Hearing a piece of music with an angelic voice on top of it can
be celestial. The way the voice dips and curves its way into our
hearts is almost magic. How does the voice move us that much?
Well, it's not always the powers of the supernatural! T. Radamsli,
Associate Professor of Voice and Theatrical Singing at Wake Forest
University says, "while singing may seem heavenly, vocal production
itself is a down-to-earth physical experience, requiring athletic
performance as well as artistry". Technically speaking, "the
lung power drives the voice. The voice comes from vibrations on
the tissues of the vocal folds, and that sound is modified by the
rest of the respiratory tract." (Dr. Savita
Collins, Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology at the University
of Florida)
As you can see, the voice is quite a complex piece of anatomy. Over
the next two months, I am going to focus on maintaining a healthy
singing voice as well as proper vocal technique. Both of these topics
are extremely important if you want to maximize your full potential
as a singer.
Vocal Health
Remember that everything we put in our bodies has to go through
our mouth. This means that sometimes our poor vocal cords get caught
in the crossfire of our bad habits. Many singers dump junk foods
and toxins into their bodies; unknowingly using the voice as the
portal.
I think of my voice as an instrument, very similar to a cello or
a flute. I would never pour alcohol on a cello and I would never
blow smoke into a flute. The same goes for my voice. Although I
don't smoke or drink, I am not a complete saint! I do have bad habits
that are equally damaging to the voice as smoking and tobacco can
be.
Smoking is So Cool
The first major "don't" I would like to address is smoking.
I know that smoking is perceived as "cool" and that's one of the
reasons a lot of people start. However, nicotine is not only one
of the most addicting drugs known, but it is also one of the most
damaging to the voice. At its mildest, "cigarette smoke is an
irritant and as a result, can cause swelling of the vocal cords.
With vocal cords, swelling increases the weight of the voice's cords
and thus changes the pitch." Think about guitar strings - the
heavier the string, the lower the pitch when the string vibrates.
However, unlike a heavier guitar string, your vocal cords were not
designed to vibrate at this lower frequency. The usual result is
not just a deeper voice, but a less clear ("husky" or "throaty")
voice. (http://www.Allhealth.com
- Douglas Hoffman, M.D. Ph.D.). Many singers prefer that
"husky" or "sexy" voice. I know of a famous musician who can only
sing after smoking several cigarettes. Damaging your vocal chords
is not the only way to achieve this desired effect.
I can create that "throaty" effect, (although not recommended) with
my voice by "consciously over-driving air pressure." (http://www.manhunt.com/features/html/87.shtml).
I push more air into my larynx to create that "husky" sound. If
my vocal cords tire from doing this, I can back off a little. When
a smoker's voice tires, he or she doesn't have this option.
Pre-Show Dos
· Warm-up before singing. I used to get on stage and sing at level
"ten" without warming up at all. I could do that in my late teens
and early twenties. As I have gotten older, I see the positive effects
that warming up has on my voice.
· Stay hydrated! There is a famous saying among singers: "pee pale".
A high level of water guarantees that your vocal folds will be well
"irrigated". How much water is that? Six to eight glasses per day!
Other drying irritants include:
· caffeine (this is also a diuretic - which does not help in staying
hydrated)
· chocolate
· antihistamines
· diuretics
· vitamin C (especially in large doses)
Find out more at: (http://faculty.roosevelt.edu/armstrong/journey/care.html)
· Make sure you can hear yourself onstage. Most places I
perform provide a PA system and with ample monitors for the performer.
If the club does not, you might think about investing in your own
PA so you don't over-sing to compensate for the lack of amplification.
· Get plenty of rest and relaxation. "Regardless of the style
of singing, rest and relaxation are essential as antidotes to the
rigors of extensive vocal use, nervous tension, and performance
stress." (http://www.bgsm/edu/voice/singers_notes.edu)
Pre-show "Don'ts"
· Aside from smoking, another major don't is drinking alcohol which
is very drying to the vocal folds and mucous membranes. The only
liquid I have before I sing is water at room temperature. I keep
a bottle on stage at all times because the room may be dry or smoke-filled,
etc.
· Shouting, screaming or excessive talking. I used to meet with
friends before a show, talking above the crowd to compete with the
extraneous noise. Nine times out of ten my voice would be tired
by the middle of my set.
· Heavy throat clearing. This is another irritant to the vocal cords.
When you clear your throat you are bringing your vocal cords together
with a lot force. If you clear your throat frequently, it adds more
stress and can even result in vocal nodules.
· "Singing higher or lower than is comfortable" (Healthy
Voice Hygiene, p. 1). Singing out of your range can have long-term
damaging effects. This will be discussed in depth in next month's
article.
· Avoid whispering. This causes abnormal strain on the way you use
the larynx. You might think you are using "less" of your voice by
whispering, but your are actually putting more stress on it. Other
research has shown that whispering may also have a drying effect
on vocal fold tissue.
· Avoid diary foods. Dairy foods such as milk, ice cream and chocolate
create an excessive amount of mucous in some people. In my experience,
this causes me to want to clear my throat more to get rid of the
mucous, which, as stated above is stressful to the vocal folds.
· Avoid spicy foods. "These tend to create upset stomach, which
can cause gastric reflux. In this situation, the acids in the stomach
rise up the esophagus to irritate the tissues of the vocal folds."
(http://faculty.roosevelt.edu/armstrong/journey/care.html).
Sometimes a prescription is needed to take care of acid reflux.
Consult your health care professional if you feel like this is a
problem.
"Caring for your voice means learning to pay attention to the
signals that your voice gives you so that you take the necessary
steps to avoid getting injured in the first place. It also requires
that you think ahead, learning to change certain behaviors which
might lead to an injured voice." (http://faculty.roosevelt.edu/armstrong/journey/care.html)
In next month's article, I will focus on proper vocal technique
that will further maximize your potential as singer.
Keep singing!
|
|
