Worship Musician Magazine February 2023 | Page 34

VOCALS

TALK LIKE A SINGER : HEALTHY SPEAKING HABITS TO PROMOTE VOCAL HEALTH | Renee Maranan

Singers don ’ t often think of how their speaking habits affect their singing voice . But the fact is we use the same voice for speaking as we do for singing . The habits that influence vocal production in speaking will inevitably affect the efficiency of vocal production in singing , and vice versa .

HOW MUCH DO WE TALK IN A DAY ? Researchers did a study to find out the average number of words that men and women spoke per day . They found that women spoke a daily average of 16,215 words while men spoke an average of 15,669 words . If a person were to talk at a speed of 140 words per minute , that would total more than an hour and a half of talking . A lot of other factors would influence this number , such as each person ’ s communication style , profession , social environment , culture , and so on . But even average voice users put their voices through a fair amount of work each day .

THINKING ABOUT VOCAL LOAD Vocal load is a term we use to describe the demands that we place on our voices in varying situations . Think through your own daily and weekly routines . How much do you talk in the morning as you ’ re getting ready , having breakfast , and heading out the door ? How much do you talk while you ’ re at work ? How much do you talk in the evenings when you ’ re home , having dinner , or socializing ?

BUDGETING VOICE USE The concept of budgeting voice use is fairly simple : if you ’ re using your voice a lot for one activity , plan to use your voice less for the remainder of the day . If you know that you have to use your voice for extended periods of time during the day , be sure to incorporate a vocal rest period in the evening . If you notice that you have a general habit of speaking a lot or with more intensity than needed , think about how you might speak with less volume or fewer words .

For singers who have to use their voices a lot , it can also be helpful to incorporate relative voice rest throughout the day . While complete voice rest requires a person to stop all voice use completely , relative voice rest calls for periods of decreased voice use while still allowing for some speaking or singing . For example , a teacher who must give a 20-minute lecture per class might spend the remaining class time having individual conversations at a lower volume . Parents who must care for young children might intersperse quiet activities or independent play throughout the day so that their voices can get some rest .

ANALYZING VOICE USE AND MITIGATING DAMAGE Below is an example of my own vocal load analysis . You can use a planner or any other template to analyze your voice use throughout the day .

My work requires me to use my voice a lot throughout the day , both for speaking and singing . This means that I must take extra measures to ensure that my voice gets intermittent periods of relative voice rest and at least one hour of total voice rest at the end of the day . Some other strategies I use to support my speaking voice include :

• Warming up for 15 minutes in the morning

• Doing quick vocal reset exercises intermittently throughout the day

• Stretching the tongue , jaw , and neck muscles to prevent excess muscle tension

• Daily singing practice , apart from what I sing when I teach

• Regular appointments with a speech language pathologist and singing teacher

My vocal requirements are relatively extensive because I am a professional voice user . For others , it might be enough to do daily warmups and regular voice lessons . But being aware of healthy voice use when you speak can be a big part of preventing vocal injury , or at least preserving your voice so that it can do more for you when you must sing .

Renee Maranan Renee is an acclaimed vocal instructor , voice teacher trainer , and life coach . She has been teaching voice for over 20 years and works with singers , vocal instructors , and performers from all over the world . For more vocal help , visit www . ReneeMaranan . com follow her on Instagram @ reneemaranan

When reflecting on your vocal load , think in terms of intensity , duration , and frequency . Each activity that requires voice use , whether through speaking or singing , will require a certain level of each . A counselor might speak at a low to moderate intensity for several hours in their workday , five days a week . On the other hand , an athletics coach might speak for shorter periods of time over fewer days in a week , but at a much higher intensity .

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