Disclosure: This post is in collaboration with GeloRevoice.
Some of you may know, I’ve grown performing in local am dram, particularly musical theatre. It all started when was 10 with a production of Wizard of Oz, and I’ve never looked back. I’ve been lucky enough to perform in shows like Oliver, The Addams Family Musical, Our House and Guys and Dolls, as well as plays like Blood Brothers and The Importance of Being Earnest.
Backstage at Our House the Musical Distraught at Guys and Dolls closing Playing Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls I just want to be an Addams Family ancestor again
I’ve done a lot of chorus roles over the years but haven’t much luck with principal parts, mainly thanks to having a pretty low voice for a female singer. Around a year ago though, I started having occasional singing lessons to improve my voice a little and gain some more confidence.
Back in January my drama group announced its latest concert would be Disney themed and I was SO excited! Having found a bit of confidence from the singing lessons I’d had since my previous performance, I auditioned for one of my favourite Disney songs (and a female one at that!) and got the part.
We had weeks and weeks of rehearsals twice a week, putting hard work into learning harmonies, choreography and a lot of self rehearsal at home.
Then, a little thing called Coronavirus hit. As time went on, it became clear that it might impact the show.
I actually messaged our director on the 12th March to asked if the concert would be affected by the pandemic. Four days later, we postponed. We were all gutted, but of course its for the best.
It’s not just our group – theatre across the world have closed their doors and lowered their safety curtains. Beetlejuice on Broadway has played its last show at the Winter Garden, Prince of Egypt and the new format Les Mis had barely got off their feet in the West End. The stages are quiet.
At home though, the spirit of musical theatre is truly living on – creative teams have waived rights to shows, allowing organisations like the National Theatre to stream performances on Youtube, and casts from across the industry have joined with fans to create online renditions of some of our favourite numbers.
The theatre community has always been a special place, but now even more than ever. Its a community that seems to always see the best in people and situations, and spreads love even in difficult times.
While my drama group has postponed our concert until an as yet undecided date, and our summer production of The Producers has been officially moved to October 2021, I’m trying to keep in practice and in good voice.
Together with GeloRevoice, celebrity vocal coach Yvie Burnett has revealed some best kept secrets on how to keep your voice in good shape and avoid vocal strain while you’re taking that half hour on your own in the house to practice belting while your family are doing the weekly shop…just me?
1. Warm up and cool down
“Start with some gentle humming, low in your range. Don’t ever start high because you need to gradually get there. Starting on low, easy notes is the best way to waken up your voice without any strain. You can now progress onto some lip trills; just imagine you are blowing a raspberry.”
“Yawning and chewing movements also loosen the facial muscles, which help with the warming up process. If you are new to singing and don’t know what to do, hum a very easy song in a very low key and get higher”
“After your lesson, audition or performance is over, take time to cool down. The purpose of your cool down is to allow your vocal muscles to return to their normal speaking condition. Sigh on a descending note. Yawn to release any built-up tension. Hum a descending scale of 5 notes. Do some lip trills from the middle of the range downwards. Take 5 or 10 minutes to allow your voice to return to its neutral state.”
2. Stay hydrated
“It is important to drink water frequently. If you allow yourself to become dehydrated, your voice may suffer. It takes around five hours to hydrate the vocal folds, so start drinking as soon as you wake up. There is no point in starting to drink five minutes before your performance. In order to keep your vocal folds truly hydrated, you need to be drinking water from the moment you wake up.Staying hydrated will also help to keep your throat and mouth lubricated, making speaking and articulation easier as well.”
3. Avoid harmful foods and alcohol
“Many foods are problematic for singers however;everyone reacts differently and to varying degrees. You will get to know your own voice and how resilient or sensitive it is but there are certain foods that can irritate vocal cords like dairy, spicy and acidic foods. Alcohol dehydrates and we all know that we are more prone to shouting or straining our voices after a drink. Being a singer means singing is your priority –occasionally you will have to make a sacrifice and stick to water.”
4. Quit smoking (or vaping)!
“Smoking or vaping is the best and quickest way to permanently damage your voice. Smoke irritates and dries out the vocal cords preventing them from vibrating and functioning as they should. Stop smoking now –you can spend the money you save on singing lessons.”
5. Try a unique throat lozenge designed specifically for singers
“Nothing can take the place of adequate hydration. However, if you are performing on a regular basis, your voice and throat may need a little extra care. GeloRevoice®Throat Lozenges are uniquely formulated to help singers prevent and relieve all kinds of throat conditions, including hoarseness.”
“When dissolved, GeloRevoice® forms a unique hydrogel complex containing hyaluronic acid. This complex forms a protective gel film that both soothes and moisturises the mouth and throat helping you #KeepInGoodVoice.When you want to use your voice clearly and comfortably, trust GeloRevoice.”
It’s not just performers that can benefits from using a throat lozenge like GeloRevoice, it’s also recommended for presenters, teachers and trainers, cold and flu sufferers, and can also be great for the day after a concert where you’ve screamed yourself hoarse (after lockdown is over of course).
6. Don’t misuse or overuse the voice
“The vocal folds/cords are made up of layers of delicate tissue. Yelling, screaming, throat clearing, coughing and even loud talking can all bring the vocal folds together in a hard and forceful way, leading to injury. Avoid misusing or overusing the voice (even if you have children or a particularly annoying partner).”
7. Regular exercise
“Imagine you are a professional athlete. You must train every day to improve your stamina, and tone and strengthen your muscles. It should be the same for professional singers –if you miss just one day of training, your muscles will get lazy. 15 minutes per day, every day, is essential. You will find that the more regularly your voice is exercised, the better it works. However, like athletes, you must know when to rest. A tired voice, just like a tired body, is more prone to injury. If you are sick, or your voice is strained, take time to rest. That means no talking, no singing and definitely no whispering.”
8. Don’t sing if it hurts
“Singing should never hurt. We feel pain for one simple reason –it’s our body’s way of telling us to stop. If your throat hurts, if you have an infection or if you’ve strained your voice, don’t sing through the pain. REST. You could do yourself permanent damage if not. Drink lots of water. Get some sleep. Take extra care of yourself and your voice.”
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