Stage fright, also known as performance anxiety, is one of the most common and perplexing problems we musicians face. It strikes at all stages of our development. In fact, one study found that 70% of professional orchestra musicians suffer from such intense anxiety that it gets in the way of their playing. You’re in great company if you become nervous when you perform.

by ĚýDavid Fish

Sadly, many musicians never find the way beyond their stage fright. There are a couple of reasons. First, they don’t understand the true nature of the problem. Second, they often don’t realize that part of the solution to their performance anxiety is found in accepting rather than trying to fight it.

Natural Phenomenon

Stage fright is more of a natural phenomenon than many performers realize. But it can keep you from achieving your full potential as a performer.

Some of the ways it can get in your way:

• Causes debilitating physical symptoms.

• Disrupts your concentration leading to mistakes.

• Impairs your motivation.

• Leads to procrastination that results in a lack of preparation.

• Takes the enjoyment out of performing.

In addition, stage fright can keep you from experiencing a sense of flow when you perform. This is the mental state where you’re completely immersed in an activity. Flow is the gateway to peak performance in many endeavors including music performance.

Three factors

Three factors are always at play when stage fright strikes.

• You perform for an audience.

• The audience judges you (or you at least feel it is doing so).

• A negative judgment would constitute a threat.

Sometimes, the threat behind a bout of stage fright is obvious. Let’s say you’re auditioning for acceptance at a prestigious conservatory or other school you have your heart set on attending. You may only get one chance at such an opportunity, and you feel like the stakes are high regarding your future. Both the judgment and the threat associated with it are real. It is understandable that you’re nervous.

Deeper fear

At other times, the threat posed by a performance is less understandable. I like to tell the story of one of the talented students I taught as part of the popular music program I direct at Catawba College. Sam obsessed about his fear of his voice cracking when he performed. While he knew it was unlikely to happen, and the audience wouldn’t care much if it did, he still worried.

A lot of musicians let stage fright tie them up in knots in a similar sort of way. They worry about something that may seem inconsequential to others and then beat up on themselves for worrying.

Sam’s anxiety over his voice cracking turned out to be a surface manifestation of what I call the fear of a “deep danger.” This is a legitimate fear about something that could have significant consequences.

Downward arrow

You can use what is known as the downward arrow technique to uncover the “deep danger” at the heart of your stage fright. You do so by asking a series of “If that happened, then what?” questions. Each consequence forms the next question until you reach the real underlying fear. When I led Sam through the downward arrow, it went something like this:

Me: If your voice did crack, then what?

Sam: The audience won’t take me seriously.

Me: If that happened, then what?

Sam: They won’t come back to hear me again.

Me: If that happened, then what?

Sam: I’d have no audience and I’d have to give up being a musician.

Me: If that happened, then what?

Sam: I’ll lose something that’s very important to me.

Saxophonist Dr. David Fish is the former director of Catawba College’s Popular Music degree concentration. He runs College Music Major and has authored a number of music-oriented publications including the book Goodbye Butterflies: The 5-Day State Fright Solution.

Photo Credit:ĚýCatawba College

Yoga benefits musicians of all instruments and genres. It’s a physical activity accessible to every age and fitness level, and is thoroughly embraced by professional musicians. Yoga offers powerful opportunities to address the physical, mental, and emotional challenges we musicians face. And it can be done in just a few minutes without the need for special equipment.

by Elizabeth Borowsky

Finding Balance

As musicians, we are like marathoners. We frequently practice individually or as part of an orchestra or ensemble for several hours at a time. We’re often challenged by the asymmetrical use of our bodies, using repetitive motions that are not exactly “natural” (think of the posture of a violinist).

Mentally, we are pushing our brains to absorb large amounts of information as we learn and produce music. Simply performing music from a score requires us to read, make necessary motions to produce the sound, listen and adjust as needed, express, and anticipate what is coming up next.

Performing also creates stress for many of us, whether it’s on stage, in an audition, or in juries. This may impact heart rate, breathing, and comfort level.

Yoga affects musicians positively by providing an opportunity to build endurance and find balance. It helps recalibrate the mind, allows you to breathe through stress, and helps you get comfortable “staying” in situations that you might instinctively want to run from.

Through various postures you can essentially scan your entire body, working on stretching, strengthening, and evaluating a multitude of muscles and joints that all work together as a “symphony.”

Yoga Affects Musicians through concentration and awareness

Yoga requires the quiet focus familiar to us as musicians. Even in a yoga class, the experience is personal – you are engaging in your own practice on the mat. Your body stays within a few square feet of space, and you work to your own edge. You are not amping up your energy level, but slowly and steadily progressing through a series of movements. You’re aiming to bring ease to movements that are more difficult, and recognizing that progress comes through consistent practice.

Yoga is a quiet activity, where the loudest element is often one’s mind. We’re encouraged to slow down, accept where we are at the moment, stay in a challenging pose for just a few more breaths, and focus on “I can” rather than “I can’t.”

All of this impacts our overall focus and facilitates concentration, patience, and a positive mental attitude under stress. As musicians, this is vital to our work in the practice room and on the concert stage.

Recommendations for hands, wrists, necks, and shoulders

Neck and shoulder pain can be caused by tension in our lower back, hips, and hamstrings. Everything is interconnected and your neck will feel better when you have worked all the way up from your feet through your fingertips.

Think about trying to stay warm on a cold winter day. You might wear gloves to keep your hands warm, but you’ll also put on warm socks and boots, and layer up from bottom to top, including an insulating jacket and hat. Any “weak” spot will impact your level of comfort and warmth.

For those of you who are familiar with yoga postures, here are a few of my favorites for hands, wrist, neck, and shoulders:

•ĚýĚý ĚýChild’s Pose
•ĚýĚý ĚýCat and Cow (with optional diagonal hand/leg extensions)
•ĚýĚý ĚýSeated head-to-fingertips stretch
•ĚýĚý ĚýThread the Needle
•ĚýĚý ĚýSpinal Twist (seated or lying on your back)
•ĚýĚý ĚýMountain
•ĚýĚý ĚýInterlaced fingers pushing up towards the ceiling or straight in front of you, palms away from your body
•ĚýĚý ĚýRag Doll
•ĚýĚý ĚýTree Pose
•ĚýĚý ĚýDownward Facing Dog (Note: this one may take some getting used to before you develop the ability to balance your weight equally in your fingers and are able to avoid excess weight in your wrist)

Yoga on the fly

Consistency with yoga will yield the best results. It can easily be part of your daily routine when you link it together with your practicing. As little as a few minutes to warm up, cool down, or as a stretch break will be helpful.

If you can incorporate a class even once a week – at home with a video or in a studio – the extended practice will make a difference to your posture and health. Try it 3+ times a week for best results.

What to avoid

Through practice, you will get to know your own edge. There’s a difference between finding a good challenge within a stretch, and taking a risk in trying an advanced posture that you have not prepared for. The latter may cause pain or injury, and should be avoided.

Even in a class with a teacher where you receive suggestions on how far to take a pose, check in with yourself. Technique and alignment are more important than trying to impress, and you need to know your own body and allow it to progress in a gradual manner.

It can be fun to aspire to some of the arm balances and inversions, but for our purposes, they are not any more effective than the easiest postures.

I recommend that beginners gradually build a repertoire of basic postures, establishing alignment and awareness of their breath.

How important is a teacher?

There are wonderful online resources that offer beginner tutorials and yoga flows to get you started. That said, similar to music lessons, it is helpful to seek guidance, as you may pick up habits that won’t serve you.

Beginners: seek out a studio that focuses on alignment and postural awareness, and one that offers classes specifically geared toward beginners. The Iyengar and Kripalu styles of yoga are known for attention to detail and are great for beginners. From there, you can explore a range of other styles and paces.

For deep backbends, arm balances, and inversions, it is important that you have a realistic sense of your strength, balance, and flexibility. You want to truly understand the posture and how to come into it and get out of it. This is where a teacher is helpful. These are postures that you want to be well warmed up for before you attempt them, and it’s important to go slowly (not using momentum or speed).

Elizabeth Borowsky, MM Piano Performance, , is a pianist, composer, educator, speaker, and recording artist. She is executive director of the summer program which includes yoga for students as well as faculty.

Majoring in music and sleep; can you really fit these into the same sentence?

Despite a ton of research on the consequences (sometimes dire) of not getting enough sleep each night, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a lot of college music majors who actually get 7-8 hours of sleep more than a couple of nights in a row (unless they’re sick).

The culture – especially on a college campus – and especially if you’re a music major – may give lip service to the need for sleep. In reality, good sleep in college is far more elusive than good coffee, a good laundromat, a good parking spot, or a source for good gluten-free donuts. Late nights that turn into next mornings are common for many reasons. For music majors some of this stems from:

• The availability of practice rooms – and the time to use them – has to happen after classes, lessons, rehearsals, and homework/studying are over.
• Paying gigs often start late – and end early (the next day).
• Downtime to be creative and compose solo or with others can’t happen when classes and lessons and rehearsals are scheduled.
• Belief in the myth that you can catch up on sleep. You can’t.
• Assuming you’ll be able to fall asleep when you can find time to sleep.

We don’t pretend to know how to reconcile the need for sleep with the facts of college life. We’d like to believe that if you “get” how important sleep is while you’re still in high school, you’ll somehow be able to prioritize sleep along with everything else. But that’s probably not realistic. However, if you enter music school knowing that sleep will be at a premium, perhaps you’ll go off armed with some strategies that will help you stay out of sleep deprivation trouble.

If you have anecdotes, suggestions, ideas, tips, etc. for other music students around sleep, send them to contact@majoringinmusic.com.

Preventing injury for instrumental musicians should be high on the list of priorities for anyone planning to go to music school or who is already there. A high percentage of instrumental musicians have reported at least one injury and many plow through playing in pain. Common injuries include: muscular pain, shoulder impingement, tendinitis, nerve injuries (irritation from the neck or different parts of the arm and hand).

by Brittany Seits

Performing in pain can be extremely difficult. Pain is a great body indicator that something is wrong. We need to pay attention. And paying attention may mean getting help to address what’s going on.

In this article, Dr. Erin Hayden, physical therapist and instructor of Clinical Physical Therapy at theĚý, offers tips on what we can do to prioritize our health as musicians and prevent pain and injury.

How can musicians avoid injuries and pain as a result of playing their instrument(s)?

“The most important preventative step is to take breaks, whether it be from practicing or playing,” says Dr. Hayden. “Imagine training for a marathon. You wouldn’t go from running 13 miles to running 26 miles overnight.” So if you have a big audition, concert, or festival coming up, don’t try and train for it overnight!”

Another great preventative measure is exercise. According to Hayden, “Cardiovascular exercise and moving in general are important. Especially for musicians who spend a lot of time sitting. Or if you’re standing and you stand in one position. We’re not designed to be in a static position.”

Hayden suggests doing “whatever you like, as far as walking or jogging or those same sorts of cardiovascular exercises. From an athletic perspective: athletes in the off-season will cross train. So from a music perspective, when you’re not in juries or auditions or those types of things aren’t coming up, it’s a great time to do other activities beside the repetitive positions and motions you do when you’re practicing.”

When to take a break?

“As far as intensive practice, try spreading the practice sessions out throughout the day,” Hayden suggests. She also recommends taking a break after about 45 minutes of practicing, when possible.

Musicians often struggle with tendinitis. What can be done to prevent this?

“Most of the time, the tendons involved are getting overused. Some of that you can’t help. It’s just the nature of how you hold your instrument or what particular muscles are working for playing particular instruments.

“But if you know that you’re going to work certain muscles a lot because of the nature of what you’re playing, and those muscles are going to get that repetitive use, you need to make sure that, as much as possible, you don’t overuse those muscles during other activities.

“Stretch those muscles out. Keep the different body joints in a neutral position if possible.”

For example, to prevent wrist tendinitis, keep your wrist in a straight position when you’re not playing your instrument, instead of having it extremely bent or flexed. This will help alleviate the extra stress you’re putting on the tendons when you’re playing.

What about strengthening?

Hayden says it’s important to strengthen other muscles: your core, upper back, and shoulders, to help support the areas of your body that you use more when you’re playing – like your wrist and forearm.

Imagine a tree trunk. A large tree in a windstorm is not going to blow over because it’s so strong. “But if you have a tiny little aspen,” she says, “it’s going to tip over in the same storm. If you have good core strength, and a strong upper back and shoulders, those are going to provide you with the support that you need for other muscles when you move and hold those positions when you’re playing.

“For a lot of instrumentalists, it’s about the shoulder and upper back strength. If you think about pianists moving up and down the keyboard, it’s a lot of work!Ěý So you want to have good core stability to be able to do that.”

When watching videos of practice sessions and performances, what can musicians look for?

Hayden suggests you ask yourself:

• Do I have any excessive tension? Where is that tension showing up? In my shoulders? Hands?
• Do I make any extraneous movements? Do I move too much or too little?

What should an injured musician do?

“Even if you’re not sure what to do, at least acknowledge that you have pain and pay attention to it, says Hayden.” “See whether it changes, especially if it starts to increase. We’ve all been there where we think, ‘Yea, it’s no big deal, it’ll go away!’ But at least be aware so that you can pay attention to whether it gets any worse.”

It’s especially important for younger musicians to tell their parents or teachers when they experience pain. According to Hayden, “Parents and teachers can usually offer a great deal of help. Teachers can probably notice a change in their student’s technique or their style, and they can usually be a great help in addressing those changes.”

Brittany SeitsĚýis a freelance bassoonist in Southern California and is also the Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission for theĚý

by Wendy LeBorgne, PhD –

As the college audition season approaches, staying healthy for vocal auditions is on the mind of every prospective voice major. Inevitably, the timing of auditions coincides with cold and flu season. You hear horror stories of friends who wake up with a sore throat or runny nose, or worst case scenario, laryngitis, at the worst possible moment. As a professional singer, this is also something that you may experience throughout your career.

The sooner you prepare yourself toĚýpreventĚýandĚýminimizeĚýillnesses that can interfere at high stakes vocal demand times, the better off you’ll be.Ěý Many of the following tips may be “things your mother told you,” but when they’re not coming from your mom, perhaps you will be more likely to take them to heart.

1. Get Enough Sleep

There is no substitute for sleep. You cannot “catch up” on sleep.Ěý People who are sleep deprived generally have slightly depressed immune systems, which makes them more susceptible to illness. Everyone has slightly different sleep needs, but generally speaking, 18-22 year olds require 6-10 hours of sleep daily for optimal brain and body function.

Not only is adequate sleep important to keep your immune system functioning at optimal capacity, but you need to be well-rested to keep your brain mentally sharp.ĚýMental sharpness is vital for remembering lyricsĚýand focusing on being your best for the most important 2-10 minutes of your life.

2. Hydrate

In a 10-year retrospective study of incoming freshman musical theatre performers (Donahue, LeBorgne, Brehm, & Weinrich, “in review”),Ěýover 50% were significantly under-hydrated.

It takes at least 2-3 hours for the liquid you drink to filter through your body and help lubricate the vocal folds. Nothing you drink gets directly onto the vocal folds. Lack of adequate hydration is like not putting oil in a car: the gears don’t work as well, there’s increased heat and friction in the gears, and the oil that’s left tends to be gummy and thick.

The current rule forĚýadequate oral hydrationĚýis to take your body weight, and divide it in half. That’s the number of ounces of water you should minimally be drinking (ex. 150 lbs. á 2= 75 oz.). This formula doesĚýnotĚýtake into consideration any activity such as singing or dancing.

Minimize whatever can be systemically drying, such as caffeine.Ěý There are certain medications that also have mucosal drying effects. DO NOT discontinue any medication that you have been prescribed, but ensure that you are adequately balancing the drying properties. Besides caffeine, some of the most common and drying medications young adults take include: oral allergy medications (Allegra, Claritin, Zyrtec, Singular, Benedryl, etc.), oral decongestants (Sudafed, etc.); inhaled corticosteroids (Albuterol, etc.); oral acne medications (Accutane); ADD/ADHD medications (Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin); antidepressants (Wellbutrin, Zoloft, etc.).

Finally, beware of “overhydrating” (water intoxication). Over hydration can be a potentially medically dangerous condition. Typically, this only occurs in rare situations and generally results when someone consumes more than 2 gallons of water per day.

3. Don’t Overcommit

If you are auditioning for a career in vocal music, you are likely to be an accomplished and sought-after singer in your high school and community. Because of your talent, you are probably involved in choir, the school musical, private voice lessons, recitals, personal practice time, etc. This generally involves being “vocally overcommitted,” and can be detrimental to your ability to perform maximally at your auditions.

Think of an Olympic athlete who physically overtrains just before their event.Ěý They are at increased risk of injury and poor performance, compared to the athlete who gradually builds stamina for a given event so that they “peak” in their performance at exactly the right time. This is your goal for a college audition. You have spent years training and you want to “peak” at your auditions. If you are involved in too many activities (vocal or otherwise), you cannot be in optimal vocal, mental, or physical form for your auditions.

Choose your activities wisely. Practice wisely. Remember that mental practice is highly beneficial –– you can memorize lyrics, rhythms, character choices, dynamic changes.

In addition to your vocal activities, the social activities that often occur throughout your high school senior year may expose you to late nights, loud talking –– even substance abuse. By all means it is important to celebrate your achievements, but as a “vocal athlete,” remember you are in “training” for your auditions, which will help prepare you for the rest of your career.

4. Wash Your Hands

The simple act of washing your hands can significantly reduce the spread of germs from person to person.Ěý Think about all the places your hands have been and the things you touch that are shared with multiple others: door knobs, piano keys, cell phones, pencils, desks, computer keyboards, etc. For good hand washing hygiene, use warm, soapy water and sing (in your head or out loud) “Happy Birthday” while lathering up. Rinse with warm water and turn off the water with the back of your hand (or use a paper towel).Ěý If you have no available water handy, carry hand sanitizer with you and remember: hand sanitizer must have 60%+ alcohol concentration to combat the spread of flu.

5. Eat Well and Take Your Vitamins

Your body is your instrument. You’ve heard it a thousand times before, but you are what you eat. For optimal performance of muscle and brain function, your body should be well-hydrated and well-nourished.Ěý Good nutrition does not begin the day before your audition. Think of eating properly as part of the training process.

Fuel your body with nutritious, wholesome foods. Limit processed foods and sugar consumption. This includes sodas and sports drinks.

Wendy LeBorgne, PhD CCC-SLPĚý(Voice Pathologist and Singing Voice Specialist) is the director of the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation and the Professional Voice Center of Greater Cincinnati. She holds an adjunct Assistant Professor at Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and the College of Allied Health. Her research includes the area of the Broadway “belt.” In addition to her duties as a voice pathologist, she continues to maintain an active professional performing career.

Elizabeth “Beth” Mueller Grace spent thousands of dollars seeking the help of specialists in resolving her piano injury. Grace, a highly-trained pianist and teacher, is determined to pass on what she finally learned about healthy technique to others with similar problems.

Grace first experienced extreme hand pain after playing the Brahms Quintet at a summer music festival. She tried dismissing it until she found it difficult to practice, let alone perform.

More than a dozen tests led to anti-inflammatories, braces, and cortisone shots that temporarily relieved the pain. But the pain never fully subsided. Grace was determined to avoid surgery, knowing that scar tissue could create new problems. Rather than give up on her passion, she made it her life’s mission to figure out what it was about her playing that caused her injury.

Fast forward and Beth Grace is now a Certified Instructor of the Taubman Approach through the Golandsky Institute. She credits this work with saving her piano career, allowing her to continue her highly successful studio in Kansas City and New York City, as well as serve on the artist faculty at theĚýĚýSummer Academy at the University of Denver. Since solving her own problem, she’s been an active clinician, collaborative artist, and directed and taught on the faculty of Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park, Colorado.

Playing with Pain and Tension

“If I’d stopped playing when I was first injured and gotten help in the right way, I wouldn’t have had such a lengthy recovery period,” Grace says. She attributes her various diagnoses (tendinitis of the thumb, frozen shoulder, repetitive strain injury) to the way she learned to use her hands as a pianist. She now looks back on all she went through as a positive experience: “If I can help one person from being injured or help one person not have to go through all I went through, then it will have been worth the journey.”

Causes of injury

Through the Taubman Approach, Grace was able to address underlying alignment and movement issues. She also discovered fingering issues that lead toĚýtension and then pain. For instance, she would strive to use the fingering as written on the music but this would often cause her to stretch her hands in unnatural and damaging ways that led to pain. She has since recognized that fingerings suggested by editors may not necessarily work well for those who perform the music.

The Taubman Approach makes it unnecessary to stretch the fingers or twist the hand to reach notes. According to Grace, “Twisting involves changing the alignment of the forearm and the hand to turn [the fingers] to the side. And when you turn [your fingers] to the side and play down with force, it’s not a good combination. It doesn’t feel good but people think this is the only way to master the passage and remain true to the score. The Taubman Approach allows the pianist all of the creative and musical freedom without the discomfort.”

Listening to Your Body

“If people are playing with pain and tension, it must be stopped immediately,” Grace says. “You cannot keep playing through the pain. The ‘no pain, no gain’ philosophy doesn’t work. Your body is screaming at you when you have pain, that it does not like what you’re doing.” If you keep doing the same activity despite the pain, i.e., the stretching, twisting, grabbing motions as well a a combination of those, the pain will continue and most likely worsen.

Pain also leads to compensation. The injured part of the body may be protected when another part takes over, but this can often lead to a secondary injury. Grace now knows that had she stopped playing and gotten the kind of help she finally found through the Taubman Approach, she could have avoided a long recovery.

Case Study: An Injured Student

“In my experience, pianists are talked to less about how their bodies work and how their instruments work than other instrumentalists,” claims Beth Grace. “That’s because it is thought that almost anyone can play (or make a sound at) the piano., i.e., anything striking a key will make a sound. As a result, most piano students are not taught correct positions and motions.” They end up using techniques that Grace refers to as “hand busters,” i.e., the motions that are likely to lead to injury.

In her work with clients, Grace looks closely at the onset of pain in conjunction with the repertoire. She also observes their previous technical habits. Muscle memory is so strong that a comprehensive re-education process is sometimes required in order to remedy the root problem.

In the video below, Grace works with an injured high school student who is seeking help in anticipation of college auditions.

In honor of World Voice Day, April 16th, we asked speech pathologist and singing rehabilitation specialist Joanna Cazden for her thoughts on a common problem: dealing with throat tightness.

Here are reasons she thinks you may be experiencing throat tightness and dryness –– and her suggestions on what to do.

1. Sometimes the sensation of your throat feeling dry means that your throat IS dry! The cells at the surface of your throat have air moving past them all day long –– as the result of normal breathing. If the air around you (climate or indoor environment) is dry, your throat feels it.

When you sing, your mouth stays open longer than normal, and you take bigger “gulps” of air when you inhale between phrases. So any dryness you might feel gets even more intense. Drinking plenty of water helps, but using a humidifier, facial “steamer,” or just breathing the steamy vapor from a cup of tea may be a faster solution.

The quickest test is to sing in the bathroom when it’s steamy from a shower or bath. See if your throat feels better. If this kind of dryness is a constant problem, talk to your doctor about possible nasal congestion, and look for “oral dryness” products near the mouthwash and toothpaste section at your local pharmacy.

2. If a pinching and tight feeling is stronger than the sense of dryness, you may be straining your voice by singing too high, too loud, and/or too long.

Listen to your body, because it’s giving you a signal to back off! You can’t force your way past this kind of limit. Instead, give your voice some rest.

To prevent straining, work with a good teacher to improve the posture of your neck and jaw, and to manage your breathing more effectively.

3. Sometimes, throat tightness or a dry, irritated sensation is an indirect signal that your neck muscles are working too hard or are out of balance. This may be helped with massage, acupuncture, or physical therapy.

4. Tightness, dryness, or soreness in your throat can be related to chronic sinus infections, allergies, or acid reflux. It can also be a side effect of medications you’re taking. These are things to discuss with a throat doctor (laryngologist) who understands singers’ needs and problems.

Try the simple things first: humidity, neck relaxation, and less forcing when you sing. If these don’t solve your problem, see a doctor.

Joanna Cazden, MFA, MS-CCC, is a speech pathologist and singing rehabilitation specialist in Los Angeles, and the author of Everyday Voice Care: TheĚýLifestyleĚýGuide (Hal Leonard Books).

Photo Credit: World Voice Day

Are you noticing changes in your vocal range? Are you concerned about them?

by Joanna Cazden,
Speech pathologist, singing rehabilitation specialist

Every voice changes over time. Teenage boys, of course, experience the most dramatic change, but adolescent girls’ voices also gain strength and depth, and may lose a note or two from the very top end, compared to their childhood voices.

In the early 20s, a healthy voice — like the rest of the body — typically shows a thrilling combination of strength and flexibility. Sadly, this peak of range and agility typically declines slightly by the later 20s to early30s, when the voice is considered to be fully mature at a biological level. Note that this is about the same time that the brain’s frontal lobe completes its development, offering you more reliable, thoughtful good judgment than your teenage brain allowed.

As you move from high school to college and beyond, how can you tell whether changes in your vocal range are normal or unhealthy, temporary or permanent? And is it still possible to increase your range as you get older, adding high notes you didn’t have before?

1. Watch yourself sing in a mirror or on video and compare performances over time.

If you are lifting your chin, tightening your jaw, or otherwise straining a little to get notes that used to be effortless, your range may be changing. Maybe your voice is maturing—or maybe your vocal cords are slightly swollen or roughed-up from overuse, illness, or a combination.

Schedule a checkup with your throat doctor, and be super-careful for a few weeks. Avoid any feeling of strain or tension. Avoid overuse. Then re-evaluate.

2. Measure your range regularly every day or week at the same time, singing high and soft.

Track this in a journal to understand your typical variability, and jot down relevant notes about your fatigue, allergies, partying, etc.

Fluctuation of a half- or whole-step day to day, at the very top of your voice and/or the placement of your passagio, may be normal. Once you know how much variation is typical for you, it’s easier to recognize bigger, long-term changes.

3. Do you tend to “cheat” high notes with extra tension?

If so, do the above measurement (see #2) in a head-down position or lying on the floor. These positions tend to disconnect the neck and jaw compensations, so you’ll get a cleaner measurement. Again, singing softly is the most useful challenge.

4. Respect your limits! Note the following:

• Your genetic profile, including the size and shape of your vocal instrument, may not give you the range displayed by your favorite operatic or Broadway-style role model.
• Composers and producers will always push for more extreme performances, but their own bodies and voices are not at risk — yours are!
• Fame, wealth, and healthy singing don’t always go together, so be honestĚý with your teachers and career advisors, and exercise your maturing frontal lobe to choose your roles wisely.
• If you stop pushing and straining for high notes, you may be able to feel a deeper ability to relax and stretch the throat, and to fully anchor your breath support. Then, if higher notes show up, you’ll know they are yours to keep.

Joanna Cazden, MFA, MS-CCC, is a speech pathologist and singing rehabilitation specialist in Los Angeles, and the author of “Everyday Voice Care: The Lifestyle Guide” (Hal Leonard Books).

by Joanna Cazden –

Managing your audition anxiety is key to your audition success. You want to be at your peak of health, relaxation, and confidence when you stand on that stage. But your anxiety about the outcome can feel like an impossible obstacle.

Performance anxiety is normal. Professionals learn how to manage it, but it never fully goes away. So don’t interpret your fear as a sign that you have no talent, or don’t deserve to succeed.

Here are 6 tools that may help—things I’ve learned from my own performing life, from my training as a speech therapist, and from coaching and counseling students like you.

1. The #1 antidote to anxiety is being prepared. So practice! The moments before you perform are when you’ll be most nervous, so work that sequence just as you work your music. Rehearse walking in, what you’ll say to the faculty, and your cues for the accompanist.

Link these actions to breathing: exhale-pause-inhale before you enter, before you speak, and before you start your music. This breath sequence—and your attention to it—will help keep you calm.

2. When you’re bored or in a rut, change it up. Run your pieces too fast, then very slowly, with comic attitude one day and melodrama the next. Do them in crazy order with dance or calisthenics in between.

Plug in competing music at the same time. Wear a stupid hat. These variations help keep your interpretation fresh. More important, they prepare you to cope with the unexpected distractions—snowstorms, family crises—that could challenge your audition.

During the last week before auditions, just run the program straight so that you’re not confused when you need to be clear.

3. Mentally practice, as athletes do. Go through the audition in your mind, seeing and feeling yourself glide easily from front door through hardest arpeggio to final exit. This reinforces your skills and you can do it anywhere.

4. Practice facing your doubts. “But what if….?” fears are common. Don’t suppress them but don’t give in either. Especially avoid spinning into “what-if-I-can’t-avoid-my-nervousness” spirals.

Anxiety usually hides an equal amount of positive excitement. So welcome your fear as if it’s an animal that is secretly tame. Thank your ambitious energy for showing up, review your exhale-pause-inhale pattern a few times, and go back to work.

5. If you still feel overwhelmed by anxiety despite all of these efforts, talk to a counselor. There may be some other problem or worry that is intensifying your natural feelings about audition season. Keep practicing in the meantime.

6. Find a way to reward yourself for getting through each audition. Ritualize what comes after, to help manage the let-down from all that adrenaline. For instance: jot in a special notebook or app about what you learned from each experience, have a favorite snack, then get some exercise and lots of sleep before the next round of challenges.

Best of luck to you!

Joanna Cazden is a singer-songwriter, voice rehabilitation specialist, and intuitive coach in Los Angeles. She has released six solo albums and is the author of Visualizations for Singers, a CD/MP4 of guided imagery that includes a voice relaxation sequence. Joanna is also the author of Everyday Voice Care:The Lifestyle Guide for Singers and Talkers.

Butterflies in the stomach; sweaty palms; negative self-talk; stomach pain; dry mouth; excessive swallowing; shortness of breath; fuzzy thinking; avoidance; or giving up. These are some of the signs and symptoms of performance anxiety. It feels so unfair when your hard work in the practice room is thwarted by fear or discomfort. A little stress can improve your game, motivating you to practice so you are sufficiently prepared by performance time. And sometimes the rush of adrenaline can sharpen performance. If stress is manageable, then all is well.

But if anxiety limits your ability to develop your talent and music performance charisma, you may wonder whether you should pursue public performance at all. Some people who suffer from performance anxiety decide to play music in ensembles, rather than as soloists. Some become music educators. These are valid choices, but before deciding to change your career path, give yourself time to explore some other options.

You Don’t Have to Be Anxious!

Our biological systems are wired to alert us to danger so we can defend, protect, survive, and procreate. Rapid heartbeat and increased muscle tension are valuable if we want to attack the wooly mammoth or run up a tree to escape it. But when it comes to public speaking, studio recording, or performing on stage, we seldom encounter situations where our lives are literally threatened. Your system doesn’t differentiate between clear and present danger and the perception of it. If you have a conscious or unconscious belief “as if” performing music were life-threatening, your body may tighten, your thoughts may become fuzzy, and you may encounter a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. It is an understatement to say it is not optimal to be in the throes of performance anxiety when you need to delicately coordinate your voice, breathing, arms, or fingers. We may be hard-wired to survey our environment for danger, but we can learn to cope. You can learn to orchestrate the level of stress at which you rehearse, as well as reduce the level of anxiety the day of a music performance, the moments before walking on stage, and even during the concert.

Coping with Performance Anxiety

As a long-time singer and lecturer who used to worry a lot, I found the Alexander Technique helped me improve my vocal technique, and that helped my confidence. I continue to use my Alexander thinking to center myself before performance, and –– most importantly –– to guide my thinking away from self-defeating thoughts and towards constructive ones. Using every Alexander option available to me, I can feel comfortable and joyous while preparing and then performing in front of people. For instance:

• Lying in semi-supine (seeĚý) is a fantastic way for musicians to prepare for practice, rehearsal, auditions, and performance. It’s also a great way to unwind. When you literally stop and rest, you decrease the level of stimuli bombarding you, and anxious thoughts and feelings evaporate. When you resume activity, you’ll have more resilience to encounter new stress-producing conditions.
• Learning to sit or stand with ease while performing music can improve sound quality, breath control, and endurance. In addition, standing in the “monkey” position — where you bend your hips, knees and ankles simultaneously –– can be used during warm-up and practice to transform the quality of your sound.
• Special breathing techniques are often recommended as coping strategies. The Alexander Technique’s approach is the whispered “ah.” All musicians, including conductors, can reap the rewards from its calming effect.

Other useful Alexander practices help you shift your attitude or behavior to prevent confusion, panic, or getting hooked into negative thinking. By mentally preparing yourself ahead of time, there is less to deal with during a music performance. But if you do get triggered, stress hormones that course through your system are only effective for some 20 minutes. Once you know that, the feeling of your heart pounding doesn’t have to perpetuate anxious thoughts. Moreover, you can ask yourself what you want instead: clear thinking, easy breathing, and less tension. It may seem improbable that you could entertain these thoughts in the midst of performance, but that is what Alexander Technique lessons train you to do. The combination of skilled hands, gentle touch, cognitive instruction, and training in how to send yourself messages becomes a powerful and unique way of learning.

Conclusion

Becoming a professional musician offers tremendous rewards––and challenges. If your talent leads you to music performance, don’t let anxiety prevent you from experiencing joy and satisfaction in your chosen field. Students of the Alexander Technique learn many skills to reduce the harmful effects of music performance anxiety. They develop strategies to prevent and diminish discomfort, to put uncomfortable situations in perspective, and to continue organizing themselves to enable peak performance.

Ruth Rootberg is an AmSAT-certified Alexander Technique teacher, designated Linklater theater voice teacher, Laban Movement Analyst, and classical singer. After graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music, Ruth sang opera and symphonic literature in Europe and the United States. She teaches the Alexander Technique and voice to people of all ages in Amherst, Massachusetts, and gives workshops around the country, including her highly successful Moving Voices with Quiet Hands—weekend workshops for voice professionals. Ruth conceived, edited and published Teaching Breathing: Results of a Survey (2002).

As a musical theatre major, it’s essential that you understand and protect your voice for the long term. Professional singers are vocal athletes and it takes serious commitment and training to work in the field.

by Nadine Gomes and Rebecca Schorsch

If you are considering turning your passion for musical theatre into a career, here are some important things to consider.

1. Imitation and over-singing

When the Musical Theater bug bites, the fever it causes can result in belting out show tunes in your bedroom, kitchen and car for hours on end. Imitation and over-singing are two significant dangers for the young MT singer. Listening to Idina Menzel or your favorite Broadway star can be fun, but the young high school and college level voice is still developing. The seductive nature of imitation can prevent a young singer from discovering and mastering their own individual and genuine sound. Manipulating your own voice to sound like someone else’s can result in serious and limiting stress and strain. Learning to sing without tension is an essential principle, not only of vocal study but of a long-lasting professional career in Musical Theater.

2. Warning signs

Eight to ten shows a week is a reality for the professional Musical Theater singer. This requires serious training and deep understanding of your voice and body, its strengths and limitations.

Vocal fatigue is unfortunately common among young singers, and it is important to recognize the symptoms. Listen to your body and learn to recognize the important messages it is sending you when singing. Hoarseness, physical discomfort and pain are signs of vocal exhaustion.

Good singing should not hurt . A singer should never lose their voice unless seriously ill. Singing to the point of vocal weakness or strain must be avoided. Know when to stop! If you are experiencing drastic vocal weakness or changes that last longer than a week, it may be time to consult an otolaryngologist, or the voice specialist ENT in your area.

3. Finding the right mentor

First and foremost, someone else needs to be your ears. If you are considering a career as a singer in any style, you need to work with a vocal technique teacher who is an experienced singer. This person should be well-versed in Musical Theater style and performance practice, and understand the principles of good vocal health, including how the body works. They should also be able to help you sing healthily and assist you in choosing appropriate repertoire for study and auditions.

Good singing feels good, sounds good, and is consistently repeatable. It takes time, regular practice and commitment to understand your own voice, and you need a knowledgeable partner on this journey. You should feel comfortable with the teacher and feel that they are helping you take ownership of your own instrument and how it works.

4. Warming up

Vocal warm-ups in your voice lessons are meant to be duplicated on your own as a ritual before all singing. Find time to warm up your voice and body before every practice session, rehearsal and performance. Skipping this essential step is physically dangerous. Think of it this way: Would you run 5 miles without first warming up?

5. Staying healthy

Staying in top physical shape is mandatory for a lasting career in Musical Theater. Drinking plenty of water, eating well, staying physically active and getting sleep aren’t just good for you as a human, they are necessary for career survival as a singer. Learning to go home and sleep instead of staying out partying with friends is a hard but important lesson to learn. The voice is a delicate instrument and it is easier to harm it than you might think.

6. Continuing education

A professional singer’s education never ends. It takes dedication, patience, years of work and healthy life habits to be a successful performer. If this is where your passion lies, the joy needs to be in the journey itself. Staying in top vocal and physical condition makes that journey so much more enjoyable!

Rebecca SchorschĚý andĚýNadine GomesĚýare both full-time lecturers in Studio Voice for the Theatre Conservatory atĚý.Ěý Their students sing on Broadway, Chicago, National Tours and regional stages.

Your voice can withstand a certain amount of use without vocal fatigue, depending on the intensity of use and your level of vocal fitness. By singing too much, too loudly, or out of range, your vocal mechanism will begin to fatigue and your body will try and compensate.

by Wendy DeLeo LeBorgne, Ph.D.Ěý CCC-SLP

Symptoms of vocal fatigue may include: hoarseness; change in laryngeal sensation (tightness, neck muscles aching); increased vocal effort to produce sound; loss of dynamic control (generally soft becomes more difficult); and vocal onsets become discoordinated. You may begin to experience physical compensation (jaw tightness, tongue tightness).

Over time, continuing to sing on a vocally fatigued mechanism may result in physical and vocal changes (and possible injury) that will alter the way that you perform as a singer.

How to minimize vocal fatigue?

There are several ways to minimize vocal fatigue. We turn to the athletic model of training to serve as an example:

1. Ensure adequate nutrition and hydration.

It takes approximately two hours for the liquids that you drink to become systemic (with the exception of alcohol and caffeine). Therefore, it is imperative singers begin drinking non-caffeinated, non-carbonated fluids several hours before and consistently throughout their singing day. The vocal folds require appropriate lubrication to vibrate efficiently. Vocal folds lacking appropriate lubrication result in a system at increased risk for injury because of increased heat and friction (imagine an engine that doesn’t have enough oil, gears heat up and don’t work well).

2. Practice and train in a cost-efficient manner.ĚýĚý

Training for a marathon takes place over a period of several months, with gradual increase in pace and stamina. There are also built-in periods of rest.

Think about what we often do as performers. We wait until the last minute to learn new music, we rehearse for several hours at a time “full out,” and the most intensive week vocally is often tech week (and then everyone is vocally exhausted for the show).

Consider training smarter. Train like an athlete and vary the intensity of your vocal workouts.Ěý Pace your training schedule as well as during your practice sessions. For example, Weeks 1 to 3 can be vocal building weeks and Week 4 a recovery week. Then, Weeks 5 to 7 are increased vocal building, with Week 8 a recovery week.

Within your weekly practice sessions, balance your vocally intensive practice days with an easy vocal day the following day. Take a day of vocal rest each week for adequate recovery.

After practice sessions, be sure to cooldown your body, voice, and mind to return to “neutral.”Ěý This is especially important when you are at vocal extremes during your practice session.

3. What to do if you are vocally fatigued?

Because singing involves the entire body and psyche, there will be times when vocal fatigue is unavoidable. Here are several tips to recover quickly from vocal fatigue:

• Modified (not complete) vocal rest. Consider minimizing your talking (both the amount of talking you do and the intensity/loudness).
• Decrease the length and intensity of your vocal practice sessions (i.e. practice for 15 minutes 3-4 times per day instead of one 45-60 minute session).
• Use vocal “unloading” exercises during practice sessions. Specifically, vocalize in the mid-range at a moderate vocal intensity. Use step-wise exercises (the larger the interval, the more vocally complex the exercise is). Vocalize on semi-occluded vocal tract exercises for singing –– lip buzz, tongue trill, straw in water (bubbles) –– to help unload the system.
• Hydrate!

Wendy LeBorgne,ĚýPhD CCC-SLP (Voice Pathologist and Singing Voice Specialist) is the director of the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation and the Professional Voice Center of Greater Cincinnati. She holds an adjunct Assistant Professor at Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and the College of Allied Health. Her research includes the area of the Broadway “belt.” In addition to her duties as a voice pathologist, she continues to maintain an active professional performing career.

Healthy belting is an extension of speech, so as voice students, if you do not have a strong, clear sound when you are speaking, particularly in your lower notes, you may not have a natural capacity to belt.

By Jeannette LoVetri

Healthy belting is also produced with a kind of trumpet-like intensity that makes the sound seem to be very powerful without causing vocal fatigue or stress. It takes a good amount of breath support generated by a strong, deliberate use of the abdominal muscles while singing, but it does not use air in the same way that a good classical sound does.

Belting may or may not have a vibrato (a steady fluctuation of the pitch being sung), and it may or may not extend to the very highest pitches in a singer’s range. Some singers belt only up to a specific pitch or pitch range, particularly if they also sing in other styles that are not belted. Those vocalists who also sing classically have to learn to “shift vocal gears” if they are to sing easily in both belting and classical sound, and that takes time (from months to years) to do well.

It is rare, but not impossible, to find teachers of belting who are not, themselves, belters at a high level, who also sing classical and other styles of repertoire, and who are experienced and effective singing teachers. Many who claim to teach belting are neither trained belters nor have any professional-level experience as belters. Students who want to learn to belt should be especially wary of such teachers.

Note that it is possible to learn to make the belt sound without training, through trial and error and through imitation.

What You Need to Know about Belting

• Many classically trained singers who now teach were taught that belting was automatically injurious to the vocal folds (cords). This is an old wives’ tale, based on a lack of accurate understanding and experience. Sadly, many vocal programs do not allow students to do any belting throughout their entire four years of undergraduate training, and will not accept any belted material from a student during an entrance audition.
• Any kind of squeezing, pushing, forcing, yelling, and extreme nasality in belting can lead to both musical and vocal health problems over time. The sound should be free, easy and comfortable, and the vocalist should also be able to sing softly in most pitches without undue effort.
• The face, neck, head and body should be in harmony and look comfortable in a belt sound, although the louder, higher sounds will require more activity on the part of the vocalist in order to be done correctly.
• General advice: if it feels good, and sounds good, and does the job over and over, it probably is good. If it feels bad and sounds good, be suspicious. If it feels good but sounds bad, something is not working correctly, and if it feels bad and sounds bad, it is bad and should be stopped. This is true in any style of music.
• If you study with a teacher who is not familiar with the belt sound, with repertoire that uses the sound, and who can’t answer your questions about how the sound is made, find another teacher! Knowledgeable teachers understand all these things and will happily explain them in a simple, clear manner.
• If your voice ever feels “bad” or “sounds funny” and doesn’t get better, find a good otolaryngologist (ENT or Ear, Nose and Throat specialist) and have your vocal folds examined. Serious vocal damage can sometimes be permanent and prevent you from singing professionally for the rest of your life.

Jeannette LoVetriĚý is the director of theĚýVoice WorkshopĚýand has been teaching singing since 1972. Her students appear on Broadway, in concerts and recordings, and include rock, pop, jazz, classical, gospel and other styles. She is a voice researcher and author, and teaches at five nationally-recognized universities.

Are you a candidate for hearing loss?

Do you have earbuds dangling from your ears most of your waking hours?

Do you jam in your basement with a drummer and maybe a sax or trumpet player?

Do you like to dance in front of the speakers at concerts?

If you answered yes to any of these, consider yourself typical. And probably on your way to hearing loss if you’re not already there.

It’s not just old folks who suffer from hearing loss. In fact, in August of 2010, Josef Shargorodsky, M.D., M.P.H., from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, shared the results of his studies of 12-19 year olds with this unnerving statement: “About one out of five adolescents in the United States has at least some evidence of hearing loss and moreover about one out of 20 has at least mild hearing loss.”

Reasons for Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Noise-induced hearing loss, also known as “NIHL,” results from damage to hair cells in the ears, whose job it is to convert sound into electrical impulses that travel to the brain. Unlike fingernails and bone and other parts of the body that repair themselves, damaged hair cells don’t grow back regardless of whether they’ve been injured by “acoustic trauma” –– such as a one-time explosion or gun shot –– or whether they’re damaged as a result of continuous loud sounds from practicing, rehearsing with an ensemble or orchestra, performing, and attending concerts of friends, faculty and well-known performers. Earbuds are especially linked to causing hearing loss because they don’t cancel out as much noise as headphones and the wearer typically has to listen to music through them at a higher volume in order to drown out peripheral noise. In fact, a 2008 study of European mp3 users indicates that listening to music at high volumes for more than an hour a day puts the user at risk for hearing loss after five years. According to the National Institute on Deafness and other Communicable Disorders, “The louder the sound, the shorter the time period before noise-induced hearing loss can occur.”

What to Do

1. The first rule of thumb:Ěý Use protection! Music schools should be making this a requirement before you enter their hallowed halls. But they don’t. So it is up to you to take the time and spend the money to equip yourself with genuine musician ear plugs. These are custom-molded to prevent the muffled quality you get from over-the-counter ear plugs, cotton wads and anything else you might stick in your ear to try to convince yourself that you are protecting your hearing.Ěý They are made to be worn comfortably for hours on end and to provide balanced, undistorted sound. They are also made with the rest of your hearing life in mind. Research seems to concur that drummers should look for ER-25 plugs and other musicians can stick with the ER-15 models. As you move forward in your music career, you’ll probably want to look seriously at investing in in-ear monitors, the more expensive protection used by professional musicians.

2. Think about where and how you practice and rehearse. Can you avoid small practice rooms with hard surfaces especially for the really loud pieces that use lots of brass and percussion or piccolos? How about alternating loud with softer pieces? Can you take regular quiet breaks during rehearsals? Check the links below for more suggestions as to how to practice and rehearse with the safety of your hearing in mind.

3. Talk about hearing loss concerns and hearing protection with your professors, the administrators of your school, your fellow musicians. Hearing loss is rampant among professional musicians, including classical performers. Yet historically, it has not been recognized as a common, preventable problem. You can actually help change that by speaking up and taking steps to maintain your hearing.

4. Request modifications to practice rooms and performance venues that support your hearing as well as that of your fellow performers. Ask for suggestions on ear plugs.

5. Get a baseline hearing test and repeat it every year or two. It will help you know more about your starting point in case you notice changes in your hearing over time. It may also help you come to grips with the fact that your hearing is crucial to being a musician and that the sooner you start protecting your hearing, the longer you will have it.

Robert Rickover, Alexander Technique teacher, working with a musician.

Maybe you’ve heard of the Alexander Technique somewhere along your musical journey. If so, you’re probably aware that it has something to do with helping relieve excess tension. Perhaps you’ve seen people lying down on the floor with books behind their heads, or an Alexander teacher working with a student, and you’ve wondered what they were doing. Most importantly, you may have asked, “Can these ultra-subtle-looking activities help me play my instrument or sing better?” Yes, definitely!

by Diana Rumrill

Whether you’re having some kind of pain with playing, tension that you know isn’t working for you, or are just interested in playing with more freedom and ease, the Alexander Technique can help. For me, it forever changed the way I approached playing violin –– as well as singing, walking, sitting, and breathing, for that matter.

Origin of the Alexander Technique

Around the turn of the last century, F.M. Alexander, an Australian actor, suffered from chronic hoarseness whenever he performed. Through very careful self-observation, he discovered that he slipped into a pattern of unhelpful whole-body tension, similar to a tiny version of a baby’s startle response, even before he started to recite his Shakespearean monologues.

Alexander noticed that this tension began with his thoughts about performing. He also noticed that he had to first stop his pattern of tension before trying replace it with a more useful behavior. He found that his head and neck were crucial to controlling this whole-body pattern. When he stopped or “inhibited” the downwards and backwards tension of his head on his neck, it helped to unlock this overall body pattern of tension.

Then, he found a helpful way to use his mind: he thought of his body as having inner directions. These can be summed up as, “I will allow my neck to be free, and my back to lengthen and widen, so that my arms and legs can come away from my body, my knees can come away from each other, and my heels can go back and down.” He found that he could use these internal thoughts in any activity he was doing. This meant that he could have just the right amount of muscular tension in any position.

Music Majors Learn to Use the Entire Body

Often, we can get caught in thinking there is one magic posture for each activity that we just need to tighten ourselves into and then we will be “right.” No matter what it is that we do, though, a single posture doesn’t work past bowing the first downbow, singing the first note, breathing after the first phrase, conducting the first downbeat, or typing the first five minutes of your homework.

In the Alexander Technique, there is no one cure-all posture into which you can sit or stand up straight. Instead, you learn how to use your senses to stop subtly distorting your body with tension, and to allow your body to use its own inner support structure. Learning to include the entire body along with your breathing saves a lot of time in correcting many problems at once.

It’s especially important as a student to learn how to improve your body’s use because when you’re not in the practice room, you’re at the computer or typing on your phone. This can be a prime recipe for pain and discomfort if you’re not prepared!

Learning the basics of Alexander Technique now, at the beginning of your musical career, will save you years of undoing bad habits later as well as prevent injury over your lifetime. Most importantly, it will help you make breakthroughs in your music learning while feeling your best. Many schools offer group classes as a part of their coursework. If this is true for your school, take advantage of it!

Diana RumrillĚýis a physical therapist; soon-to-be certified Alexander Technique teacher; violinist; and singer in Washington, DC. She attended the University of Connecticut for physical therapy, the for voice, and the Philadelphia School for the Alexander Technique.

Sounds like an oxymoron, but World Voice Day gives us a chance to consider the benefits of silence. Your larynx is in constant motion.Ěý Every time you breathe or swallow, your larynx moves, so unlike most other parts of the body, the larynx is never truly “at rest.”Ěý Here are a few thoughts on maintaining vocal health through the acronym of SILENCE.

by Wendy LeBorgne, Ph.D,CCC-SLP

[intense_dropcap]S[/intense_dropcap] –ĚýShhh!Ěý Performers are generally vocally-enthusiastic folks.Ěý Consider decreasing your vocal volume in conversation…but never whisper. Imagine you are always talking to someone about an arm’s length distance away from you.

[intense_dropcap]I[/intense_dropcap] –ĚýInjury.ĚýĚý Silence –– i.e., complete voice rest –– is often recommended for a period of time following vocal fold surgery to allow the laryngeal wound to heal appropriately.Ěý Check with your surgeon regarding length of time for complete vocal rest. Complete voice rest means no laughing, talking, whispering, or coughing –– as those are all voiced behaviors.

[intense_dropcap]L[/intense_dropcap] –ĚýLess is more. Although we think of commercial or any non-classical music as often being loud and edgy, sometimes less is more.Ěý Remember that almost all commercial music (e.g., jazz, pop, R&B, etc.) is amplified.Ěý Use the full palette of dynamics and colors in your voice to make your performance interesting.Ěý This technique will also help conserve your voice for those WOW moments.

[intense_dropcap]E[/intense_dropcap] –ĚýEnthusiasm at sporting events.Ěý Find an alternative, such as an air horn or hand clapping, to cheer on your favorite sports team. Loud talking, shouting, and screaming require the vocal folds to move further away from midline and impact harder and longer.Ěý Persistent voice use at increased vocal volumes results in trauma to the vocal fold tissue.Ěý Repeated phonotrauma (abuse or misuse of the vocal folds) can result in vocal pathologies such as nodules and polyps.

[intense_dropcap]N[/intense_dropcap] –ĚýNaps.Ěý Take a “vocal nap.”Ěý Even 5 minutes of being quiet will serve you well.Ěý Shut your mouth and give your voice a break for short intervals several times throughout the day.

[intense_dropcap]C[/intense_dropcap] –ĚýCell phones.Ěý Unlike landlines and headsets, most cell phones don’t have amplification in the earpiece, which means you talk louder than normal when you’re on them. And if you are talking in the car, your volume becomes even louder!

[intense_dropcap]E[/intense_dropcap] –ĚýEnjoy the peace of being quiet.Ěý Use the time to center yourself and your voice. Or take this time to mentally practice your music.

Wendy LeBorgne, PhD CCC-SLPĚý(Voice Pathologist and Singing Voice Specialist) is the director of the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation and the Professional Voice Center of Greater Cincinnati. She holds an adjunct Assistant Professorship at Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and the College of Allied Health. Her research includes the area of the Broadway “belt.” In addition to her duties as a voice pathologist, she continues to maintain an active professional performing career.

What does it take to keep your voice healthy for auditions, performances, and everything else you do? In recognition of World Voice Day, Dr. Wendy LeBorgne, voice pathologist and singing voice specialist, shares her top five tips to help you be at your best vocally.

1.Ěý Train your voice and body just like an athlete:ĚýLearn proper singing technique, don’t overuse the voice, get plenty of rest, eat a balanced, healthy diet.Ěý Singers are like vocal gymnasts who traverse their artistic range with apparent ease and flexibility. Gymnasts are extremely disciplined people who spend hours perfecting their craft and are much more likely than the general public to sustain an injury.Ěý Professional singers carry some of these same risks and must maintain a disciplined practice schedule with intervals of rest and recovery to perform at an optimal level, regardless of genre.

2.Ěý Let your voice shine.Ěý Attempting to imitate someone else’s voice or singing style can require you to sing or do things outside of your comfortable physiologic range or current vocal skill level.Ěý This could result in vocal injury.Ěý Also remember that if you are imitating someone who is already famous, their millions have been made.Ěý You want to be the next star that they hire, not just a copycat.

3.Ěý Pace yourself.Ěý When you are preparing for a show or audition season, you must pace yourself and your voice.Ěý You would not think of trying to get all of your exercise in at the gym by going one day a week for 5 hours.Ěý Rather, you should sing (and exercise) in smaller increments of time (30-45 minutes) each day, gradually building muscular skill and stamina.Ěý As you improve, you should be able to increase the amount of time as well as the difficulty of vocal skill.

4. Avoid phonotraumatic behaviors such as yelling, screaming, loud talking, singing too loudly.Ěý When you increase your vocal loudness, your vocal folds bang together harder (much like clapping your hands really hard, loud, and fast).Ěý After a period of doing this, your vocal folds begin to react to the impact by becoming swollen and red.Ěý Long term phonotrauma can lead to vocal fold changes such as vocal fold nodules.

5.Ěý Adequate hydration.Ěý Be sure to drink plenty of non-caffeinated beverages throughout the day.Ěý Although nothing you eat or drink gets onto the vocal folds, adequate oral hydration allows the mucus to act like a lubricant instead of glue.

ĚýPhoto:ĚýUSC Thorton Popular Music Major – Annie Dingwall

Wendy LeBorgne,ĚýPhD CCC-SLP (Voice Pathologist and Singing Voice Specialist) is the director of the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation and the Professional Voice Center of Greater Cincinnati. She holds an adjunct Assistant Professor at Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and the College of Allied Health. Her research includes the area of the Broadway “belt.” In addition to her duties as a voice pathologist, she continues to maintain an active professional performing career.