A Canadian voice coach is creating a buzz with his unusual technique of using vibrators to help his students hit the high notes.
University of Alberta drama professor David Ley uses the sex toys to massage the throats of actors and singers.
“I know it’s a bit different. I know there’s a giggle factor, but it works. It relaxes tension in the larynx, it improves range and projection,” he told MetroNews.ca.
He was looking for an alternative to massaging the larynx by hand, for people who hate the feel of fingers on their throat, when he discovered the technique.
That led him to a sex shop where he found some vibrators that had a frequency around 100 and 120 hertz, the range of the human voice. He tried some on a student with good results.
“Not only did it free tension in the laryngeal muscles, but it seemed to stimulate vibrations in the vocal folds,” Prof Ley told said.
“What I’m trying to do is to help the person hit that high note or harness their emotional energy.
“Hopefully, like any good training tool, it’s something that gets you somewhere and helps you maintain it, but once you’re there, you’re there.”