1. Water, Water Everywhere. . .
...and not a drop to drink! How often do we find ourselves in that situation? Running errands, scurrying around only to let hours go by without a drink of plain old water. Hydration is the first key to basic health, not to mention vocal health
We all have heard the "rule of eights": Eight 8-oz. glasses of water per day. That should be considered a minimum for most of us, especially those who violate step 2.
A simple guideline is to "Drink water until you pee water," as an old country doctor used to say. Or in the words of a well-known local conductor, "Pee pale." Unless you are eating foods or taking vitamins that color the urine, it should be clear like water.
Keep water around your desk, in your car, anywhere you tend to spend long amounts of time. Singers should have no trouble remembering the "rule of eights." We all think in octaves!
Better yet, connect the thought of water to a favorite piece of music. Handel's Water Music Suite, Vaughan-Williams' Sea Symphony, or even Jobim's catchy Waters of March. A good resource recommended to me is Water: For Health, for Healing, for Life: You're Not Sick, You're Thirsty! by Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj.
2. Beware the Java Jive
Being a native of the Seattle region, and you know what that means… Coffee—caffeine country—any way you want it. It must be in my blood. Now I've got to deal with iced tea! Fill 'er up, NO sugar please!
But, caffeine is a diuretic, which means it increases urination, thus reversing the good work we've accomplished in step 1. Also, along with that water goes many soluble vitamins and nutrients. It affects sleep too, which we'll address below.
There is no free lunch. That "energy boost" we get from our morning cup is offset by a trough later in the day. Trying to offset the trough with more caffeine only causes a long-term snowball effect while quickly becoming a habit hard to break.
What are simple ways to cut down? Limit yourself to good, cheap coffee. That should be hard enough to find. As you use those tablespoonfuls out of the can, begin mixing in some decaf.
When that afternoon excitement of a trip to the coffee shop starts running through your mind… go get something else. Pretty soon, it'll be a water and apple trip with the same satisfaction.
Or, try a healthy coffee replacement such as Raja's Cup.
Have you had success in this area? I'd love to hear about it. Put it in below.
3. All Liquids are NOT Created Equal!
Alcohol is another diuretic. It also irritates the mucous membranes that line the throat. And, no, you don't sound better after a beer or two. Not to anyone else, anyway. Soft drinks have absolutely no redeeming value. Even if they are "caffeine-free" (caffeine must be added to it in the first place—it's the leftovers from decaffeinating coffee and tea) they are loaded with sucrose, or even worse, artificial additive "sweeteners."
Fruit juices are better, but still loaded with sugar. Sugar can affect the throat (starts getting a bit sore after about 20 minutes) according to anecdotal accounts I've heard. Most of us get so much of it that we'll never know how it affects us.
Cow's milk can create phlegm in the throat.
A good way to cut down on these? Mix them all together in equal proportions in a 20 oz. tumbler, and bottoms up! Okay, then just imagine that every time the urge comes for one of them.
Keep it simple. Drink water. (Not to mention cheapest.)
4. Become the Maestro of Your Diet
Great music brings the glorious harmony of God's creation to our attention. It points to what we so often overlook in every day life because we are so accustomed to it. We are "fearfully and wonderfully made" as the Psalmist puts it.
When we prepare to perform the work of a master composer, the director takes painstaking care with every detail and nuance, in order to bring the glory of that composition to life. Rehearsals can be long and trying at times, and we may not understand how all the work will pay off. But when it all comes together in performance, the results are indescribable.
Likewise, we must be the "Maestro" of our diet. We can think of the foods we eat as the component parts which determine our performance. A healthy diet is essential to bringing out the masterpiece we were intended to be.
5. Rests are Part of the Music
Rests are as critical as the notes in a composition, just as silence is essential to conversation. We are not made to burn the candle at both ends. Get consistent, nightly sleep. It is best, if not always workable, to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. You don't really reclaim lost sleep, and too much sleep can sap your energy. Keep naps under 45 minutes to avoid going into deep sleep and throwing off your sleep cycle.
Take the long view, for a long life of good singing.
For information on getting better sleep by sleeping less download two free chapters from the Powerful Sleep System.
6. Keep Fit as a Fiddle
This slightly odd phrase originally meant "fit" as in "suitable for a purpose" according to The Phrase Finder. A perfect doublet, as keeping physically fit will keep us well suited for singing. But before you go singing in the rain, check out steps 7 and 8.
7. Cork those Coughs
Avoid coughing! All year round, forever. When you feel that coughing urge coming on, train yourself to keep the throat from tightening up and building pressure behind the vocal cords—then rasping and rattling them in blasts until they swell and stretch and get sore. Raw throats allow infections to take hold.
8. Remember Howard Hughes
No, don't be paranoid. Avoid exposure to sick people and watch your hygiene. When you know you've been exposed, pay extra-special attention to steps 1 through 5. Avoid prolonged singing outdoors in cold weather.
Stay away from cigarettes, chemical cleaners and solvents, and be careful not to gargle with products containing alcohol or other additives that can affect the throat. (also mentioned in NIH's "Taking Care of your Voice").
Don't sit where fans or air conditioners are blowing in your face. I've blown this rule and gotten nasty sinus infections or laryngitis within 24 hours.
Keep the humidity level in your home around 30%, especially in the winter when the heater is running.
9. Start in the Bullpen
Baseball pitchers always warm up. They understand the short and long term consequences involved. Singing is no different. Stretch, loosen up, and hum or lightly sing some scales in your normal range.
Of course, this is easy to remember before a rehearsal or performance. What about those times we have to shout or raise our voice unexpectedly?
10. Support Your Local Larynx
Breathe from your diaphragm. Never strain. If it feels like you are straining, you are! Use good posture, whether standing in performance or sitting in rehearsal. Consciously keep reminding yourself to relax your throat muscles allowing them to stay open and tension-free.
This isn't just talk. In fact, remember to support your voice whether you are singing or "just talking."
11. Don't be a Hero
If you experience prolonged and unusual voice problems—see a throat doctor! I had the terrible experience of having a wonderfully gifted young singer friend completely lose her singing and then talking voice to growths—a type of "singer's nodes"—on the vocal chords that finally required surgery to remove. Who knows how long she "put up" with them before she was urged to seek medical help. Another friend had a similar condition, caused by acid reflux!
12. Seek Professional Help
No, silly, I mean a voice teacher. Athletes, performers, businessmen, craftsmen—they all use mentors or coaches if they want to excel. Learning from someone who has really "been there, done that" is the fastest way to get to the next level in any endeavor. You make good friendships, avoid reinventing the wheel on a regular basis, learn from their mistakes, and get some honest feedback.
It is better to build the right foundation from the very beginning, than to unlearn bad habits.
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