Vocal health is critical for all voice talents. Here’s why I bring it up…
Last week a voice talent posted on social media about a lost voiceover gig because of laryngitis. It was self-inflicted due to singing in a social setting the night before and the client couldn’t push back the recording date. Talk about a tough pill to swallow! Sorry. I was groaning as I wrote that.
Anyway, that’s a rough situation to be in and I do sympathize with the talent, to a point. I’m not gonna sit here from my perch and pass judgement on a “rookie mistake” either because I make mistakes all the time and I’ve been doing voiceovers for 20+ years. Nobody knows everything about anything.
TIP OF THE WEEK
All voice talents must engage in smart vocal health practices all the time.
Vocal Health Rule #1: Know Your Voice. Determine which part of the day your voice is at its best. For example, I’ve learned that my voice is warmed up about one hour after I wake up. My voice is at its best around midday. For others it’s in the morning, evening, or even at night. Experiment with different vocal warm-ups to determine which is best for you (loosening your jaw, widening your range, etc.)
Vocal Health Rule #2: Know your limits. Be smart about smoking, drinking, vaping, singing, and shouting. Ideally, do these as little as possible! Smoking and vaping are nasty, filthy, smelly, expensive, potentially deadly habits so don’t do them ever. Having the occasional drink, Karaoke session, or screaming your face off at a concert or sporting event is fine once in awhile, but timing is everything. Everyone has different tolerance levels and recovery times for different stimuli. For example, if I’m going to have more than one drink, attend a party, concert, etc. I know that I need 48 hours recovery time to ensure I’m in tip-top vocal shape. Some people need less time to recover, others need more (See Vocal Health Rule #1).
Vocal Health Rule #3: HYDRATE. Hydration is everything. You should be incorporating water into your fluid intake every single day, especially when travelling or attending events. There are various suggestions out there as to how much water you should consume, but many are biased by the bottled water industry’s marketing efforts so do your due diligence. Here’s a WebMD article that may help. BTW I’m a coconut water nut and I drink it every day. For me it aids in hydration & digestion and I think it’s yummy. You can read more about it here.
Just like everything else in life; when it comes to vocal health do your homework, pay attention, and make good (ahem, grownup) decisions!
NEWS AND NOTES
Booking Out Notice! We’re going to Maui for our honeymoon Saturday, October 5th to Wednesday, October 16th. I’ll be in town for one day then Friday, October 17th I head to Baltimore for a conference. I’ll be back in town Monday, October 21st so IF I’m not dead I’ll be back in my booth Tuesday, October 22nd. I will be bringing my mobile rig for auditions and small projects.
Thursday, October 24th @8:oo PM EST: The Edge Studio “Business and Money 201” Webinar, ‘Time Management’. In this one-hour webinar, I’ll talk about how to set your priorities and focus day-to-day on moving your voiceover business forward. Click here to sign up!
Tuesday, October 29th @8PM EST: Edge Studio Marketing 201 webinar, ‘Keeping Clients Coming Back’. In this one-hour webinar, I’ll tell you the REAL secret to client retention. Click here to sign up!
HAPPY HAPPYS
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Tom Dheere is a 20+year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for hundreds of clients in over a dozen countries. He is also a voiceover business & marketing consultant known as the VOStrategist and produces the comic book “Agent 1.22”.