The development of your voice is governed by your expectations. In this vocal quick tip Dr Dan unpacks the idea that learning to sing shouldn’t be about achieving perfect notes…it should be about communication.
Singers, are you producing your volume in a sustainably healthy way? There are many contemporary music genres that require loud singing. Rock, Pop, Country, and Music Theatre all require, at times, sustained levels of volume. This presents a difficulty for many singers because most voices don’t naturally produce loud sounds efficiently.
You’ve heard it said that your body is a temple…well in the case of the singer that old saying translates into, “Your instrument is a temple!” If you don’t look after your voice it simply won’t perform at its optimum.
1:06 Eat, Drink and be Merry
If you’re looking to improve your voice then the first thing you need to do is treat your body the same way a professional athlete treat’s theirs. You are a vocal athlete! This means that everything you do will have an impact on your voice.
2:01 Choose the Wrong Singing Teacher
Every professional athlete has a coach; someone to observe, instruct and correct. Singers are no different. We need someone who can watch, listen and provide feedback for the refinement of our voice. This being said, it’s really important that you choose the right singing teacher for you.
3:14 Sing when you are Sick
Singing while you’re sick is simply not worth the risk to your vocal health. Please heed this warning: you can do significant damage to your voice during one set of songs – especially if the health of the voice is already compromised due to general illness.
4:26 Deny you have a vocal problem
Raspiness, inconsistent tone, an inability to maintain pitch, and reduced vocal stamina are all signs that your voice has been compromised. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your voice has sustained damage of a pathological nature. Sure, you might have nodules, a vocal fold cyst or a contact granuloma, but it could equally be a functional issue requiring simple instruction on how to operate your voice more efficiently.
5:29 Don’t look after your Ears
We spend a lot of time as singers worrying about the health of our larynx. We should pay equal attention to the health of our ears. Let’s face it, if you can’t hear well your singing is going to become a darn sight harder.
6:42 Habitually Clear Your Throat
When you get into the poor habit of slamming your vocal folds together every few minutes the vocal folds respond by swelling in order to cushion and protect themselves from the repetitive impact. You already know that swollen vocal folds is not a good thing and adds to general wear and tear of the voice. If you want to look after your voice…stop all that throat clearing and replace it with a simple swallow instead.
Voice in Worship 