You don’t want your first trip to the laryngologist to be the day before your big talk! Getting “scoped” by a voice doc can provide clues into your vocal health that allow you a personalized approach to caring for your voice. If you are the kind of person who regularly finds it difficult to speak with a clear tone, this step is important. A great way for public speakers to kickstart this is to take a series of singing lessons from professional, and then establish a routine.Ī good laryngologist is the voice professional’s best friend. Regular warm ups are “deposits in the bank!” Strengthening the vocalis, and getting the brain ‘hooked up’ with your diaphragm through focused breathing exercises are sure fire ways of developing a more powerful and effective voice. There is a great saying, “spend the interest, not the capital,” and that can be applied to the voice. If your voice is healthy, and you are aiming for longevity and endurance (lots of speaking/ singing gigs), then having a regular practice that enforces good vocal technique is like putting money into the bank.

It’s really important to remember that reflux is cumulative and can cause laryngitis or pharyngitis: both of which have long recovery periods, and for obvious reasons, could affect your performance! Laryngologists often prescribe the “ GERD diet,” (or “reflux” diet) to professional singers to prevent voice loss due to reflux. The GERD diet is a high PH diet that eliminates desiccants, ups the hydrating foods and necessitates keeping food out of the stomach at night- no food for three hours before lying down. The stomach is often the culprit for much of the hoarseness that voice professionals experience, and maintaining a low acid diet is key to consistent good vocal health. Keep your vocal muscles toned with routine vocal exercisesģ. Understand how diet and stress impact the voiceĢ. I recommend the following three things:ġ. Jessica: Okay, getting right to it! Anyone who relies on their voice for their livelihood must prioritize their vocal health.

What are the things a singer - or speaker - needs to do to take care of their voice for a long-term career? Nick: Thanks, Jessica, for speaking to me about this essential subject.

Public speakers and singers have a lot in common as voice professionals, and the following advice is good across the board: Morgan’s book, “ Can You Hear Me?” is a Washington Post bestseller that helps people communicate clearly and effectively in the virtual world- something that has become particularly important since the Coronavirus pandemic has pushed meetings of all kinds into a virtual setting. Last week I was invited to co-write a blog post with professional speech coach and author, Dr.

Can You Hear Me? by Nick Morgan