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Every Special Child - July 2024

Interview with Mort Cooper, Ph.D.

September 22, 2003
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SP/Beck: Good morning Dr. Cooper. Thanks for your time today. Would you please tell me a little about your education and professional history? Cooper: I have a B.A. from Brooklyn College and my M.A. is from Indiana University. My PhD is from UCLA. I earned my Ph.D. in 1964.SP/Beck: What was your dis
SP/Beck: Good morning Dr. Cooper. Thanks for your time today. Would you please tell me a little about your education and professional history?

Cooper: I have a B.A. from Brooklyn College and my M.A. is from Indiana University. My PhD is from UCLA. I earned my Ph.D. in 1964.

SP/Beck: What was your dissertation topic?

Cooper:Papillomatosis. It was a biopsied study of pre-malignant cells, called papillomata of the vocal cords. There are three kinds of pre-malignancies: papillomata or papillomatosis, leukoplakia, and keratosis. The dissertation was done to ascertain if voice misuse and abuse was related to papillomatosis growth on the vocal cords.

SP/Beck:And what did you find?

Cooper:I came to the conclusion that voice misuse and abuse was an activating factor in causing this pre-malignancy called papillomatosis.

SP/Beck:And when people have papillomatosis, does it necessarily lead to a malignancy?

Cooper:Not necessarily, but it can. It's one step away from a malignancy. It's considered pre-cancerous.

SP/Beck:Very good. What are the primary signs and symptoms of that?

Cooper:Common symptoms of voice suicide, voice misuse and abuse are sore throat, throat clearing, tired, weak voice, pain when talking, poor projection, strangled voice, hoarse voice, lump in the throat, throat tension, deep throat voice, and voice strain.

SP/Beck:That covers just about everybody I know! What are your suggestions for how to manage those conditions?

Cooper:My answer has been a program of "Direct Voice Rehabilitation," which is in contrast to what the profession does, such as voice therapy or voice rehab. I believe, you must put the voice up in the face around the lips and nose in an area called "the mask." In ancient times, Greek male actors spoke through a mask on stage because women weren't allowed to appear so they imitated women but they talked through this mask. Over time the concept of talking through the mask or into the mask means that you're talking around the lips and nose where all good and great voices come from. Robert West, one of the five founders of the American Speech and Hearing Association, noted that all good and great voices have a marked degree of nasal resonance, and that is exactly correct. Papillomatosis patients, and people with leukoplakia and keratosis, lack nasal resonance.

SP/Beck:Please tell me the difference between nasal resonance and nasality?

Cooper:Nasality is when you're talking with excessive nasal resonance. Nasal resonance is when you hear the buzz in my voice, which all good and great voices have.

SP/Beck:Very good. OK, now going back to the idea of speaking through the mask?

Cooper:What I did in the study in 1963, was change the focus from the lower throat to the mask. We had eight people with papillomatosis and we worked with them for three months, changing their focus, as I said, from the lower throat to the mask. The results showed that the condition was recovered from or cured by Direct Voice Rehabilitation, and as you can imagine, this was a revolutionary breakthrough. In 1971 it was published after being peer reviewed, in the "Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders." I have positive results, with almost all types of voice problems including papillomatosis and spasmodic dysphonia or strangled voice.

SP/Beck:Has there been outside confirmation? Have others replicated your techniques and results?

Cooper:Nobody that I am aware of.

SP/Beck:So in essence, your approach presumes that many or most voice problems are not genetically or medically based, but are based on misuse and abuse?

Cooper:Yes. I believe papillomatosis is related to or associated with voice misuse and abuse, and not a virus, and so it makes sense to me that Direct Voice Rehabilitation can and does work. I find the overwhelming number of voice problems, failures and breakdowns are due to misuse and abuse, are culturally oriented, and are affected by what is known as the "voice image". I wrote about that in 1971 in the "Art and Science of Psychotherapy" which was peer reviewed, and I talked about it in an article titled "Unspoken Behavior". Briefly, we are led by a voice and speech image that is ruinous to our voices but is culturally in tune with what is going on: deep throat voices, sexy voices, impressive voices. We think it's sexy and appealing, and very authoritative. We want to be heard and we want to be listened to, but what we're doing is wrecking the lower throat. Essentially, nearly all bad and raspy voices, all failing voices, nodes, polyps, contact ulcers and pre-malignancies are produced from squeezing the lower throat. The lower throat is the benchmark of all voice problems. It's the slaughterhouse of voices. As a matter of fact, without knowing or realizing what we're doing, we create havoc within our voices.

SP/Beck:Why do you suppose the medical community isn't promoting your approach?

Cooper: My feeling is they're simply not trained in functional voice issues and theory. They are not pinpointing where the problem is. What they're typically doing is removing symptoms, whether it's a papillomatosis condition or a nodule or a polyp, which are benign conditions, or a pre-malignancy. My approach is to cure the problem!

SP/Beck:I believe you have a testimonial from a medical doctor telling of his cure of papillomatosis by DVR?

Cooper: Here is a letter (below) from a former patient diagnosed with squamous papilloma of the vocal cords, who was cured of vocal cord papillomatosis. He had no recurrence after DVR.

- - - - -

To whom it may concern:

During the late 1970's, I was diagnosed as having a squamous papilloma of the vocal cords. My speech was shot and for several years I had several surgeries all to no avail, talking caused pain and fatigue.

Eventually, I saw Dr. Morton Cooper. I retrained my speaking through my coaching and repetition. Today occasionally when my voice becomes tired I go back to the old method and in a day or two I'm once again okay by practicing Dr. Cooper's methods.

Sincerely,

L.R.S. M.D.

- - - - -

Cooper:Additionally, PL, a former chief salesman for a well known drug company appeared on my public TV program, "Change Your Voice, Change Your Life" reporting that his program of Direct Voice Rehabilitation had resulted in full recovery of his voice from papillomatosis of the vocal folds. PL had undergone surgical procedures on the vocal folds but the growths were reoccurring. A five-year follow up of his progress by Direct Voice Rehabilitation found him to be without further vocal fold problems.

SP/Beck: Please tell me the title of your book?

Cooper: One book is titled "Change Your Voice, Change Your Life," which is in the 18th printing. Another book is titled "Stop Committing Voice Suicide" and that's in the 7th printing now. I have published over fifty reports in scientific, educational, and peer-reviewed medical journals.

SP/Beck: Very good, we'll include the references at the end of the interview. Why did you get into the field of voice rehab?

Cooper: I lost my voice. I suffered Myasthenia Larynges (ML), now called Muscle Tension Disorder (MTD), and was crossing the line to Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD) for a period of years, and I sought help. I didn't find it. I tried twelve medical doctors and speech pathologists. I got into voice rehab to help myself. I figured out how to overcome SD. I trained my ear to hear and feel what is the right voice and what is the wrong voice and I found a new approach to voice problems that has resulted in terrific success.

SP/Beck: You have appeared on Oprah, Larry King, Regis Philbin, Maury, Sally, CNN six times, the NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times front-page, and in its various sections eight times over thirty years, front-paged in the Wall Street Journal, and invited back again. You have been in countless magazines, journals, newspapers, and on national TV and radio. How do you explain all that?

Cooper: I have something to say that is revolutionary and curative, and I'm entertaining too!

SP/Beck: Many Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) appear to believe it takes months to find the "right" natural voice. You say, and you've demonstrated on TV and radio, that it takes you only seconds. You've done that on Oprah, CNN, Larry King, Sally, Maury, and at national conventions and medical meetings. The Wall Street Journal, front page, Tuesday, April 1, 1980 quoted you "The diagnosis is made only a few minutes after a patient first arrives..." Does that give you satisfaction?

Cooper: Satisfaction for doing what is right? Absolutely! I don't know why others in my profession and medicine cannot find the right voice in seconds. They often waste time and money and create frustration in those enduring and suffering bad and raspy voices. It's not my goal to embarrass anyone, but I wish to make a simple point, they who take months to find the right voice are on the wrong road. I want the public and the media to realize SD is curable, and people who had SD are indeed demonstrating cures they achieved through DVR.

SP/Beck: Lee Travis, one of the founders of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association said, "Cooper is the best in the business." What was the basis for that statement?

Cooper: I submitted a chapter in his prestigious handbook back in 1971 titled "Modern Techniques of Vocal Rehabilitation for Functional and Organic Dysphonias" of which he said was one of the two best chapters in his handbook. He called it beautiful.

SP/Beck: Are you satisfied with what you've accomplished?

Cooper: In some respects, yes. But I would like speech pathologists and physicians to cooperate and overcome voice problems. SD is considered hopeless by medicine and by my profession too. However, I find SD is curable, and recoverable by DVR, as are many cases of papillomatosis of the vocal cords, unilateral cord paralysis, bowed vocal cords, and of course, benign growths such as nodes, polyps and contact ulcer granuloma. I have developed simple techniques, like the "C-spot" that helps find the right voice in seconds, and the "ahem" technique that helps carry over the right voice throughout the day. I saved my voice and my life. I would like others to realize there is hope for "hopeless voices" and other voice problems. I would like others in my profession to make voice patients happy campers, too.

SP/Beck: You report cures for SD. You are the only one doing that, based on what I've read, and you've been reporting this for over thirty years. Can you explain this?

Cooper: I developed a program called Direct Voice Rehabilitation (DVR), using voice behavior modification technique. Nobody I know is doing DVR for Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD). I've been reporting cures of Spasmodic Dysphonia, all types, abductor, adductor and mixed. The SD is documented by hospital records from the top medical centers, and in one medical center I reported cures of SD involving fifteen of its diagnosed SD patients. They were diagnosed with SD by ENT specialists, and the cures were verified by follow-ups.

SP/Beck: How many cures of SD do you have?

Cooper: About thirty cures. I have a number of recoveries of 99%, 95%, 90%, 85%, and a number of office changes from strangled voice to clear voice involving over seventy-five SD cases in the last few years alone, verifying that SD is not a dystonia, but a misphonia.

SP/Beck: Please explain the difference between a dystonia and misphonia?

Cooper: A dystonia is neurological, and in the medical paradigm. It says SD is beyond change and there is no hope for self-control. I find SD is a misphonia, not a dystonia. A misphonia means you are talking incorrectly, don't know it, but can beat the failing voice by using your voice correctly. A misphonia means you can take charge of your voice and overcome the SD, or other voice problems with appropriate direct voice help. Misphonia says that SD is a severe overstraining of the voice and that strain can be changed by DVR, allowing the strangled strain to be overcome so the spasmodic patient can talk again normally, and on a permanent basis.

SP/Beck: Why is it that no one else has replicated your cures and successes with SD?

Cooper: They don't understand DVR and they don't do Voice Behavior Modification. I published in the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatry in 1980 explaining what I do and how I do it. DVR requires a clinically trained ear, and I have that. Incidentally, that study was peer-reviewed.

SP/Beck: So, going back to the "clinically trained ear," are you saying speech pathologists don't have that?

Cooper: Yes. I am saying speech pathologists are not trained to listen to voices as I do. Of course they can be trained if they are willing to be trained.

SP/Beck: What are your results for other voice problems after applying DVR?

Cooper: Overall excellent. For example, regarding muscle tension disorder, which is also know as myasthenia larynges, voice suicide and misphonation, I authored a report published in the Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 1974. Direct Voice Rehabilitation techniques had a 98% success ratio covering many different types of voice problems in this study. Regarding paralytic dysphonia, I have seen over 100 cases of unilateral cord paralysis cases to date, and my success rate is excellent (90%+). With respect to contact ulcers of the larynx, I have seen approximately 200 contact ulcer granuloma cases to date, my success rate is excellent (90% +). In my textbook, Modern Techniques of Vocal Rehabilitation, 1973, of the 49 patients completing therapy for Contact Ulcer by Direct Voice Rehabilitation, my success rate was 87.5%. I have also seen more than 100 cases of bowed vocal cords, and I have a 90% + success rate. I have applied these techniques to stutterers when I was the director of the adult stutterers group at Stanford University. I had outstanding results, and I also used DVR when I ran the Aphasia group at UCLA Medical Center and later worked with selective patients in my private practice with excellent results. I have worked with hundreds of announcers, disk jockeys, voiceover talents and news anchors seeking an artistic "Broadcaster's Voice" with high success. Many singers misuse the speaking voice so as to ill affect their singing voice. I've helped Stevie Nicks, Diahann Carroll, Jerome Hines, and others.

SP/Beck: Well, those are impressive numbers and reports, and if replicated would certainly represent outstanding results with Direct Voice Rehabilitation for voice problems and voice improvement.

Cooper: I have high success results because I approach the voice directly. I believe there are no better outcome results in the field of voice rehabilitation.

SP/Beck:Thank you so much for your time Dr. Cooper. You're a fascinating man and I have enjoyed speaking with you.

Cooper: Thank you too, Dr. Beck. I appreciate the opportunity to offer my thoughts on these issues.


Books

Cooper, Morton. Stop Committing Voice Suicide. 7 printings. Los Angeles: Voice & Speech Company of America, 1996.

Cooper, Morton. Winning With Your Voice. Hollywood, FL: Frederick Fell Publishers, Inc.,1989. 4 printings. Los Angeles: Voice & Speech Company of America, 2003.

Cooper, Morton. Change Your Voice, Change Your Life. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1984. Paperback
New York: Harper Collins, Publishers, 1985.18 printings. Los Angeles: Voice & Speech Company of America, 1996.

Cooper, Morton. Modern Techniques of Vocal Rehabilitation. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas, 1973. 4 printings.

Cooper, Morton and Marcia Cooper (eds.). Approaches to Vocal Rehabilitation. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas, 1977.

Chapters

Cooper, Morton. "Treatment of Functional Aphonia and Dysphonia," in Perkins, William (ed.) Current Therapy of Comunication Disorders. New York: Thieme & Stratton, Inc. 1983.

Cooper, Morton. "Modern Techniques of Vocal Rehabilitation for Functional and Organic Dysphonias," in Travis, L.E (ed.). Handbook of Speech Pathology and Audiology. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1971.

Cooper, Morton. "Management of Voice, Speech, and Language Disorders," in Gellis, S.S. and B.M. Kagan (eds.). Current Pediatric Therapy. 9th ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 1980. (Also 8th ed., 1978; 7th ed., 1976; 6th ed., 1973).

Cooper, Morton. "The Speaking Voice of the Singer," in Hines, Jerome. Great Singers On Great Singing. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1982.

Audio Digest

Cooper, Morton. "Techniques of Vocal Rehabilitation for Functional and Organic Voice Disorders," in Bradford, Larry and Robert Wertz (eds.). Communicative Disorder: An Audio Journal for Continuing Education, 4 (March 1979), Grune and Stratton, Inc.

Articles

Cooper, Morton. "Doctors' Dialogue: Untold Story of President Clinton's Hoarse Voice," Let's Live (September 1994), 88.

Cooper, Morton. "The Miracle Voice and Speech Doctor," Let's Live (February 1994), 72-73.

Cooper, Morton. "The Voice That Came In From The Cold," Let's Live (January 1994), 28-30.

Cooper, Morton. "Treating Laryngitis with Voice Therapy," Advance (January 10, 1994), 9.

Cooper, Morton. "Who Killed Voices?" Let's Live (August 1993), 24-26.

Cooper, Morton. "Treating Spasmodic Dysphonia With Direct Voice Rehabilitation," Advance (February 1,1993), 6-7.

Cooper, Morton. "Don't Put Up With Voice Fatigue," The Wall Street Journal (September 28, 1992), A-14.

Cooper, Morton. "Change Your Voice, Change Your Life," Cosmopolitan (July 1984), 138-142.

Cooper, Morton. "Prescriptions for Vocal Health: Finding the Right Vocal Register," Music Educators Journal, 69 (February 1983), 40, 57, 59, 61.

Cooper, Morton. "Prescriptions for Vocal Health: Medication and the Voice," Music Educators Journal, 69 (February 1983),41-42.

Cooper, Morton. "The Tired Speaking Voice and the Negative Effect on the Singing Voice," The Nats Bulletin, 39 November/December 1982), 11-13.

Cooper, Morton. "A Case History: Stevie Nicks," Voice, 4 (September/October 1980), 34.

Cooper, Morton. "Vocal Image and Vocal Identity," Voice, 3 (July/August 1980), 36.

Cooper, Morton. "Facts and Fantasies About the Speaking Voice and the Effect Upon the Singing Voice," Voice, 2 (May/June 1980), 34.

Cooper, Morton. "The Speaking Voice of the Singer," Voice, 1 (March/April 1980), 8-11.

Cooper, Morton. "The Strangled Voice," Let's Live, 48 (January 1980), 71-76.

Cooper, Morton. "Aphasia - When the Words Don't Come Out Right," Let's Live, 4 (Sept. 1979), 90, 93, 94, 96.

Cooper, Morton. "The Impressive Voice in the Court," Trial, 15 (July 1979), 53-55, 69.

Cooper, Morton. "The Voice Problems of Stutterers: A Practical Approach from Clinical Experience," Journal of Fluency Disorders, 4 (June 1979), 141-148.

Cooper, Morton. "Be Good to Your Voice," Prevention, 31 (May 1979), 142-147.

Cooper, Morton. "The Secret Stutterers," Let's Live, 47 (May 1979).

Cooper, Morton. "The Speaking Voice and the Trial Lawyer," Advocate, 6 (December 1978), 11-13.

Cooper, Morton. "Spectrographic Analysis of Fundamental Frequency and Hoarseness Before and After Vocal Rehabilitation," Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 39 (August 1974), 286-297.

Cooper, Morton. "Preventing Voice Disorders," United Teacher, 4 (September 1972), 13.

Cooper, Morton. "The Stage Voice," Equity, LVII (March 1972), 21-22.

Cooper, Morton. "Speech Disorders and Problems," (Aphasia), Pediatric News, 6 (January 1972), 21.

Cooper, Morton. "Speech Disorders and Problems," (Stuttering), Pediatric News, 5 (November 1971), 55-56.

Cooper, Morton. "The Vocal Image and Vocal Suicide," Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy, Special Issue: Unspoken Behavior, 6 (August 1971), 26-28.

Cooper, Morton. "Speech Disorders and Problems" (Voice Disorders), Pediatric News, 5 (March 1971) 48-49.

Cooper, Morton. "Papillomata of the Vocal Folds: I. Review of the Literature, II. A Program of Vocal Rehabilitation," Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 36 (February 1971), 51-60.

Cooper, Morton. "Rehabilitation of Paralytic Dysphonia," Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Monthly, 49 (December 1970), 532-535.

Cooper, Morton. "Stopping Vocal Suicide Among Preachers," Christian Advocate, (December 1970), 11-12.

Cooper, Morton. "Vocal Suicide in Newscasters and AnnouncersThe 'Impressive' Voice," Radio-Television News Directors Association Bulletin, (December 1970), 21.

Cooper, Morton. "Voice Therapy for Teachers," Education, 91 (November/December 1970),142-146.
Cooper, Morton. "A Broadcaster's Artistic Voice," The Quill, 58 (October 1970), 19.

Cooper, Morton. "Vocal Suicide Among Rabbis," Central Conference of American Rabbis Journal,17 (October 1970), 70-73.

Cooper, Morton. "Vocal Suicide of the Speaking Voice in Singers," Music Educators Journal, 57 (September1970), 53- 54.

Cooper, Morton. "Vocal Suicide Among Theologians," Your Church, 3 (July/August 1970), 16-21.

Cooper, Morton. "Voice Problems of the Geriatric Patient," Geriatrics, 25 (June 1970), 107-110.

Cooper, Morton. "Voice Suicide in Teachers," Peabody Journal of Education, 47 (May 1970), 334-337.

Cooper, Morton. "Speech Disorders and Problems" (Part I), Pediatric News, 4 (March 1970), 16, 37.

Cooper, Morton. "Speech Disorders and Problems" (Part II), Pediatric News, 4 (April 1970), 27, 57.

Cooper, Morton. "Speech Disorders and Problems" (Part III), Pediatric News, 4 (May 1970), 27, 48.

Cooper, Morton. "Teacher, Save That Voice!" Grade Teacher, 87 (March 1970), 71-72, 74, 76.

Cooper, Morton. "Vocal Suicide in Singers," The Nats Bulletin, 26 (February/March 1970), 7-10, 31.

Cooper, Morton. "Vocal Rehabilitation - Current Opinion," Medical Tribune, 11 (February 23, 1970), 11.

Cooper, Morton. "Vocal Suicide in the Legal Profession," Bar Bulletin, 43 (1968), 453-456. Reprinted in Case and Comment, 75 (January/February 1970), 44-47.

Cooper, Morton. "Rehabilitation of Paralytic Dysphonia," California Medicine, 112 (January 1970), 18-20.

Cooper, Morton. "Vocal Suicide in the Theatrical Profession," The Screen Actor, 11 (November/December 1969), 8-9.

Cooper, Morton. "In Consultation," Medical Tribune, 10 (August 28, 1969), 13.

Cooper, Morton and Yanagihara, Naoaki. "A Study of Basal Pitch Level Variations Found in the Normal Speaking Voice of Males and Females," Journal of Communication Disorders, 3 (1971), 261-266.

Cooper, Morton and Nahum, Alan M. "Vocal Rehabilitation for Contact Ulcer of the Larynx," Archives of Otolaryngology, 85 (1967), 41-46.

Satou, Alan and Cooper, Morton."Psychiatric Observations of Falsetto Voice," The Voice, 17 (February 1968), 31-33, 35, 37, 39, 41.

Column

Voice Disorders: Questions and Answers with Dr. Cooper, United Teacher, 1973-1975.

Conferences/Presentations

Cooper, Morton. Extended seminar: " Spasmodic Dysphonia: Cures, Recoveries and Improvement by Direct Voice Rehabilitation." American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, 2000 at Washington, DC.

Cooper, Morton. "Presenting Cures, Recoveries and Improvements by DVR," XIth Annual Pacific Voice Conference, November 5-7, 1998.

Cooper, Morton. "Recovery from Spastic Dysphonia by Direct Voice Rehabilitation," Proceedings of the 18th Congress of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics, 1 (August 1980), 579-584.

Cooper, Morton. Mini-seminar: "Techniques of Vocal Rehabilitation for Functional and Organic Dysphonias," and Mini-seminar: "Considerations for the Treatment of VoiceDisorders" American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, 1979.

Cooper, Morton. "Vocal Rehabilitation for Spastic Dysphonia and Incipient Spastic Dysphonia," American Speech- Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, 1974.

Cooper, Morton. "Vocal Rehabilitation for Pre-malignant Growths of the Vocal Folds," American Speech- Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, 1972.

Cooper, Morton. Mini-seminar: "Recovery from Spastic Dysphonia by Direct Voice Rehabilitation," and Mini-seminar: "Direct Vocal Training of the Speaking Voice for Speech Clinicians," California Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Conference, 1980.

Cooper, Morton. Mini-seminar: "What Vocal Rehabilitation Is All About" California Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Conference, 1978.

Cooper, Morton. "Vocal Rehabilitation for Spastic Dysphonia and Incipient Spastic Dysphonia," and Mini-short Course: "Voice Training for Speech Therapists," California Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Conference, 1973.

Cooper, Morton. "Vocal Suicide and Vocal Rehabilitation," and "What Can Be Done for Spastic Dysphonia?" California Speech- Language-Hearing Association Annual Conference, 1970.

________________________________________________________


Dr. Cooper's private practice is located at 11661 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 301, Los Angeles, CA 90049. He has intensive voice workshops of one to four weeks duration (30 hours per week) for spastic dysphonia patients ; he also sees other types of voice disorders for evaluation and treatment.

For information concerning voice improvement audio and video cassettes, phone (800) 932-3221. For information about cures of spasmodic dysphonia audio and video cassettes and for general information, phone (310) 208-6047 or fax (310) 207-6769. Dr. Cooper's E-mail address:
voicedoctr@aol.com Dr. Cooper's website: www.voice-doctor.com



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