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SUPERIOR VOCAL HEALTH
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SUPERIOR VOCAL HEALTH !
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BY:
AARON ANASTASI
SUPERIOR VOCAL HEALTH
Vocal Health For Singers
!
Developing healthy habits that will help maintain vocal health is
important whether you sing every night on tour or just once a month
in a church choir. I’ve heard many folk tales about vocal remedies,
some downright humorous (i.e. an egg in a shot of cognac, a serving
of beefsteak tartar, lotions, neck salves, etc). We’ll talk about some
remedies that really work but will begin the focus on prevention.
Preventive medicine is the best medicine for the singer. So, we’ll start
there.
!Vocal health starts with warm ups and exercises. This will strengthen
your voice muscles, help avoid fatigue, increase your range and help
you to sing on pitch. Warm ups are absolutely vital. No strenuous
activity, including singing, should be performed without having
warmed up. This is true whether you are a runner, swimmer, dancer
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or singer. All involve strenuous activity, and all should begin with
warming up.
!With singing, while warm up exercises definitely include vocal warm
up exercises, scales, etc., it also includes warming up the whole
body. Singing is a whole body event, particularly the body from the
waist up. So, exercises should start with some type of motion that
targets the torso, the abdominal wall and the neck. Certainly the
shoulders are a part of the singing event as well.
!
!
!Maintaining regular exercise, 30 minutes to an hour, 3-4 times a
week, will definitely help you to sing better. It will particularly affect
your breathing, which is one of the main keys of singing well and
beautifully. Excess weight makes breathing noisy, which doesn’t lead
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to free singing. Silent breath renewal in between sung phrases is the
goal.
!Once doing a few minutes of physical exercise, a regimen of vocal
warm up exercises should be done. When doing vocal exercises,
beginners may find that their voice feels fatigued after ten to twenty
minutes. That’s fine. That is plenty of time at first. More advanced
singers, hoping to do a complete range of all technical work, may
warm up for closer to thirty minutes (this usually includes their
strengthening exercises). After a while, you can perfect a vocal
routine that is just a few minutes a day.
!A good vocal warm up only needs to be done once in a day and
should last the remainder of the day. But that doesn’t necessarily
account for vocal strengthening exercises for technical work in
developing the voice further.
!
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!
!While lighter voices, whether male or female, don’t usually need to
warm up for very long, females in general usually don’t need to warm
up for as long as males. Because the male voice has such a wide
range in the chest voice, whereas the female voice switches over the
head voice much sooner, increased energy is used and needed for
the male voice in the pitches above middle range. There should be
plenty of warm up done in the chest register, for the male, before
asking the voice to do the work in the higher ranges.
!Warm up time will decrease, as your technique gets better. And this is
good because too much vocal warm up before a performance will tire
the voice, and it will lose some of its shimmer.
!Vocal warm ups should be done daily, which is why I’ve included a
downloadable vocal warm up routine with this product. Also, I made a
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video, showing how to do each of the warm up exercises. It’s
important that you watch the video before doing the exercises, so that
you know how to do them correctly.
!Now I want to talk about some things you can avoid in order to
protect your voice from abuse, both temporary and potential long-
term abuse.
!Things To Avoid
!Alcohol
!
Alcohol dilates blood vessels throughout your body, including in your
throat. This is not a huge deal normally, but can potentially be a
problem when you sing because when blood vessels dilate, the blood
thins and comes to the surface, which makes your vocal cords more
prone to hemorrhage. Also alcohol dehydrates you. And, of course,
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you want your body, and throat, to be plenty hydrated. If you’re
planning to drink, it’s important to drink lots of water, and, remember,
alcohol can dehydrate you for up to three days. It’s better to avoid
alcohol on days that you plan to perform and also the night before.
!Cigarettes
!
!
!Cigarettes and singing are archenemies. Smoking is a known cause
of lung, tongue, trachea and larynx cancer. And all of the things in
that list are pretty important to the singer. Smoke, on a day-to-day
basis, traumatizes the membrane of the vocal tract.
!Also, the heat from inhaling a cigarette dries out and causes
inflammation in throat tissues. As you can imagine, singing becomes
more difficult with an inflamed throat, and you lose a degree of note
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manipulation control. Also, as the throat becomes dried out, the throat
membrane secrets mucus to try and compensate, and this sets you
up for a throat clearing, which grinds and adds trauma to the vocal
cords .
!In addition, more and more evidence suggests that smoking cigarette
speeds up the process of dyspnea, which is just a fancy way to say
difficulty breathing. This resembles a faster ageing of the lungs. With
an activity that is so dependent on breathing, breath support and
breath management, cigarette smoking is something that should be
avoided, of possible.
!I don’t want to be insensitive to the one who smokes and has maybe
given quitting a try. I understand that addictions are extremely difficult
to break. Laying off of smoking for a few days before a performance
will make some difference, but not a ton, because the elasticity in the
membrane doesn’t repair itself that quickly.
!Most of the above is also true when you breathe in secondhand
smoke.
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Dairy
!
!Dairy often causes phlegm and mucus to build up which hinders
vocal control and causes you to want to clear your throat, which we’ll
talk about next. Avoiding ice cream, milk, cheese, etc. will go a long
way in helping you sing at your full potential. Also, pay attention to
any foods that irritate your voice. For example, if your throat is
already irritated, avoid citrus fruits and juices, which will only further
irritate and inflame your vocal cords.
Clearing Your Throat
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!
!Clearing your throat may seem like a good idea. After all, it is a
temporary fix for the phlegm or mucus (from post-nasal drip or acid
reflux or dairy) that is affecting your singing. The truth is, clearing
your throat can be very damaging to your vocal cords. Singing
through a little bit of phlegm should be fine. I’ll talk more about throat-
clearing in other sections below.
!Medications
!
!Medications often have a side effect of drying out your throat. You
can compensate by drinking plenty of water to combat the dryness. It
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is always a good idea to be drinking water throughout the day so that
you stay hydrated, but if you are taking medications you should be
extra aware to drink water.
!Pollen and Dust
!
!Pollen and dust can be a cause of an inflamed throat, due to the
swelling of your vocal cords and throat. And if you have any kind of
allergy or sensitivity to dust, it can increase the post-nasal drip, which
will cause you to repeatedly have a sore throat. There are
medications you can take for this, both over the counter and
prescription, but another practical solution is to make sure to dust
your living space regularly and wash your comforter and pillowcase.
Also, it’s a good idea to avoid goose down pillows, which aggravate
allergies for many people. Making sure to replace your pillow at least
once or twice a year will help, too.
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!Caffeine
!
!Caffeine is another agent that will dehydrate your body and your
throat, and both coffee and tea are diuretics, which will further
dehydrate you. This includes energy drinks and soft drinks as well, of
course.
!As a singer you want to keep your throat and voice hydrated at all
times, and caffeine provides the opposite effect so it is a good
practice to lay off the caffeine especially on the day of a performance.
Also, caffeine acts like a steroid on your voice so that you can’t tell if
you are singing too hard (pushing, forcing, belting) and damaging
your vocal cords.
!
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The same is true for using throat lozenges. Most lozenges have a
numbing effect, which is great for decreasing the pain, but pain has a
function; it alerts you when something is wrong and needs your
attention. So, if you’re singing regularly, thinking your throat is fine,
you may actually be pushing too hard and harming it.
!Belting
!
!Belting is really just as it sounds, forcefully and loudly singing,
especially to hit a note or a group of notes that are at the top of, or
beyond, your range. You hear this quite a bit in live performances,
and there are even some instructors who teach this as a method. I
don’t, and I’ll tell you why.
!During singing, as pitch ascends, the vocal cords stretch and
elongate, and when singing at the top of your range, the vocal
ligaments (the inner edges of the vocal cords) stretch as far as they
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are able. The vocal cords have the option to either separate in the
middle, as is the case with falsetto (a similar phenomenon happens
with females, but they don’t technically have a falsetto voice) or
withstand the tension, even though the cords have no more room for
elongation.
!So, what happens is a forced malfunction of the registration. Here’s
what I mean. The larynx compensates and rises, narrowing the
spaces between the false vocal cords and true vocal cords. And the
result is a loss of the larynx as a resonating source. And this is a
problem because the larynx is one of the chief resonators. Without
the maximum amount of resonators present, the sound of the voice is
flat and thin.
!This is not even to mention the possible damage that this repeated
forceful tension could do to the vocal cords over time. The tension of
the closed vocal cords withstanding a big rush of air creates almost a
grinding, not unlike what happens during a whisper. But belting is
much more extreme and traumatic for the voice.
!
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When I was a teenager I traveled with a choral group across the
country, performing at several venues and television stations. Each
song that we performed had a couple of solos that were split among
the members of the group, and some were higher profile, more
coveted than other. These were the harder, higher phrases that
received the greatest response from the audience.
!At first, I didn’t get any of these solos because I was the youngest in
the group and the newest member. But I did get my chance. But the
part, at that point, was beyond my ability. It was just too high. We’ll,
when the time came, and my part came, I belted out the note with all I
had, but it was too much for my vocal cords, and they partially
separated, in order to protect themselves from the immense tension,
but stayed together enough to let out a “squawk!”
!It wasn’t one of my finer moments. But I learned that belting was no
substitute for spending the time to develop the range.
!Vocal Fatigue and Swelling
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!
!A common problem for those who frequently perform, especially
those who spend a lot of time singing in higher registers, is vocal
fatigue. Not only does the voice feel tired and maybe a little sore, but
it’s not unusual for the singer to temporarily lose part of their lower
speaking range. And the voice can sound sort of raspy.
!This used to happen to me quite frequently, and sometimes still does.
I used to get freaked out by this and think that I might be permanently
damaging my voice. But I found that after a couple of hours, certainly
after a night of sleep and vocal rest, the swelling would go down and
my voice would return back to normal. Again, this is common, and
has to do with a couple of different possible factors.
!
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!
!First off, as was the case with me, it can be, and often is, a result of
excessive vocal cord tension, which is created by singing with too
much energy or volume. This happens to me when I really get into a
performance and half scream the words out of passion.
!
!
!One thing I use to combat this, since I can’t have my voice be swollen
after each performance, is turn the monitors up so that I can hear my
voice more loudly and clearly. The less I can hear my voice, the more
I tend to scream. So, the answer is less energy and volume. If you
have the opportunity to use in-ear monitors, this is much better than
stage wedges and can be very helpful to your voice.
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!Another factor can be improper breath management. Proper
breathing mostly has to do with having a high chest and sternum,
take complete breaths, and make sure that, during the inhale, the
expansion is happening as much in the lower ribs and oblique area of
your sides as it does in the front of your stomach. Also, remain in the
inhalation position as long as possible, not allowing the muscles of
inhalation to give way to the muscles of exhalation too early. This will
keep the diaphragm from ascending too early. This is what it means
to “breath/sing from your diaphragm”.
!Finally, you may not have developed your higher range enough yet.
And this happens, in part, by first correctly developing your middle
range and carrying that technique into the higher range.
Healthy Speaking
!
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Your speaking habits will directly affect your singing, so here are a
few pointers to keep in mind in your everyday speaking.
!1. Parties, clubs and sporting events (etc.) can be very loud and
cause you to want to scream in order to be heard. Instead of the
grinding that comes with a scream, use the full volume of your voice
by implementing your new knowledge of breathing. Speak from your
diaphragm without tensing up your throat. Also, slightly raising the
pitch of your speaking voice can help you to project over the noise.
!2. Monitor how loudly you talk. Without realizing it, you may speak
very loudly on a regular basis.
!3. Monitor the tension in your face and jaw when you speak and
when you listen. As much as possible, avoid speaking with tension.
!
!
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!4. Avoid whispering. When your voice is sore, you may be tempted to
whisper in order to protect your singing voice. The truth is that
whispering adds tension and undue pressure to your voice. You are
better off speaking at a reasonable volume.
!The day of, and the day before, a performance, it’s a good idea to
avoid long conversations, whether in person or on the phone. Most
people will understand if you let them know that you are saving your
voice for your performance.
!Hydration
!
!Your lungs and muscles, which are vital parts of your singing ability,
need water in order to function properly. Water helps your lungs keep
your muscle tissue—which is 75 percent water—moving easily. So,
staying hydrated directly affects your singing voice. Water will also
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flush out any unwanted phlegm or junk in your throat. And if you’ve
ever tried to sing with a dried out throat, you know how important
hydration can be.
!Dry Throat
!Now, the first thing to realize is that a dry throat comes with anxiety,
which is not good news considering most singing situations involve
some degree of nervousness. And with this particular activity, a moist
supple throat makes for the best singing. But knowing this is a good
thing so that you can begin to battle it before the event itself.
!The more prepared you are for an event, the less nervous you will be.
Nothing compares to preparedness and confidence in your ability,
when it comes to relieving nerves. If you have a chance to visit the
venue hours, or days, before the event, that usually cuts down the
level of anxiety as well. What is going on with you psychologically is
one of the biggest determinants of a dry throat.
!Taking a sip of water right before hitting the stage will help some, too.
And certainly drinking more water in general will help.
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!Another odd, but well-used, old opera singer trick is biting gently on
the front of your tongue. This is only a temporary fix but really does
work!
!
!
!Also, if you don’t ingest salt, whether in food or drink, the day of, and
the couple days before, the event, throat-dryness will decrease to
some degree.
!
!
!
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Gum and throat lozenges will temporarily help saliva flow, but throat
dryness returns quickly and usually more severely afterward. So, I
don’t recommend either. Also, many lozenges have a numbing effect
which is dangerous because, as mentioned above, you may not
realize how hard you are pushing your voice when singing.
!Another trick used by professional singers is eating a portion of an
apple before a performance or even in between acts or sets. Eating
an apple has a three-fold benefit. First, it will clear away some of the
superficial mucus in your throat. Second, it will help hydrate you
throat. And, third, the act of chewing and swallowing has a relaxing
effect on the vocal mechanism.
!Water
!
!
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Water really is the answer to most vocal health questions and
problems. Of course there are a variety of other hydration options but
none nearly as beneficial as good, old-fashioned water. As we said
before, coffee and tea are diuretics, which will dehydrate you, and
soft drinks, aside from effecting your waistline and mood, will do the
same, since most of them contain caffeine, which, of course, is also a
diuretic. The best option is water.
!If you need to put a little bit of lemon in it to add some flavor, that’s
just fine. In fact, some singers swear by lemon water, saying it does a
better job of flushing down and cutting through phlegm and throat
junk.
!I drink about a gallon of water a day, myself.
Sleep
!
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Sleep is a major factor in allowing your tissue to heal, and this is
particularly important to your singing, as it relates to the tissue in your
throat. When you don’t sleep enough your voice feels sluggish, and
you’re more susceptible to getting sick. Sleep deprivation, even just
an hour or two, causes you to be slightly less aware and responsive.
This decreases your ability to sing at your highest level. Your vocal
agility suffers, too, and you are more likely to experience vocal
fatigue.
!Also, the first thing that goes during sleep deprivation is cognition,
your ability to think clearly and process information. That means that
you are more likely to forget lyrics. Your body mends itself in many
amazing ways while you sleep, and it files information, so it pays to
allow yourself to sleep even an extra hour or two if possible. Try it for
a few nights, or a week and see how differently you feel.
!Eight Hours and Fifteen Minutes
I took a sleep course when I was in grad school and decided to try a
little experiment for the class. I forced myself to sleep 8 hours and 15
minutes every night for 6 weeks in order to make up my sleep debt,
as some sleep specialist believe we accumulate. As the experiment
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wore on, I felt better and better and better. I was thinking more
clearly; I was happier. I was far less fatigued. Colors seemed brighter.
It felt as if a fog had been lifted. Since then, I try to get a full 8 hours
of sleep every night (plus fifteen minutes, if possible!).
!Nutrition
!
!Having a well balanced diet is not only important for your general
health, but it makes a difference in your singing as well. Along with
drinking plenty of water, it’s important to eat fruits and vegetables and
to make sure that you are getting protein in your diet. While meat is a
good source of protein, there are several vegetarian protein options
as well. For example, nuts (peanuts, macadamia, etc.) and seeds
(sunflower, pumpkin, etc.) are a good protein alternative to meat, as
is whey. Carbohydrates, such as bread and cereal, are such a big
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part of most people’s diet that you don’t need to be as intentional
about eating those.
Sugar
!
For many reasons you should avoid any kind of processed sugar in
your diet. I won’t go into all of the reason why, but there is nothing to
gain from sugar, and it will cause you to have blood sugar swings.
!Natural sugar, like that found in whole fruit, is fine and actually good
for you. White table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and all kinds of
artificial sweeteners should be avoided.
!Energy
Singing may require more energy, especially if you have longer
rehearsal schedules, so you may need to increase the amount of
protein you ingest. Having said that, you may be tempted to eat a big
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meal before singing, but I’ve always found it more beneficial to make
sure I have a good breakfast and then eat a small meal before a
performance.
!And eating a big meal before bed should also be avoided, since you
don’t have a day’s worth of activity to burn off those calories, but also
because it may induce acid reflux problems. As you can imagine, acid
on your vocal cords is not exactly what you want or need.
!Sore Throat and Infection Prevention
!You may remember your mom or childhood doctor telling you to wash
your hands often and keep them away from your face. Well, not much
has changed in that respect. These two things are the best way to
prevent germs from infecting you. Once you do feel tickle or soreness
in your throat there are a couple things that you can do.
!Warm Salt Water Gargle
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!
!Gargling warm salt water is an easy, inexpensive trick that is very
effective for killing germs and soothing sore and/or inflamed vocal
cords. Add about a half a teaspoon of salt to a cup of warm water and
gargle. Warm water is better than cold, but make sure it’s not to hot,
because you can burn your mouth and throat. In a cup of water you
will have about 4 or 5 mouthfuls of water to gargle. Try to gargle for at
least 5-10 seconds for each mouthful. This can help kill germs that
have lodged in the back of your throat and can also take care of
those painful little canker sores if you swish the water around in your
mouth.
!Neti Pot
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!
!Using a Neti Pot is great, especially if you have allergies. As a
professional singer, it was a lifesaver for me when I lived on the East
Coast where my allergies seemed to always be flared up. The Neti
Pot flushes out your nasal passages with warm salt water, getting rid
of the excess mucus where germs are waiting for your immune
system defenses to give them a foothold. You can find a Neti Pot at
just about any drugstore.
!Medicating a Sore Throat
!
!
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Catching a cold and having a scratchy, sore throat is inevitable for
most of us, and frequent for a lot of us, so it’s good to know what to
do when it does happen.
!Avoid Nose Sprays
Most nasal sprays contain decongestants and antihistamines, which
can be habit forming and actually make the problem they’re treating
worse, once you’re over the cold. This is something that can be taken
in an emergency, but even then, it shouldn’t be used for more than 2
to 3 days in a row, or you can begin to become dependent on it.
!
!
!Saline Spray
This is a safe nose spray, as it washes and flushes out your sinuses
much like the Neti Pot. The Neti Pot is more of a heavy hitter, of
course, but saline spray is good for when you’re out and about, away
from the Neti Pot. One thing to keep in mind when using saline spray,
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or any kind of nasal spray, is to place the nozzle of the saline spray
close enough to your nose that you don’t just end up spraying water
all over your face but out enough that the germs in your nose don’t
get on the nozzle. You don’t want to keep putting those germs back
into your nose every time you use the spray.
!Humidifier
If you live in a dry climate, or if you are running a heater a lot, it is a
good idea to use a humidifier in order to replenish the moisture in the
air and therefore in your skin and throat. When using a humidifier,
though, it’s important to clean it regularly so that mold won’t grow in
the stagnant water and make your situation worse.
!Cold Medicine
Many cold medications will dry you out. Once you know this, it’s easy
to combat by drinking plenty of water in order to stay hydrated.
!Antihistamine
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A common ingredient in cold medicine is antihistamine, which is great
for drying up that runny nose. But it is also drying out your upper
respiratory tract. Again, as long as you are compensating by drinking
plenty of fluids, you should be fine.
!Cough medicine
!
!Cough medicine tends to dry out your voice. The best way to get rid
of the junk in your chest is to flush it out with water and to use
dextromethorphan with guaifenesin. Guaifenesin, besides just being
fun to say, helps you to cough the mucus up and keep it flowing.
!Acetaminophen
The active ingredient in Tylenol is acetaminophen, which is a better
pain reliever to use for the singer than ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or
aspirin because the latter dilate blood vessels making it more likely
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that you will burst a blood vessel while singing. With casual use, this
shouldn’t be a problem. I don’t want to freak you out!
!A Common Cold
When you have a cold and edema sets in, which just means that you
have swollen vocal cords, there is a huge urge to clear your throat.
But clearing your throat exacerbates the swelling of the throat as well
as increases the secretion of mucus. So, clearing your throat when
you have a cold both aggravates the problem further and adds more
mucus to the mix. No good.
One of the best ways to clear mucus from the throat is to sing it away.
Rapidly executing trills, arpeggios and agility exercises will usually go
a long way toward clearing away the phlegm. Another thing that
works is simply swallowing. A swallowing motion will pull some of the
mucus down and out of your throat.
!
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!
!I have often heard it said that giving a little cough is not damaging to
the vocal cords and is a better way of clearing mucus from the throat.
The truth is that coughing, particularly when your vocal cords are
swollen, can do as much damage as clearing your throat.
!Coughing
When you have an upper-respiratory infection, coughing is inevitable
during certain phases of the sickness. It helps bring up and get rid of
the phlegm stuck in your chest. However, a lingering cough is not
something that should be looked on lightly by the singer. The action
of the vocal cords during a cough can be harmful to the membrane in
the larynx. Rather than let the cough linger until it runs its course, it’s
better for the singer to see a doctor, or, at least, get some type of
expectorant and cough suppressant.
!
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When Not To Sing
!I have been performing as a singer for the better part of my life, and I
discovered early on that there will often be times when you will need
to perform when your voice isn’t in perfect condition. But, when do
you choose not to sing? The general rule of thumb is this. If the throat
irritation isn’t specifically in the larynx then you can most likely let the
show go on. But if it is directly in the larynx, and your vocal cords are
swollen, then it’s better not to sing.
!If your voice is hoarse or raspy, and the quality is thicker but slightly
higher pitch, then that’s a good indication that your vocal cords are
swollen, and the show must not go on. If you continue to sing over
the swollen cords, the swelling will increase, and you could risk some
permanent damage to your voice.
!Complete Vocal Rest
!There is some controversy surrounding whether complete vocal rest
is a good idea in the case where extended vocal fatigue plagues the
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singer. The lack of vocal activity does make muscle coordination
sluggish. In order for the singer to maintain vocal muscle tone, there
needs to be daily use of the voice.
!But when a singer experiences a long period of vocal weariness, two
or three days of vocal rest (even up to ten in some cases) can be
miraculous for the voice. In these more extreme cases, the singer
should literally carry around a pad and a pen, writing everything down
rather than speaking. This is very difficult, of course, but you can
make a game of it, and it can be fun.
!Once coming out of a period of vocal rest, it’s not wise to immediately
resume the normal vocal routine. It may take up to a couple weeks to
regain the muscle tonus in the voice.
!Now, depending on how your voice became excessively fatigued, you
may want to look into a singing lesson program or a coach. Your
voice may have gotten that way because of some part of your singing
technique that needs to be tweaked. If that is the case, then you will
be right back in vocal rest before too long. But hopefully you got there
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because you just had too many high-profile gigs, back-to-back, for a
long time!
!A Good Performance Day Routine
!
!While you want to avoid long conversations, as was mentioned
above, it’s not a good idea to have complete vocal rest the day of a
performance. There is a balance between having your voice ready for
a performance and pushing it too hard and wearing yourself out. So,
here are a few steps of a performance day routine, helping you have
the best vocal performance possible.
!1. Start the morning with a good breakfast. There are great
benefits of chewing and swallowing that will wake the voice up
and relax your vocal tract.
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SUPERIOR VOCAL HEALTH
2. After letting breakfast settle in your stomach for about 20-30
minutes, begin your vocal warm up routine. This process
shouldn’t go on any longer than 30 minutes. After this, the voice
should be well conditioned for the remainder of the day.
3. Avoid taking naps, especially close to the time of the
performance. If you do take a nap, start over with step number
one.
4. No more singing should take place until about an hour or so
before the performance. Resist singing along to your favorite
bands, especially while in the car with the windows down!
5. Keep conversations to a minimum. Your good friends will
understand that you need to save your voice for your
performance.
6. Do a short vocal warm up about an hour before the
performance. A few minutes of warm ups should be sufficient—
no more than 5-10 minutes.
7. It is always a good idea to get to the venue early and get a feel
for where you will be, where you will enter onto the stage, etc.
This will help calm the nerves and help you compose yourself.
!
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SUPERIOR VOCAL HEALTH
That pretty much wraps up your vocal health course. If you pay
attention to even a handful of these things that I have mentioned, you
should be able to maintain pretty good vocal health and have some
good ideas how to properly care for your voice if it does begin to
bother you.
!If I had to pick one thing, out of all of this, that I think is the most
important, I would say that drinking plenty of water is the best way to
maintain vocal health. This will keep your voice hydrated; it will help
wash down phlegm and pollen; and it will flush down unwanted
bacteria, which will keep you healthier overall, which means a healthy
voice.
!Best of luck to you as you pursue your singing!
!Aaron
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