APR
23

Voice Care 101

By Christina Hamlett 

Former actress and director Christina Hamlett is an award-winning author whose credits to date include 52 books, 276 stage plays and squillions of articles on the performing arts.  www.authorhamlett.com. 

Whenever you step on stage to act and/or sing, your voice is your signature for which there is no substitute.  Throughout my own years in theatre, there was no shortage of times I allowed it to get too tired, too strained, and even beset with bouts of laryngitis.  The reality of all this — which I often learned the hard way — is that maintaining good vocal health from the get-go is easier than needing to fix a serious problem after it has occurred.

Water, water, everywhere

The number one tip for healthy vocal cords — and a healthy body, too! — is generous hydration.  Along with drinking plenty of water an hour before rehearsal or performance to keep your mouth and throat tissues moist, strive to consume 2-3 liters of water per day.  Yes, I know that’s 70-100 ounces of water each day, even more than the “recommended” eight 8-ounce glasses a day.

If you live in an arid climate or one that gets especially cold in winter so that your furnace is running a lot, consider using a cool-mist humidifier or steam vaporizer at bedtime.  This will also help lubricate your vocal cords and prevent your voice from drying out.

Exercise and warm-ups

Regular cardiovascular exercise is essential for expanding your lung capacity and being able to have more control over your breathing.  If you find yourself running out of breath after delivering long passages or doing strenuous singing, you’re doing unnecessary damage to your vocal cords, which will result in strain and hoarseness.

And just as you wouldn’t jump into a marathon without stretching your muscles beforehand, going onstage without 20-25 minutes of vocal warm-ups can be a recipe for disaster.  Trills, slides, yawns, lip flutters, tongue twisters, humming and ascending/descending scales will get your lips, tongue, larynx and jaw into performance mode.  Finish your warm-up with 2-3 minutes of cool-down exercises — including gentle breath pulses — to return your voice to normal use.  My late husband sang opera, and he often used his commute time in the car for his warm-up sessions and was, thus, ready to hit the ground running by the time he reached the theatre.

Watch what you eat

A lot of actors and singers eschew eating or drinking anything right before a performance.  Most of them say it’s because they’re just too nervous and worried about throwing up.  There is, however, another good reason to hold off on food and beverage consumption prior to showtime.  Dairy products, processed sugar, salt, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, spicy or highly acidic foods, French fries, and carbonated beverages will do your system no favors, especially if your adrenaline is already amped up.  I also recall the time one of my actors brought a turkey sandwich (courtesy of Thanksgiving leftovers) to nosh on backstage.  The tryptophan began to kick in by the second act...

Know your comfort zone

Unless you’re working with a professional vocal coach and gradually expanding your vocal range, not every singing role will be a smart fit.  If it’s not a good fit and you’re straining to hit those ridiculously up-to-the-rafters high notes, you’re likely taking shallow breaths from your throat and making it raw, rather than deep breaths from your diaphragm.

I once accepted a lead part because — well, golly, it was the lead part!  After almost two weeks of stressful rehearsals, though, I could see and hear the damage it was doing to my speaking voice and had to bow out.  Years later, after working with a great coach, I’m pretty sure I could easily nail it.  I just wasn’t ready at the time.

Throat sprays and lozenges

If your sinuses aren’t clear (particularly during allergy season), there are plenty of over-the-counter fixes to remedy that.  Unfortunately, decongestant sprays and antihistamine tablets only work for the short-term and, further, can dry out your mouth and affect your volume and enunciation.  Likewise with throat lozenges.  They can certainly help in numbing your mouth while subduing coughs and throat tickles, but they just don’t last.  Instead, consider using a saline spray, gargling with salt water, or sucking on oranges.

Rest and recharge

You can’t be your best and most authentic self if you’re functioning on a deficit of zzzzz’s.  Along with a good night’s sleep, throat “naps” of 15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours are essential to maintain good vocal health.  On performance days, limit the amount of talking you do.  Reducing the amount of speaking you have to do gives your vocal cords the rest they need.  But please don’t think that whispering is the answer.  Whispering actually causes more damage because you’re tensing up the muscles and forcing air through your vocal cords at high velocity without letting them vibrate.  If you’re feeling under the weather, do your cast mates a favor and take a day of rest.  Pushing through laryngitis, a nagging cough, an earache, or a sore throat will only exacerbate the problem.

Posture perfect

Lastly, your spine needs to be in proper alignment in order to produce your best sounds.  With correct posture, your ribs and your lungs are allowed to fully expand, air flows freely, and your body weight is distributed evenly, which reduces any strain on your joints and muscles.  This, in turn, reduces physical tension and increases the amount of resonance you can deliver in a relaxed yet completely focused performance.