Worship Musician January 2019 | Page 41

Many singers aren’t very good at recognizing about how they could better support what you C-E-G-C… hold briefly then legato back down their own voice in a mix. This is in part because do and help protect your voice, what would you to G -E-C). If you need help with a warm-up many singers aren’t familiar enough with their say? routine or overall training try my DVD Warm-up own voice outside of their head. So often the and Work-out: (also available for streaming). only things they know to say are, “I need more [Sheri] Please listen more than you play or If you feel the need for a cool down, do a gentle me in the monitor” or, “My voice doesn’t sound sing. Be mindful of what everyone else is doing hum on several 5 note scales downward to right”. These are not particularly helpful. at all times. settle your voice back into a ready to speak position (there is no research showing any I would suggest thinking through the situation [WM] Can you walk us through a great warm efficacy for a vocal cooldown other than before approaching the sound tech. What you up and warm down regiment for worship team psychological). do hear in your monitor or the house and what vocalists as well as any vocal products you’d might be too loud? Often, it’s more a matter suggest using and stocking in the green room? of turning something down than it is turning My favorite green room products are: lots of water, Throat Coat Tea (Traditional Medicinals) you up. Also, get more familiar with what your [Sheri] Warming up is vital for health, elasticity, Halls Breezers (throat drop without Menthol), voice sounds like through a speaker. Listen flexibility and strength for vocalists. The vocal Throat Saver Spray (the absolute best!) and to recordings of yourself singing to familiarize cords are muscles (encased in membrane) Vocal Rescue (for a little extra help). It would yourself with your own voice. Then, during and need to be gently stretched. A minimum nice if green rooms were equipped with warm rehearsal, if it doesn’t sound right, describe it of 10 minutes of warming up will greatly help air vaporizers as well. to your tech. Saying, “My voice sounds thin” or, you on your way. Start with gentle humming (on “My voice sounds brassy” can help alert your an “N” or an “M”) on a 5 note scale up and sound tech as to what adjustments he might down in legato. Add some diaphragm kicks try to solve the problem. In a perfect world, by changing to staccato and giving a good [Sheri] If at all possible get vocal training your sound techs would be familiar enough diaphragm punch on each note. Move on for you and your team. Training can go a with your voice to recognize the issues without to holding one note while going through all 5 long way toward not only getting the sound being told, but this is not always the case. vowels (Ah, Oh, Ooh, Ee, Ay) then lastly add you want, but keeping you and your team some stretches by doing some triads to the vocally healthy! [WM] If you were to write a ‘love language’ octave - staccato going up and legato going letter as a vocalist to the other team members down (ex: staccato with big diaphragm kicks January 2019 [WM] Is there anything else you’d like to add? Subscribe for Free... 41