5 Habits That Can Ruin an Aspiring Singer

You have practiced for months and now you are ready to share your music to the audience. All your musical notes, stage, preparations are on point and your audience is set too. But, missing out on a few important essential factors can bow your efforts and voice down. As a modern singer, your voice too goes through a lot of pressure throughout. Whether you are a bathroom, lobby, event, opera, live, recording singer; having a healthy voice is the key to growth. Keep in mind about the 5 essential factors that could give rise to your next nightmare- a broken voice!

Sleep

You can survive without being a Panda but you shouldn’t strive for a sleepless night. 8-9 hours of sleep a night is extremely crucial in aiding a smooth voice. This is so, as those hours of rest allow your vocal cords to heal by it. Moreover, the human body is designed in a certain way that requires it to shut down and recharge for the next day. A sleep-deprived body gives rise to mind and body fatigue. A tired body can only give a worked up voice.

Ensure that you recharge and rest your mind, body and voice every night for 8-9 hours. If you practice on a strained voice, chances are high that you end up cracking it for the worse that can even diminish your voice texture in the long run. Also, over practicing does a lot of harm as your vocal cords need breaks in proper intervals, never practice when experiencing vocal strains as that will eventually grain your cords.

Faulty Lifestyle and Diet

You read it right. Being a singer is no easy task as this life requires self discipline. That means, raising a toast with your friends with a glass of juice instead of your favorite wine! That could be sad sometimes. Consumption of alcohol and smoking strains the vocal cords for the worse. Smoking tends to dry out the vocal cords. Working up with a smoke infused voice will land you up in trouble.

As far as the diet is concerned, ‘you are what you eat’. However, in the case of a singer too, you sing what you eat! Most often than not, edibles like dairy, fried and fatty food is not a singer’s best friend. Not only can they increase the chance of phlegm in your throat, but will also increase the chances of vocal cords inflammation.

Caffeine

Caffeine does perk up the mood, but certainly not the voice. Caffeine, the main ingredient of your favorite brew, extremely dehydrates the body and your vocal cords. You should definitely not forget its composition. Dehydration leads to a cracked and grainy voice texture leading to vocal stress. However, the tea lovers are left aside and alive as they can do away with drinking tea. Tea has a lower proportion of Caffeine and that makes it a safe drink to go with! For most of the singers, therefore, drinking warm red tea with a few drops of lemon or ginger can take all your stress away without pinching too harshly on your voice!

Clearing of Throat

No, you have never considered the negative effect of clearing your throat. The natural response to phlegm in the throat is to make an “ahem” sound and clear your throat. Though it gives a temporary relief, this habit also leads your cords to swell if done consistently. Avoid clearing your throat out by sipping warm ginger infused water or caffeine-free warm tea instead, if you feel the urge to do so.

No Exercise

Aerobic exercise not only builds a strong heart and healthy blood circulation, but it also helps to expand the lungs and keep the airways clear. The singers need their lungs to work for them, not against them. Therefore, few basic exercises are required to maintain the lung capacity. Aim to dedicate yourself at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercises from your 24 hours, stretching or yoga for 5 days. Continuing for a month and more, your voice will start acknowledging you for your positive efforts. There is no alternative to loving your mind, body and soul. A healthy and active lifestyle is the key to success for everyone but the aforementioned 5 factors can make or break a singer!