Posted by Kayla Cardona on Apr 24th 2024
The Voice Care Guide For Performers
We understand that keeping your voice healthy and strong is important to any performer - whether that may be singing in a choir, acting on the big stage or public speaking at a conference. The Grether’s Voice Care Guide for performers offers the best tips to ensure a healthy voice for your next big gig:
Keep A Good Posture
Posture is key to anyone who relies on their voice. It’s important to retain a good posture because this allows you to project your voice with greater ease. It is equally important that your muscles are relaxed because the breathing mechanism functions best when these conditions exist. The lungs attached to the ribcage and the ribcage attaches to the spine. If the spine is out of alignment, the ribs are not able to expand to their fullest potential. This will limit the ability of the singer to inhale completely. The overworked and misused muscles will not work together control the ever-changing balance in air pressure and air flow that is required during the singing process. Though a singer may be able to make a decent sound, it will never be as efficient as it would be if the body was aligned correctly. So before your next performance, be sure to sit or stand up tall, shoulders back and head high!
Warm Ups
You will never see a successful athlete jumping straight into their sport without a warm up. The voice is a muscle just like the rest of the muscles in our body and it too needs to be warmed up prior to long periods of use when singing. We understand that time is of the essence and that jumping right into singing might “feel” right, but the repercussions for not warming up your voice could be detrimental to your vocal cords. You are greatly increasing the chances of losing it, just like the athlete who doesn’t warm up properly and feels a tight muscle. Besides, not all warm ups have to take long and can be incorporated into your singing routine. Check out Grether’s Guide on How To Warm Up Your Voice for the best warm-ups.
Breathing Exercises
We all know that breathing exercises can help lower anxiety and increase your overall sense of wellbeing. However, did you know that certain breathing exercises can improve your voice too? There is a very close relationship between the breath and the voice. Your voice is literally breath, made audible. Think of breath as the fuel for the voice. Breathing exercises can be used to help further strengthen the muscles required to use your voice, just like going to a gym to increase our fitness levels. And the best part is, breathing exercises are extremely simple! Before your next performance, try sitting or standing up tall with your shoulders relaxed. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing by making your exhales longer than your inhales. Keep up this practice for 2-3 minutes.
No Caffeine
Unfortunately, caffeine in coffee, soda or energy drinks can easily be one of the worst offenders for causing vocal strain due to it’s drying properties. Caffeine has been proven to dehydrates you and will likely cause your throat to dry out if you have a cup of joe before your next singing session. If possible, try replacing your coffee with caffeine-free herbal tea, like green tea.
Enjoy A Grether’s Pastille
Many performers use Grether's Pastilles before a performance as a part of their vocal warm-up routine to ensure they have the best results and performances. Enjoying a delicious pastille is a great way to soothe the voice before your next performance or singing session. This is because of the soothing ingredients in our pastilles, including glycerin, which has a moisture-retaining and softening effect that stimulates natural saliva production and creates a protective film for vocal cords. Grether’s Pastilles are offered in five delicious flavors: regular blackcurrant, sugar-free blackcurrant, sugar-free redcurrant, sugar-free blueberry and sugar-free elderflower.