Today’s post is my audio interview with Dr. Dwaine Allison, chiropractor and wellness physician. You may notice that I’m sounding unusually nasal… when I recorded the interview I was just getting over bad cold! You can enjoy that adventure in respiratory ailment at my previous post Cold Cough, Laryngitis! 9 Day Journal of a Desperate VocalCoach Listen &… Read More » about Chiropractic, Wellness, Voice: Interview with Dr. Dwaine Allison
Vocal Health
Cold, Cough, Laryngitis! 9 Day Journal of a Desperate Vocal Coach
Desperate times call for desperate measures!! Day 1 Monday I noticed I started a weird dry cough that evening. Didn’t seem to be a reason for it. So I just ignored it and kept watching the rerun of Castle I was into. The new episodes have been awful… they split up over no good reason…. Read More » about Cold, Cough, Laryngitis! 9 Day Journal of a Desperate Vocal Coach
Quick Vocal Warmup Tips That Work On Froggy Days
At last week’s gig… Thank goodness for vocal warmup that works! Today I’ll be doing a quick post for allergy sufferers needing to sing soon, from my personal experience last week. With a 45 minute full band gig to do and heavy frogs on sluggish vocal cords typical of my voice during season changes, this… Read More » about Quick Vocal Warmup Tips That Work On Froggy Days
Voice Feeling A Little Guarded?
Still guarded even after the storm is over? pic courtesy of Dr. Robert Hubbard, aka ‘The Survival Doctor‘ My sister & brother-in-law’s poor rain-soaked little dog Nick illustrates perfectly how we feel when we are not sure how our voice is going to perform. But the guarded stance for voice is a counterproductive tactic. Years… Read More » about Voice Feeling A Little Guarded?
Reflux Laryngitis From Stomach Flu or Food Poisoning
What’s eating you? Stomach flu, stomach bug, food poisoning… sometimes it’s hard to tell, but we all know the signs. Diarrhea, nausea and/or vomiting, and sometimes, reflux laryngitis! Yours truly just had the experience (I’m always doing research for you:) After a 24 hour bought with something intestines decided didn’t belong there, I noticed I… Read More » about Reflux Laryngitis From Stomach Flu or Food Poisoning
Listening to Tight Voices? Danger: It can Tighten Your Own
Whew.. even just looking at this pic makes me cough… Be careful what you listen to. You know that phrase ‘you are what you eat’? Well, your voice tends to mimic (be) what it hears (consumes). If you stop and think about it, the way a baby learns to talk is by listening to other… Read More » about Listening to Tight Voices? Danger: It can Tighten Your Own
Vocal Strain: What is it? What can you do about it?
Vocal Strain- Never Again! What is vocal strain? Vocal strain, like any other strain, is the overuse or misuse of the vocal cords. Only 1/2″ to 1″ long in adults, these little bands easily can be overblown. After just 20 minutes of screaming at a ball game, blood blisters can begin to form on them!… Read More » about Vocal Strain: What is it? What can you do about it?
Singing While Old: How Vintage Voices Can “Rock”
Singing is a lot of things … it is athletic, it is biological, it is psychological, it is spiritual, it is technical and above all, it is art. Because of all these things, the voice changes as we age. And because of these things, aging is a good news/bad news balance we can tip in… Read More » about Singing While Old: How Vintage Voices Can “Rock”
Songwriter Vocal Strain: Hazards of Singing While Writing Songs
Unless the song is an instrumental, the act of songwriting requires a lot of singing during the creative process. Many times your passion for the piece will take you the extremes of your vocal range. If you are a songwriter or co-writer who creates melody lines, you may have experienced vocal fatigue while writing. It’s… Read More » about Songwriter Vocal Strain: Hazards of Singing While Writing Songs
Speaking Voice Mistakes = Talking Trouble!
Have you assessed your speaking voice lately? Hmm… you could be missing one of the most important tools you have to impact your world… your ability to talk! Here’s how I define a successful speaking voice: It communicates clearly, creates the desired response in the listener (at an emotional, not just surface, level) and you… Read More » about Speaking Voice Mistakes = Talking Trouble!