What things affect our singing voice throughout our life?

Illness, Fatigue, Stress- All of these things impact our muscles, muscle memory, posture, and our singing voices.If we are sick with a cold or respiratory illness, our tired lymph nodes and neck muscles want to help out since our lungs are not feeding air to our sound the way we are used to.  If you have a stomach bug, the acid from your stomach irritates your throat and vocal cords.  The body tries to fight for itself and may forget some of our singing technique.

 

The same thing happens if we are tired.  Our posture is poor.  This impacts how our breath flows through the body.  Our breath support is affected because we are not as in tune with our body.  We may be suffering from lack of sleep and need to find a time to catch up.  We may be dehydrated and need to drink lots of water to help the body recuperate. 

 

If we are stressed, we are often tired and more susceptible of getting sick.  Plus, most of us carry tension in our jaw, neck, or upper back.  Yet again, this affects air flow and posture.  This added tension also impacts our singing.

We can sometimes identify these differences in our bodies, but often times need direction as to how to fix things with our singing when it is impacted.  This is the job of a voice teacher or a vocal coach. The outside eye and ear of a voice teacher can help you to identify poor posture and lack of adequate breath support that results from being ill, stressed or tired.  Moral of the story:  Take care of your body and your mind!

All of these factors lead to one conclusion, voice lessons should be a constant in a singer’s life.  Just as a tree continues to grow and change through the seasons, so does the human voice.

What are your experiences with stress, fatigue, and illness and singing?  Tune in for information on hormonal affects on the singing voice.