1. VOCAL HEALTH Monday, 03 December 2018
“My professional life is ruled by phlegm”
Ian Bostridge, Opera Singer
“My professional life is ruled by Phlegm and OFSTED”
Jonathan Peel, Teacher

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajbcJiY hFKY

3. TALKING is more of a strain on your voice than SINGING (if you're doing it right). In fact, Broadway singers are under contract to not utter a single word on the day of the show until after the performance ends. So if you want to be a singer you have to learn to breath, learn to focus, then shut up and sing! So where does that leave us?
vocal health
acute laryingitis
nodules

4. background As a singer I learned to protect my voice.
Scarves, bottles of water, whispering, avoiding going out in the evening, avoiding dairy produce, avoiding alcohol, never staying in a room with air-conditioning, avoiding dusty environments, never sitting out in the sun,

6. Where to start? Cart before horse:
If you are vocally tired or strained: REST is the only real cure, even if this means re- planning lessons to achieve some respite from a 6 hour shout-fest.
You can help yourself recover – saline gargles with warm water and inhalations of eucalyptus and other natural products. Avoid menthol and do not go out into the cold after doing this.

7. Other ideas to help ward off the inevitable.
Speaking is an action that requires lubrication. Sadly alcohol dehydrates (as does coffee and tea…).
Water in quantity can help, though you need to consider your bladder in this one, after all lessons are an hour long.
My favourite warm drink to soothe a tired throat? Grated ginger in warm water with a spoon of honey…
Increase your vitamin C intake for general good health.

8. BUT, we’re in the classroom
BREATHING:
Stand, feet apart arms by sides. Relax. Open mouth and breathe in as though you are yawning… do you feel the throat opening?
NOW, more fun: place your hands on your stomach and repeat the exercise. Your hand should be pushed out as your stomach expands before your chest does. If this does not work, repeat and concentrate on breathing deeply and filling from the bottom… as it were.
You can do this with a partner, since we are all adults, but I’ll not suggest it. Yet.

9. NOW, some noise
Take a deep breath and allow the air to escape over 10 seconds as though you are breathing through a straw (imagine a candle in front of you and do not let the flame move). REPEAT 10 TIMES. No racing.
NOW, as you exhale, let a sound come. Base it on a simple vowel sound –a,e,i,o,u. It should be in your normal speaking register and the lower the better. We are trying to use the airstream within a relaxed throat. Again try 10 of these. If you are confident, change the vowel sound during the flow.
Tired?

10. Easy?
This is the idea behind all speaking and singing. The air must support the sound.
To raise the volume, increase the flow of air, don’t just punch it out. Try it?
The trick to raising the voice is to think about it before you do it. If you breathe properly and concentrate on an open, relaxed throat you will easily fill a room of this size, or even the hall.

11. PLENARY – I had to…
There are measures that you can take to protect the voice.
Rest is the best cure, however. This may mean shutting up once you get home!
Think about breathing and practice my exercise, it will help to develop your diaphragm and in turn support your voice.