Health & Technique – All Articles

Similarly, there are artists who give “perfect” performances and those who give “excellent” performances. Technically, these performers might be at the same level, but the experience they offer is like night and day. That’s because perfectionism and excellence come from completely different places and lead to completely different outcomes. 

This tool time is going to talk about a very important aspect of vocal hygiene: the voice team. I hope by the time you finish reading through this article that you have an idea of where to look for help and how to maintain good relationships with all the stakeholders in your voice. 

Hailey McAvoy’s Journey as an operatic trailblazer for liberation and visibility for performers with disabilities is one that is changing who we see on our opera stages.

A stylistic and pedagogical guide to hip-hop and rap fills a glaring gap in the performance literature.

Singers have a unique situation in caring for their instrument. Unlike other musicians, our instrument is part of our body. This can provide its own individual benefits as well as hurdles to overcome. One of those hurdles is maintaining a state of physical health that allows us to perform at our best. This can prove challenging, as most of us already know. 

Two laryngologists collaborate to provide reliable recommendations related to vocal health.

Dear Doctor Jahn,

Would you say that water is the closest thing we have to a “cure-all” when it comes to singing? I mean, I do a lot of singing in bars and clubs and I drink a LOT of water and I really haven’t had issues that other questioners have (hoarseness, sore-throats etc.)

-Gus

As a singer, it is imperative that you keep your vocal health a priority. To maintain a healthy, robust voice, it is a good idea to learn about different voice

Today we aren’t looking at a specific item but the general uses of face steamers and nebulizers. If you have favorite singers or influencers, I’m sure you’ve seen a GRWM (get ready with me) that shows some use of a steamer or nebulizer. What is the difference and why would you use one over the other? That’s the question I’m looking to answer today. Neither of these tools are exclusive and can be used with the other tools mentioned in earlier articles: Breather Voice—Tool Time 4, Vocal Trainer by Better Voice—Tool Time 3,  Belt Box—Tool Time 2, and Sing Ring by OOVO—Tool Time. Much like everything that I have gone over, these tools deal with optional maintenance for good health and better vocalization. These devices also have outside uses from voice care. 

Maybe it’s the winter chill or the week I just spent at Toby’s alma mater for his performances of Die Fledermaus, but I’ve been “all in my feels”— reflecting a lot on what I wish I had known before jumping into undergrad and grad school for opera. There’s so much advice thrown at young singers—some of it helpful, some, well, not so much. Narratives like “You have to sacrifice everything if you want a career” and the classic, “If you can do anything else, do that” have personally haunted me, and spoiler alert: they couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) is a voice disorder that is characterized by very tense muscles in the larynx surrounding the vocal cords. Read on to learn how to treat it!

Soprano Mandy Brown shares her experience with breast cancer diagnosis and the transformative power of adaptability, patience, and a supportive community.