When it comes to vocal health, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there. Knowing the truth is essential for taking care of your instrument! Test your knowledge and learn more in this post by teacher Heather L...
With all of the recent news in the media about singers, surgery, and tour cancelations, vocal health has got us all talking and thinking…
How can we keep (or make) our voices healthy, especially during cold and flu season? How can we prevent vocal injury and expensive medical procedures and therapy? Are you treating your voice right every day during practice, performances, and even during your daily activities?
As you consider your vocal health, it’s important to be armed with the right knowledge. I’ve put together the quiz below as a refresher. So let’s find out how much you know, and learn some awesome facts along the way!
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Recap and Additional Vocal Health Resouces:
1) True or False: Citrus juice is the perfect drink before you sing.
Answer: False!
- Things Singers Should Avoid, via Vocalist.org.uk
- The Three Day Rule (Performance Tips for Singers), via Cari Cole
- 10 Sneaky Foods Singers Need to Avoid, via Voice Council Magazine
2) True or False: The way that we talk every day has nothing to do with how well we sing.
Answer: False.
- The Truth About the Vocal Fry “Epidemic”
- Good Speaking, Good Singing, via Voice Council Magazine
- 15 Awesome Facts You Never Knew About Your Voice
3) True or False: Your vocal cords (or folds, as they’re now known) have no nerve endings and no pain receptors.
Answer: True.
- Vocal Nodules: Diagnosis, via Osborne Head & Neck Institute
- Voice Therapy for Singers: How to Know When to Get Help
4) True or False: Singers need to drink at least 64 ounces of water every day.
Answer: True.
- Video: Is Your Voice Dehydrated? via Dr. Dan at Djarts.com.au
- Top 6 Tips to Stay Hydrated and Save Your Voice, via Cari Cole
5) True or False: Clearing your throat is a simple habit that prepares the voice to speak or sing.
Answer: False.
6) True or False: Whispering is just as damaging as yelling.
Answer: True.
- The Claim: Whispering Can Be Hazardous to Your Voice, via the New York Times
7) True or False: Plenty of singers have smoked, even famous performers like Adele, so it’s fine as long as you hydrate well.
Answer: False.
- Vocal Cords and Smoking, via Livestrong
8) True or False: When I’m sick or I have bad allergies, it doesn’t matter what kind of medicine I get from the store, as long as it keeps me from coughing.
Answer: False.
9) True or False: The more overweight a singer is, the better.
Answer: False.
- Sports Tips for Singers, via Singing For A Living
- How doing regular cardio makes you a better singer, via The Music Ministry Coach
10) True or False: Vocal rest, which is important to heal an overworked voice, should take a week or more.
Answer: False.
- I Don’t Have Time to Rest My Voice, via Voice Council Magazine
- 7 Strange (But Effective) Ways to Keep Your Voice Healthy
11) True or False: Singers who wear scarves around their necks are only trying to look fancy. Scarves don’t help singing.
Answer: False.
- Top 10 Cold Weather Tips for Singers, via Institute for Vocal Advancement
12) True or False: Sleep is essential to a healthy voice.
Answer: True.
- Bret Michaels: ‘Lack of Sleep’ Is Worth Thing For Singing Voice, via Huffington Post
13) True or False: Singers have performances, auditions, recordings, and rehearsals to attend, and no matter what — the show must go on.
Answer: False.
Final Notes About Vocal Health…
Imagine that you own the most valuable musical instrument in the world, an object so unspeakably prized that it could never be replaced. There has never been another exactly like it, and never will again. Now stop imagining, because you DO possess this invaluable instrument!
Your voice is so unique that no one else could perfectly imitate it. When you make the decision to take great care of your voice, you’re preserving something really amazing. Keep up the great work, and make sure to consult your voice teacher for additional tips. Good luck!
Post Author: Heather L.Heather L. teaches singing, piano, and more in St. Augustine, FL, as well as online. She studied opera and piano at Westminster Choir College, and performance art and improvisational acting at East Carolina University in North Carolina. Learn more about Heather here!
Suzy S.