Meredith Colby's Blog, page 7
March 30, 2017
COUNTDOWN TO WORLD VOICE DAY
30 Vocal Tips in 30 DaysNo. 16 STAY HYDRATED
Fun fact: You are hermitically sealed. Really. If anything from outside your body tries to make its way into your perfectly sterile internal environment, it must do so at a cellular level. That gives your immune and digestive systems the opportunity to look at each little cell and decide what to do with it.The parts of your body that are exposed to the icky-yucky external world are protected by mucus (which is primarily water) created by special membranes. They play a fundamental role in your immune system.Your voice is part of your respiratory system, and that system relies on its mucus membranes to stay healthy. Drinking enough water is the most important, and the easiest, thing you can do to support a healthy respiratory system, which includes your voice.TAKEAWAY:If you’re not a water-drinker by nature, devise a plan that will help you keep hydrated during the day.
Fun fact: You are hermitically sealed. Really. If anything from outside your body tries to make its way into your perfectly sterile internal environment, it must do so at a cellular level. That gives your immune and digestive systems the opportunity to look at each little cell and decide what to do with it.The parts of your body that are exposed to the icky-yucky external world are protected by mucus (which is primarily water) created by special membranes. They play a fundamental role in your immune system.Your voice is part of your respiratory system, and that system relies on its mucus membranes to stay healthy. Drinking enough water is the most important, and the easiest, thing you can do to support a healthy respiratory system, which includes your voice.TAKEAWAY:If you’re not a water-drinker by nature, devise a plan that will help you keep hydrated during the day.
March 29, 2017
COUNTDOWN TO WORLD VOICE DAY
30 Vocal Tips in 30 Days
No. 17 SMOKING: IT SUCKS & BLOWSSooner or later, it’ll trash your voice. Especially if you’re a singer. Even if you’re willing to risk cancer, emphysema, and the unattractive fallout of those diseases, there are other considerations.Smoking causes thickening and inflammation of the vocal folds. In that condition they’re much more susceptible to the stresses of use, overuse, or coughing. You’re much more likely to do profound or permanent damage. You’ll also fall victim to laryngitis and upper respiratory conditions more easily. You’ll definitely lose some or all of your high notes. If you’re looking for some motivation to quit, look up images of Reinke’s Edema, or smoker’s polyps. They’re conditions common to smokers, and they’re really icky.TAKEAWAY:You know. I don’t have to say.#meredithcolby #neurovocal #moneynotes
No. 17 SMOKING: IT SUCKS & BLOWSSooner or later, it’ll trash your voice. Especially if you’re a singer. Even if you’re willing to risk cancer, emphysema, and the unattractive fallout of those diseases, there are other considerations.Smoking causes thickening and inflammation of the vocal folds. In that condition they’re much more susceptible to the stresses of use, overuse, or coughing. You’re much more likely to do profound or permanent damage. You’ll also fall victim to laryngitis and upper respiratory conditions more easily. You’ll definitely lose some or all of your high notes. If you’re looking for some motivation to quit, look up images of Reinke’s Edema, or smoker’s polyps. They’re conditions common to smokers, and they’re really icky.TAKEAWAY:You know. I don’t have to say.#meredithcolby #neurovocal #moneynotes
March 28, 2017
COUNTDOWN TO WORLD VOICE DAY
30 Vocal Tips in 30 Days
No. 18 AHEM…ABOUT CLEARING YOUR THROATClearing your throat is a reflexive response; something everyone does. It’s the result of a tickle, allergies, or sinus conditions among other things. It’s a really stressful way to use your voice, but probably won’t do any damage if it’s just now and then. If you find you’re clearing your voice often, or have been clearing your voice (enough that you notice) for three months or more, then you need help. It could have become chronic, and if it continues will result in vocal damage. A laryngologist can help you with that.In the meantime, try drinking more water, hum for a bit rather than clearing your voice, and if you must, coughing is better than throat-clearing.TAKEAWAY:If you’re clearing your throat enough that it’s bugging you, then it’s bugging your voice, too. Time to see an ENT.
No. 18 AHEM…ABOUT CLEARING YOUR THROATClearing your throat is a reflexive response; something everyone does. It’s the result of a tickle, allergies, or sinus conditions among other things. It’s a really stressful way to use your voice, but probably won’t do any damage if it’s just now and then. If you find you’re clearing your voice often, or have been clearing your voice (enough that you notice) for three months or more, then you need help. It could have become chronic, and if it continues will result in vocal damage. A laryngologist can help you with that.In the meantime, try drinking more water, hum for a bit rather than clearing your voice, and if you must, coughing is better than throat-clearing.TAKEAWAY:If you’re clearing your throat enough that it’s bugging you, then it’s bugging your voice, too. Time to see an ENT.
March 27, 2017
COUNTDOWN TO WORLD VOICE DAY
30 Vocal Tips in 30 Days
No. 19 MICROPHONES ARE YOUR FRIENDAnyone who needs to project the sound of their voice over time – speaking or singing – also needs to know a thing or two about microphones and how to use them. Really…even if it’s not de rigueur in your industry, you may want to consider being a maverick. The choices of microphones and amplification systems are huge, and something is bound to work for you. It’s a technology you can use to command attention, be clear, and save your voice. It’s also very affordable as well as infinitely more attractive than using a bullhorn.For CCM singers microphones are not optional. It’s worth a little time and attention to find the best mic for your voice and to learn to use it well. (Jeannie Deva, LA voice teacher and performance coach, has a helpful article about this inVoice Council Magazine. )TAKEAWAY:Microphones are a gift to speakers and singers everywhere. Learn a little and it will help you a lot.
No. 19 MICROPHONES ARE YOUR FRIENDAnyone who needs to project the sound of their voice over time – speaking or singing – also needs to know a thing or two about microphones and how to use them. Really…even if it’s not de rigueur in your industry, you may want to consider being a maverick. The choices of microphones and amplification systems are huge, and something is bound to work for you. It’s a technology you can use to command attention, be clear, and save your voice. It’s also very affordable as well as infinitely more attractive than using a bullhorn.For CCM singers microphones are not optional. It’s worth a little time and attention to find the best mic for your voice and to learn to use it well. (Jeannie Deva, LA voice teacher and performance coach, has a helpful article about this inVoice Council Magazine. )TAKEAWAY:Microphones are a gift to speakers and singers everywhere. Learn a little and it will help you a lot.
March 26, 2017
COUNTDOWN TO WORLD VOICE DAY
30 Vocal Tips in 30 Days
No. 20 WARMING UP HELPS. REALLY.If you’re running a 5K, you warm up and stretch. It makes running feel better, improves your form, and helps you avoid injury. You might run a 5K several times a week, or almost never. But when you do, warming up is a smart thing to do.Same goes for your voice. If you’re going to use it – presenting, teaching, singing – warm it up. Vocal warm ups do that; literally. The vibrations cause an increase of blood flow to, and temperature of, the muscles of the voice. That, in turn, allows for greater flexibility, efficiency, and tone. It also helps you get your head in the game. Just sayin’…TAKEAWAY:Warming up makes a positive difference in both your voice and your attitude.
No. 20 WARMING UP HELPS. REALLY.If you’re running a 5K, you warm up and stretch. It makes running feel better, improves your form, and helps you avoid injury. You might run a 5K several times a week, or almost never. But when you do, warming up is a smart thing to do.Same goes for your voice. If you’re going to use it – presenting, teaching, singing – warm it up. Vocal warm ups do that; literally. The vibrations cause an increase of blood flow to, and temperature of, the muscles of the voice. That, in turn, allows for greater flexibility, efficiency, and tone. It also helps you get your head in the game. Just sayin’…TAKEAWAY:Warming up makes a positive difference in both your voice and your attitude.
March 25, 2017
COUNTDOWN TO WORLD VOICE DAY
30 Vocal Tips in 30 Days
No. 21 VOCAL FRY. DO IT OR DON’TThe vocal fry, also known as the glottal scrape, gets a lot of bad rap.Voice people tell you it’s bad for your voice.It’s not.Sexists tell you it’s an annoying thing young women do.Nope.Consultants say women use it to make their business contributions softer and less threatening to men.Also no.(If you think it’s a chick thing, check out this funny vid.the-vocal-fry-guys) In making the sound of the vocal fry, you relax your vocal chords without increasing the amount of air moving through them, which creates a slower vibration. This doesn’t hurt your vocal folds. Whether or not your listener finds it annoying is their deal, not yours. (JohnHopkins:Is-Vocal-Fry-Ruining-My-Voice)Like everything else about your self-image - the way you dress, the music you listen to, the institutions you belong to – you’re the one who gets to decide. Do you like the way you sound when you speak? Do you think your speaking is representing you accurately? Yes or no? Figure out why, and you can own it or fix it.TAKEAWAY:The way you sound when you speak is up to you.
No. 21 VOCAL FRY. DO IT OR DON’TThe vocal fry, also known as the glottal scrape, gets a lot of bad rap.Voice people tell you it’s bad for your voice.It’s not.Sexists tell you it’s an annoying thing young women do.Nope.Consultants say women use it to make their business contributions softer and less threatening to men.Also no.(If you think it’s a chick thing, check out this funny vid.the-vocal-fry-guys) In making the sound of the vocal fry, you relax your vocal chords without increasing the amount of air moving through them, which creates a slower vibration. This doesn’t hurt your vocal folds. Whether or not your listener finds it annoying is their deal, not yours. (JohnHopkins:Is-Vocal-Fry-Ruining-My-Voice)Like everything else about your self-image - the way you dress, the music you listen to, the institutions you belong to – you’re the one who gets to decide. Do you like the way you sound when you speak? Do you think your speaking is representing you accurately? Yes or no? Figure out why, and you can own it or fix it.TAKEAWAY:The way you sound when you speak is up to you.
March 24, 2017
COUNTDOWN TO WORLD VOICE DAY
30 Vocal Tips in 30 Days
No. 22 DON’T FREAK OUT OVER VOCAL DAMAGELike the descriptors jazz and liberal, the term vocal damage can have a lot of different meanings. Some of your favorite singers have vocal damage; that is, irregular vocal folds or inefficient phonation, and that may be the very reason you love their voices! Singers can be very hard on themselves if they think they have vocal damage, but the fact is that if you use your voice a lot, you’re more likely to experience vocal damage. Baseball pitchers get shoulder problems, runners get knee problems. It’s the nature of the beast. If you have vocal damage you have to determine if it’s inhibiting your singing (which you’ll know) or is likely to get worse (which it’s been doing, if it’s that kind of damage).Nota bene:Melissa Cross, the Queen of Scream, has some great real-world information about this at http://www.melissacross.com/melissa_c... vocal damage doesn’t mean you’re a bad singer. But, if your voice has been changing for the worse or feels inhibited, get a professional diagnosis.
No. 22 DON’T FREAK OUT OVER VOCAL DAMAGELike the descriptors jazz and liberal, the term vocal damage can have a lot of different meanings. Some of your favorite singers have vocal damage; that is, irregular vocal folds or inefficient phonation, and that may be the very reason you love their voices! Singers can be very hard on themselves if they think they have vocal damage, but the fact is that if you use your voice a lot, you’re more likely to experience vocal damage. Baseball pitchers get shoulder problems, runners get knee problems. It’s the nature of the beast. If you have vocal damage you have to determine if it’s inhibiting your singing (which you’ll know) or is likely to get worse (which it’s been doing, if it’s that kind of damage).Nota bene:Melissa Cross, the Queen of Scream, has some great real-world information about this at http://www.melissacross.com/melissa_c... vocal damage doesn’t mean you’re a bad singer. But, if your voice has been changing for the worse or feels inhibited, get a professional diagnosis.
March 23, 2017
COUNTDOWN TO WORLD VOICE DAY
30 Vocal Tips in 30 Days
No. 23 DON’T WHISPERYou’ve probably had infected or inflamed vocal folds from laryngitis, allergies, overuse, etc. at one time or another. When you did, you probably whispered rather than using your raspy-sounding voice. While you may be one of those people for whom whispering is just fine (Laryngeal Hyperfunction During Whispering: Reality or Myth?) it’s more likely that you’re causing more stress and trauma to your voice by whispering than you would by speaking with a low volume. Ideally, of course, you would allow yourself complete vocal rest, but usually that isn’t possible.TAKEAWAY:Though it seems counter-intuitive, speaking at a low volume is actually easier on inflamed or infected vocal folds than whispering.
No. 23 DON’T WHISPERYou’ve probably had infected or inflamed vocal folds from laryngitis, allergies, overuse, etc. at one time or another. When you did, you probably whispered rather than using your raspy-sounding voice. While you may be one of those people for whom whispering is just fine (Laryngeal Hyperfunction During Whispering: Reality or Myth?) it’s more likely that you’re causing more stress and trauma to your voice by whispering than you would by speaking with a low volume. Ideally, of course, you would allow yourself complete vocal rest, but usually that isn’t possible.TAKEAWAY:Though it seems counter-intuitive, speaking at a low volume is actually easier on inflamed or infected vocal folds than whispering.
March 22, 2017
COUNTDOWN TO WORLD VOICE DAY
30 Vocal Tips in 30 Days
Day 24: YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT TONE DEAFPeople who are less than thrilled with their own singing voices will often say that they’re tone deaf. If you think you’re tone deaf, what you probably have is underdeveloped coordination between your ear and your larynx (voice box). True tone deafness (amusia) is present in less than 5% of people, so you probably don’t have it.When you hear singing, your brain dissects, analyzes, and reassembles different components of the sound. Singing requires a specific motor response to the analysis of that sound. Your discomfort with your own singing may be from a difficulty in understanding or reproducing an element of singing; like, rhythms, volume, or tone.Nota bene:Nashville voice teacher and all-around voice goddess Judy Rodman has a great blog post about this. http://blog.judyrodman.com/2016/05/ea... unlikely that you can’t sing; it’s more likely that there is an element of singing that’s tripping you up. If you can identify what element of singing isn’t coming naturally to you, you can improve it, and thus your singing.
Day 24: YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT TONE DEAFPeople who are less than thrilled with their own singing voices will often say that they’re tone deaf. If you think you’re tone deaf, what you probably have is underdeveloped coordination between your ear and your larynx (voice box). True tone deafness (amusia) is present in less than 5% of people, so you probably don’t have it.When you hear singing, your brain dissects, analyzes, and reassembles different components of the sound. Singing requires a specific motor response to the analysis of that sound. Your discomfort with your own singing may be from a difficulty in understanding or reproducing an element of singing; like, rhythms, volume, or tone.Nota bene:Nashville voice teacher and all-around voice goddess Judy Rodman has a great blog post about this. http://blog.judyrodman.com/2016/05/ea... unlikely that you can’t sing; it’s more likely that there is an element of singing that’s tripping you up. If you can identify what element of singing isn’t coming naturally to you, you can improve it, and thus your singing.
March 21, 2017
COUNTDOWN TO WORLD VOICE DAY
Day 25 LOSE THE AURAL SHOULDER PADSStudies have shown that lower-pitched voices are perceived (in the western world) to be more confident, authoritative, or powerful. The result of that perception is that women often force their voices into an unnaturally low pitch range when they speak. It’s like the vocal version of wearing a suit. You’re not consciously thinking, “I want to look like a man.” You’re simply aware that you intend to be taken seriously, so you sport your serious business attire.The same goes for your voice. In the quest to be taken seriously in the professional world, women as a whole have taught themselves to use their voices in an unhealthy way. Using your voice in a pitch range that is lower than what is natural to you is tiring to the voice, and over time can cause even cause vocal nodules or polyps.TAKEAWAY:Use your natural pitch range for speaking. It may be higher than you’re used to, but you’ll notice less vocal fatigue and hoarseness over time. Show your confidence and authority with great posture and good eye contact instead!
