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June 2004 Table of Contents
Your Voice For God
Common Abuses to the Voice You Can Help Stop
By Chris Beatty
 If you can help your singers not to commit the following abuses to their voices they, and you, will be able to serve the Lord and the congregation better.
Eat, Drink and Be Merry? The foods and liquids you provide for your singers can affect their ability to maximize their voices. And, while coffee and doughnuts are the standard snack for church choirs, it does not do much in the way of preparing their bodies and voices to sing well. Now, I am not saying you should outlaw all coffee at the church. If you did that in our church, there would be no instrumental music. But, especially for the singers, some alternatives, like decaffeinated tea, apple juice or just bottled water should be made available. Also, some fresh melon is far more useful as a nutrient for your singers than Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Never is the adage, YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT more true than in singing. And remember that iced water. Or should I say, forget it. It simply is not wise to swallow ice-cold liquids when you have just warmed up your vocal mechanism. If you drink room-temperature (or warmer) liquids, your vocal mechanism will not suffer shock or sudden constriction.
Not Warmed Up? Have you ever wondered why it is that band members are always warming up? The drummer, guitar player, bass player and keyboard player are always doing their thing. Guitar players are notorious for playing air guitar while watching TV. For the uninitiated that means they are playing a pretend guitar just to keep working the arms and fingers. Why? Because they want to be sure that, the instrument is working properly and that they are physically and mentally prepared to do their job. Conversely, have you even wondered why most of your singers are not paying that same attention to their instruments? One reason is that we, the leadership, do not seem to expect it of them. We do not address the issue of always being ready to sing, and often we do not lead by good example. Some people actually judge those who might warm up their voices as egomaniac Prima Donnas. The fact is, the voice is physical and so, like any other muscle group in the body, needs to be warmed up before it can perform to its potential and remain uninjured. As vocal athletes, singers must take the time to warm up and cool down their voices. As music ministry leaders, it is our job to promote healthy vocal habits in our singers. The result will be more consistent, more powerful ministers.
Goosenecking. Sticking the head and neck out when singing is a really bad idea, and yet, most singers do it at one time or another. It interferes with the breathing process and compromises freedom in the larynx. Encourage your singers to have a Long Back of the Neck, and Short Front of the Neck at all times.
Dehydration or dryness. Air conditioning, heating, and prolonged speaking and singing dehydrate your body. In fact, we lose moisture every time we exhale. So it really is important to drink 8 or even 10 or 12 glasses of water a day. Keep a glass of water handy all day long. Make a conscious effort to rehydrate so that your throat will not be dry when it's time to sing. Pushing your voice - Putting your voice into overdrive and pushing it beyond its capabilities can cause serious damage. Building the fundamentals of good posture, breathing, tone and diction will go a long way towards a healthy voice.
Clearing your throat. Do you know what happens when you audibly clear your throat? You slam your vocal cords together. The result? Your vocal cords can become red, swollen, and tense, causing you to strain when you sing. So when it comes to clearing your throat, do not do it the way most people do or you will be promoting more and thicker mucus to come into the area you are trying to free up. In other words, clearing your throat the wrong way makes you want to clear your throat more, not less. How can you stop this destructive habit? Try using one of the following three options:
1. Swallow instead of clearing your throat. If that alone doesn't work, go on to option
2. Exhale, using a slightly squeezed h sound. It is almost like trying to whisper loudly. Try whispering loudly while saying, "Hi. Hey." Now try the same thing with your lips together, whispering a bit softer so as to be more discreet. This action brings the annoying mucus up high enough in your vocal tract for you to swallow it. You can actually learn to do this between phrases in a song while you are slightly off mic.
3. If all else fails and you really have a problem, cough and swallow. If you diligent about not clearing your throat the wrong way, there is a good chance that the mucus will become thinner (better mucosal viscosity) and less of a problem. On the other hand, if you aggressively, and abusively clear your throat, you can expect anything from a limited range, premature vocal fatigue, and huskiness, to full scar tissue or nodules on your vocal cords. The choice is yours. Just remember that clearing your throat is not natural. Babies do not do it. Animals do not do it. You should not do it.
Using an unnatural speaking voice. Most of the population speaks at either too high a pitch or more commonly, too low a pitch. If your voice tires easily as you speak on the phone, in the classroom or at work, you need to take notice. What are you doing as you speak? Speaking below or above your optimal pitch is unhealthy; it leaves your voice constantly tired and makes relaxed singing next to impossible. Finding the speaking range that is most natural for you can be done over several days by averaging the pitches you use when spontaneously speaking a short reply like, Yes, or No when you are focused and sincere. Or the Mmmm expression when something tastes really good.
Remember, you and your singers are vocal athletes. If you add some PREPARATION to your INSPIRATION, you will move to a higher, more predictable level of performance for the Lord.
Christopher Beatty–Training the Singers of Today and Tomorrow! Workshop or product information:
Vocal Coach, P.O. Box 2144, Brentwood, TN 37024.
615-331-1080 / www.vocalcoach.com
chris@vocalcoach.com
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