Vocal health for auditions

By Audition Oracle – Sun 31 May 2015 @ 9:30

Maintaining vocal health for auditions

 

1. Drink plenty of water, and (sorry about this) try to avoid alcohol and caffeine

-Start the day by filling a one-litre bottle of water. Make it your aim to finish by mid-day and drink another before bed.
-For each cup of tea/glass of wine drink two glasses of water.
 

2. Take ‘vocal rest’ throughout the day and avoid repeatedly raising your voice

-Replace a five minute phone call to a friend about why ‘blah got blah and you didn't' with a five minute guided meditation. Search the net for a free one to suit your needs. 
 
-Hitting the town? Choose a venue with no background music or a less boomy restaurant, and avoid the temptation to shout to be heard.
 

3. Avoid clearing your throat as this can become a habit

-If you are doing it regularly, visit your GP – it could be a sign of acid reflux or a habit formed as a result of a past illness.
-Whenever you get the urge to clear your throat, take a sip of water instead and see if that clears it first.
 

4. When sick, be brave and rest!

-This is tough. You might not have a cover and/or when you cancel, you don't get paid/might not get booked again.
-There are funds out there that can help you get back on track though. One excellent service in the UK is Help Musicians UK. They are known to support musicians when their ability to work is affected by issues such as vocal problems, illness & bereavement.

5. Pay attention to your speaking voice. Are you causing day-to-day damage?

-Support your speaking voice as well as when you sing.
-Doing a lot of teaching? Some teachers use mini amplification headsets to save their voices. Find what works for you.
 

6. Eat a balanced diet

-Your voice is part of your body and what you eat will affect your immunity and therefore your vocal health.
 

7. Take regular exercise. Healthy body = healthy mind

-If you never do any exercise, take small steps to improve this. Get off the tube or bus one stop early
-Take the stairs, not the lift
-When working at home, set your alarm to buzz every hour and make yourself walk around for five minutes.
 

8. Warm your voice up & down

 

9. Give up the smoking! 

 

10. Lastly, remember why you enjoy singing!