Beth Ford BA Hons, PGCE, Dip. Com.Ther.

Voice Coach/Music Leader/Holistic Therapist

Lecturer in Occupational Health
Singing is good for your soul!

Top Tips for Voice Care

Listen to your voice. If you are feeling fragile, full of infection or the voice is tired…then rest it!
You can damage your voice if you continue to use it as usual when it is already under strain. Too
much coughing and clearing of the throat can cause more damage so try to cough only when
absolutely necessary!

Avoid too many throat sweets. Pain in the throat is a sign that there is inflammation and throat
sweets will numb this pain luring you into a belief that you can continue to use the voice as
usual but the sweets have merely masked the damage.

Less mucus and spice. It is well known in show business that one should avoid dairy before a
performance. Dairy products can encourage the secretion of phlegm and increase the viscosity
of mucus produced, which interferes with the natural working of the vocal folds. Professional
broadcasters are told never to drink milk before going on air. Too much dairy can cause a nasal
quality to the voice and spicy foods can be harsh on the throat, causing acid reflux.

Feed the voice. Good foods include: pineapple, lemon, ginger, honey, thyme and peppermint
and drink plenty of water drunk at room temperature. Echinacea is a natural “healer” of the
common cold but can have a drying effect so take with plenty of water.

Warming up and down. Just as an athlete will gently warm up the body before a long run then
the speaker / singer should warm the voice up before prolonged use. Warming down is just as
vital so that you don’t get a rush of blood to the larynx, causing swelling (oedema) and fatigue.

Less is more. Learn to say less so that you can preserve your voice. Often we can say what we
need to using half the amount of words.

Free the voice. Keep your body language open and free and maintain a well balanced posture.
Breathe deeply and project the voice from the diaphragm.

Don’t shout. If you are in a noisy environment such as at a concert or a football match then
avoid shouting to be heard above the din. This strains the voice and can cause lasting damage to
the vocal folds. This also applies to arguments as when we experience heightened emotions
then we tense our muscles causing stress to the throat.

Don’t do drugs! Avoid excessive intake of caffeine and alcohol as these are not the best foods
for hydration. If we become dehydrated then we lose vocal fold tissue, which can then lead to
further injury.
Smoking seriously affects the quality, strength and resonance of the voice as well as the other
well known effects to health.

© 2014 Beth Ford

Singing For Your Soul