Abdominal vocalization

 

　My father was hard of hearing. He started to wear a hearing aid when he was in his forties. Without the hearing aid, he could not talk to anyone except me. I could talk with my father without the help of the hearing aid because I was a member of my high school drama club.

 In most cases, if you join a Japanese drama club, you will be taught abdominal vocalization, a technique of making loud sounds using your abdominals. High school drama clubs basically perform in big gymnasiums. We needed this technique to convey lines to the audience. This is not so difficult. A sophomore could teach a freshman.

 This technique was useful to me as a caregiver for my father.

 Ironically, this technique is not so important at other theatrical stages. In a minitheater, it even disturbs one’s performance. It is too loud. In most big theaters, they use wireless microphones. Furthermore, this technique tends to reduce the uniqueness of an actor’s voice. Uniqueness of voice includes how to breathe.

 So abdominal vocalization is useless. But when you talk to a person who is hard of hearing, it is extremely useful.

 One day, my father and I visited a hospital to meet a doctor. I repeated what the doctor said to my father with a loud voice. The doctor heard our conversation. He tried to talk loudly like I did. Abdominal vocalization is not a difficult technique, but it is also not something you can do immediately. The doctor choked while talking. I figured abdominal vocalization was a fundamental technique. At least, it seems doctors do not study this technique in medical schools.

 We should study as many skills as possible. A skill could be useful in some unexpected situations. 

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Picture by koriko