LANCE MARON, MBBCh (Wits), FCS.ORL (SA)
Dr. Lance Maron is an ENT in private practice at the Netcare Parklane Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa where he has established a multidisciplinary Voice and Swallowing Centre. The practice provides a specialized Laryngology service as well as General ENT, Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology and Rhinology. In 2018, Dr Maron became the founding member of The Laryngology Society of South Africa and was elected President of the society. Later turning his attention to “Care of the Professional Voice,” Dr. Maron combined his passion for the arts with medicine by using his personal experience as a performing artist and medical qualification to work on various South African theatre productions. As the resident ENT he provides education of the cast regarding voice care and prevention of vocal damage and managing cast members with vocal injury. Dr. Maron also has had a career in the performing arts beginning from the age of 5 years old with many professional highlights to his credit. Since 2010, Dr. Maron has been member of the judging panel for the Annual Naledi Theatre Awards, a premier event on the Johannesburg theatre calendar that recognizes excellence in the performing arts. In 2019 he became the Convenor of the Musical Theatre Panel.
Financial Disclosure: Dr. Maron is receiving an honorarium from NW Voice for presenting. He has no other financial relationships to disclose.
Non-Financial Disclosure: Dr. Maron has no non-financial relationships to disclose.
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION - Perspectives of a Performing Laryngologist on Performing Voice Care
One would have thought that as a medical practitioner who sung his whole life, the plan was always to become a Laryngologist taking care of the singer. This was not the case and the journey that led me here was a dynamic one and almost chosen for me. What could make more sense then to take the experience and understanding of the challenges placed on a performer to successfully fulfill their vocation and marry this to a scientific knowledge of the human instrument? Surely this would place an individual in a unique position to care for the professional voice user with a three dimensional, holistic approach? I am certainly not unique! There are more like me!!! So just how much does being a singer affect my management of the professional voice user? There is no algorithm. This is not a linear model. Every patient requires a fresh approach and my knowledge is enhanced with every performer that I treat.
Through a series of case presentations, I hope to provide insights into the challenges we face, answer some of the many questions and identify a set of principles that may be applied to our profession. Taking care of the singer must be one of the greatest expressions of SCIENCE and ART and while being a medical practitioner enables us to get the performer back on stage.... being a fellow artist often helps us to keep them there!!!!