Adele cancels US Tour for good reason! What can we learn? Take care of your voice and take care of you!

Recent cancellation of the rescheduled US Concert Tour for Adele is cause to really think about how we are treating our own singing voices.  She is doing the wisest thing she can by listening to her doctors and taking a break from singing to get vocal rehabilitation.  Singing is a joy and a means of sharing our souls.  We must pay attention to our bodies and respond to what they are telling us.  If it doesn’t feel good or you are seriously sick, don’t sing or you could face some troubled roads ahead.

"I have a hemorrhage again and it is paramount that I rest and therefore wont be able to come and do these already rescheduled U.S shows 23-year-old Adele wrote in a blog posted Tuesday. I apologise from the bottom of my heart, sincerely I do "singing is literally my life, its my hobbie, my love, my freedom and now my job. I have absolutely no choice but to recuperate properly and fully, or I risk damaging my voice forever…..this is the only thing I can do to make sure I can always sing and always make music for you to the best of my ability.”

When the vocal cords are damaged either from overuse or abuse, they leak and spread under the surface just like a bruise.  The blood accumulating under the surface makes it harder for the vocal cords to vibrate, causing a sudden change in the voice. Like a black eye, the bruise will heal. But recurrent damage can cause scar tissue to build up and cause a permanent change in a person's voice.  "The typical scenario is, a singer will say, 'I was doing fine and then all of a sudden, in the middle of a show or a rehearsal, I had a break in my voice and couldn't sing well anymore.’”  Dr. Gaelyn Garrett, medical director of the Vanderbilt Voice Center in Nashville.  

According to Garrett, anyone can suffer a vocal cord hemorrhage, but singers are more likely to notice minor voice changes. "It can even occur after coughing, or anything that generates a lot of pressure," she said. "There are some patients that just come in with evidence of a bleed from several days ago." Whether a person needs rest or surgery depends on whether the injury recurs and on their voice demands.   For more detailed information go to

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/news/20111005/singer-adele-cancels-us-tour-due-to-vocal-cord-hemorrhage

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/adele-cancels-us-tour-vocal-cord-hemorrhage/story?id=14671798

What does this mean to you?  Listen to your body at all times.  As a singer, your body is your instrument and it should be taken care of.  Good technique, adequate sleep, plenty of water, a good diet and exercise are essential.  There are good guidelines to follow in my blog www.findyoursingingvoice.blogspot.com/2011/04healthy-voice-and-healthy-you.html.  

Also, warm up when you are under the weather and ask yourself if it feels okay to sing and do you really need to do that performance or can it be rescheduled?   www.findyoursingingvoice.blogspot.com/2011/04to-sing-or-not-to-sing.html.  If it does not feel good, seek the advice of a voice professional and/or otolaryngologist (ENT).

Best wished to Adele in her recovery and we all look forward to hearing her sing again!  Take care of yourself and your voice.  Watch your technique and always check in with your voice teacher.  Most professional singers check in with a vocal coach periodically to check their technique and sound quality.  They also check in with an ENT if anything feels different.  Please contact me with any questions, visit your ENT or the Voice Foundation at http://www.voicefoundation.org/

Most of all, keep singing and sharing your music with the world!

Why Singing? The Passion of Singing.

Why Singing? 
Singing is an art form that is an extension of yourself.  It is a means of self expression and creation of beauty so enjoy it!

Sing for yourself, sing for the school choir, sing for your church, sing for karaoke, audition for American Idol or the Glee Club.  Above all do it for yourself and find someone you trust and whose opinion you value to help you make the most of the instrument that was given to you!

Understanding and appreciating art is so helpful when it comes to processing the hard stuff in the world.  Music is a safe place to let out emotions.  An outlet for times you feel powerless and it can be invaluable in your emotional survival.  Art can be such a powerful tool for children to express themselves.    Jennifer Nettles, Sugarland

Extra Reasons to Take Voice Lessons

·                    Increases attention span

·                    Increase focus on task at hand

·                    Improved reading capabilities (both music and reading comprehension)

·                    Analysis of literary content

·                    Value of connection between math and real life experiences

·                    Self confidence and courage

·                    Improve communication skills

·                    Improve breath control (asthma)

·                    More awareness of mind and body connection

·                    Awareness of physical body and taking care of your body

·                    An emotional outlet

For more reasons to take music lessons, visit http://www.garnetvalleyschools.com/1381208211121177/lib/1381208211121177/benefits_of_music.pdf
http://www.nats.org/
http://www.menc.org/

How do you make the most of your practice time for your voice lessons?

Okay, so you are taking voice lessons and you are wondering:
How do I make sure I am making the most of my practice time?

How Long Should I Take Voice Lessons? 

Singing, just like any other instrument, benefits from regular practice and dedication to a craft.  Piano lessons develop muscular coordination in your hands while singing lessons develop muscular coordination in your whole body.  Your body must become in sync with itself!  Sometimes this takes a little while of dedicated practice and it is different for everyone.

We are all different but you get out what you put in to your voice lessons.  Disciplined practice on a regular basis yeilds the best and quickest results.  We all have individual instruments with different starting points, but as a general rule, at least 6 months of dedicated weekly lessons will give you a solid basis.  It is best to keep taking weekly lessons to make sure that you continue to progress vocally.  If after many years of lessons you absolutely must take a break, keep practicing on your own and check in regularly with a trusted voice teacher.  Persistence and consistency is key to singing beautifully.  (See Blog Post The Personal Touch of Private Voice Lessons).

How Do I Know I Am Making the Most of Your Practice Time?  How do you know you are not 'just singing'?

* Voice teachers craft warm-ups (vocalise) for a reason. Always start practice with the warm-ups from your previous lessons as well as a few favorites you know line up your voice well.

* Make sure you have a clear, focused practice space.  Once you have started practicing, do your best to  not answer your phone, text, talk to anyone.  It is your private singing and practice time; stay on task.

* Practice songs with a focus on what your teacher recommended in you lesson in addition to learning new pitches.
            - It is helpful to pinpoint 2 or 3 things you should work on during the week in practice and put it into your own words.  i.e. Breath Control (use your laughing muscles) and Breathe only where you have breath marks!  I do this with each of my students in every lesson.

* Pay attention to what is happening with your voice in the moment.  Make a note of it in both your warm-ups and repertoire.  Write down questions for your teacher to take to your next lesson.

* End your practice time by singing a song that is well set in your voice.  This way you 'warm-down' and know if your practice of the day follow good technique for your vocal development.  It is always fun to end your practice time by just singing something you love!

**  The more active your brain is when practicing, the more you will get out of your practice time and the quicker you will obtain your singing goals!

Happy Singing!  http://www.susanandersbrizick.com/

The Personal Touch of Private Voice Lessons

The Personal Touch of Individual Voice Lessons

Weekly time spent singing with a voice teacher and identifying what is going on with your voice right now is invaluable.  Outside ears and eyes help identify where you are that day or week and professional guidance and diligent work can take you to the next level.  Although we establish good vocal technique using proper breathing, support, and vowel placement, sometimes it takes time to get there.  Through dedicated practice and patience you can develop a beautiful singing voice.  It is not an overnight (or couple of week) process.

Persistence is the key as your body is your instrument.  Muscle memory develops over time and helps you sing with consistency throughout your range with a stronger, more balanced tone.  Just like training to run a 5K, your body remembers what it should do and needs to do to create a stronger sound.  It pulls on its resources, muscle memory!

If you are pursuing singing, there can be no rush!! There is no reason to wait to begin the journey but no rushing the development! Vocal muscles develop with the natural athleticism they have. If you try too hard or go too fast, it is dangerous. -Susan Eichhorn Young

Our bodies and voices change on a weekly basis (sometimes daily) because our lives are continually changing.  Your technique may be working wonderfully and a few days later there may be some troubles in a particular spot.  You may not notice it on a consistent basis but sporadically.  Has your muscle memory kicked in enough to know what to do when you are not feeling 100%?  Are you an adolescent going through puberty therefore in constant change?  Weekly voice lessons can help you identify what is going on quickly and provide you with solutions.

What we hear while we’re singing just isn’t true, so we are always dependent on someone we trust to take the role of our ‘outside ears’.  Renee Fleming

How do you trouble shoot on your own?

There are a few questions you can always ask yourself:

Have you been eating differently?  Did you stop drinking enough water?  Stayed up late a lot?  Has your posture changed?  Not worked out recently?  Are you stressed?  Did you go to a concert and sing too loudly for too long?  Do you have a cold and need techniques to sing above it?  Find a voice teacher you trust to help you.

For more information regarding voice lessons visit http://www.susanandersbrizick.com/ or sign up for my free newsletter.