Vocal Health for Working Singers

So you’re living the singer’s dream and you’ve booked a tour or show run. Or maybe you’re an event singer or background vocalist playing long gigs several nights a week. That’s awesome! But how do you keep your voice healthy when you’re using it so much? Here are some tips I have gleaned as a voice teacher who is simultaneously a busy working singer:

Don’t Neglect Your Technique Work

If you are stretching your voice a lot in gigs (which, let’s be honest, that’s what many gigs require), you need to keep up with your vocal exercises and ideally continue to take regular voice lessons with a trusted teacher. Not only will this help keep you healthy and strong, but it will also serve as a kind of diagnostic to notice if anything is changing in a negative way, perhaps due to overuse. 

Warm Up... Always!

It is shocking to me that some singers don’t do this before performing. On gigs with other singers, I will often hear them talk about how they hadn’t sung all day and that their voice “warmed up” as they sang the second half of the gig. Other singers will claim that they warm up by just singing songs. Both of these situations do not equate to warming up. Sometimes it’s hard for me to turn the voice teacher part of myself off in these cases and I dole advice that was not asked for. The advice is simple: take time to warm up. Singing is a physical act. Think about it like an actual work out. A runner doesn’t sprint immediately. They probably stretch their muscles and tendons first, and they definitely start out sprinting slower. Yes, singing feels more magical than working out. But there is physical work that your body is doing to allow this magic to happen. 

Hydrate 

This is probably obvious, but I must say it. Water and herbal tea are your best bets here. Make sure you drink plenty of one or both before and during the gig (if possible). Alcohol dries out the vocal cords and may also impair your ability to use proper technique when singing. You will hear about successful (even famous) singers who say they need a shot of whisky before they go onstage to prepare their vocal cords. In reality, it is doing more harm than good. 

Caffeine is also a dehydrating agent and may have negative effects on your voice as well. As a shameless coffee addict myself, I just try to drink at least an equal amount of water with my morning cup. And I don’t drink coffee while performing unless I’m so tired that there is danger of me falling asleep onstage. 

Listen To Your Body

This is probably the most important tip of all. I can preach at you all I want and speak from my own experience, but only you know how your voice is feeling. As a trained singer, you probably already possess a high degree of body awareness. You must trust what your body is telling you, and always err on the side of caution. 

Amongst singers who work a lot, there can be a bit of a "tough guy" attitude - there is a lot of pride attached to how many gigs you are playing and how little rest you need. This may mean pushing through exhaustion or even vocal strain, which maybe works ok for a while... until it doesn’t. And then you have to go on vocal rest or worse. Your body will send you warning signs such as hoarseness or a swollen feeling in the throat. I urge you to heed these signs and rest. This means speaking as well as singing, which is often deeply inconvenient. Others around you may not understand and consider it “diva” behavior if you have to sub out a gig or cancel social plans so that you don’t have to use your voice for a bit. I can promise you that dealing with judgement or lack of understanding is far better than dealing with serious vocal damage. 

Lastly, keep in mind that every body is different. Comparing yourself with a “workhorse” singer who never seems to show signs of fatigue is probably not a good idea. Maybe they can belt their faces off for several hours several nights a week, and maybe you know from experience that that is too much for your vocal cords. The uniqueness of our bodies is part of what makes each voice unique and beautiful in its own way. Honoring and celebrating that will help keep you healthy so that you can continue living your vocal dream.