October 2018 – DevelopingVoices

Myths and Facts: Caring for Your Voice during the Winter Months

Taking care of the voice or Vocal Hygiene

can be thought of as the care and feeding of the voice.

These are things we do to keep the voice healthy.

To take care of the voice, we must also take care of the body.

Here are the facts regarding hydration of your body and therefore your voice ~

INTERNAL HYDRATION

To keep the vocal folds moist from the inside, make sure you drink plenty of water.

The vocal folds function best when the entire body is well hydrated. Since fluids and food pass through the pyriform sinus cavities avoiding the vocal folds and air passageway, vocal folds do not receive direct hydration. Rather, the body supplies hydration to the areas of the body that need it foremost. This is why it is important to hydrate on a consistent and constant basis as it does not help your voice if you plan on waiting and drinking water just before your choir rehearsal.

Good hydration also makes the mucus that covers the vocal folds thin and slippery, so that they move against each other easily and vibrate smoothly. Think of the mucus coating as being like motor oil to your car’s engine: if it is thin and slippery, the engine will run smoothly!
Alcohol is drying to the entire body. Monitor your consumption of alcohol as it can make the vocal folds drier. If you are a regular coffee drinker of caffeine, moderate and regular intakes are now considered not to be as de-hydrating as once believed. Research shows that a profound tolerance to the effects of caffeine and its response are much diminished in individuals who regularly consume tea or coffee. Doses of caffeine equivalent to the amount normally found in standard servings of tea, coffee and carbonated soft drinks appear to have no diuretic action. Coffee contains 95% water.
Foods that have a lot of water in them can help with hydration. Examples: cucumbers, melon, grapes, and gelatin. It might be a great idea to stock the fridge at work as well as at home so they are readily available.
Dairy products do not produce phlegm in the majority of people (the exception is people who are allergic to casein, the protein in some types of milk). Instead, the high fat content in dairy products thickens the mucous that is already present in a person’s airway, making it seem like there is more phlegm. Thicker phlegm can be just as problematic as having more phlegm. This thickening sensation can be diminished by eating dairy products that have a lower fat content.

MEDICATIONS AND HYDRATION

Many medications, such as cold and allergy medications, are drying to the body. Try to avoid these medications to help your body stay hydrated.

Your doctor may recommend a mucolytic medication. This is a medication that can help keep mucus thin and slippery. These medications are available over the counter. GUAIFENESIN is the active ingredient. Brand names include Humibid, Mucinex, and Robitussin. Be sure to get the preparation that does not contain decongestants, antihistamines, or cough suppressants.

Many cough drops and throat lozenges are drying to the mucus membranes of the mouth and throat. This is especially true for products that contain menthol and eucalyptus. The best lozenges for soothing the mouth or throat are glycerin lozenges.

EXTERNAL HYDRATION

Steam inhalation: Inhaling or breathing steam helps the voice box stay moist and can be very soothing to irritated vocal folds. Breathe the steam through your nose for three to five minutes, two to three times per day.

Breathe shower steam or from a personal steamer.
You can also boil water, pour it into a sink, and breathe the steam.
Never breathe steam standing over a hot stove or boiling water.
Moisten a washcloth under hot water, hold it over your mouth and nose, then breathe in.

Room humidification: You can increase the moisture in your home or office by using a room humidifier or hot water vaporizer. Cool mist vaporizers can cause chemicals and germs to get into the air.

Room humidity should be between 30 and 50 percent. You can check the moisture in the air in your home by using a hygrometer.

The most important thing when using room humidifiers or vaporizers is to carefully follow the cleaning instructions in the package. If you don’t keep the humidifier or vaporizer clean, germs can get into the air that you breathe.

Allergies to Mold or Mildew: Be careful using humidifiers or vaporizers. They can increase the moisture in the environment and can cause mold and mildew to grow.

Even after maintaining proper hydration and practicing good vocal hygiene, we must always use our voice efficiently with proper breath support and appropriate resonance.

To learn more about vocal hygiene, you may visit: Duke Voice Center.

References:

Daugherty, J. (2012). Vocal health handout. University of Kansas. Lawrence, KS.

Daugherty, J. (2015). Graduate vocal pedagogy. Retrieved from http://cmed.faculty.ku.edu

Duke Voice Care Center. Vocal health information. Retrieved from http://dukevoicecare.org

Erickson-Levendoski, E., Sivasankar, M. (2011). Investigating the effects of caffeine on phonation. Journal of Voice. 25. (5). E215-E219. Feldenkrais, M. (1949). Body and mature behavior. New York: International Universities Press.

Killer, S.C., Blannin, A. K., Jeukendrup, A. E. (2014). No evidence of dehydration with moderate coffee intake: a counterbalanced cross-over study in a free-living population. PLoS One. 9 (1). e84154. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084154

Parillas, D. (n.d.). Vocal hygiene – part 2: hydrate! hydrate! hydrate! why vocal hydration is important to singing. Vocal Brilliance. Retrieved from: http://vocalbrilliance.com/blog/vocal-hygiene-part-2-hydrate-hydrate-hydrate-why-hydration-is-to-singing

TEACH ALL DAY? TIPS TO MAINTAINING VOCAL HEALTH ~

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

Teachers are at special risk for developing hoarseness simply be cause the job requires heavy voice use five plus days a week, with little time in between to allow the voice to recover. It has been observed that half of all teachers have a voice problem at some point in their careers.

WHAT TO DO?

❖ Take care to be well-hydrated. Begin your day with a full glass of water.

❖ Warm up your voice before you begin speaking and certainly before you enter the classroom. Use efficient speaking techniques as soon as you begin talking. This means establishing a routine for when your feet first hit the floor in the morning. Please see our routine at the bottom of this article.

❖ Use personal or room amplification to minimize voice use in classroom or in rehearsal.

❖ When you can, use sound makers (whistles, hand claps) to gain students’ attention, rather than a loud voice.

❖ Use printed signs or hand signals for messages that you use often.

❖ Minimize using your voice to teach the music. Have the pianist or section leaders demonstrate the part.

❖ Provide recordings for your choir members to learn the music.

❖ Avoid talking at the end of your breath. Don’t hold your breath before or between words.

❖ Use deep breathing avoiding shallow breaths before you talk.

❖ Incorporate vocal pacing by taking breaks from talking, both long and short throughout your day whether it is a weekend, vacation or typical work day. Not talking for even 5 minutes will make a difference.

❖ Avoid speaking at long lectures. Get creative with other ways to teach.

❖ If you are ill, cancel your engagements. If your voice is tired, stop speaking! Wear a button that says “I’m on vocal rest.”

Vocal Rest Button

❖ Decrease the amount of time you spend on the phone. Use text messaging or email. By all means, avoid loud conversations on the phone.

❖ Improve your classroom acoustics by adding acoustic panels to the ceiling and walls and carpeting to the floors. These materials help decrease the reverberation or echo of sound in the room. Minimize the noise from fans, lights, overhead projectors, and sound coming from other classes. For more specific tips, visit asa.aip.org for the Acoustical Society of America’s Classroom Acoustics booklet.

Lombard effect: The Lombard effect will cause one to increase their volume due to increased noise levels in the room. Voices tend to produce a more pressed phonation. For singers, pitch accuracy can become unstable and retention of pitch inaccurate. Do you best to avoid talking over noise whenever possible. Turn off the fan, buzzing lights, computers, etc..

❖ Wear an earplug in at least one ear. It can help your voice in a noisy situations, so that you avoid speaking too loudly. Molded Ear Plugs

❖ Use personal amplification or room amplification when teaching to minimize voice overuse.

Morning Vocal Routine:

Light hum on a descending slide starting at about mid-register easily done as you are dressing for your day.
Lip trill on an ascending penta-scale from low register to upper register. Then, graduate to full scales ascending and descending.
Keep the diaphragmatic breathing you experienced all night with slow hisses or “sh-sh-sh”.
Get the articulators going as you’re making your coffee or hot tea with explosive consonants: “ticky-ticky-ticky-too” or “chugga-chugga-choo-choo”.
Move to phonation in the head voice with those great bird sounds of the crow and the owl: “caw-caw” “hoo-hoo”.
Speaking with your established head voice and on the air – mix up some tongue twisters:

“Sally sells sea shells down by the sea shore.” What a wonderful world it is, when we whistle as we walk.”

From there, you can move to your chest voice with a “ho-ho-ho-ho” and from there to singing in your different registers.

References:

Duke Voice Care Center. Vocal health information. Retrieved from http://dukevoicecare.org.

Daugherty, J. (2012). Vocal health handout. University of Kansas. Lawrence, KS.

Parillas, D. (n.d.). Vocal hygiene – part 2: hydrate! hydrate! hydrate! why vocal hydration is important to singing. Vocal Brilliance. Retrieved from: http://vocalbrilliance.com/blog/vocal-hygiene-part-2-hydrate-hydrate-hydrate-why-hydration-is-important-to-singing

Images retrieved from:

3D anatomical tutorial on the vocal and vestibular folds: Retrieved from : http://youtu.be/jqTKSorDRJo

www.3-Dyoga.com

http://www.innerbody.com/image/musco6.html

www.google.images.com

Continue reading TEACH ALL DAY? TIPS TO MAINTAINING VOCAL HEALTH ~

Take Your Singing to the English Class

TAKE YOUR SINGING TO THE ENGLISH CLASS

Why do we limit singing to our choir room? Why put restrictions on it? Why not get creative and share what we know to be true with others? We have read the research that shows the tremendous benefits that learning to read music has on our brains and how it impacts our academic studies and test scores. We also know the benefits singing has on our well-being regarding our mental and physical health. But, did you know that singing helps just about anyone that struggles with reading? It can aid in retention, speed and ability to digest content. Attending a workshop by Professor Timothy Rasinski at Kent State a few years ago revealed even more positive benefits to singing or chanting poems and stories.

As a child I was able to remember the story of Zaccheus, (the wee little man) because we sang the story. I remembered scripture taught to me at church much more easily when it had a melody. To this day, I can sing Psalm 23 much easier using Bobby McFerrin’s chant than if I just try to recite it.

Why not share the magic of singing with children who struggle with reading? It can provide confidence, enjoyment for reading, improve memory, and the ability to express one’s thoughts and emotions.

Dr. Timothy Rasinski’s research shows that the “singing episodes” in which we engage (i.e. worship services, ipod, radio or sports events) provide useful instructional tools to teach reading to beginning readers.

He goes on to say that it is imperative for beginning readers to develop a robust sight vocabulary, essentially memorized words—by sight and sound. Lyrical songs are often steeped in rhyme that use word families. Playing with the sounds of language through song can open the door to the development of phonemic awareness. The rhyming nature found in many song lyrics provides teachers with excellent texts for teaching word families. Not to mention that singing is just plain fun! Learning to read and to sing at the same time not only develops young minds but it helps them to express their feelings and understand the emotion behind what they are singing about and what they are reading about.

Kathy Cochran conducted research entitled The Effects of Singing and Chanting on the Reading Achievement and Attitudes of First Graders. Having taught music to the first-grade students of a Ms. Mary Bing, she became aware of Ms. Bing’s song method used to teach children to read. She had come to understand that the children’s language skills were strengthened “as singing and chanting gives children a chance to practice language”. This practice increases their phonemic awareness as well as their reading skills. Ms. Bing also noted that it increased their ability to focus and gave them a sunnier attitude which made learning more desirable and achievable.

Wouldn’t it be great, if we could collaborate with the reading teacher down the hall to take their simple poems or short stories and create chants that could be used to improve our children’s reading ability? In reverse, we could use simple folk songs and create word cards that could then be used in those reading circles. I would love to hear a chant or melody written on Sally Sells Seashells Down by the Seashore. Now that I think about it, I don’t think I could recite the poem “Jack and Jill” without singing it.

For more reading, please visit my references online:

http://www.timrasinski.com/presentations/article_iwasaki__rasinski__2013_.pdf

https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1280&context=all_dissertations

Build Technique with a New Routine

You’re a month into teaching your choir students. You have established your classroom routine and are in the thick of learning concert music. You are encouraged by their progress, but you sense that your students are about to hit a late-September wall. So how do you keep building fundamental singing technique without losing student engagement? Try a new routine as you continue to build technique.

Choral Training instead of Warm-ups

By the time my middle school students arrive to choir, many of them have been talking, laughing—and sometimes yelling—since they got on the bus that morning. It’s safe to say their voices are “warmed up.” (If you need confirmation, just ask their core subject teachers!) I find this is a good time to ditch traditional “warm ups” and replace them with some choral training exercises. After some light stretching and breathing exercises, 5-7 minutes of choral training can be a great way to reinforce healthy singing and work on a skill pertinent to your concert rep. For example, my students recently sang the National Anthem before a baseball game. The beginning word is “Oh,” and the kids were struggling to shape their “Oh” vowel as a tall and open “ɔ.” To work on this, we sang a descending arpeggio alternating “ɔ” and “ɒ”.* The goal was to minimize jaw movement, lift the soft palate, and reinforce proper shaping of the vowel. When we transitioned into our song repertoire, the muscle memory was fresh, and I could refer back to our training exercise as needed. Arpeggios, tongue twisters, and rounds can all be used to reinforce various techniques.

*To take this exercise a step further, we sing “no” on the same arpeggio, but still focus on shaping the vowel to be taller and lifted. We slowly and smoothly move our heads in a “no” motion while singing to eliminate tension through the back and neck.

Other Tongue Twisters and Rounds

Lighten the mood in your classroom by singing something challenging or silly—and build technique in the process!
1. Alphabet arpeggio: Work for quick consonants, long vowels, round space, and smooth transitions between letters.

*Try singing the letters backwards once you’ve mastered the exercise.

2. Tongue-Twister: “Who Washed Washington’s White Woolen Underwear When Washington’s Washerwomen Went West”. Use this one to work on chewy “Ws”—use consistent breath to sing with energy on one consistent note.

3. “One Bottle O’ Pop”: Round: Emphasize singing on the vowel with quick consonants. In meters of three, check out the music here:

https://www.bethsnotesplus.com/2013/01/one-bottle-of-pop.html

4. “COFFEE” Round: Use to reinforce unified vowels and explore phrasing.

From the King Singer’s Book of Rounds, Canons, and Partsongs-Hal Leonard Corporation

Have a toolbox and use it

I keep a basket full of random toys, capes, masks, and other silly things that I pull out once a week (sometimes more) to keep students engaged, provide visual aid, and teach about technique. Here are a few of my go-to tools:

I use the football two ways. First, I’ll have the students throw the football back and forth to me and make glissandos with lifted palates as they throw. When we throw a ball, we are taught to “follow through” after the ball is released. Similarly, when we sing, we must “follow through” with air and energy.

Second, I use the football to help demonstrate the optimal shape we’re trying to achieve with our vowel (Image B). To make it fun, I rotate the ball from horizontal (Image A) to vertical (Image B) and back again while students sing. It’s okay to let students experiment singing with good and bad technique so they can hear—and feel—the difference.

The Hoberman sphere, like the football, has a variety of applications. I use it most often to teach consistent airflow and gradual dynamic changes. As the choir sings, I slowly expand and contract the Hoberman sphere. The students react and gradually crescendo and decrescendo accordingly. By varying the speed at which I open and close the sphere, students learn that they must use a strong and steady airflow in order to keep up—they also think it’s hilarious to really exaggerate the changes. Allow students to “conduct” with the Hoberman sphere for extra fun!

Chocolate kiss

I tell my students to imagine they have a chocolate kiss on their tongue but they don’t want the pointed end to touch the roof of their mouth. This helps them to feel a lifted soft palate. We imagine having that chocolate kiss for a few days in class and then if they seem to be grasping the concept, I bring in real chocolate kisses. The students get to place them on their tongues for a few seconds to remember that lifted soft palate sensation and then they can eat it. We never try to sing with the chocolate in our mouths.

Finally, I encourage teachers to read Gadgets for Great Singing by Christy Elsner. I use many of her tips and tricks in the classroom. All are fun and engaging for middle school students, and could be applied at the high school level as well.

Have fun shaking things up in your classroom while continuing to develop good technique.

Developing Voices author Jennifer Berroth is Choral Director at Leawood Middle School in Kansas and also serves as Associate Music Director of Lee’s Summit Summer Singers with The William Baker Choral Foundation.

Jennifer.Berroth@Gmail.com