthy, or effective. You can categorize yourself as one of his voice types, and identify society's pressure to adopt a voice type in other people and professionals as well. This keeps you from reverting back to the old and unnatural way of speaking. (Most people, when they find their natural voice, think other might find it too noticeably different. Thus, they return to their old voice. Cooper banishes this belief by the end of the book.) I am now able to aproach the dreaded tape recorder and hear myself as other do, which, I am proud to say, is now a strong and resonant tenor. For those who are unnaware that there even is a proper way to speak, you might want to get your hands on a copy of this book. (Which has actually been around since 1984.) There IS a proper way to speak, and if you aren't using your natural voice, what may result is vocal fatigue or even loss. Unnatural usage of the voice is typified by soreness of the throat after speaking for half an hour or more, or speaking before a large group of people. Speaking at too low a pitch (trying to sound sexy? authoritative? Whatever the case may be, most American tend to speak at too low a pitch.) will result in a throaty or raspy quality, which is neither healthy nor aesetically pleasing. Speaking at too high a pitch (or with a nasal tone) as Europeans tend to do, will result in a "pinched" or dry sound. Either way, ths book is a good way to get you on the right track to correct vocalization. Since reading this book, and putting it in action, I've gained a lot of insight on how American society views the use of the voice. Being a singer, it has become very clear to me that the voice is an invaluable mechanism. As an instrument, it is as fragile as glass. Once it's gone, it's gone. But those who can use it effectively, healthily, and with confidence are rewarded by a better understand of themselves and the world, and with a more positive outlook on life. Morton Cooper's book is a wonderful asset to have to reached this level of vocal proficiency which seems to be eluding so many of us. If you guard your voice, you will guard your life.
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Summary: Good advice, if you follow it confidently
Review: First of all, you do not need to purchase and read all of Dr. Cooper's books. "Change Your Voice, Change Your Life" has the same useful material as "Stop Committing Voice Suicide" or "Winning With Your Voice." I know, since I have read all three. If you want to learn Dr. Cooper's methods for vocal improvement, read any one of them. Dr. Cooper provides encouragement and instruction to anyone who is dissatisfied with his or her voice. He encourages a respect for individuality. He urges us not to fret over whether our voices are "too high" or "too low." The voice that sounds best for you is your own "natural voice," which largely means a voice at your natural pitch. Dr. Cooper teaches you how to find your natural pitch. He also stresses the importance of proper breathing. For him, proper "breath support" is achieved through diaphragmatic breathing, as it is generally termed. A few years ago, when I first read "Change Your Voice, Change Your Life," I did all of the exercises to the best of my understanding. However, I never was sure that I was doing them correctly. I wished that Dr. Cooper was in the room with me, telling me whether I was doing the exercises properly, and correcting me if necessary. Eventually, I consulted with Dr. Cooper at his office in Los Angeles, for a considerable fee. As it turns out, I was doing the exercises correctly, all along. If you try the exercises, do so with confidence that you understand them, and that you are doing them correctly. The books' instructions are simple. Don't imagine that they are more difficult than they are. Here's some advice for men who think their natural pitch is "too high," and who lower the pitch so as to produce a sound they consider more masculine or authoritative. When you artificially speak at a pitch that is lower than your natural pitch, you lose resonance. The result is a voice that is thin or weak, a voice that makes you sound depressed or lifeless. You need to speak at your natural pitch, even if you feel sure that your natural pitch is "too high." By speaking at your natural pitch, you restore resonance to your voice. As a result, you sound more vital and confident. Paradoxically, a listener may mistake this sound for a lower pitch. In reality, the pitch is higher than your affected pitch, but the sound is so much better. Resonance makes all the difference.
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Summary: Wonderful
Review: Horseness began to inflict my voice at its lower ranges a couple months ago, and it was surprisingly traumatic on me emotionally. It made me dread speaking! I remembered seeing Cooper plug this book years before.. and hoped my library would have a copy. It did. And the simple exercises laid out in this book took care of my problem. It proved to be an emotional life saver for me. And Cooper also has some great common sense advice on life in general in spots in here. He's a wonderful psychologist as well as a voice expert.
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Summary: This book changed my life!
Review: I am a professor of mathematics at a small community college. I saw Dr. Cooper interviewed about eight years ago shortly after I had undergone an operation to remove polyps on my vocal cords. These caused chronic hoarseness and made it very difficult to lecture. At that time I taught only part time and I considered giving up teaching entirely. After the operation the doctor said something to the effect "take it easy on your voice or you'll be back" but gave no useful suggestions.To make a long story short, I ordered Dr. Cooper's book Change Your Voice, Change Your Life, followed the simple suggestions, and have had no trouble since. My voice became so reliable that when a full time position came open four years ago, I applied for it without hesitation. I got the position and have enjoyed my new career ever since. I also enjoy having a strong, expressive, reliable voice. It is no exaggeration to say that the book did indeed change my life.J.M.Professor of MathematicsCerro Coso Community College
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Summary: Powerful, provocative and masterful guide to your voice.
Review: Jam-packed with powerful insights, Dr. Cooper teaches ambitious readers how to gain control of their voices and improve their chances of success. Recognizing the power of voice in the success equation, "Change Your Voice, Change Your Life" abundantly gives the "trade secrets" needed to transform ordinary voices into powerful megaphones of success. Rejecting the notion that voice is inborn and unchangeable, Dr. Cooper teaches interested readers the easy, straightforward steps to developing an influential voice. With extraordinary clarity, this book proves that voice is, in fact, one of the most overlooked but powerful ingredients of success. By following Dr. Cooper's lively, entertaining discussion, readers truly change their voices and indeed their lives.
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Summary: Could be shorter
Review: Morton Cooper explains about three things you can do to change your voice, which is all summed up in about three pages near the end. The rest of the book is filled with personal stories of some of his clients, many who are celebrities, and descriptions of the dangers of misusing your voice, and his thoughts on social causes of vocal abuse and misunderstandings of how to correctly use your voice. Maybe some people enjoy reading this. I think that about one fifth of the pages would have sufficed to contain all the practical information. Having said that, I was mindlessly practicing saying "Umm-hmmm" and some of the other words he recommends while reading the book. At the end, where he reviews the exercises, I was surprised to find that my voice did indeed feel and sound more resonant and stable with more volume control. If Mr. Cooper is responsible for this change which occurred in a few hours (if it occurred at all, and I'm not entirely convinced), then I feel I owe at least three stars instead of two. I admit he writes some interesting things, but I still say it could be much shorter.
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Summary: Improving speech articulation, diction and vocal variety
Review: Speech problems can cause low self esteem, frustration, an inablity to explain one self and people that you meet lacking confidence in your abilities. I have suffered from all of these due to a raspy voice all of my life. Reading Dr. Coopers book has given me encouragement and hope that there a solution to my speech problems. The book covers many types of speech problems and the solutions that Dr. Cooper has recommended to his patients. This book is not only for people that have speech impediments. For those that would like to improve their vocal power, articulation and vocal clarity, the exercises presented will improve their speaking skills. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in improving their speech.
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Summary: Dr. Cooper saved my voice!
Review: The man who wrote the book Change Your Voice, Change Your Life saved my voice, my career and maybe even my life.After working with Dr. Morton Cooper for just two weeks during the month of August, 1990, I have seen a dramatic improvement in my voice and a major reduction in pain. I noticed improvement with Dr. Cooper within three days after having seen 18 other health-care professionals over a 20-month period. These professionals included ENTs, speech therapists, singing teachers, neurologists, internists, psychiatrists, pain doctors, a masseur and chiropractors, among others.Clearly there are some major problems in America today with vocal rehabilitation. Why is Dr. Cooper the only professional using these methods, which work? No one should have to go through what I went through.I wholeheartedly encourage you to read Dr. Cooper's text as I believe it may be the seminal piece in reforming vocal rehabilitation in the U.S. today and helping vocal abusers.John K. Cameron
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