Thoughts on vocal health
If anyone else out there is worrying about not having their essays/lit reviews/ MORE forms complete, you are not alone!
I attended the module 2 Zoom call last night on the MORE form and found it very helpful but yet again, a major kick up the derriere! It was full of practical help for filling out the multitude of questions which I won't put here as it will be in the recording. But re-reading the questions again is also super helpful in provoking more questions for the proposal. What criteria have you picked for your participants and why? Are you going to cover any sensitive topics and how would they affect the participant? How are you going to prepare for that? etc etc...
It was very useful but also highlighted just how much I need to get a move on with my topic! For the past week I've been trying to narrow in on what EXACTLY I am asking/looking to explore.
VOCAL HEALTH
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MAINTAINING VOCAL HEALTH IN MUSICAL THEATRE
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QUESTIONS...
- Different methods of maintaining vocal health in musical theatre - are some methods better than others? So far in my research into this topic, a lot of the same bog standard advice crops up; lots of sleep, keep hydrated, eat well, vocal rest, do your gentle warm up.
- Although I call that bog standard, I wonder if everyone gets told the same advice while training? Do some people learn more or less than others depending on where you train?
- How well do performer's know their voice and how to maintain it post graduation? Do we know when our voice is just a bit tired or when we need to go to an ENT if there might be warning signs of more serious damage?
- Is it easy or difficult to keep your voice healthy a) while in a show and b) whilst 'jobbing' or in a day job and auditioning?
- What are other performers' experiences of vocal health after graduating?
- It also can't be ignored that singing teachers and coaches aren't cheap, training isn't cheap. So it stands to reason that not everyone has access to these things. How does that affect a singer and how they treat their voice?
- And how do performer's cope with nerves/stress/tension before they sing? There is SO much out there on the connection between the mind and emotional state and the voice. Clearly there is a strong link between the mind and the voice. But how to manage that link and control nerves or if you had a nightmare on the tube on your way to an audition and not let that come out in your voice, is a bit of a tricky feat.
Shelley our idea's are so similar! I would love to have a proper one on one chat with you at some point. Vocal health is so incredibly important for us as musical theatre performers, and so much can be done as an individual to improve but also do we need more education surrounding it? I feel you with getting specific, as I find myself constantly going down little tangents and having to bring myself back. Look forward to hearing the area that you really decide to go down x
ReplyDeleteHi Rhian! I'd love a one on one chat about it, that's be great! Yeah there are a lot of rabbit holes I keep getting lost down on this topic because there's so much. What I have noticed is the research I've been researching so far has been very on the quantitative side and very little qualitative to be found. Look forward to reading your blog! x
DeleteHi Shelley, I too found the Skype last night so beneficial and feel a little less intimidated by the more form! I wouldn't stress too much if you're feeling a little behind I mentioned the other day to Clare, this is a 12 week project I feel like some people are ahead of others because people have way more time because of the lockdowns and some unable to work etc! This is a part time course after all and the circumstances we are under at the moment are not normal! Take your time pin pointing your inquiry as you want it to be right and beneficial for your practice :) you have some incredible ideas here! And I think your 1 2 1 will be very beneficial for pin pointing your 'question'. I trained in Musical Theatre at a college that's quite dance driven (in my opinion) I wouldn't say I graduated with a great knowledge of how to look after my voice (this also could be my personal experience) only to know when I should maybe put myself on voice rest and that I should warm up and cool down as its a muscle... So I do believe that some professional training establishments will focus more on this than others!
ReplyDeleteHi Emily, thank you! I do want to make sure I settle on the best topic for my future practice but also not wanting to be too leisurely with it. That's interesting about your college, that it was relatively dance heavy. I don't think many places get time to give us a GREAT deal of knowledge on the topic which is a shame. Or at least I hope that's the reason why?
DeleteIt's funny thinking about it now, I always think my singing lessons were a little rushed, my privates were "ok let's warm up and work on your songs" and then group sessions the teacher had to get around everyone in the class in like an hour! With dancing I think it's just obvious to go through a class with a warm up, cool down and knowing how to look after your injuries and body but with singing I think its always washed over and not spoken about in as much depth.
DeleteYeah definitely! Not blaming the teachers in any way as they probably do their best in the time frame they're given. But I think I only learned what a cool down was after I graduated and went to private singing lessons! Of course there's so much more time and focus on your individual voice one on one. I remember that our MD often did our private lessons during the week while training (I think they were only 30 min tutorials...) but they were always happy to blast through a warm up and straight into the songs. Rushed definitely, but at the same time over warming up isn't good either I suppose.
DeleteHi shelley, this looks brilliant and you have definitely done a lot of research on the effects and benefits of warm up etc.... One thing I've noticed after the feedback I received from Sam is to make sure the literature you've found provides context to your topic... Then I suppose in the proposal you can eleborate on that context... If that makes sense?
ReplyDeleteThis looks great...and we spoke before about it regarding people I've worked with who have totally different views in warm ups... Maybe you could extend it to dancers and compare it to the extent they warm up compared to vocalists? X not sure... Just think athletes never skip a warm up... So why should a dancer or a vocalist. X
Hi Clare, I think I get what you mean about the context? I find I'm more able to stop myself launching into articles which are a bit off topic, which is saving time! That's interesting about looking at it from a broader perspective, I hadn't thought of it! I suppose if you think at it in terms of heavy use on a particular muscle and how different groups of people approach that that could be useful! For example I keep finding things about how teachers in particular can be susceptible to voice injuries because of their jobs but teachers aren't trained to warm up and cool down (or at least I dont think they are!).
DeleteWow.... Actually yes that's a good point.... I know myself that even though I warm the kids up... I generally don't warm up or cool down my own body properly... And over time (now I'm old) I can definitely feel the impacts xxx
Delete|I know! Such an odd thing, so conscious of looking after the students but not so much ourselves.
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