Ever wonder why stars get vocal problems? Why they lose their voices and have surgery? Does it happen to everyone eventually or can it be avoided?
It's not inevitable but it's highly probable that you will have vocal problems if you don't learn how to use and care for your voice. Your voice is an instrument inside your body and how you treat your body will reflect upon your voice.
And your voice is not an instrument to screw with. The vocal cords are not replaceable. You only have one set of cords and the way you care for them will determine whether you go down the road of deterioration that befalls so many singers, or take the high road to preservation and health for your career.
Right now I am struck by how many stars are suffering. John Maye's granuloma is back, sigh. He doesn't know yet when he'll be better because the darn things grow back voraciously. Adele is definitely not back full force yet. That's a scary (and costly) thing in the career of a famous performing and recording artist.
It's just not easy to be out on the road singing for a living and keeping your voice in great shape. Here are my tips on my holistic recommendations to stay healthy in my Vocal Road Warrior Formula, but today I want to talk about vocal technique and preserving your voice while you sing. I want to teach you how to master your instrument and the key things to do to ensure that you never have to experience vocal problems of this magnitude. Of course there is MUCH more than what I can present in this article, but I picked out the biggest contenders that cause issues as it relates to the technical voice.
Just quickly let's take a quick peek at what some of these problems are and how they develop.
Vocal abuse or misuse, such as excessive use of the voice when singing, talking, smoking, coughing, yelling, or inhaling irritants can cause abnormalities of the vocal cords, such as nodules, granulomas, polyps, or cysts. The difference between these abnormalities is mostly a function of what kind of tissue is involved. Symptoms of throat granuloma (and nodules & cysts) can be hoarseness, chronic throat clearing, throat pain, cough (sometimes with a little blood), and the feeling of having a lump in your throat. Surgery is a less optimal treatment for throat granuloma than vocal therapy, although granulomas are often slow to regress, according to NYU Voice Center's Website.
Most disorders of vocal abuse and misuse are reversible. The best treatment is to identify and eliminate the vocal behavior that created the voice disorder. In many cases, a brief period of voice therapy is helpful so the individual can learn good vocal techniques, such as proper breath support for speech or eliminating high pressure at the vocal mechanism.
What do to:
- Avoid coughing. Coughing shreds your vocal cords. When you have an infection, the body will naturally cough to get rid of it. The best remedy for this on the market is Bronchial Soothe with ivy leaf (available at Whole Foods). It's the only remedy I've ever found that actually stops a vicious cough.
- Don't glottal. Glottals happen when the edges of the vocal cords bang together in over-closure. This results from poor vocal technique. The way to avoid it is to add a soft h to the onset of words that begin with vowels, i.e.; hh-everyone, hh-œI; hh-always. It can happen in the middle of a word too: st-ay. A really good vocal coach can teach you more about how not to glottal, however the operative word is really good vocal coach most mid-level coaches do not have this kind of expertise and can even cause vocal problems like these.
- Get your voice out of your throat. Speaking low in your throat can cause nodules and granuloma. Associate your voice with less pressure and move it higher into your mouth or head cavity. Speak higher in pitch and raise the soft palate to move out of the throat (Learn how to raise the palate in my Singers Gift Warmups).
- Stop talking so loud! Don't yell or talk excessively for long periods of time. Yelling and speaking for a long time (especially over loud music) is an immediate burnout and can ruin your singing voice. But whispering is just as bad. If you know your speaking voice is a problem, find a speech therapist, or vocal coach that understands speech therapy to help you get back on track.
- Study vocal & breathing technique. Find a great (not just a good) professional vocal coach who specializes in vocal disorders and knows a thing or two about holistic approaches to speed you back to health (like me). This is non-negotiable if you want to have a professional career and keep your speaking and singing voice healthy for life.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery to John, Adele and all the Vocal Road Warriors out there ~ stay healthy! We need you and your music!
To keep your voice healthy and prevent damage, experience my Singers Gift Warm ups and Cool Downs and do it right from the start!
©2012 Cari Cole, Vocal Mag, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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