Vocal Music Advice

Jae, 16, a frequent contact says: as I study with my voice ‘myself’ through research, I finally figured out my real problem (if it is) that causes me to always struggle after a minute in singing! It’s just the mucus! After minutes in my singing, I’ve noticed that even I spit these “phlegms” out my throat, after a couple of minutes, there it comes again! So what I want to clearly know is, “Was there a stage in a singer’s life especially in adolescence where his body expels too much mucus?”

ANSWER: Thanks for mentioning this Jae.

Since the problem you have seems to be chronic, and if it is true that it persists regardless of lifestyle or diet, then I have to conclude that you have allergies to either air-borne allergens (dust, mold and mildew, flower and tree pollens, various animals, certain foods, or some combination of the aforementioned).  If you have chronic sinusitis (sinus infections), frequent sore throats, frequent swollen tonsils, frequent upper-respiratory infections (like bronchitis or asthma), then either you have allergies or a weak immune system, or possibly both.  These are things for which an allergist medical doctor is useful in diagnosing and treating.  Having and dealing with mucus is not a stage in adolescence!  Learning a balanced lifestyle is something that all young persons have to learn if they are going to be healthy and productive.

If what I have listed above describes you Jae, then you need to get a realistic view of your physical capabilities and limitations, as well as see a doctor.

On the other hand, it is not unusual for residual phlegm and mucus to “surface” and be coughed out while warming up vocally, especially in the morning or just after eating a meal.

Just a reminder of the kinds of foods that tend to produce “problem” secretions for singers with allergies: Dairy products (milk, fatty cheese, ice cream, etc.), fatty red meats (beef, and pork especially, or deep-fried anything including potato chips), shell fish (shrimp, prawns, crab, lobster); anything with added sugar content, including chocolate candy, sweetened drinks, desserts; and large portions of white-flour products (whether it is white bread, noodles, pasta, cake, etc.).

I hope this is helpful.

Hello! I have this problem. I am a soprano. After I eat (a huge dinner or I have a sensitive stomach), I rest my stomach for a couple of hours before I sing, but my diaphragm is still constricted, my nose is stuffed up, and my throat is clogged with mucus. Especially after I have eaten cheesecake for dessert, it’s so rich that I could not even sing. I tried singing my best, but whenever I restart the same song my right or left ear is clogged like I can barely hear my own vibrato. This does not happen all the time. It happens sometimes. What should I do? What proper food should I eat for my singing voice?

Answer: Dear Mackenzie, please forgive me for saying this … but your question provided me with a good laugh … your description is priceless.

The description you give of someone who is lactose intolerant, and/or who reacts to dairy products and large meals could hardly be more representative of how not to eat before singing for folk like you.

“Know thyself” is probably the axiom to follow here.  Some singers do well with a meal (without the cheesecake) a couple of hours before singing.  Other singers find that they “cannot sing on a full stomach.”  Each of us has to know what works best for us, and then act appropriately.  What you need to assure is that you are well nourished and strong – with a clear voice when it comes time to sing.

I’d suggest that you anticipate the times when you know you are going to sing with a snack, or small meal of salad and pasta two-to-three hours before singing.  Stay well hydrated (drink lots of water).

When you eat a large meal … especially with the mix of foods that make digestion “hard work” for the body, the body’s energy and blood is concentrating on digesting your food … not on other things that require muscle control and deep breathing, say nothing of being able to think clearly!

Generally, dairy products, sugar-sweetened drinks, desserts, candy, chocolate—cheese cake has both dairy and high-sugar content—and red meats are triggers for a large production of mucus as well as swelling of the nasal passages (and ears!).  Not everyone experiences these consequences, but if you are sensitive to these things, then you need to avoid those foods prior to singing.

Obviously, a very full stomach will inhibit the diaphragm’s full downward passage for inhalation as well as the efficient, full and controlled exhalation process.  So, eat smaller portions, more frequently.

One more thing: Most singers require a vocal warm-up period after eating a meal prior to singing songs.  You’d do well to incorporate all the suggestions I’ve given here.

Best wishes.

I just want to know if being easily stressed vocal cords is normal at my age. Because another voice teacher told me that the phlegm I am having when singing is mucous. He said that it was produced because my vocal cords are feeling some stress and need to be lubricated. Please tell me what you think about it. And if you know some solutions about this problem.

ANSWER:

My answer is going to contradict the “other voice teacher.”  “Thickness” of phlegm or mucous is not caused by “vocal cords feeling stress.”  The body produces its own lubrication for the vocal cords all the time. This would only be affected if you are drinking caffeinated drinks (coffee) which are mild dieretics, that is, they have a tendency to “dry out” the body and flush liquids from the body, making the kidneys and sweat glands work harder than normal.  Also, “over-the-counter” cold medicines (analgesics) have a definite “drying” effect on all parts of the body that normally produce good mucous and lubrication.  So, the advice is: stop drinking caffeinated drinks (Coca Cola, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Coffee, etc.) and avoid over-the-counter cold medicines.

Instead stay well hydrated (drink plenty of water every day). This will not only keep your entire body flushed of toxins, but will provide the “lubrication” your body requires for health … and singing.

So, I would be more apt to say the opposite of what you were told, and say: “vocal cords feel stress (you find you have to work harder to produce good tone) because of “dryness” or unusually thick mucous on the cords.

I believe science and experience corroborate this.

I hope this has been helpful.

I want to ask about the phlegm that I’m feeling especially during the first 3 minutes, even with just the low pitch D after the middle C. Can you tell me about how avoid this phlegm? I think this is a disturbance in singing. Are there any exercises to avoid this?

ANSWER: Jae, some day I’ll answer this a little more thoroughly … with some of the medical distinctions made between the various oral secretions sometimes all lumped into one designation of “mucous”, or “phlegm”.  I should tell you at the outset that such a generalization irks some folk in the medical profession  … but I’m willing with this disclaimer to take the flack on this response.

Indeed, phlegm is a “disturbance” to singing.

An accumulation of heavy secretions on the vocal cords early in the morning is not unusual.  Frequently warming up the voice will make the presence of this obvious, heard and felt, but frequently the warm up process dislodges this “goop” and clear tone can then easily be produced and heard.

This “phlegm” can impede the process by which we make sound by settling on, or passing through the opening of the glottis.  There may be several causes.

1. An upper respirator infection often accompanied by a cough.
2. A sinus infection or common cold in which there is drainage from the nasal passages down the back of the throat.
3. Allergies to various air-carried organisms like dust, pollen and mold spores produce cold-like symptoms.
4. Allergies to various foods.
5. Dairy-heavy diet.

Obviously, any time a person has an infection, one has to do what is necessary to gain health and maintain a strong immune system.

Allergies to dust, pollen, mold, mildew, animal dander, etc. may require medical assistance to become desensitized to those things.

Food allergies can be pinpointed either by the help of an allergist, or a systematic process of elimination and discovery of what foods cause allergic reactions.

The simplest thing to deal with is to alter one’s diet – and make sure that dairy products (milk, cheese, ice-cream and foods with these products in them like pizza) and a lot of red meat (hamburgers, beef, sausage, pork) and sugar (desserts and sweetened drinks especially) are either eliminated from the diet or reduced and avoided during the evening/night meal.  All those things named contribute to the body producing in large quantity the “stuff” that clogs the nose and throat by early morning.

Vocal exercises are not the answer when dealing with “phlegm.”  A change in eating lifestyle is often the answer.

Be sure that you have a routine in which you gargle and brush your teeth and tongue when you arise in the morning.  That helps to get rid of a lot … down the drain.

Since I was a child, music was my identity. I haven’t sung or performed for four years now. I know I am depressed. Is music the way out?

ANSWER: Danny, thanks for plucking up the courage to ask a heavy question.

I sense that something happened about four years ago that caused either the motivation or the joy of music making to be lost.  Stress, or the results of emotional trauma can leave us feeling incapacitated for a long time.  I understand first-hand how that feels.  Other times a 20-hour-day six-days-a-week job prevents us from time or strength to get back to what we love to do … making music.

Strangely, music-making and depression tend not to co-exist very well.  That is to say, depression can take away the will to make music.  But making music also lifts our spirits and alleviates depression.  Likewise, just ignoring opportunities to make music can lead one to depression … while taking opportunities to make music often lifts the heart.

Be aware too, that lack of regular exercise — and I don’t mean overdoing it, and lack of enough regular sleep (8 to 10 hours a night) will also contribute to feelings of depression.  If you have something to “fix” here, do it.

I’d encourage you to not give in to depression, but by an act of your will, DECIDE to start making music again … even if it’s a little every day.  I think you’ll find yourself lifted out of the funk you’ve found yourself in.  Let me encourage you to make music by yourself AS WELL AS with other musicians and in community.  It’s therapeutic!  Just as you reached out to me, you can do that while making music to folk in your hearing … then you’ll have people “with faces” some of whom will become your friends.

I think your idea to just get back into singing is right on Danny.

Best wishes.

I’m an older soprano who has decided to attempt to sing again after taking about 30 years off (due to vocal ulcerations I developed in my 20s.) I received my B.M. in Voice Performance, started graduate school, but then had to stop because of chronic vocal discomfort (A laryngologist told me to rest the voice for a few months, but the soreness continued). So I’ve attempted a comeback every few years since then, but still encountered hoarseness and soreness, and have always stopped… fearful that I was doing serious damage.

Now at 59, I’d like to give it one more try, so a few months ago started singing in an excellent, professional-level church choir. This week, while practicing for an upcoming Christmas concert to be performed with a symphony orchestra (I’m one of five assigned first sopranos), I’ve again encountered terrible hoarseness and soreness. We have been rehearsing steadily, and the high soprano parts are sustained in the high treble clef (F5 – C6), a range in which I used to shine (once had a strong E6). But today I am so hoarse and sore (the concert is in two weeks, with more rehearsals upcoming) that I’m fearful I may have to drop out or “lip-sync” to avoid blowing out the cords all together.

This is very discouraging, but I’m resisting the idea that I have to finally give up my dream of singing again. My questions:

I’m not in a financial situation to afford private lessons at the moment, but wondered if you could recommend some gentle exercises I might do to relax the voice and stop damaging it (especially in the high range)? There is obviously some kind of tension that I can’t figure out.. or could it be that I’m just trying to do too much too soon (after 30 years off)?

I guess the real question is — is it even possible for a 59 year old to rebuild a voice to a professional (or good-amateur!) level after taking three decades off? Or maybe I should just get a grip on reality and stop trying for a come-back…?

ANSWER: Let me caution you that my answer will give you what is PROBABLE, not necessarily what is CERTAIN, because I have not heard you sing and have only what you’ve told me as a basis for giving you an answer.

1)  The fact that each time you have recommenced singing there has also been a recurrence of the problem of “hoarseness and soreness” suggests that there may well be some poor usage of the vocal apparatus.  ”Ulcerations” could be caused by bad vocal use … but would be surprising since you were a voice major in college. If this were the case, what specifically it is that you are doing I do not know since I have never heard you sing.

2) There is also the possibility that you suffer from acid reflux – a condition by which stomach acids come up to the esophagus and quite literally “burn” your throat.  What makes me think of this possibility is that “the soreness continued” even after several months of vocal rest.  The fact that there were “ulcerations” may also be an indication of acid reflux.  This would likely happen when you are having to breathe deeply and exhale thoroughly as happens when singing.  It is also possible to have had this condition for a long time without knowing it, and the hoarseness and soreness simply manifests the symptom when you sing.  I think there is a high probability of this second scenario being the cause of the problem.  A medical doctor can help you with this … it may require some alteration in diet, and learning to sleep with your upper-body slightly raised above your waste … at an angle rather than parallel to the floor.  Once this is taken care of … or dealt with in an ongoing way, your ability to sing without hoarseness and soreness is likely to be more probable.

3) At 59 it is also probable that your stamina to stay in the uppermost regions of your range will be less than it was even ten years ago, and definitely less than it was 30 years ago. Assuming that

a) there is no vocal-technical reason for developing a sore throat each time you sing, and

b) any acid reflux is not an issue,

you should be able to regain considerable stamina and enjoy singing in a fine choral setting.

4) One more thing, you should not be surprised if, at 59, your overall range has lowered, and you are more physically comfortable singing second soprano (though initially it may accost your psychological preference for singing soprano 1).  When you sing your highest notes in a choir, at no point should you feel as though you are “pushing” or “muscling” the sound … it should be comfortable just “floating” the notes.  If this is not the case, then beware … you are working too hard vocally, and probably inappropriately.

Regarding the possibility of singing inappropriately, certainly finding a good teacher would be helpful.  Regarding the possibility of acid reflux, a caring medical doctor (E.N.T.) will be able to tell you whether you have that problem … and if you have how to deal with it.

I hope this has been helpful and instructive.

I have been unable to stop coughing heavily for the past few days, almost the past week and my voice is very chesty and my head voice is weak and quiet now.  Usually when I get sick this doesn’t happen so I’m worried. This is not a drip cough so it’s not like I have a bunch of phlegm in my throat preventing my voice from having clarity.

Answer: A “tickle cough” can become debilitating while it lasts … and some coughs seem to hang on for a long time.  As often as not a lingering cough stems from something other than merely a cold or sinus infection or something in the larynx … and is often an indication of some sort of upper-respiratory infection, inflammation and a build up of unwanted liquid-matter in the lungs … making breathing also more difficult and inefficient.  Something like this should be checked by an M.D.  But, if you can, see a doctor who does not simply prescribe an antiobiotic for everything.  The better medical doctors are becoming nutritionally and “holistically” aware.  There may be things you can do with diet, lifestyle, supplements and herbs that would help your own immune system beat this thing – rather than resorting to the ever-popular antiobiotic – that kills all bacteria (including good bacteria) indiscriminately, leaving your immune system even more susceptible to infection after the course is finished.

Deal with the cause of the cough.  Allow your body to heal … then get back to singing.  Your voice will come back.  You need to give your voice a rest while the cough persists.

Best wishes to you.

I’m a 46 year-old woman.

ANSWER: You ask a good and important question – and one that causes me sadness to answer.

There is a lot of research available that documents the damage to the voice resulting from smoking, and it is not encouraging. The thing is, smoking damages so much more than the larynx – that we really need to include “the whole instrument” – the body that has been affected, perhaps especially the respiratory system.

But, in answer to your question, to the extent that you have experienced “damage” to the voice from smoking [whether it be: a) the lowering of the range, b) the slight grating feeling and grating sound in the tone, c) dry cords etc.] the voice will have been altered permanently.  Even if smoking has stopped entirely, while the use of the voice can be regained, it will have lost its original range, flexibility, beauty and power.  The range especially will have been lowered and flexibility curtailed.  This is something with which every singer-smoker has to reckon.  You will likely need to find song literature that is pitched lower than you sang prior to smoking.  I know this is not a very encouraging message.  I’m sorry.  I’m sure this will be sobering to all who read it.

Thanks for being brave enough to ask!

Best wishes.

Ok, so I did something really stupid.  I was practicing/experimenting with belting high notes…really really high notes. I don’t remember it hurting, I remember coughing after I did it.  The next morning, I woke up with a little tightness in my throat, thought it was just morning vocal stuff, did a little warm up before I went to sing at my job.  But the sounds were weaker, and I realized something might have been wrong.  People tell me I don’t sound hoarse, but I know that I do sound weaker when I talk.  When I swallow, I feel like I’m swallowing lumps, but it doesn’t hurt to talk or swallow.  I am so scared I may have done permanent vocal damage, since I depend on my voice for my job.  It’s been about 5 days and things haven’t seemed to get better.  Have I done any permanent damage? I am so scared.  My teacher said to go on vocal rest.

Answer: Pay attention to your teacher who said, “Go on total vocal rest.”

Drink lots of warm liquids, stay away from cold drafts if you can and wear a scarf.  If it doesn’t clear up in a few days you should go to a Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor just to be safe.

Sounds like you probably just strained yourself, and your cords are swollen.  Definitely don’t sing (especially belting) if you can help it over the next few days.

I very much appreciate your honesty and humility in confessing what you did.  You are undoubtedly learning that belting for a prolonged period of time under the best of circumstances is not good for the voice also.

The throat area has comparatively few — in fact very few pain-registering nerve endings, unlike the hands and fingers.  So it is possible to do damage to the throat (voice) and not be aware of it.  The tightness in your throat, the weaker sound and the “lump” that you feel when you swallow are the body’s signs [like waving red flags!] that you need to pay attention and give your voice complete vocal rest for several days.  Rather than continuing to vocalize and resume a ‘normal’ singing routine, I’d advise taking a complete vocal rest until — in another week or so — phonation (making sound) is easy and clear.  Continuing to try to force your voice to produce the sound you’re used to hearing under these circumstances could indeed result in long-term damage.  The short time of complete silence will allow you a dependable long-term future, versus the opposite.
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Answer: Your question implies that you lost some part of your range while having a cold.  This would actually indicate that the post-nasal drainage and/or throat infection also affected your vocal cords.  It sounds like you’ve had a touch of laryngitis.  Swelling and infection of the cords is what causes loss of range in the voice – not a head cold by itself.

This being the case, it is important that you recover completely and without prematurely using your voice.  When all “huskiness” or “heaviness” is gone, begin a daily regimen of vocalizing in which you begin comfortably low with small-range exercises and move upward and downward to your upper and lower “limits.”  As your voice gets stronger increase the range of the exercises, starting comfortably low and ascending by half-steps until you reach your comfort limits.  You’ll find that in time your full range will come back.

How quickly your full range will return will depend in part on the degree of recovery you have experienced. It is important that you are completely well before asking your voice to exercise vigorously.   Be sure to keep up your health and keep your immune system at its peak.

Most of us don’t like to wait … I know.   Best wishes to you.