Caring For Your Voice While on the Road

You’ve written the songs and the CDs are finished, you’ve rehearsed the band, booked the gigs, fixed the van, and now it’s time to hit the road! Even with all the planning, you may be concerned about one very important detail; maintaining a healthy voice while you’re on the road. If so, you’re not alone.

Life on the road is an amazing experience but, let’s face it, even under the best circumstances, it can be physically exhausting. For singers, it can be especially draining. Our bodies are our instruments, and if our bodies are tired, it’s easy to understand that our voices would be tired as well. Other factors such as inadequate sleep, poor eating habits, smoky clubs, inadequate vocal warm up and cool down, dry airplane and hotel air (when you’re lucky enough to fly or sleep in a hotel!) can wreak havoc on a singers voice.

Many major recording artists – Madonna, Jon Bon Jovi, Elton John, and Billy Joel (to name a few), have experienced great difficulty with their voices while on tour. I recently heard an interview with Jon Bon Jovi, in which he told the interviewer that he was really miserable during his first major tour because he was so concerned about his voice.

So what’s going on here? Why is it that some singers have so much difficulty while on the road, while others seem to come through it just fine? What causes vocal fatigue (a condition in which the muscles of the voice are “tired” and “less responsive”), and what can a singer do to prevent it?

1) For starters, if you don’t already have one, get yourself a Vocal Coach. As a singer, you are, for all intents and purposes, an Athlete. And you should think of touring as the “Olympics” for singers. Any Olympic athlete knows that such vigorous activity requires top-notch training. A singer needs to be in prime condition – vocally and physically. Athletes would never dream of going to the Olympics without a coach. So why would a singer go on tour without having worked with a Vocal Coach. Good solid vocal technique is the back bone of a healthy voice.

2) Second, know your body. While we’d like to think of ourselves as indestructible super heroes, the reality is you have to know your body and know its limitations. In other words, how much sleep do you personally require to feel good? This amount may vary from one singer to the next, so it’s vital that you know what your body needs (generally, between 7-9 hours is recommended). Let someone else drive the van while you get some sleep. Skip the after show party and the alcohol (sorry guys!) and go back to your room for a good nights sleep. After all, are you on tour to party or to perform? You owe it to your fans and to yourself to be in good physical condition. Additionally, alcohol robs your body and your voice of much-needed hydration (See #4 below, plus “Caring for your Voice – Handling Dehydration” from our December Newsletter.)

3) Eat well! A good, healthy diet is imperative. In fact, many experienced touring artists, insist on healthy meals and snacks while they’re on tour. The availability of places like Whole Foods, make it possible to eat well while on the road. Stick with a diet of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins (such as nuts, tofu, chicken, turkey). Nutritional supplements are also very beneficial.

4) Stay hydrated! Water is a body’s best friend. Your voice is created by tiny muscle movements. To function properly, these muscles need to remain hydrated. Think of a rubber band that has lost its elasticity… it doesn’t stretch very well and the potential for it to break is very high. If you examine it closely, you’ll notice that it looks and feels different than a rubber band that is more supple and elastic. It has simply been depleted of its moisture content. The same holds true for muscles. Without proper hydration, your muscles will not perform to your expectations. Consider it this way: The more fluids (water) in your body, the more fluid is your sound.

Drink plenty of room temperature water (preferably distilled), especially if you’re traveling by plane. The air in the cabin of an airplane is very dry. Sucking on a lozenge or piece of hard candy will also keep your mouth and throat moistened. The use of a humidifier can be extremely helpful in dry conditions, especially when staying at hotels. Hotel rooms can tend to be incredibly dry. There is a small travel humidifier (the Kaz Compact Travel Ultrasonic Humidifier) available on the internet that sells for around $80.00 from www.Medfinity.com. It is very portable and operates using a bottle of water. If you don’t have a humidifier, simply run the shower (hot water) with the bathroom door open and let the steam fill up the bedroom.

5) Steaming is another great way to keep your voice hydrated. Again, you can use the steam from the shower or use a small portable facial steamer. Breathe the steam in for 5 – 7 minutes, and then stay silent for at least 30 minutes (no speaking or singing). Also, if it’s cold outside, don’t go out immediately after steaming as it can be too much of a temperature shock to your vocal instrument. I recommend steaming before bed.

6) Finally, it is imperative (and I can’t stress this enough) to give yourself an adequate vocal warm-up and cool-down before and after EVERY show. I know that there is often barely enough time to set up and do a quick line check, but warming up your voice may be the single most important thing you can do to keep your voice healthy. Think about it, would you run a marathon without stretching first? After the gig cool down your voice until it feels like it has returned to your normal speaking voice. If you’re not sure how to warm-up or cool-down your voice, you should get the Deva Method® Warm-ups and Cool-Downs CD. If you’d like, you can also request to receive our recommended warm-ups, FREE by e-mail.

The bottom line is this; touring can be exhausting, however by taking a few simple measures, it can also be an amazing, fantastic experience. Now, go get in the van!