December 3, 2009
Surgeon brings together voice-related professionals, students
Al Merati is a new father, a musician, a husband and a busy surgeon at the UW. With all those titles, it’s hard to imagine he has any free time. But he has made time in the last year or so to help launch a local chapter of the Voice Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to voice medicine, science and education.
It may sound like a curious confluence of topics, but at the group’s most recent meeting in November, nearly 40 people met in Eagleson Hall to learn about phonosurgery from Merati. He is an associate professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery and chief of laryngology at UW Medical Center. Phonosurgery describes procedures that are intended to improve the voice.
Group members include speech therapists, voice teachers, singers and students. They listened attentively as Merati described a singer as a surgical patient and detailed when a performer might need surgery. The surgeon was careful to keep the mood light by punctuating his presentation and surgery video with voice-appropriate quips.
It’s all part of his plan to make sure the organization’s lectures are not too medical and continue to attract a broad audience.
“I’m very proud to have helped bring people together. While I may be credited with some content, the thing that I enjoy the most is seeing interactions between people who would have otherwise not been together,” said Merati.
Over the past year, presentations have included reflux, the injured singer (from the singer’s perspective), the irritable larynx, birdsong, breathing and emotion, and the challenge of choral directing.
Speech pathologist Sandy Hirsch, who specializes in transgender voice therapy, has been attending meetings since the group’s inception in late 2007.
“It is made up of very committed, articulate, bright and creative voice clinicians, voice teachers and MDs who care deeply about providing the highest quality, state of the art voice care,” said Hirsch, who is also a classical and jazz singer.
Foundation meetings have helped her to think differently about her own work.
“The topics also inspire me and support me in working creatively through voice problems,” she added. “All of voice work is a fine balance between evidence-based clinical work and art.”
Hirsch said Merati serves as an inspiration for others: “He is articulate, very funny, passionate about his patients and the field of voice and respectful of all members of the voice team. Al is hungry for new approaches and evidence to support them, and knows his material inside and out.”
Founding member and treasurer Jennifer Sherley, speech language pathologist at the Hearing, Speech & Deafness Center in Seattle, said she was excited to be involved with the Voice Foundation chapter early on.
“Anything that has to do with voice is fascinating to me, whether it’s speech therapy (which is my field), singing (which is a great hobby of mine) or it’s related to any of the science related to speech,” she said.
In her day job, she is director of the speech language and literacy department and sees clients or patients, too. Foundation meetings have helped her from the social side of interacting with colleagues and from a continuing education standpoint.
“Some of the science-based presentations have been a great way for me to find out what’s most current, especially related to acid reflux, which affects the voice,” she said. Presentations on topics like relaxation techniques have also been helpful to her.
“Even if it’s something I don’t put into practice, it’s really good to know what other people might be talking about, including patients.”
Sherley said the group is fortunate to have Merati at the helm, despite how he might downplay his role: “Dr. Merati is a nationally known expert that we are really lucky to have here in Seattle. He is bringing new energy to the area of voice in the Puget Sound, and he’s been absolutely vital to founding and keeping this group going.”
In recent months, the group has become more focused and organized, leaders say. Sherley and others are working on an application to become an official local chapter under the auspices of the national Voice Foundation.
How does this match up with Merati’s original goal for the group?
“It is exactly what I envisioned,” he said. “As a Seattle native, I am completely committed to having the finest laryngology program and voice center in the states. This is an important investment for me to make, time-wise, and I need to collaborate with all the remarkable voice talent in the region so that we can achieve this goal.”
The Northwest chapter of the Voice Foundation meets on the second Monday of every other month in Eagleson Hall, located on the corner of NE 42nd St. and 15th Ave NE. The group’s next meeting will be held in January. All meetings are open to the public. For more information and details, visit the NWCVF’s web site.
