About the Project

Chronically Singing seeks to gather and share the stories of singers who are navigating invisible and dynamic chronic health conditions, such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS), and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD). We share these STORIES through our website and social media platforms, along with resources for singers and teachers seeking information about singing with these conditions.

If you are a teacher, please visit the RESOURCES page and download our free quick-reference guides for POTS and EDS/Hypermobility. We will continue to update as new studies emerge.

If you are a singer, feel free to share our guides with your teachers, choral directors, theater directors, and peers. We hope to help you advocate for accommodations that will allow you to reach for your vocal goals!

BACKGROUND

This project was started by a pair of curious and passionate voice pedagogues and vocologists. They both found themselves teaching singers who were navigating chronic conditions and there were very few resources about how these conditions should be managed in the voice studio. In Fall of 2023, they put together a panel of specialists to discuss POTS, EDS, and HSD at the Pan-American Vocology Association (PAVA) Symposium. Dr. Stryker then dedicated her 2024 dissertation to finding out how POTS was affecting singers, with a mixed methods survey and case study. She collected the stories of 38 singers and interviewed six, learning about the challenges and successes of singing while navigating a variety of conditions and comorbidities in educational and professional settings. Dr. Stryker and Ms. Bozeman have presented their work at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Conference in Knoxville, the Musical Theater Educators Alliance (MTEA) international conference in London, Pan-European Voice Conference (PeVOC) in Spain, and many other smaller workshops and presentations around the world, benefitting voice teachers, speech language pathologists, theater educators, and many, many singers. In 2025, they teamed up with a dedicated group of undergraduate researchers from St. Olaf College to launch this platform and share their continued research and collected resources.

Primary Researchers

Marita Stryker, DMA, PAVA-RV

Dr. Marita Stryker is an Assistant Professor of Music (Contemporary Voice and Musical Theatre) at St. Olaf College, PAVA-recognized Vocologist, and movement specialist. After a long and varied career on the stage, her teaching brings together a passion for contemporary singing styles, accessible voice science, and the mind-body connection that keeps the artist balanced, aware, and receptive. Prior to St. Olaf, Marita was the founding voice teacher for the Contemporary Musicianship and Entrepreneur Development program at Shenandoah Conservatory. She has also held positions at Oklahoma City University and Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in Tokyo. She is the Vocal Director for Texas Arts Project, and has presented papers and workshops at the The Voice Foundation Symposium, NATS, MTEA, Texas Thespian State Festival, and PAVA. Her research explores how to best support singers navigating chronic conditions such as hypermobility and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) in both the voice studio and rehearsal.

Joanne Bozeman, BM

Joanne Bozeman, a graduate of the University of Arizona, has been a singing teacher for nearly 50 years. As a faculty member of Lawrence University’s Conservatory of Music, she taught singing and related courses, and was an actively performing soprano, specializing in recital repertoire, oratorio, and chamber music. Joanne developed a keen interest in the relationship of hormones with voice and the female lifespan, and co-authored the book, Singing Through Change: Women’s Voices in Midlife, Menopause, and Beyond, released in 2020. Her other serious interest concerns the singing voice and hypermobile conditions and postural orthostatic tachycardia (POTS.) Joanne is a frequent presenter for many organizations, including the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the International Congress of Voice Teachers, the British Voice Association, Pan American Vocology Association and numerous voice education collectives. Retired from academia, Joanne continues to be engaged with the voice community as an independent teacher and researcher.

Student Researchers

Hailey Guptail

Hailey Guptail is a junior at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, pursuing a major in Nursing with a concentration in Musical Theatre. She has a lifelong passion for theatre and voice, with a long list of theatrical credits as both performer and choreographer. Outside of her academic pursuits, she works as a Nursing Assistant at a memory care facility. She has been a member of the St. Olaf Manitou Choir under the direction of Dr. Therees Hibbard and Collegiate Chorale directed by Dr. Anton Armstrong. Hailey is deeply honored to combine her passions for nursing and musical theatre through the Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (CURI) program. As someone living with an invisible illness, Hailey is passionate about advocating for others facing similar challenges. She is excited to contribute to the conversation surrounding invisible illnesses and ways we can improve accessibility within the arts.

Wilson Lindberg

Wilson Lindberg is a sophomore at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, on track to receive his Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in musical theatre and business/management. Since 2021, he has participated in the NATS Student Auditions at the Minnesota, North Central Region, and National levels. He was named a National Semifinalist for the musical theatre category in both 2022 (Chicago) and 2024 (Knoxville). In addition to musical theatre, Wilson sings tenor in the St. Olaf Choir under the direction of Dr. Anton Armstrong. Working with Dr. Marita Stryker, he is involved in research through the CURI (Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry) program at St. Olaf College. Passionate about contemporary vocal performance and pedagogy, Wilson aspires to a career in music education or vocal performance.

Emma Mach

Emma Mach is a sophomore chemistry and biology double major and voice student at St. Olaf College. She is an active member of the St. Olaf Cantorei and is a previous member of the New Jersey All State Mixed Chorus and NAfME All Eastern Mixed Chorus. She has also performed in numerous musical theatre productions in roles such as Fiona in Shrek and Vivienne in Legally Blonde. As a pre-medicine student and singer who lives with chronic illness, she loves studying the intersection of her two passions, especially in the context of evidence-informed advocacy for accessibility within the voice community. In the summer of 2025, she will complete an internship at the Medical University of South Carolina studying the biological mechanisms of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

Ava Messinger

Originally from Edmonds, WA, Ava Messinger is a senior at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, set to graduate with a dual Bachelor of Arts in Music and Psychology in January, 2026. Ava is a soprano in the St. Olaf Choir under the direction of Dr. Anton Armstrong and in the St. Olaf Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Therees Tkach Hibbard. At St. Olaf, she holds several management positions, including concert manager for St. Olaf music ensembles and scheduling manager for the on-campus live entertainment venue, The Lion’s Pause. Ava has most recently stage managed La Musica Lirica’s production of Donizetti’s L’elisir d'amore in Novafeltria, Italy. She is passionate about inclusivity in the arts.