Maintaining a Healthy Voice
Training and Conditioning
A performing career is sporadic. One month you may have it easy, and the next you'll be in incredible demand. Rock, pop, or opera, your voice needs special handling. A guitar can be tucked away in a hard shell case after a brutal workout; but you wear your vocal cords everywhere. Protect your career by protecting your gift.
The environments you hang out in have a tremendous impact on your vocal health and your ability to perform at peak. Lifestyle excesses (smoke, drink, medications, extensive travel, or lack of rest) can gradually cause vocal deterioration. A simple rule is, the harder you perform, the less foolhardy you can afford to be in your off time.
vocal health
 My vocal guru is Dr. Martin Hopp, Ph.D., Otolaryngologist, and head & neck surgeon. (Also known as an E.N.T. - ear, nose, throat specialist.) An innovative inventor of ear surgery techniques, a physician to superstar singers, and a leading expert in his field, Dr. Hopp knows what vocal damage and hearing look like first hand having performed many nodule surgeries and eardrum reconstructions. Dr. Hopp loves our art and wants us healthy. His rules for vocal maintenance and tips for touring will keep your voice in optimum condition. Dr. Hopp is founder of the Tower Center for E.N.T. and practices at the Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, California. This interview is excerpted by permission from Singing For A Living.
Dr. Hopp's Rules for Vocal Maintenance
Your singing voice is an extension of your speaking voice. If you abuse your voice speaking, your singing will be affected.
Get a lot of sleep, drink plenty of water, and participate in exercise. Rest, moisture, and muscle tone are the three key ingredients to good vocal health.
Going in and out of changing climates (cold/dry/warm) irritates vocal cords.
Smoke is the biggest enemy. It dries and irritates the throat.
Alcohol dries the throat. It is a major enemy to the voice.
Talking while smoking is very damaging.
Caffeine is a drying agent. Avoid it or limit your intake.
Never yell or scream in conversation, especially in dry climates.
Moisture is the key to maintaining healthy vocal cords.
Use a vaporizer when living in dry climates, every day.
Drink plain water to keep your vocal cords moisturized. There are no sprays or potions that help the voice more than consuming a lot of water, because the cords need to be saturated from absorption through your system. Additionally, when singing, water dilutes and washes away mucous, keeping it from collecting on your vocal cords.
Use a vaporizer placed about two feet away from your nose when you sleep. New research suggests a cool mist vaporizer is better than hot mist because it does not promote bacteria.
Don't put and fragrances or additives in the vaporizer-particularly eucalyptus typementhols- because they dry out the voice.
If you get bloody nose or experience sinus dryness in extremely dry climates, (which might also feel disguised as a hard-packed stuffiness) use a saline nasal spray, such as AYR or OCEAN, to keep your nasal membranes moist.
For dry throat, use glycerin based lozenges such as Grether's Black Currant Pastilles or Pine Brothers Honey. If unsure, check for "glycerin" in the ingredients.
Dr. Hopp's Tips for Touring
Don't sing or talk on an airplane. It's an extremely dry, loud environment - the background noise is 30 to 60 decibels. You'll speak much louder than normal, fatiguing your voice without knowing it.
Drink one glass of water per hour on the plane, and don't sing the same day you fly.
Use vaporizers (warm or cool mist) at all hotels because the air tends to be very dry. Call ahead to the hotel and ask concierge to put a vaporizer in your room so it's running when you arrive. Use only plain water in the vaporizer - no additives or fragrances.
Go straight to the hotel after getting off the plane and take a 20-minute steam shower.
More advice from Dr. Martin Hopp

 

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