Vocal Health After Returning From Holiday/Vacation
So I’m back from my holiday and EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED. Nope wait, it hasn’t, stand down. Although I did leave some the milk in the fridge which definitely isn’t milk anymore, but that’s not for here.
Those of you who read my last offering will remember that I had made the brave* (*stupid?) choice to go on a real holiday and not bring any recording set up incase a job came in. Well, you never guess what?! On the eve of my departure, 2 jobs came through which would have required me to bring my set up to complete re-records, and I TURNED THEM DOWN. Bad decision? Well, mama needs some new jeans so perhaps, but I’d made my sun lounger, and I was darned well going to lie in it and not have to worry about finding a small and quiet, recording appropriate, corner of what turned out to be the Irish capital of the Canary Islands. Big shout out to Sean in Tiny’s Bar, I thank ye for all the gin. My voice doesn’t, which brings me on to this –
Nic’s “MAKING SURE YOU DON’T VOCALLY TURN INTO JOAN RIVERS IN A WEEK AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU DO BECAUSE WHO TURNS DOWN A FREE GIN ANYWAY” Guide
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1) Stay hydrated during the trip. As it would happen, gin doesn’t count. It’s not the 1800s and I’m not an East London prostitute. Neither does mixing it with tonic. Drink water folks. Tons of it. I mean, who needs to sleep through the night and not visit the lav 4 times? Extra benefits are it’s good for your skin, fills you up (although chips are better) and makes you feel smug.
2) Don’t sing classic 80s power ballads in Sam’s karaoke bar every night. Maybe just one night, near the start of the trip, so your voice has time to recover. Why not pop into the loos before your turn and have a quick vocal warm up, that’s totally holiday chic and not unnecessary for karaoke. People will not laugh at you. And give other people a chance on the mic. When they are singing, you can drink more water. And not sing along.
3) Steam. I swear this is like gold dust for the voice. And it’s basically free. I steam every morning, it kills any germs that build up on your throat and vocal chords and rehydrates right at the source. So pop yer head over a bowl of simple boiling water, cover with a towel and breath deeply for about 10 mins. Or buy a snazzy steamer in duty free.
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So there you go. The fundamentals of this are keep hydrated, don’t go too nuts and if you do go too nuts, steam yourself back to vocal health and cut the booze for a bit. Do you have any tips for looking after your voice? Let me know.
I have to say I really benefitted from switching off completely and am back in the UK raring to go and studio bound. Having turned a few gigs down, there were some nice jobs waiting upon my return, so don’t be afraid to say no. Something else will come up. Remember, if you’re not healthy and rested you won’t be able to work at all. Think on THAT Sheila*.
*Insert name here.
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You can find out more about Nicola at her website: http://www.nicolaredman.com/
