VOCALS
VOICE PRODUCTS, PART 2: WILL THIS STUFF ACTUALLY HELP MY VOICE? | Renée Maranan
Last month, I talked about some of the products that singers commonly ask about when in need of support with their vocal health and performance. This month, we’ ll be covering vocal gadgets: steam inhalers, nebulizers, and singing straws.
I’ ll preface this article by mentioning that I am not a medical professional, and none of this is medical advice. When it comes to health products, it’ s always best to consult with your doctor and / or vocal health practitioner( such as an ENT, allergist, laryngologist, or speech language pathologist) if you have medical or vocal health concerns.
STEAM INHALERS AND NEBULIZERS Steam inhalers help add moisture to the vocal tract. Moisture from the steam can help thin out congestion. It can also help restore suppleness to vocal folds that have become dry, stiff, or irritated due to overuse, lack of sleep, hormonal changes, dry air, and more. Steam inhalers typically use heat to produce steam, and some singers may find the warm steam soothing.
Ultrasonic mesh nebulizers also add moisture to the vocal tract, but the main difference is the size of the moisture droplets. Nebulizers produce much smaller moisture droplets than steam inhalers, so they can be absorbed more quickly and can also penetrate further into the respiratory tract. For this reason, one must only use sterile saline solution when nebulizing. It’ s also crucial to check with your doctor before using nebulizers if you have a chronic respiratory condition, to ensure that nebulization will not aggravate your condition.
Both steam inhalers and nebulizers can be very helpful in maintaining vocal health, but it’ s important to wait at least 10-15 minutes before vocalizing after a steam inhalation or nebulizing session. Steam inhalers are especially easy to find in drugstores or general retail chains, but both steam inhalers and nebulizers are widely available online, ranging in price from less than $ 50 USD to $ 100 USD and above. In both cases, it’ s important to ensure that your equipment is cleaned before and after each use. Regular maintenance may also be necessary to manage scale buildup.
SINGING STRAWS There are a number of singing straws available today. Some of the most popular brands retail between $ 49- $ 70 USD. They can be used on their own or submerged in liquid to further increase back pressure and provide visual feedback for learning breath management. There is plenty of scientific and anecdotal evidence for the effectiveness of straw phonation. It can help restore efficient vocal function and speed up recovery from vocal fatigue. Straw phonation is one of the most commonly used exercises for vocal conditioning, even for those who are rehabilitating from vocal injury.
Now, the real question: is it worth spending $ 50 on a straw? The answer to that is subjective. Structurally speaking, a straw is a straw. There’ s not much more to it than that. Certain singing straws offer a variety of different diameters, which can help singers to customize the amount of back pressure they get depending on their particular vocal needs on any given day( because yes, there is such a thing as too much or too little back pressure). The same can be accomplished by simply collecting straws in different diameters, like a regular drinking straw, a juice box straw, and a cocktail straw. Singing straws are typically made with stainless steel or silicone, which makes them reusable and easier to clean. One particular brand even makes a singing straw that can be unzipped for easy washing. On the other hand, there are also a variety of reusable straws available for a fraction of the price, ranging in materials from plastic to steel, even glass. Different materials will affect the feel of straw phonation, and singers can certainly explore different types of straws to find out what feels best for them. Ultimately, the advice I give my students is to get the straw that they feel they will actually use. If they feel that investing in an actual singing straw will help them to feel more motivated or accountable to practice their vocal exercises, I say go for it! But if that isn’ t the case, there’ s nothing wrong with using regular straws that you can get for much less.
BOTTOM LINE At the end of the day, it’ s not what gadgets you buy or how much you spend on them that will help your singing. It’ s your commitment to using the tools you have, and your ability to use them correctly as part of a comprehensive voice care routine. When investing in any tools for your voice, make sure that you understand their intended effects prior to using them. Consult with a voice teacher if you’ re unsure, in order to prevent any harm that may be caused by misuse.
Got a singing question? Send an email to hello @ reneemaranan. com with“ WM Vocals Question” in the subject line!
Renée Maranan Renée is a vocal instructor, voice teacher trainer, and life coach, with over 20 years of experience working with singers, vocal instructors, and performers from all over the world. For more vocal help, visit her www. reneemaranan. com or follow her on Instagram(@ reneemaranan). www. ReneeMaranan. com Instagram @ reneemaranan
34 June 2025 Subscribe for Free...