Vocal Tips for the Christmas Season!
It’s Christmastime and the gigs, shows, recitals, final vocal exams (college students!) and special services are all happening back to back! It’s a fun and exciting season! -And an easy time to blow out our voices!
I feel your pain! I LOVE this time of year- but have also struggled with an exhausted voice, battled sickness, been overworked- and sometimes missed the fun of the season. – Let’s consider what we can do to avoid these challenges!
Here are some vocal tips and things to consider:
- Are you getting enough sleep?
- Are you staying hydrated?
- Are you singing too loud over background noise?
- Are you pacing yourself?
- How many hours are you singing a day?
- Did you eat? and what?
- Can you share the load?
- Can you take a vocal nap?
- Let’s talk about talking…
- Don’t forget to breathe!
- Did you warm up sufficiently?
- Are you praying?
Let’s take each one…
- Are you getting enough sleep?
Yeah- we all know that 8 hours of sleep is this golden numbers doctors advise we all get- but let’s get real, how many of you get a consistent 8 hours of sleep a night. You do? Well, AWESOME- skip to the next bullet! For the rest of us, let’s discuss!
I know we are all different, but most of us know how much sleep we need to feel good. I need at least 7 hours…. and if I get less than 6 hours of sleep over more than 3 days in a row, I start to really flag. My voice gets more phlegmy; I don’t support as well and my posture is droopier; I fall asleep at my computer; I nod out during the sermon, my resistance is down and I am more likely to catch whatever my next student is coughing from. I feel dehydrated.Sleep is the major time our body re-hydrates; less sleep and we feel more dried out. Pay attention to what you need… build in make up sleep or naps – work with your schedule! But get some rest. Especially when you are singing more than usual, remember- your vocal cords are muscles… and singing is a full body sport!
- Are you staying hydrated?
So those same doctors we all know and love all tell us we should drink 8 glasses of water a day to keep all our bodily systems healthy… but how much should a singer drink? AT LEAST THAT MUCH! In fact, we should drink about half of our body weight in ounces of water. So fr example, if you weigh 120 lbs, you should drink 65oz of water a day, roughly 8 cups. If you weigh more, drink more. if you sing more, drink more.You can expel up to a gallon of water in an hour of public speaking or active singing! WOAH!But why is this important? When our vocal cords get dry they rub… imagine them vibrating at 880 time a second when you sing that high A at the end of “O Holy Night” or something! Now imagine that kind of vibration without lubrication! Now you have friction- OUCH!God created an automatic system to protect our vocal cords from the friction and accompanying irritation- mucus! And the dryer we are, the more we have to clear our throat- eventually leading to swollen vocal cords and a compromised range. It only gets worse from there. So drink your water- AND get some sleep!By the way, you can also greatly help your hydration by using a humidifier in your bedroom at night. You can also hydrate more quickly with a personal steamer. Both are vital tools for every active singer!
