Need some tips for vocal warmup and cooldown? I met with my friend @RonnelBlackmon, founder of #hollablack to discuss some basics.

Photo credit: Ruth Fletcher, courtesy of  The Michael O'Neal Singers

It's concert week! You've been preparing all season and now have extra rehearsals but need to make sure your voice is in tip-top shape for the concert. What can you do?

1. You're going to be spending a lot of your "vocal budget" on singing this week, so take a look at other things that suck up vocal energy and see if you might be able to eliminate or reduce them this week: calling from room to room in the house, cheering at sporting events, speaking loudly over background noise, yelling/screaming, and lengthy conversations.  

2. Avoid laryngeal irritants and drying factors as much as possible. These include: smoke, chemicals/fumes, allergens, alcohol, decongestants, antihistamines, and acid reflux. Avoid coughing and clearing your throat - these activities irritate your vocal fold tissue and reduce your vocal "budget." If you need help eliminating harmful chronic coughing and throat clearing, your voice therapist can work with you to break these habits and collaborate with your physician(s) to address any underlying causes.

3. Warm up before rehearsals and concerts and cool down after.  Also warm up and cool down after heavy speaking voice use.  You may also find laryngeal massage, gargling, and/or tongue stretches helpful. Your voice therapist can assist you with creating a personalized warmup and cooldown routine.

4. Hydrate by drinking plenty of fluids and also inhale moist air (steam or using an ultrasonic humidifier or nebulized saline)

5. During rehearsal *and backstage talking,* be mindful of your vocal state.  "Mark" (rest) while singing by  singing down an octave or a dynamic level when the first signs of vocal fatigue arise: don't wait for a change in sound. Early signs of vocal fatigue include a sense of mucous in the throat (or an urge to throat-clear), a dry or scratchy feeling in the throat, increased effort required to sing (particularly difficulty with high soft singing), tension in the throat, and  pitch instability or pitch breaks. "Hoarseness" or voice loss usually comes on after some of these early signals have already given a hint that the activity is too much for the body to handle.

6. Menthol cough drops are NOT helpful.  They are a drying irritant and also numb you to the sensations of vocal fatigue above, causing you to push through discomfort, putting you at risk for vocal injury. If you are ill, it's best to sit out the concert. If you are in a small ensemble or solo, or it is an important paid performance, see an otolaryngologist (preferably a fellowship-trained laryngologist), ideally at least 3 days before the performance; there may be immediate remedies they can prescribe.