Vocal Health

So, here we are. 6 weeks into Lockdown 3. It’s definitely not much fun anymore. The baking has lost its appeal, there’s nothing on TV, it’s been freezing so we can’t get outside as much; a walk seems like a major mission of hats, coats, scarfs, wellies……. I don’t know about you, but it seems like an eternity since I was out rehearsing and singing in the real world.

I’ve written previously about the positive mental health (and physical) benefits of singing aloud at home – it brings people together and can change a mood. That can only be a good thing at the moment, but, believe me, I do appreciate how hard it is to rouse yourself to do anything other than the home-schooling and the day job.

Without the deadline of a concert or a gig, or even a rehearsal, it’s so difficult to stick to practising, so I am definitely not judging if you have not been adhering to a rehearsal regime for the past year (and let’s take a moment of sadness to note that, yes, it has been almost a year). You may well be finding that your voice doesn’t feel quite the same as it did when you were going to choir or singing at gigs. You may have noticed it when you sing along with the radio making dinner. You may have noticed it after a long online meeting. You may notice it when you give one of your old choir songs a try. It may not feel easy to get to those high notes that you could reach before.

Rest assured I am not going to start preaching here. I am a human too (and a mother, doing home schooling, alongside working) and we have all sought solace and escapism through watching films, box sets, food and endless cups of tea. It’s hard not to, right? Most of us are clinging on during this pandemic with the tips of our fingernails.

So. To begin with, be kind to yourself. I have to remind myself of this, in lots of scenarios. But let’s focus on vocals here: if your voice doesn’t quite sound like it used to, please do not start to worry. It will come back.

NB: if anything has really changed and you don’t sound the same anymore or you are experiencing pain or a sound which is markedly different to before – and particularly if you are recovering from Covid - please seek medical advice. A singing teacher cannot diagnose for you.

But - presuming that you are just a little out of practice - I’ll continue. Your Vocal Folds (or chords as they are often known) are a muscle and they’re just out of condition right now. You wouldn’t run the marathon after little or no running for a year, so think of your voice in a similar way. It needs to be built back up again.

Starting with the basic physicals: we should all try to stay hydrated. Water is key. Lots of it. Water is good for general health and boosting the immune system. We all love a cuppa, but tea is actually dehydrating (as is coffee), so if you need to stay awake for that meeting, have a glass of water to hand as well as the PG Tips. Winter is also tricky for this, as we have the heating on, which of course dries out the throat etc etc. We can’t sing, or talk for that matter, properly on a dry mouth and throat. Although water never actually reaches the Vocal Folds (the body doesn’t want foreign objects making their way into the lungs: we’ve all experienced trying to speak whilst having a drink!) they are, of course, housed in the throat, which needs to be kept lubricated. Steamers and nebulisers are actually more helpful to keep the Vocal Folds lubricated than just drinking water (not if you have a bacterial infection!). Moisture can also be found in water-rich foods of course, so think about those too (I personally love watermelon, and grapes are like little pockets of moisture).

And however tempting it is - however claggy, foggy, phlegmy, rough or froggy your throat feels - try not to clear your throat with a cough or that harsh hah hmm sound: it is particularly bad for the Vocal Folds. Drink more water instead!

As a check in with the voice, start the day with some soft humming, or a few scales in the shower. Not the full Beyonce straight away – build up the voice gently! Lip trills, a few Ahhs up and down the scale, or sirens. Repeating a few, simple, gentle warming up exercises will make a difference to your voice. (There is much to say on warming up so another blog will follow, but hopefully you a few to use).

We have found ourselves talking to people in different ways during lockdown than we did before. Remember 2019? We had barely even heard of Zoom! And now work meetings, lessons, fitness classes and our social lives take place over Zoom, or Teams, or another platform… you may well find that by the end of the day your voice is feeling strained or tired or ‘too low’. Add into that the shouting, “what are you up to now?” to the children you are home-schooling and your voice probably doesn’t know what’s hit it!

The speaking voice and singing voice are, naturally, linked. So we all have to try to be sensitive to the changes in our voice during the day. I try to vocally warm up before a Zoom meeting. I do my best to start the day with a glass of water as well as tea (I can’t give up tea first thing!). If you notice that your voice is dropping during a call and you start to get the sound of the Kardashians (I don’t mean an American accent, I mean rough or creaky) then try to consciously brighten your voice, by changing up your speaking pitch. Although it can feel a bit fake, it will result in a brighter, more enthusiastic tone! And, crucially, will help you fight against vocal fatigue. Then, when you sing, it will feel easier.

Finally, for now, our posture can also have a big impact on our singing and speaking voice. All of the time spent at the keyboard or dining table all day, can build up tension in the shoulders, back, throat, jaw, tongue – all the things that we need to be relaxed for singing. Stress and tension are the enemy for singing; I feel awkward saying to you, during a global pandemic, try not to get stressed; small things like a jaw massage, circling the shoulders or standing up and moving around will help.

This is by no means exhaustive in terms what can affect the singing voice and how we can look after it (the effects of sleep, exercise and alcohol are just a few more) but , to sum up – sing and enjoy it! It will make you feel good. But just try to be aware of what is happening in your body. You won’t ‘fix’ everything at once, so try to make some small adjustments.

And keep singing. If you want to sing with a friendly face and talk to a real human about your voice, how to warm up and what sort of day you’ve had, drop me a line. I’ll listen. We will smile. We will sing. And you will feel better.

Unlock your voice; unlock your soul.