Whether you are singing in a concert, performing a 3 hour Shakespeare play or going on an exciting audition, caring for your voice is a must! As actors and performers, our voice is something we need to cherish and care for. Here are a few daily habits you can get into to protect and care for those chords! Remember how much we really use our voices, in a show or not, we use it all day everyday. Our vocal folds are a muscle, we need to warm up them slowly, take the time to stretch them. You would not run a 5K without prepping and stretching, treat your voice the same, warm up daily so its there to help you when you need it most!
1)STRETCH! Our neck, jaw, throat and back are known for carrying tension. When you wake up, make sure to stretch out these areas. A quick jaw release, tongue release and a few rolls down and up your spine can start you off for a relaxed and tension free day!
2)Hum! Wake up those resonators with a nice light hum as you get ready in the morning, go through your range without pushing or stressing notes. Nice and simple.
3)Do some”Breath of fire” exercise to increase blood flow and strengthen that diaphragm! ( I will have demonstration videos out soon, so stay tuned, but please look up this excerise for proper use) What does the breath of fire do? Breath of Fire: Rapid breath of fire is enlivening and cardiovascular; it improves the strength of the lungs, heats the body, and promotes quick energy. Begin in a comfortable seat and sit up tall. Keep the mouth closed through this breathing exercise.
4)Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!! ( can I say it again?) HYDRATE!!!
5)Gargle with salt water! Every see someone put salt on a slug( not a nice thing) but salt helps bring down inflammation and soothe our sick or tired chords.I usually do this before bed, I tend to get awful post-nasal drip and this really helps me prevent it!
6) GO through your scales, sirens, or or slides every.day. ( even if you are in a straight play, going through our range can help broaden and deepen our natural speaking voice! )Our voice is a muscle, it needs to be stretched, warmed up and protected. Remember to keep good posture.
7)If you are singing, remember to warm down your voice as well. Bringing our singing voice back to our natural speaking voice patterns is important, many broadway stars won’t even go to see fans until they fully warm down!
8)Sinus rinse! Not everyone’s favorite thing, but it helps rid the sinus cavity of allergens and extra mucus that might prevent us from having full resonance and clarity!
9)Love your voice. This sound strange, but when we are angry, scared, upset.. we tense up, which wont help us produce the sounds we need, relax.. tell your voice you love it and are proud of it!
10) Get rest! Lots and lots of rest!
I hope this tips can help you in your daily life! Videos and more tips to come soon!!
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