Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Alea
Hi Katie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Since I was younger, I have taken many different directions with “what I wanted to be when I grew up.” I began playing music when I was 11 years old playing the french horn, in high school I learned American Sign Language, and in college I took up acting. However, despite being in performing arts and being able to help Deaf people communicate, I wound up behind a desk in Design District, very unhappy that my job was working for a company to push luxury products on consumers. I decided to go back to school to obtain my Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Having a background in performing arts led me to want to focus on specifically voice since it incorporates so much of what people need help with (i.e. breathing, accents, prosody, articulation). So now my focus is not just on helping those with voice disorders but also those who seek accent modification, corporate speech, articulation, and actors (on or off stage) who just can’t quite hit their voice mark. I believe my background in music allows me to hear the nuances in their voice so I can uniquely adjust their voice and hear what needs improvement. I believe my background in acting allows me to understand the creativity of creating a character to then help the actor to breath life into their character.
Allowing myself to intermix all my past experiences (performing and professional) has led me to where I am today and allows me to follow my passions and continue becoming the best I can be in my niche field.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Getting to where I am now has proven to be a long and bumpy road and not the smooth sailing I wish it could be. Grad school does NOT prepare you on how to start your own private practice, how to deal with insurance, scheduling, marketing, billing, etc. It also doesn’t completely prepare you to have a focus on voice. My program had ONE class. So much of what I’ve learned has been self taught so it takes dedication, time and money to truly follow this passion. Leads one to second guess and have emotional rollercoasters. But, nothing worth having comes easy.
“Just as plants need sunlight, water, and nutrients to grow, people need care, support, and opportunities to flourish. Neglect or harsh conditions can stunt their growth, but with proper care, they can blossom beautifully.”
– Katie Alea
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a speech-language pathologist specialized in voice. I set myself apart from other voice specialist as I don’t just treat voice disorders but also accent modification and (voice) acting for the camera. Working with those who request accent modification allows me to help people communicate in their work place for promotions, speak in a new country without hesitation, and even helps actors not to be type-cast for roles. I thoroughly enjoy working with actors and building trust with them to improve their craft. There is no particular ‘moment’ I can be most proud of because I am proud of all my clients and how far they’ve come.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Due to Covid-19, I had to move some of my clients to virtual sessions (Zoom). This facilitated me to want to have a completely remote business due to the convenience it gave my clients and myself. However I still offer in-person visits depending on client needs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katiealea.com
- Instagram: @katievoiceslp
Image Credits
Viviimage Photography
