How to Care for Your Voice

Breathe. Oxygen is the ultimate source of energy and essential for the proper functioning of your vocal instrument. Take long deep breaths, filling up your lungs from the bottom up as often as possible. After you breathe deeply, apply a little bit of pressure from your diaphragm to project your voice effortlessly. To understand how to use your diaphragm correctly, pretend that you are blowing candles on a birthday cake. The downward motion felt in the abdomen is the diaphragm engaging. Just a little bit of pressure is necessary to support the voice. Let your belly out when inhaling and always push down slightly (not in) while exhaling.^[1]

Find your natural speaking voice placement.^[2] The placement and pitch of your voice should sit in the middle of your range. Be mindful of not speaking too low, too high, too nasal or with rasp. To find your natural dynamic voice, answer a few questions positively with “Mmmm”. There you go! That is your natural pitch. Try to speak at that level most of the time.

Slow down your speech and enunciate. Take time to pause often in order to take long deep breaths. Slowing down your speech and carefully enunciating allows your instrument to align itself and relax open its resonance chamber.

Stay hydrated. Drink 5 to 6 bottles of water a day to maintain the elasticity of your vocal cords.^[3] This is the daily recommended amount. Avoid drying agents such as caffeinated drinks and soda. Gargle water to hydrate and massage your throat instantly!

Listen to your voice and body actively. Try to pick up on signs of vocal fatigue early and be pro-active. Rasp, the frequent need to clear the throat, change in tone, and soreness are evident signs of irritation. If you notice these, pause and take a moment to realign yourself.^[4]

Take good care of your health.^[5] Do not smoke or use drugs, eat healthy, and exercise regularly. To protect yourself from catching the common cold or flu, wash your hands often and keep them away from your face. Consult your family doctor or an ear, nose and throat specialist if vocal issues continue for more than 3 weeks or other health concerns.

Rest your voice. Try not to speak between lectures or long periods of vocal usage at work, especially when you feel vocal fatigue or you are getting sick.^[6] Stay home if you catch a cold or the flu and do not talk!

Avoid talking over a crowd. Demand silence from your audience before initiating a lecture. Wait for quiet environments for private conversations as opposed to clubs for example.^[7]

Love your voice. Learn to love your voice! Completely let go of the ego and accept that it's OK to make mistakes and that we cannot be perfect all the time.  Proper guidance, solid technique and daily practice should fix any concerns you may have.  Determination and perseverance will take you a long way.  Set realistic goals for yourself, create opportunities and go after what you want in life.  Only you can do it.  You can make it happen!

Educate yourself on the speaking voice and seek professional advice if problems persist. Read books, blogs and take vocal lessons with a singing teacher or speech therapist. Make an appointment with an ear, nose and throat Specialist if you have concerns about damage to your vocal cords.