Chewing gum and the voice… who knew? Just a quick tip for you today: Xylitol can help make the voice feel less dry! Found in such chewing gums as Trident, it might make an interesting addition to your vocal kit. However, I don’t recommend singing AND chewing gum at the same time. It’s hard… Read More » about Singing and Chewing Gum
Vocal Health
Suspect Vocal Damage? Vital Tips
This morning I got a call from a friend who is singing background vocals touring with a major recording artist. She casually mentioned that she suspected she had a blister on her vocal cords. I gave her some advice that I will pass on to you here: First and formost, if you think you have… Read More » about Suspect Vocal Damage? Vital Tips
Physical workouts and Vocal Problems
OK friends… another good question in my email this week concerning physical training and vocal issues… thought I’d share that conversation with you: Question: Hello Judy. I’m a classical tenor who’s training at The Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. During this year, I’ve been experiencing a lot of trouble with my voice due… Read More » about Physical workouts and Vocal Problems
Need To Sing Loud? 11 Tips For Doing It Safely
Billy Devereaux and me singing loud Two facts: Unless one only wants to sing for a short while, the voice needs to be protected from strain. However, there are times when a singer wants or needs to sing loud. Here are a 11 tips to do it safely: Understand that volume… Read More » about Need To Sing Loud? 11 Tips For Doing It Safely
Where/When To Squeeze For Vocal Power
To power your voice requires effort. It is not a passive thing. Air must move and air must be held back (breath support/breath control must be applied and balanced). This compression (squeeze) effort can be subtle or quite strong. And there is a catch-22: Squeeze at the wrong place, at the wrong time or for… Read More » about Where/When To Squeeze For Vocal Power
What To Eat Before You Sing
NOTE: The audio player should appear below, if not, please click on the title of this post and go online to hear. Available also on iTunes , Google Play, TuneIn Radio, Android apps What you eat before you sing can make all the difference to your performance. It can be confusing to know that many people can eat chips,… Read More » about What To Eat Before You Sing
Cold Weather Tips For Voices
Tiz the season to be freezin! And yet… our voices still need to do their jobs. Here are some things you can do to keep your voice happy: 1. Warm up! And I’m not just talking sweaters and coats… don’t neglect warming up your voice, just like you would your muscles for any other physical… Read More » about Cold Weather Tips For Voices
Vocal Warmups: A Simple Guide
Vocal exercises should serve definite purposes. They are not something that you just mindlessly do… that can hurt your voice instead of help it! Know the object of any vocal exercise you do. Here’s a simple guide to help you: Vocal exercises should: Warm up and connect you to your vocal resonators Work out your… Read More » about Vocal Warmups: A Simple Guide
How To Increase Your Vocal Range Without Strain
Alicia Yantz, photo by Peter Rodman If you are wanting to increase your usable vocal range without straining your voice, here’s the best way: Strengthen your middle or mixed voice! This is also known as bridging or covering, mixing your registers without a vocal break so that you seem to have one connected register rather… Read More » about How To Increase Your Vocal Range Without Strain
Stomach bug and have to sing?
Oh my, there’s nothing like the stomach bug to destroy your breath support/control for singing. Hard to be stuck on the ‘throne’, not to mention it’s really disconcerting to have to throw up all over your bandmates/ audience! This just happened to my poor fellow background singer for a live show we were doing last… Read More » about Stomach bug and have to sing?