Keith Saxon is more than your average Ear Nose and Throat Doctor. His path into medicine, that now includes almost thirty years in practice, involves some interesting sidelights including a background as both a singer and dancer. As a pre-teen he sang in church choirs and at age fifteen he began to be paid for his work and spent three years as a cabaret performer. In addition to singing, he was trained as a dancer - while playing Football in school. Though he is modest about his dancing ability, he was given consideration for a scholarship at the Joffrey Ballet. After high school he initially went to the Air Force academy, but realized it wasn’t the right fit for him and transferred to the University of Cincinnati. He was a Musical Theater major, but while in rehearsals, as the principal dancer, for West Side Story, he blew out his knee in the rumble scene. During his recovery from emergency surgery, the now infamous shootings at Kent State occurred and The University of Cincinnati closed its doors for the short term, temporarily halting his studies. Unfortunately, the surgery didn’t fully correct his knee injury and he wasn’t able to return to serious dancing.
Saxon was finally able to finish his undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Texas, Austin where he participated in a few shows and worked for a year at a dinner theater. After undergrad he went straight on to medical school at the University of Texas Medical School, San Antonio where the life of a medical student put a halt to any performing. His inspiration to pursue Otolaryngology came partly from a fascination with the voice, but also a desire to work in a field that was technically sophisticated and included an aesthetic element in the practice.
His professional career has kept him in contact with the singing community, enhancing his understanding of the singing voice and needs of singers. While completing his residency at the University of Michigan he taught in the music school. His relationship with the University of Michigan School of Music continued for almost two decades completing his tenure there as Adjunct Professor of Performing Arts Medicine. The courses and presentations he gave included the graduate course in Vocal Pedagogy class and presentations on Anatomy, Physiology and Care of the Professional Voice and Vocal Exercise Physiology. His book “Vocal Exercise Physiology” arose from his experience teaching vocal pedagogy. Over the years he taught similar classes at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. In addition to his time at Universities, Dr. Saxon was the resident laryngologist at the Aspen Music Festival from 1984-1990 and spoke to singers on topics ranging from Voice Abuse, to Singing at Altitude and Voice Problems in the Opera Singer. For both the Voice Foundation and the National Association of Teachers of Singing he has given presentations on Peak Performance, Mind Body Medicine and Exercise Physiology as they apply to Vocal Training.
Saxon’s career has included time as a clinician and as a researcher. His research and presentations are not limited to the needs of singers. Other topics include swallowing, stuttering and airway reconstruction. He worked in private practice in Missouri for a number of years before joining the staff at the National Institutes of Health and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. As Chief of Laryngology at Walter Reed from 2003-2006, he treated many soldiers with airway injuries received in combat in Iraq. In 2006, he was contacted by Brigham and Women’s and decided to return to clinical and teaching practice as a full time venture. He is Site Director for the Harvard Residency in Otolaryngology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The majority of the cases he sees at the Brigham have to do with the pathologies of swallowing and of the larynx – or the lumps and bumps as he calls them: nodules, polyps, cysts and the like, both among singers and the general population. As Surgical Oncologist at Dana Farber, he sees complex airway reconstructive problems and airway cancers.
When asked about the Mind-Body elements of his presentations he indicates an understanding that a voice lesson can be like a psychiatric meeting and that there is a code used by singers to talk about the voice. As a laryngologist, he seeks to provide tools to fix problems that won’t involve surgery, a last step in any treatment.
His advice to singers includes learning to look at the whole mechanism and the whole experience of singing – often the focus is too narrow and singers get caught up in the little feelings. Focusing on what is ‘wrong’ in the technique is often the wrong place to go when trying to solve the problem. Getting a broader perspective, with the help of a skilled teacher will bring about better results.
At the Brigham, Dr. Saxon is able to offer a team approach to voice care, with several Voice Pathologists in the clinic every day allowing for constant interaction in the development of a treatment plan. He also strongly recommends the involvement of voice teachers in the care of a singer. If you are a singer going in for an appointment, be sure to sign the release form allowing your teacher and doctor to communicate so the best path for care is established.
If you are a singer interested in seeing Dr. Saxon, please contact his secretary at the Brigham at 617-525-6534 (you may also need a referral from your primary care physician, depending on your health insurance). They do try to prioritize appointments for singers so let them know you are one when you call!
Brigham and Women's Hospital Otolaryngology Department
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