Free voice resources, Vocal Athleticism

What is Vocal Health?

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We talk about vocal health a lot, but what does that mean, exactly?

Since the vocal instrument is the body, vocal health in large part addresses physical health.

Is a singer getting proper amounts of . . .

  • Sleep?
  • Water?
  • Nutrition?
  • Peace of mind?
  • Exercise?
  • Medical attention?

Think basics of decent physical health, and you can deduce much of what you need for “vocal” health as well.  For example, fatigue or lack of sleep is a huge factor in vocal function.

Didn’t sleep last night? 
The voice may fatigue more quickly than usual, and tonight’s gig might not feel as easy to sing.

To me, vocal health also encompasses how the voice is engaged or exercised, and special considerations for singers based on how the voice functions.  This “vocal health” topic is endless, so please use the following ideas as a jumping off place to do more research for yourself.

1. The Vocal Folds and Anything You Inhale

The vocal folds, or vocal cords, sit on top of the trachea acting as a cap to the airway down below.

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Free voice resources, Vocal Athleticism, Vocology (Voice Science)

The Magic 4: Lessons from Functional Yoga

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I recently found a style of yoga that has helped me on a fundamental level.  It is called Svaroopa Yoga, and it focuses on releasing the spine from the bottom up.  One of the teacher trainers on the Svaroopa site says, “beginning Svaroopa® Yoga created a ‘revolution’ inside her, in which ‘everything shifted into its right place and it was like coming home to my Self.'”  (Revolution, baby.)  The first poses they teach are called “The Magic 4.”  After doing these 4 exercises for a week, my lower back felt better than it had . . . maybe ever.  And within 4 weeks my upper spine had straightened out so that my shoulder blades were closer together and almost in their rightful places.

Magic?  No, better than that.  Logical + magical = L’magical.  French, I believe.

So, why post about l’magical yoga and risk sounding like an infomercial?  Because this brand of yoga mirrors what I value in good voice training: getting to the functional issues instead of treating the symptoms.

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