How To Deal Effectively With Some Common Problems...
Without becoming paranoid or obsessed with environmental factors, let’s look at how to care for the voice in a practical way…
OK. So, you’re working in air conditioning all day, on the phone or hunched over a computer. Your throat dries out, your voice gets tired (not to mention your ears) and your posture suffers, leaving you with a ‘crook neck’! What do you do?
Then again, you may be working in a busy building site. You’re breathing in dust and fumes, exposed to loud noise for long periods, sometimes in the sun for half a day straight, and you get allergies to the chemicals. You suffer headaches, mild industrial deafness and your throat hurts from yelling over the noise. What do you do?
Maybe you work as an entertainer in pubs and clubs several nights per week. There is the air conditioning, the constant drone of noise, the smoky atmosphere and everyone wants to talk to you in between sets, resulting in vocal tiredness. Your nose runs from the smoke, the air conditioning dries out your vocal cords, you get itchy throat, and the last thing you need is some really good feedback to knock out the last of your hearing sensitivity! What do you do?
WHAT TO DO...
1. Air conditioning
There are two problems with working or being exposed to this factor, for extended periods of time. The first is that the cold, dry air tends to dry out your throat and may lead to hoarseness. The second is that it is unnatural, so you will be prone to more temperature differences when leaving this atmosphere or entering into it, which can lead to catching a chill, cold or otherwise upset your system (including your skin). To overcome these problems, it is advisable to drink plenty of filtered or spring water during the hours of exposure. In your breaks see if you can moisten your vocal cords with some steam (flask/hot water) or use an atomiser. Avoid cough lollies, you are better off with a lemon and honey tea! Make sure that you keep your throat warm if you are in a cold environment, especially while you are not working. A high necked sweater, shirt, coat or a scarf will do fine. And finally, keep your immunity high with vitamin supplements, anti-oxidants and good food.
2. Talking on the telephone
Have you ever wondered why your voice gets tired after talking on the phone for a long time? As strange as it may seem, this is a common problem. The main reason is that, due to the ‘squashed’ sound of our voices through the earpiece, we tend to affect the speaking voice or change it to improve the quality. This acquired sound is repeated on a monotonous speaking level for an extended time, which in turn causes tension and strain in the muscles. In order to make this new sound, the external neck and facial muscles are activated. When this happens, the vocal area is forcefully controlled, by the action of these muscles, making it very hard for the vocal cords to function in a natural way. If the phone is held between the shoulder and ear, the situation becomes more acute. Likewise, if the person is slouched or unbalanced in their posture, then this may also cause cramping, restricted breathing, neck strain and bad vocal technique, leading to bad habits! To overcome these problems, sit up straight and use your natural speaking voice. Be aware of any changes in tone that you make, correcting them quickly and returning to your normal voice. Relax your facial, neck and tummy muscles. Every now and then, have a good stretch.
3. Hunched over a desk or computer?
This is something that often goes undetected. Bad postural habits, caused by slouching whilst working. You don’t think that it will matter, until you catch a glance at yourself in a mirror and... the dreaded ‘slouch’ has imbedded itself in your daily stance! If you work in an situation where you are leaning over constantly, be sure to stretch regularly throughout the day, to release the muscles. Swimming is one of the best ways to get your spine into top shape. Back problems vanish rather quickly when the muscles are strengthened and regularly exercised. Acupuncture, massage, home massagers such as the ‘Zenoxy’ or one of those ‘magic chairs’ are a great investment for maintaining your posture. If you don’t think that it makes any difference to your sound, then think again! As a singer, good posture and a healthy spine is a great asset...
4. Dust and fumes?
If you suffer from allergies, then this is no fun! Rather than popping antihistamines, opt for some herbal help. Echinacea, horseradish, marshmallow, nettle and fenugreek are some well known herbs available in tablet form. A slice of fresh onion dipped quickly into a cup of hot water, which you then drink, will stop the ‘sniffles’. Steaming yourself (head over a basin of steaming water - towel over head to keep steam in) will loosen up the dirt or dust particles that are irritating your system. If you are able to wear a dust mask, then this is another option. Some dust will still get through, but not as much. Allergies will cause you no end of vocal problems. Clear them up as soon as you can, in the most natural way possible.
5. Loud noise...
First of all, always wear earplugs or protective gear in industrial occupations or on loud building sites. Your ears cannot be replaced, take care of them. Musicians and singers can have specially manufactured earplugs, which will simply reduce the volume of everything, without creating ‘boom’ or blocking out the sound altogether. Yes, the loud bass amp, drum kit, screeching guitar stack, feedback, overbearing midrange and the loud music that the DJ plays in-between/after your sets, will damage your hearing. A ringing sound in the ears is called Tinnitus and is actually hearing damage. There is no known cure for this problem and it is pretty much permanent. For a small investment, you’ll be saving one of your greatest assets... your ears. So, first of all, wear earplugs. Secondly, if you do suffer from headaches or earaches due to the noise factor, then it would be advisable to refrain from cranking the stereo or TV outside of work hours. This will give your hearing a well deserved rest. A cool bath or shower should also help out, as will a half hour relaxation upon returning home. Gentle, flowing, soothing music has an effect of easing stress or pain and will leave you feeling more invigorated.
6. Talking over noise...
Whether you work on a busy street, in a music store, factory, hairdressers or simply as an entertainer, there is no way to avoid this factor. Talking over noise can leave you feeling depleted, vocally tired and downright cranky at times! But the good news is that there is a way to ‘cut’ through the racket and make sense. Yelling is pointless, painful and unnecessary. There is another way to project your voice without all of the strain. By focusing the sound more, rather than spreading it out wide, your voice will come out louder and clearer. Then if you add a ‘twangy’ sound to it, you’ll find that it will easily penetrate the surrounding noise. Try it!
7. Gig from hell?
As much as I like to be optimistic, if you’re a working musician or entertainer, then you’re bound to come across a ‘less than desirable’ booking, sooner or later. For example, the room may be very smokey and poorly ventilated, not to mention that the acoustics are a breeding ground for feedback! If you’re really out of luck, then there is a noise metre installed and if you go over the limit, then your power gets shut down... This is fine, but what do you do when the audience is louder than your speakers, drowning out any hope of hearing your foldback, (Note: this is a true story, so don’t think that it is impossible). Well, first of all you’re going to need all of the concentration that you can muster, coupled with patience and a good sense of humour! It happens...
On another level, simply concentrate on maintaining a ‘natural’ feeling in your muscles while you are singing. Avoid screaming to be heard and there is also no point in pushing yourself. Just listen to the music, count the beat and sing as naturally as possible. Above all, relax. Tense muscles will only set up the wrong breathing and technique. This night will not last forever, so you want to come out of it with your voice in tact. In-between your sets, take a walk out of the ‘room’ if possible, to get some fresher air. If you cannot do this, then at least make sure that you lubricate your vocal cords during the night, either with steam or an atomiser... and drink plenty of room temperature water.
Many thanks to Jane Mott, Seth Riggs and Mark Baxter for their valuable insights and contributions to the singing industry. This article is based upon their teachings, combined with my own practical experience.
Copyright 2002 Sheena B Mackie, Mackie Marketing Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.
Sheena Mackie is a non-fiction writer, visual & musical artist and intuitive. She currently writes regular feature articles for an Australian National Publication, Your Stars magazine and runs courses through The Institute of Psychic and Paranormal Research ,USA. More information about Sheena can be found at the following location:
» left by Brian Holbrook from Worcester,MA. (257 days 10 hours ago.)
Thanks Sheena,This info was very informative. I am an experienced singer(although I am 39 now) and I am doing a reunion show this weekend with my band and my throat is a bit scratchy and pleghmy,(not sure if a cold is creeping in or not) so i was just looking around on the net for some prep tips!! I hope all goes well with this show for me vocally! We have been rehearsing and I have done well getting back into it after taking like 4yrs away from professional singing! Just a bit nervous is all! Thanks again, Sincerely, Brian H. Worcester, MA. Respond to this comment
» left by Brian Holbrook from Worcester, MA (216 days 18 hours ago.)
Hi Sheena, The show was a huge success!! Not without a few glitches though-( i had a couple vocal flubs, due to nerves I'm sure.) and some very shotty stage levels, resulting in great sound for everyone on the floor, but a tin can feel for us on stage!! Although it was a success on so many levels, I came away from the show feeling a bit unsatisfied mostly from my individual effort. I felt like I was on 'auto pilot" most of the time, as they say, up there! I would much rather feel the music to perform it, than perform it to recreate a feeling! So with all this being said, I felt it was a time to reevaluate the band and consider if its time had passed. Maybe new songs would help??I may decide to travel in a new direction musically instead. who knows... Well thanks for your time and helpful info. Respond to this comment
» left by Anita from Bedford, UK (29 days 23 hours ago.)
Hi Sheena, This was really helpful. I wondered if I could ask you a follow-up question. I have the lead in a musical which opens in 4 weeks time, during which I'll be on stage 2 hrs 5 nights a week. As winter is approaching, I am finding that I keep getting minor colds and coughs, which, although not major, are really affecting my voice. Do you have any tips (apart from the blessed honey & lemon) for things I could do now to get my voice in shape- and keep it in shape- in the weeks ahead? Thanks for any advice you can give me. Anita, Bedford, UK
1. Before and after show, keep neck and body warm. Silk scarf for neck works fine with a coat :)
2. Always warm up voice before performance and warm down after until back to normal sensation of 'speaking'.
3. Avoid citrus (lemon/orange/lime etc) and spicy foods, alcohol and cut back on dairy (cheese/milk etc) two days prior to and on day of performance. These cause reflux. You can look up online to see more about what causes reflux. But it's best to avoid anything that might.
4. See your local Health food store for solutions to boost your immune system. You may find homeopathy to be useful, as it's not pumped up with citrus (vit C etc) and is mild but effective in treating colds and any other condition. The remedies are usually quite cheap to buy too.
5. Get plenty of good quality sleep between shows.
6. Use Lavender oil in a burner (electric burners are safer to use) to scent your room before sleeping. You can also sprinkle a bit of essential oil on the shower floor before a shower or place some drops in the bathtub. Steamy baths and showers are great for the voice :)
Also avoid using your voice too much talking over noise or over the phone on the day of the performance.
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