Vocal care

I want to spend a few blog posts talking about the voice. Many of these posts are from a book coming out later this year, "The Actor's Company Guide to Voice Over Work". Since so many people are interested in this area of performing, I wanted to share some pieces of the book with you.

We will start off with advice everyone can use, that is tips to keep your voice in tip-top shape. Below are some bullet points that will help you keep your pipes in their prime.

WATER- The key to keeping a good, pliant voice is hydration. 8 glasses of water a day is the old standard, new reports seem to indicate that 10 glasses or more a day is better. Naturally this is spread out over the course of the day. Try and always carry water with you, in the car or on the commute, at your desk or in class during the day, and try hydrating at each meal. and in a recording session always have a bottle of ROOM TEMPERATURE water with you.




DRY AIR- Hand in hand with hydration, be aware that dry air is a throats enemy. In the summer, air conditioning drys a throat out fast, and in winter, heat can do the same thing. Take in more water if you find yourself in these situations.

AVOID STRAIN- Try to avoide yelling and whispering, they both put equal strain on the voice. Also try not to clear your throat, that actually creates havoc on the vocal cords.And under no circumstances should anyone who is not Aretha Franklin try and sing like Aretha Franklin. That goes double for Freddy Mercury.

WHEN TRAVELING- Airplanes, trains and buses often have dry unhealthy air. Again try and be lubricated when using public transportation. Also check out Ponaris, an oil that will help protect the vocal cords and can act as a decongestant. Ask your doctor, what do I know?

AVOID VOCAL ABUSE- No smoking nor being around smoke, avoid alcohol which impacts vocal cords, and try to get a good nights sleep, especially before a recording or performance. Also many people react badly to caffine, at least vocally, and most others should try and avoid dairy products before you have a gig. Now if you love coffee and tea you don't need to totally give it up, just be aware that use of it before a session may have a negative impact on your vocal quality.Consider a non-caffeine version of coffee or tea.

Next up, and ode to a tree. :)

 J.T. Turner
The Actors Sensei