vocal health tips: barbershop convention edition

💃 Psst! Looking for one on one support during the convention? Reach out.

Hooray, we are at a barbershop convention and having the best week ever!

I’d love to personally wish you the most magical week. If you’re performing, enjoy every moment on the stage. I’ll be cheering for you (in a vocally efficient and sustainable way, of course).

Here are some vocal health tips to keep your voice in shape this week so you can feel amazing onstage and sing tags with your friends all convention long.

• Hydrate

  Hydration helps the mucous membrane (the outermost layer) of the vocal folds stay lubricated and flexible, allowing them to vibrate freely and produce optimal vocal sound. A wet larynx is a happy larynx!

  Tips:

  • Drink water throughout the day. Keep a reusable water bottle with you to monitor your consumption.

  • Eat foods that are high in water content, such as fruits and vegetables. These are packed with vitamins and minerals and help keep you hydrated.

  • Caffeine is a diuretic (not a dehydrator) and is fine if consumed in average amounts. The body is incredible and adapts to regular caffeine consumption.

• Steam

  Steam helps reduce inflammation and thin out mucous, improving your vocal clarity and range. The warmth provides relaxation and can aid in recovery after vocal work.

  There are steam inhalers you can buy, or in a pinch, fill a bowl with hot water and cover your head with a towel.

  Steam for approximately 5 minutes. After steaming, avoid singing for about 1 hour as the increase in blood flow also increases the risk of a singing-related voice injury.

  Be careful to let the water cool slightly after boiling to avoid steam burns. Avoid using additives in the water like essential oils, which are potential irritants.

• Nebulise

  An ultrasonic nebuliser combined with isotonic saline (0.9%) is one known way to directly hydrate the vocal folds. The saline mimics what the body naturally produces so the vocal instrument can absorb the moisture, offering immediate benefits. As a nebuliser produces a cool mist, it is safe to sing immediately afterwards (unlike steaming, which requires voice rest from singing for about an hour).

• Take a vocal vacay

  As we use the voice for speaking and singing throughout the day, we add to our vocal load.
  
  Take a vocal vacation for 1 hour (or even just 20 minutes) of total silence, with no singing, speaking, humming, or cheering. You could do this during a quartet or chorus session or while enjoying a solo meal mid-day.

• Do some water bubbling (SOVTE)

  Relive your childhood! Water bubbling is one of my absolute favourite ways to warm up the voice, run repertoire when I want to conserve my vocal load, and when I'm recovering from illness.
  
  Singing through a wide diameter straw (~1cm or more) into a little bit of water (~3cm) creates bubbles. The bubbles bursting creates rapid changes in intra-oral pressure, which creates a massage like effect for the vocal folds. Mm-mm. Aim for consistent bubbles throughout your range.
  
  For my voice geeks, this is a form of Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Exercise (SOVTE). This family of exercises includes lip bubbling, tongue trills, humming, voiced fricatives, and straw phonation.

• Warm up and cool down

  Singers are well-versed in the benefits of a targeted warm up routine, but research has shown that cooling down the voice is also hugely beneficial.
  
  To cool down the voice, gently hum while doing a series of very slow descending glides, starting at your highest comfortable pitch and sliding down into vocal fry, ensuring the volume is quiet, the tone is clear, and the glide is smooth. Start a little lower with each repetition.

• Be mindful of your voice use

  In loud spaces, we experience a phenomenon called the Lombard Effect. This causes us to subconsciously increase vocal effort, which can lead to vocal fatigue. Notice when this happens and make a conscious decision to speak at your regular volume and pitch.

• Rest

  Oof, yup, this one can be tricky at a convention. You're having the time of your life with friends old and new!

  Remember that rest is essential for the body to heal and function at its best, and singing is a full-body sport. Listen to your body and give yourself the gift of some downtime.

Looking to become best friends with your voice and up your singing game? Let’s chat!