Tag Archives: voice banking

Voice Banking, Take 2

My new headphones arrived this week, so I sat down once again to begin recording myself using the voice banking program ModelTalker. After measuring the silence levels in the room (I sat there, trying not to breathe), the program presented me with 10 phrases to read aloud. Among them:

The grizzled old fellow could see on one side.

He had rides in the wheelbarrow.

Is he made of tin or stuffed, asked the lion.

The whole circle was agitated.

The wolves surged to meet him.

There’s another way you can get a tooth out.

So, you know, everyday stuff that normal people are always saying to each other. Read More>

|Categories: Life, Progression | Tags: , , , | Permalink

My Unique Sound

Yesterday, I set out to conquer the world of voice banking. For those who are uninitiated to this fairly new and exciting technology, it’s software for people whose ability to speak might become compromised. Many—though not all—ALS patients will face deterioration or outright loss of speech in the course of their illness.

An article on the Muscular Dystrophy Association website says:

Not everyone with ALS loses their voice, but it’s a common symptom, especially in bulbar-onset ALS. While there’s no easy way to prepare for this prospect, “voice banking” is a viable option for preserving your unique sound and the identity it represents.

Ideally, you start early, before your voice is affected, which is where I am now. Read More>

|Categories: Diagnosis, Life, Progression, Research | Tags: , , , , | Permalink