Feedback on the course “Idiolectics” with Andreas Cincera:
The course “Idiolectics” last Saturday was very inspiring. Andreas’ great expertise, his careful and clear way of teaching, the possibilities of practising in pairs and in the panel gave me courage to experiment more with open questions and with attentive listening and perceiving my counterpart.
The visual materials help a lot to remember all the possibilities and to use them again and again. As they say everywhere, “There is nothing good unless you do it!” Thank you very much for the great course!
Brigitta Dardel (September 2019)
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Over the course of decades, my voice deteriorated so that I no longer participated in conversations.
15 years ago, an ENT doctor examined me. She found nothing unusual and recommended to take singing lessons. I refused.
My problems increased over the next few years. Finally, my new family doctor referred me to the very competent specialist, Dr. S. Zwicky. It is a pity that I was only now made aware of this specialist. I would have been spared a lot of stress for me and my surroundings.
Dr. Zwicky examined me thoroughly and convinced me to have a surgical intervention, which she performed successfully herself. On the day of the operation I was lovingly cared for by a competent nurse.
Three weeks after the operation, I started a three-week intensive therapy with the speech and language therapists Mrs Camenzind and Mrs Blumberg. An electric stimulation therapy was also announced. So I assumed that I would have a peaceful time there, as I imagined a „tickeling collar”. But far from it: these 24 therapy hours with these two very dedicated therapists demanded full commitment from me.
This time was tough – but the effort was very worthwhile. Finally, after such a long search, I have found the specialists who have brought back my good voice from back then.
I am very happy to recommend SSZZ with Dr Zwicky and thank the whole team.
anonymous, November 2018
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Dear Salome, dear Julia
I can highly recommend your booklet „Bausteine der Singstimme“ (English: “Building Blocks of the Singing Voice“) to all professional singers and amateurs!
Brevity is the soul of the wit, your booklet replaces all the thick complicated singing textbooks without leaving out anything essential about the singing voice.
Written in an easy to understand way, yet so much interesting information! Congratulations.
I recommend it to all my students who want to learn about the singing voice.
Reinhard Strebel, 2018
Concert singer/vocal coach
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For many years I had neglected my singing voice and realised with horror that I could neither hit nor hold higher notes properly. I was convinced it was a medical problem. However, Dr. Zwicky was able to clearly rule this out. And then, in fact, in only 5 singing lessons with Mrs. Böhi at the SSZZ, the buried singing voice could be dug out again! Thank you SSZZ!
Professional speaker, 2017
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Dear Ms Böhi,
I felt taken very seriously today and was able to overcome my usually huge inhibitions in such situations well due to your calm, natural approach. It made me confident that my voice will come back. You have awakened my desire and courage to sing from its slumber.
Amateur singer (2017)
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As a singer and singing teacher, I am used to training my voice and taking care of it. During a very intense period for my voice, I was not able to use it as usual. Both my speaking and singing voice showed signs of fatigue such as hoarseness and sounded rather dull. I often had to exert a lot of force to get the desired sound result. The speaking voice, which is always under a lot of strain due to a large number of classes I teach, often broke off. I registered at the “SingStimmZentrum” in Schlieren.
Dr Salome Zwicky advised me competently and calmly, and what was also very important for me, she reassured me. Since my vocal folds were functioning normally, she prescribed voice therapy with Barbara Böhi, during which my voice soon returned to its usual form. Whoever is in a voice crisis will certainly find professional help and clear feedback at the SSZZ. I can only recommend the centre.
Professional concert singer, 2017
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Singing voice withdraws…
One Sunday in September 2012, I sang “Pie Jesu” in Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, the following Tuesday my mother died – on Friday she was buried, on Saturday I sang the Requiem again.
Two days later my singing voice falls silent: I literally “can’t make a sound”. The examination by Dr. Zwicky shows nothing abnormal. She prescribes therapy sessions with the singer Barbara Böhi. Step by step I regained my feet and my confidence in my voice. After three months of careful treatment and patient practice, my voice comes back: freer and somehow new.
I am very grateful to Mrs Zwicky and Barbara Böhi!
Maria Walpen in spring 2017
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I was referred to the SSZZ by my doctor after months of vocal cord inflammation with a ban on speaking for weeks. The first thing they did at the SSZZ was a voice range profile measurement. From the beginning, it was particularly important for me to be able to return to my job as a teacher as soon as possible. After the voice range profile measurement and the consultation, I immediately received a logopaedic therapy with Ms Camenzind that was adapted to my needs. I always felt very well looked after during the three months of therapy. I particularly appreciated the structure of each therapy session. In addition to exercises for the vocal folds, Ms Camenzind also gave me important information on how to work in a voice-friendly manner in speaking professions and gave preventive exercise inputs.
Now I am working full time in my profession again and have no more voice problems. I still use the exercises I learned when needed. I am very grateful to SSZZ and especially to Ms Camenzind for the professional support.
Sina Bergamin, 15 June 2017
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Dear Mrs. Camenzind!
The singing therapy sessions were not only very helpful for my singing technique, the improvement of my singing voice, they were also enjoyable hours with a lot of cheerfulness and laughter.
I especially appreciated the methodical variety of my therapist, who never got tired of introducing me to the exercises again and again.
I was very well cared for, be it in the consultation with Ms Zwicky, in the voice check with Ms Schiwowa or in my lessons with Ms Camenzind. I now sing more effortlessly and with more pleasure because I know how to breathe and sing.
Thank you very much!
Helene Gräser, 28 June 2017
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Great, voice break is over, now I don’t sound like a robot anymore, now I have a super voice, thank you very much 🙂
Anonymous, June 2017
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Intensive therapy with electric stimulation and follow-up therapy
After being diagnosed with unilateral vocal paralysis in the spring of 2016, it had a very negative effect on my job as a lawyer and also in my private life. My voice changed during the day and I became hoarse after long phone calls or even during meetings. My voice sounded “whiny”” to my ears and “left” me more and more often. I was also no longer able to sing, which greatly dampened my enjoyment of life.
I was very discouraged by the diagnosis of permanent paralysis of the vocal cord, for as a lawyer and a very communicative person, I like to speak a lot. I therefore wanted to leave no stone unturned to change my unsatisfactory situation.
When I was referred to Dr. Zwicky, I decided after a long period of consideration to have an operation on my vocal cord followed by three weeks of intensive voice therapy. I hoped to become hoarse less quickly and to avoid damaging my healthy vocal cord by overstraining it. The procedure was successful and I could hear myself in “my” voice again.
It became apparent during the first few days of intensive speech and language therapy that I had adopted unfavourable protective behaviour with regard to my voice during the past period. For example, I became increasingly short of breath due to incorrect breathing. During the intensive therapy sessions (alternately with Ms Blumberg and Ms Gutiérrez), I learned to almost completely overcome the consequences of the vocal cord paralysis and the disadvantage of the missing vocal cord with correct articulation, mouth movement and breathing technique.
It was wonderful, because what I achieved exceeded my expectations. I was extremely pleased that I could sing again. Both the range and the volume almost reached the former range. Also, my voice no longer “broke” while I was singing. Now I can ride my bike singing again without getting annoyed about missing tones.
It was difficult for me to permanently get rid of the wrong behaviours that had creeped in during the past time and to strengthen the new behaviours. Although the three-week intensive therapy achieved an extraordinarily great result, I subsequently decided to attend a few more lessons with Ms Gutiérrez-Lampart. This was to achieve further improvements in my singing voice, but also to reinforce what I had learned.
These subsequent lessons at longer intervals have helped me a lot. In the meantime, what I have learned has been consolidated. If my voice shows signs of fatigue, I now know what to do about it and what corrections to make in breathing technique, articulation and speech tempo.
I am very happy that I have found my old voice again and I thank everyone who has contributed to this.
Stéphanie Schwarz, June 2017
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I have been taking singing and acting lessons for about 2 years. I was constantly having pain in my throat and I tensed up too tight, especially with high notes or long conversations. Unfortunately, my acting and singing teacher was never really able to help me with this. So I decided to go to Ms Gutierrez’s voice therapy. In a very clear, logical and simple way, Ms Gutierrez explained to me what the problem was and showed me some simple and effective exercises so that I could speak and sing in a more relaxed way. After about 15 lessons and a lot of practice at home, I reached my goal and no longer feel any pain, neither when singing nor when speaking. In addition, my voice became fuller and clearer.
Vincent Weber, August 2017