4 Things You Overlook That Affect Your Singing Voice

After months of months of study and practice you are ready for your performance. Music learned and you are ready to be an expressive performer. Here are four things that you can do to give you that extra edge that you might have not focused on: 

1.   Your Diet

We all know the adage, “You are what you eat,” but when you are a vocalist, “you sing what you eat.” There are foods you shouldn’t eat as a performer. Dependent upon how your body reacts to food, some examples could be fried foods, spicy foods, dairy, and food related to fats. Some can increase phlegm, upset stomach, cause heartburn, aggravate acid reflux, or even cause inflammation on your vocal folds. Any of these can throw you off peak performance level! 

2.   Sleep

How many hours of sleep are you getting at night? If you are not getting enough sleep, you stand the risk of straining and damaging your vocals. Sleep is a special time for the body to relax, recharge and even repair. If you sing while you’re under vocal fatigue, you will end up damaging the quality of your voice, leading to loss of volume, lack of clarity, and poor tonal output. 

3.   Coffee

Sorry! Coffee include caffeine—a nice way of spicing up your day. But did you know caffeine is a diuretic? That means it will dehydrate you, possibly leaving you with dry and irritated vocal cords. While it might be challenging for you to give up your daily Starbucks, it is one sacrifice we recommend if you are to perform well. But if you cannot give it up; then make sure you consume plenty of water to compensate for every cup of coffee you take.

4.   Exercise 

One thing some of our voice teachers do at Cadenza is to start a workout session. The workout routine at home could include extensive aerobic exercises like swimming, running, or biking. Such exercises build and strengthen the heart and improve blood circulation. They also help in expanding the capacity of the lungs, keeping the airway clear as well. Since your lungs play an important role in your singing, increasing their function is always a wise choice. Being fit is always helpful to a performer!