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One major factor that a lot of people forget about when singing is vocal health. We sometimes don't think about it until the voice is gone and we are trying to do everything we can to get it back. Well vocal health is a very important subject that needs to be addressed in the beginning of your vocal journey. The sooner you are able to deal with some things the better and easier it will be to prevent certain issues from happening.
Vocal health is a very important part of your learning process. Most people don't understand that you don't just sing with the vocal chords, but you sing with your entire body. In order for you to utilize your whole body there are certain "sacrifices" that need to be made to get the best out of your body which in turn gives you the best out of your voice. For instance you have a song to sing that requires holding long notes or the song is long and it may require a heavier sound. It may be a little difficult to sing if your body is not disciplined/conditioned to endure that type of singing, but if you train/discipline your body with exercise, eating the proper foods, staying hydrated with water, etc... your body is more apt to handling different situations with ease, so I challenge you to SWERVE from the path that keeps you fatigued and hoarse. Let's learn the 8 Essentials of vocal health called THE SWERVE!
T- Time with God - Time with God is important because it sets the tone of your lesson, your day, your voice. Allowing God to be apart of your goals and your dream will take you all the way, the right way and at the right time. Allowing God to be apart of your learning keeps you on task, on target, and on time (His time.)
H- Have Fun - All work and no play makes anyone very dull so allowing that time to be free and just enjoy life gives you an opportunity to just be .
E- Effort - How much you put in is what you will get out!
No effort = No GROWTH
Little effort = Little GROWTH
Much effort = Much GROWTH
S- Sleep - The proper amount of sleep is very necessary for your body to rejuvinate itself. We are up at least 16-18 hours a day and our body needs at least 7 hours to fully replenish the wear and tare that you put on it the day before. If you are getting less sleep than that then you are beginning the new day with damaged chords. Doing this consistantly then allows different types of things to happen to the body because the body hasn't had proper time to replenish... Selah...
W- Water intake - Water is essential to the body. Your body is made up of more water than blood yet we rarely get enough water in our body. Sometimes we think that if it is a liquid it is good enough, but that in not the case. Certain things we drink don't give us hydration, but actually dehydrates us and if we are already not drinking enough water then what? The body needs water to servive. I've learned that if you are not getting the proper amount of water your body will pull it from somewhere. Usually the first places it comes from are the intestines which causes constipaption, the brain which causes headaches, and the chords which cause mucus and hoarseness. As singers we should drink at least half your body weight in water plus 32oz. It sounds like a lot, but if you drink 20oz of water every 2 hours your awake you will get more than enough water each day.
E- Exercise - Exercise is important because exercise prepares the body for singing. Try and experiment. Wake up and sing....Then exercise immediatly and sing... You will notice that the voice is more alive, awake when you finish exercising. It is almost like another voice. It helps with vocal fatigue and hoarseness as well. Exercise disciplines your body to breathe correctly and be able to handle all types of vocal situations.
R- Relaxation - A lot of people associate Relaxing with sleep, but I say the 2 are quite different. Relaxing is quieting your mind and doing nothing. Relaxing requires no thought and just being.
V- Vocal/Breathing Exercises - Of course vocal and breathing exercises are necessary to the development of the singer. Those exercises keep the voice agile, and in proper condition to be able to sing anything at will. The best vocal artist makes sure to do their vocalise upon rising and before any show or performance.
E- Eating with and on purpose - Eating can be a major part of a singers lifestyle. Certain foods can take you out vocally and it is up to you to understand what foods your voice agrees or disagrees with. Most singers doin't do well with dairy products, soda, sugar and processed foods. These foods can not only make the body sick, but hinder the singer from producing the sound that is needed. So I say a singer should eat on and with purpose in mind at all times. It will make making the right food decisions a little easier.
This is just the beginning of why these are considered my list of essentials for the singer. Check out one of my classes for the full understanding of Vocal Health.
Before I go I want to leave you with some vocal health tips:
1. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER probably almost a gallon
2. GET PLENTY OF REST ... about 7-8 hours of sleep a night helps
3. EXERCISE for at least 30 minutes 3-5 days a week
4. Try to stay away from a lot of dairy, and processed foods.
5. Eat a lot of water based fruits and veggies
6. RELAX
7. Drink throat coat tea with honey (or agave nectar but preferably raw, uncooked, organic honey) and a pinch of cayenne pepper
8. Have 1 teaspoon of Manuka Honey and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
9. Drink Honey Citron Tea no sweetner and a pinch of cayenne
10. Drink cayenne and water
11. Wear a scarf no matter if it seems warm outside the shift in temps so abruptly can make a huge difference in your voice in a matter of seconds
12. Warm up in the morning with humming (lips closed but teeth open) and lip trills before speaking at all.
13. Drink a bottle of water as soon as you get up in the morning.
14. Sleep with a humidifier in your room to keep some moisture in the air.
15. Work on your breathing techniques daily
16. If you get an opportunity, sing and jog or walk or exercise at the same time. It will build up the endurance in your chords.
