Lori L. Sonnenberg, Voice Pathologist

Lori L. Sonnenberg, Voice Pathologist Specialized voice and breathing therapy services. Comprehensive voice care services. Expert care for the singing voice and other professional voice users.

Performing arts medicine. Voice and Breathing Therapy, Speech Therapy, Singing Voice, Professional Voice Care, Transgender Voice, and Paradoxical Vocal Fold Movement.

03/17/2026

In Part 3️⃣ and the final installment of Lori’s conversation with Dr. Dan from Dr. Dan’s Voice Essentials, we move into the clinical “why” behind creaky voice technique, and where it can be especially helpful for singers and voice users in voice therapy.

As a voice SLP, one of the things I love most about creaky voice is how targeted and efficient it can be when working with specific vocal challenges.

In this reel, Lori walks through several clinical scenarios where creaky voice can make a meaningful difference, including:
✨ Supporting vocal fold closure when there’s a gap
✨ Encouraging healthy adduction of the vocal folds
✨ Helping singers navigate problematic areas of their vocal range
✨ Reducing excess tension for those experiencing Muscle Tension Dysphonia (MTD)

For singers navigating MTD, creaky voice can be an especially useful tool to help rebalance coordination and reduce compensatory tension patterns that often develop when the voice isn’t functioning efficiently.

This is why we’re so passionate about sharing it — when used intentionally, it can be a simple but powerful strategy in voice rehabilitation and vocal training.

If you’ve been diagnosed with Muscle Tension Dysphonia or struggle with vocal fatigue, tension, or inconsistent vocal fold closure, this technique may be worth exploring with a qualified voice professional.

Drop your questions about creaky voice or MTD in the comments, or consider joining our Creaky Voice 2.0 Workshop this Friday, March 20th, led by Lori herself.

🔗 Click the link in comments to register!

03/16/2026

Part 2️⃣ of Creaky Voice interview with Dr. Dan is here!

In this next installment of Lori’s conversation with Dr. Dan from Dr. Dan's Voice Essentials, the concepts of vocal fry vs. creaky voice in Part 1️⃣ come to life.

This time, Lori moves from explanation to demonstration as she walks through the difference between vocal fry and creaky voice technique, two sounds that are often confused but serve very different purposes in voice work.

You’ll see Lori:
✨ Demonstrate what vocal fry sounds like
✨ Show how creaky voice technique is produced
✨ Guide Dr. Dan step-by-step in creating the creaky voice sound himself

It’s a practical, easy-to-follow look at how this technique can be introduced and taught, whether you're a singer, voice professional, or simply curious about how the voice works.

Stay tuned for Part 3️⃣, where Lori shares the clinical scenarios where creaky voice can be especially helpful for singers and voice users!

Drop your questions about creaky voice in the comments, or consider joining our Creaky Voice 2.0 Workshop this Friday, March 20th, led by Lori herself.

🔗 Click the link in comments to register!

03/13/2026

Are you familiar with creaky voice technique? 👀 We're obsessed with it, and hope you'll follow and join us for all things creaky in the coming weeks!

In this 3-part reel series, Lori sits down with Dr. Dan from the YouTube channel Dr. Dan's Voice Essentials to unpack how this powerful (and often misunderstood) vocal tool can support singers and voice users.

Part 1️⃣ - Lori takes a deep dive into what creaky voice actually is and how it differs from vocal fry
Part 2️⃣ - Lori demonstrates how to perform creaky voice technique
Part 3️⃣ - Lori walks through the clinical scenarios where creaky voice can be especially helpful for singers

Whether you’re a singer, voice professional, or just fascinated by how the voice works, this series breaks down the science and the practical application in an easy-to-understand way.

✨ Stay tuned for Part Two, coming up next, and let us know your questions about creaky voice in the comments!

03/12/2026

As voice professionals, we’re always looking for techniques that are both effective and accessible for our clients, and creaky voice technique checks both boxes.

Creaky voice can be a powerful therapeutic tool because it’s easy to instruct and often produces immediate results, helping clients quickly feel and hear a difference in their voice production.

Unlike vocal fry, which occurs at low frequencies, creaky voice work can be done at higher frequencies, making it especially useful when targeting specific pitches or challenging areas of the vocal range.

This technique can also help encourage more efficient vocal fold contact, which may reduce excess laryngeal tension and vocal fatigue, which are two common barriers for many voice users.

Because it’s task-specific and pitch-specific, creaky voice exercises allow us to target exactly where the voice needs support, giving clients a practical strategy they can carry directly into speaking or singing.

Sometimes small adjustments create the biggest shifts in vocal efficiency.

Want to learn more about creaky voice? Join our upcoming Creaky Voice 2.0 workshop, but hurry, spots are filling up quickly.

🔗 Click the link in comments to learn more about the workshop and register!

Many voice therapy approaches focus on “unloading” the voice - reducing tension, effort, and strain. And while that can ...
03/06/2026

Many voice therapy approaches focus on “unloading” the voice - reducing tension, effort, and strain. And while that can absolutely be helpful, it doesn’t always solve the entire problem.

If the vocal folds aren’t coming together efficiently, simply taking tension away doesn’t automatically restore coordination.

That’s where targeted vocal fold adduction exercises can make a big difference.
When the vocal folds close more effectively, we often see:
✅ Less vocal fatigue
✅ Better vocal stability
✅ Reduced compensatory tension
✅ More efficient sound production

As voice clinicians, it’s important to remember that coordination has to be retrained, not just unloaded.

I’ve seen many frustrating vocal issues improve when therapy includes intentional adduction work.

Sometimes the solution isn’t doing less with the voice…
It’s helping the vocal folds work together more efficiently.

Are you a voice teacher or SLP who's seeking out a practical, application-driven workshop that's ready to move beyond “make the sound” and into “make it stick?"

Join our Creaky Voice 2.0 Workshop! Lori and Natalie will briefly discuss what creaky actually is (and isn’t) physiologically, then shift quickly into what matters most in the studio and clinic.

🔗 Click the link in comments to learn more and register!

Your voice is incredibly adaptive, sometimes too adaptive.When muscular changes occur, your body may begin working ineff...
03/06/2026

Your voice is incredibly adaptive, sometimes too adaptive.

When muscular changes occur, your body may begin working inefficiently or excessively to compensate. And instead of creating support, that extra effort can lead to strain.

Here’s what to look out for:

✅ Fatigue (even without a major change in vocal quality)
✅ A voice that feels tired, heavy, or unreliable
✅ Inconsistent sound across repetitions
✅ Loss of endurance (rather than loss of clarity)
✅ Symptoms that increase with stress or cognitive load
✅ A voice that feels worse before warming up but improves with targeted coordination

Common contributors can include compensatory strategies, over-reliance on effort, stress or fear-based singing, and layering technique changes on top of existing fatigue.

The good news? These patterns are addressable with the right support and coordination work.

If you’re looking for specialized support for your singing voice, we would love to help.
Send us a DM or click the link in comments to learn more.

🎙️ I’m excited to be joining Dr. Dan’s Voice Essentials Youtube channel for a LIVE conversation all about Creaky Voice t...
03/05/2026

🎙️ I’m excited to be joining Dr. Dan’s Voice Essentials Youtube channel for a LIVE conversation all about Creaky Voice technique, "Creaky Voice Gets the Oil" with renowned singing voice specialist Dr. Dan.

Together, we will unpack how intentional creaky voice production can support improved vocal fold closure, reduce hyperfunction, enhance breath management, and assist singers and speakers experiencing glottal insufficiency or vocal fatigue.

You’ll also hear a clear breakdown of the physiology behind vocal fold vibration, the role of low-frequency phonation, and the key differences between therapeutic fry and habitual creak often heard in contemporary speech and Popular Culture Musics (PCM).

This conversation addresses common misconceptions about vocal fry, highlights evidence-informed therapy approaches, and clarifies when creaky voice exercises are appropriate — and when they are not — in both clinical and studio settings.

If you’re a singer, voice teacher, or speech-language pathologist looking to deepen your understanding of vocal science and functional training, this episode is packed with practical, anatomy-informed insights you can apply immediately.

Here's the details:
🗓 Sunday, March 8, 2026
⏰ 9:00 PM CST - Can't join LIVE? Bookmark the link to watch on your own!
💻 Virtual - Zoom

Mark your calendar, I’d love for you to join us!
🔗 Click the link in comments to join us LIVE or view on your own time!

02/27/2026

The work doesn’t end when voice therapy ends. In many ways, that’s where a new phase begins.

At Sonnenberg Voice, we offer lessons specifically designed for singers who are navigating the transition from rehabilitation back into consistent, confident singing. We help bridge the gap between clinical progress and performance-ready technique — using evidence-based strategies and a deep understanding of vocal health.

Many of our clients are taking advantage of continued singing voice rehabilitation, led by Jennifer Barrett. She brings deep experience in supporting singers during and after vocal recovery, with a teaching approach that honors both vocal health and artistic development.

Whether you’re a professional singer, a recovering voice user, or simply seeking a healthier relationship with your voice, our greater team creates a space where artistry and wellness are always integrated.

Singers leave not only rehabilitated, but empowered and equipped with tools to maintain lifelong vocal health, independence, and artistic freedom.

Are you looking for the next phase of your voice care? Done with voice therapy but needing continued guidance with someone who can truly support your longer term singing goals? Jennifer would love to help you.

Your voice is worth the investment.

🔗 Click the link in comments to book an appointment.

🎤 Connect with Jennifer -

🚨REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!🚨You already know and love our work on creaky voice. Now we’re taking it further. For the firs...
02/26/2026

🚨REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!🚨

You already know and love our work on creaky voice. Now we’re taking it further.

For the first time ever, we’re offering Creaky Voice 2.0 — a practical, application-driven workshop focused on carryover and real-world teaching led by Lori Sonnenberg and Natalie Sheppard.

We’ll cover:
✅ What creaky truly is (and isn’t)
✅ How to train singers who don’t “find it” right away
✅ How to refine and scale adductory exercises
✅ How to get creative and use it in context

This session is interactive, so come with your toughest cases and we’ll workshop them together in real time.

If you’ve done Creaky 1.0 with us, this is your next layer.

The Details:
📅 Friday, March 20th
⏰ 9:30 CDT
📍Virtual

🔗 Click link in comments to register!


As teachers, clinicians, and singers, we share a responsibility to challenge the misconceptions and reduce the stigma su...
02/24/2026

As teachers, clinicians, and singers, we share a responsibility to challenge the misconceptions and reduce the stigma surrounding vocal injuries.

Here are some of the myths I frequently hear as a voice speech pathologist 👇

1️⃣ “They must have bad technique.”
Vocal injuries can happen to any singer, in any style regardless of how solid their technique is. Singing is a high-intensity, athletic activity. And like any athletic activity, there’s risk involved.

2️⃣ “Their teacher must not be very good.”
There are SO many reasons a singer might experience a vocal injury. For instance, the use of medication, viral illness, excessive coughing, reflux, high speaking demands (yes, your speaking voice), and more. Poor teaching isn’t automatically the cause.

3️⃣ “It’s my fault.”
No one plans to injure their voice, just like no one plans to sprain an ankle. Vocal injuries are not a reflection of your talent, discipline, or work ethic.

4️⃣ “I just don’t have the notes anymore.”
Loss of range doesn’t always mean it’s gone forever. With a voice-specialized SLP and/or experienced singing teacher, habilitation or rehabilitation of range is often possible. The right strategies can help you regain flexibility and confidence for the continued work your voice needs.

The good news? Voice therapy isn’t about blame. It’s about education, healing, positive mindset, and building a more resilient instrument. Your voice deserves time and support, not shame.

What are some voice injury myths that you've heard? Share them below 👇

You already know and love our work on creaky voice. Now we’re taking it further.For the first time EVER, we’re offering ...
02/20/2026

You already know and love our work on creaky voice. Now we’re taking it further.

For the first time EVER, we’re offering Creaky Voice 2.0, a practical, application-driven workshop focused on carryover and real-world teaching led by Lori Sonnenberg and Natalie Sheppard.

We’ll cover:
✅ What creaky truly is (and isn’t)
✅ How to train singers who don’t “find it” right away
✅ How to refine and scale adductory exercises
✅ How to get creative and use it in context

This session is interactive, so come with your toughest cases and we’ll workshop them together in real time.

If you’ve done Creaky 1.0 with us, this is your next layer.

The Details:
📅 Friday, March 20th
⏰ 9:30 CDT
📍Virtual

Stay tuned for additional details and registration coming soon!

Is your voice giving out, even when you’re not actively singing or speaking?Not all vocal fatigue is the same. Understan...
02/18/2026

Is your voice giving out, even when you’re not actively singing or speaking?

Not all vocal fatigue is the same. Understanding the difference between mucosal and muscular fatigue changes how you respond.

Signs of Mucosal Fatigue:
✅ Dull, swollen sensation
✅ More effort to speak or sing
✅ Delayed voice onset
✅ Voice cutting out or feeling unreliable
✅ Loss of high or soft notes

Signs of Muscular Fatigue
✅ Tightness or strain
✅ Extra effort to speak or sing
✅ A sense of "working too hard"

If your voice feels unpredictable, the question isn’t “What am I doing wrong?” It’s “What type of fatigue am I experiencing?”

Join the Voice Teacher Collective February 24th to engage in an in-depth conversation with two singing voice rehabilitation specialists, answering the questions you wish you’d asked about mucosal and muscular fatigue.

Link in comments to register! ⬇️

Address

1431 Opus Place, Suite 110
Downers Grove, IL
60515

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 3pm
Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 3pm

Telephone

+16304421883

Website

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