Support Jacqueline's Research Presentation in the USA

My name is Jacqueline Ward and I'm a tongue-tied soprano -- or at least, I used to be. My colleagues and I are presenting ground-breaking research on how tongue-tie and treatment impact singing. So how did this start?

When my child was born with tongue-tie, and I too was diagnosed, I discovered a startling absence of research in the singing field. Tongue-tie ('ankyloglossia') restricts the movement and function of the tongue. Many think this can impact breastfeeding, and they are right. But that is the tongue-tip of an iceberg.

Tongue-tie can change craniofacial bone structures, cause whole body tension through compensations, and can cause sleep apnea (which shortens the lifespan). Among a host of other effects, it can hinder the voice. The tongue runs along the entire vocal tract and has many significant connections, so its restriction can detrimentally effect the singing instrument.

A SPICY TWIST...

I teamed up with some healthcare professionals in the USA and we started research together. Here's the spicy twist in the story: we used me as the first ever in-vivo/real life case study! The results were STUNNING and we can't wait to share this research to help others who are effected by tongue-tie, which could be about 25% of the population.

Image: Our research team, Dr Katherine Ahn Wallace, Jacqueline Ward (me), Dr Alison Wu, absent: Elise Newen

In September 2024, I journeyed from Australia to the US for treatment. We spent several weeks on the case study, so my young son joined me, accompanied by my husband. This simple but profound treatment has helped free my voice from lifelong restriction.

Highlights from our research include:

There are more exciting things we have to share... And, we have been invited to present our research at the biggest voice conference in the world! We are delighted because this research warrants such a platform.

Please help fund my travel to present this research at The Voice Foundation's 54th Annual Symposium. My family and I are still paying off the research trip. I am the lead researcher and the only singing voice expert on the team, necessitating my travel to Philadelphia for the conference on 29th May, 2025.

There's a little extra background on tongue-tie next, followed by our official research and financial details.

TONGUE-TIE 'TRIVIA' (Not Trivial Background)

Tongue-tie has been around for millennia. In the Dark Ages, midwives would divide the frenulum of a newborn with a fingernail pinch, as they weren't allowed surgical tools. Accounts of ties and of cutting the frenulum date back to Ancient Greek times, about 27 AD when Jesus healed (Greek: Elythē - to release or untie) a man with tongue-tie in Mark 7:35, and Moses of the Old Testament was another who lived with the burden of a 'heavy tongue' (Exodus 4:10). Fortunately, we've come a long way since the fingernail situation! Our treatment involved a C02 surgical laser, physical therapy and chiropractic, myofunctional therapy, and non-invasive tissue softening laser. We stand on the shoulders of those who have preceded us and wouldn't be here without their research. Where might we be in 5 years, 10 years..? Or, for a restricted patient who finally gets diagnosed, in 10 weeks?

Research in this area is desperately needed. Singers have struggled, some have given up on their careers. And ankyloglossia has the potential to impact many aspects of life, including secondary effects of

How? The tongue and floor of mouth fascia are the beginning of the fascia and muscle chains that run down the entire body. So, all research on tongue-tie is important and a lot is underway; but singers have been lost in the mix... Until now.

I have started up my "Tongue-Tie Tuesdays" series on YouTube and Facebook. Once we are published, I will be sharing more specifics online about how it affects the voice and what the outcomes are, as well as via other platforms, in my Facebook group "Singing and Tongue-Tie; Oral Tethers & Treatment for Singers/Voice Users". This is our first wonderful step of sharing the research, and we are writing up a paper with intentions to publish in a top rated journal such as the Journal of Voice.

-

--

Give our research A VOICE.

Help us free the voice!

--

-

OFFICIAL STUFF

TITLE: "Tongue-tie and Singing: Changes in Vocal Tract Volume and Singing Quality after Frenectomy of a Professional Singer"

Authors: Jacqueline Ward BM, Katherine Ahn Wallace DDS, Alison Wu DPT, Elise Newen BSc

Presenting at The Voice Foundation, 54th Annual Symposium, 29th May, 2025, Philadelphia USA.

Presenting research is basically paying to work!! But it's worth it. I hope you have read and understood why this is so important to me personally and for many who love singing recreationally or professionally.

My expenses (in AUD) include

Coming to $5,000 AUD.

This doesn't include any wage for me. My team made such a substantial contribution in donating their skills/time/equipment/expenses during the research trip last year, and continue to give as we write our research. I cannot ask them for more.

That means I need your help. Great or small, it all adds up and I'm truly grateful! If we exceed the goal, further funds will fill the rest of the budget. The date is of little consequence as expenses are currently paid in credit, so after the presentation I will still gratefully receive donations.

Without further ado, the words of the great poet Longfellow:

"Stole from the varying tones that hung

vibrant on every iron tongue..."

So, now that all is said and tongue, 'tongue fly with me' cos the best is yet to tongue! (Groan...)

With love,

Jacqueline Ward

AKA @JacSoprano

jacsoprano.com