By Joni Wilson: Voice Expert/Best-selling Author/Voice Coach

Joni’s Students At Work

Here Are 4 Major Voice Problems Speakers and Singers Face Daily and HowTo Effectively Manage Them.

1.) Head Colds and Sinus Infections: (“That darn kid on the plane just kept sneezing all over me, what can I do?”)

Water magnifies sound, and that’s a good thing. So when my clients have a major presentation and a head cold at the same time, I tell them to enjoy the resonant sound and stop worrying. The voice is produced in the vocal cords down in the larynx, (Adam’s-apple) neck area. Nasal congestion is produced in the nose and sinus area. These two are not even close to each other. The major concern here is to be aware of the medications you are taking. If it dries up your mucous (as decongestants do), it will also dry up your vocal cords because they are mucous membranes and need that mucous to keep them lubricated. Steaming the mucous membranes of the nose and throat with a few drops of added eucalyptus oil (any health food store has it,) will work wonders to add needed moisture. If you don’t have a steamer, simply boil a pan of water on the stove, drop in a few drops of the oil, place a towel over your head and breathe in the healing steam all the way down to the bottom of your lungs. If you are in a hotel room, take a hot steamy shower and with your mouth wide open, breath that steam in and out of your lungs. DO NOT TAKE ANY DROPS OR MEDICATION CONTAINING MENTHOL. They will shrink and dry out your vocal cords. Old-fashioned lemon drops are the perfect pastilles for adding lubrication.

2.) Heartburn and Stomach Acid (“It must have been that chicken surprise I ate.”)

Stomach acid can move from the stomach up to the larynx and irritate and burn your vocal cords, affecting your voice big time. Acid reflux is common in those who have stomach problems and has been blamed by many a singer for the lack of a voice. First, do not eat before a performance or presentation—that is a no-brainer. Second, never swallow anything with caffeine, alcohol or citric acid in it eight hours before you speak or sing. That means coffee, most soft drinks, orange juice and caffeinated teas. Warm herbal teas are good and soothing to the tummy and the voice. Second, stomach acid can also be a stress related problem. Stage fright, performance anxiety, toxic relationships, and a lack of self-confidence before a performance can also churn up those butterflies in the tummy. That fight or flight adrenalin rush, if allowed to run wild, will also turn on the stomach-acid spigot. (For great tips on handling Stage fright read; “How to Tame the Stage Fright Monster.”)

3.) Chronic Throat Clearing (“If I could just clear this gunk out.…”)

This is a very common problem for speakers, singers, teachers, lawyers, and people who over-use their voices in their jobs. We have all sat in an audience listening to a speaker/teacher who constantly clears his/her throat. This not only irritates the audience but it is extremely irritating to the vocal cords. (This is sometimes a chronic nervous habit carried over from puberty.) Remember, the mucous that coats the vocal cords is there to protect them and when you continually scrape out the mucous to clear the throat, the body’s defense system calls up the “Mucous Army”. The more mucous you scrap out, the more mucous the vocal cords produce to protect themselves from all that clearing going on When the Mucous Army begins to resemble the National Guard, it’s time to stop all that destructive clearing and try another tactic.

Joni Wilson Voice Expert

 Also dropping the jaw in a relaxed “yawn” position will help relieve pressure in the vocal cord area. While in that yawn position say; “Haaaaahhhhh” sliding down your pitch from highest to lowest. This is called a “yawn sigh” and it’s a great tension reliever as well as a tool to help your vocal cords re– affirm their relaxed position so they can get back to their “real” job of creating sound.

4.) The PMS Blues (“PMS also affects my voice? You are kidding me.”)

Obviously this one only affects the ladies, but it’s a real problem for women who depend on a strong voice for business. It is not an imagined problem, guys! It’s so real that it is even written in the opera diva’s contract that she will not perform while PMS-ing. It is tastefully called “Grace Days”. This monthly vocal problem is caused by a woman’s hormone levels getting out of balance during those PMS days and not only effecting her emotions but also changing the natural size and texture of her vocal cords. This causes a deepening in the voice and a loss of high notes. For the female speaker/singer the symptoms are: vocal fatigue, hoarseness and some muffling of the voice. What to do, what to do? Simply understanding that this annoyance is merely a part of being female, helps a woman handle it. Like the Opera Diva, if you can, schedule your major presentations around your personal “Grace Days”, do it!

Voice Doctor Laryngologist Los Angeles.

In July 2012, by popular request,  I will be adding video lesson for all of you who have asked to SEE the results of using the 3-Dimensional Voice Training demonstrated. My students are as excited as I am to share how simple and quick this voice training is to learn and how  it give instant results to both singers and speakers. STAY TUNED  …

Adel

Adel Sang Live  At the Grammy’s on Sunday, Her First Performance After Voice Surgery.

2 Days After the Grammy’s

Ok, the Grammy’s are over, so are Adel’s vocal problems  and she basically “swept” the awards. Did she deserve to win? OH YES!!!!! Why? Because she faced her vocal problems and beat the odds as many singers before her have Not done. Instead of whining, making excuses, and denying her fears,  she admitted that before her performances she gets so scared that she literally throws-up. On her 60 minute interview, with Anderson Cooper, before the Grammy’s, she held nothing back. From her love of “cussing” on stage, to her anxiety before each performance. Adel is not only  a “real” singer who uses no gimmicks,  she is a “real” person and a delight to watch. (See the link below to her interview at the bottom of this post.)

As singers, speakers and people who depend on our voice’s to make a living, what can we learn from Adel’s battle with her voice problems you ask…? I have always advised my students to treat the voice like the precious, fine tuned instrument it is. Proper use of the voice takes the co-operation of the entire body, not just those two little vocal cords that reside inside your larynx or voice box, located at the “Adams Apple” point of your throat. The vocal cords are powerful when used properly but on their own, they can only do 20% of your vocal work, while your body does the other 80%. Learning where to position your higher, “power” notes will take the strain off of the vocal cords and avoid those dreaded nodules and polyps.

With all this interest in Adel’s voice problems, (as well as Whitney Houston’s  chronic voice loss), it’s important to  take the time to at least know who the voice culprits are and how to avoid them if possible. So here is my take and I’ll try to keep it simple…

Understanding Vocal Cord Nodules and Polyps

The symptoms of vocal cord nodules and/or polyps are:

1. Hoarsness for more than 3 weeks
2. Breathiness
3. “Rough, scratchy”  sounding voice
4. That “lump in the throat” feeling
5. A Constant need to “clear” the throat
6. Decrease in pitch and vocal range.
7. Weakness in the voice

Nodules are non-cancerous growths on your vocal cords caused by vocal abuse. We think instantly of singers, but teachers, public speakers, actors, business professionals and even children can develop these callous-like growths on their vocal cords. The longer the abuse, the bigger those callouses can get. Polyps on the other hand are more like blisters with leisons on the cords and they too are caused by vocal abuse.

After diagnosis by a otolaryngologist who specializes in voice problems, treatment can range anywhere from medically, surgically to behaviorally. Although medicine and surgery may relieve the problem temporally, if the behavior that caused the problem in the first place is not changed, the nodules and polyps can return. Also, as in Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins) much publicized vocal problems, surgery  can leave you sans voice and sans singing and speaking career. Voice problems are especially hard on politicians in a political campaign year.

Bottom Line;

The best defence against ruining your voice and jeopardizing your career is proper voice technique PERIOD!!!! Even Adel told Anderson Cooper, ” … If  I  go on another long tour, my vocal problems will return.” I would add to that; ” Only if there is not a proper change in her vocal technique.” As I watched her; “Rollin’ in the Deep”, at the Grammy Awards, I noticed a big change in her technique which made me smile. I know the doctors first advise to her had to be,  “STOP SMOKING!!!” because her voice was clean and clear when she sang. Secondly, her vocal position was more in the front of her face, focusing at the bridge of her scrunched-up nose, and the biggest, most effective change was   … Her Mouth Was  WIDE Open. These are all good, effective, things to do to keep those precious vocal cords from straining on the high notes.

But of all of the things we must do to make our voice happy,  keeping the stress, along with the stressful people, out of our lives, is our first order of business.

Adels Interview:

Here is the link to Adel’s delightful interview with Anderson Cooper. For more info on proper voice technique, visit www.virtualvoicecoach.com and please share this info with all your voice-abusing friends… !

 http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7398480n&tag=mg;mostpopvideo

Wow, What a Month Full of Vocal Problems, Flubs, and Tragedies! 

First Adel recovering from Voice Surgery, then the recent Steven Tyler bashing over singing the National Anthem, and now the Greatest Tragedy of All … the Loss of Whitney Houston the Day Before the Grammy’s. What is Going on with Our Singers?

The vulnerable thread connecting each of these events is: “Vocal Problems.” Each singer has been criticized and condemned for NOT LIVING UP TO THE EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR AUDIENCE, REVIEWERS AND FANS during live performances. Adel’s recent cancelled tour stretched her voice to it’s limits and caused her vocal cords to rebel from the abuse she put them through trying to live up to her  amazing recorded CD. Steven had the courage to sing the National Anthem LIVE even though he had just gotten off of a flight from Los angles where he had  attended  2 funerals. His reward for that was the media calling his National Anthem “The worst since Rosanne Barr.” (Read my take on that is in a recent post… ‚) And now today the media is filled with stories of Whitney’s amazing voice failing due to drug abuse and personal problems.

Voice Realities For Those Who Have Never  Walked In A Singers Shoes

This morning amid all of the speculation as to why Whitney’s tragic death has happened, Record Producer David Foster (who had worked with Whitney many times), said it so well; ” Don’t speculate or judge Whitney unless you have walked in her shoes.”

I would like to now, amid all the speculation as  to “the big why…”,   address David’s insightful statement. As a voice coach I not only listen to my students who constantly face the typical “voice demons” that confront us all when we step on that stage to sing, whether its the lead in a high school play, the National Anthem at a major sports event, an American Idol audition, or a concert in Central Park, each one has  of these singers HAS walked in Whitney’s shoes, including me:

To begin with, it has been said that the greatest fear people have, is the “fear of public speaking.” Well, amplify that 10,000 times  and try; the fear of standing up in-front of a crowded room full of expectant people judging how you sing.

They call it Stage Fright but for singers it should be re-named, performance anxiety. On the news, they have been announcing all morning that they found Xanex, used to treat anxiety and panic attacks, in Whitney’s room. After the last two years of Whitney having to hear in the media, over and over again, how her “amazing voice was, gone, shot, destroyed by drugs etc.etc. etc…”  that night she was about to  sing again at her mentor Clive Davis’s yearly Pre –Grammy party. Was she anxious, scared, nervous, panicked to once again open her mouth and sing in-front of the recording industries biggest stars????? Wouldn’t you be if you knew that each person in that room, no matter how much they loved you, would be disappointed if your voice was not up to their expectations? Put yourself in Whitney’s shoes right now. . . can’t you just imagine the fear she was facing???? If you are a singer, having a “bad voice day” , (which happens way too often), knowing you would disappoint everyone in the room if your voice “cracked”, wouldn’t you want to take anything to keep the fear and panic out of your voice? She had gone to the voice doctor the day before she died and it’s very common to subscribe something to relax the voice before a big event.

Big Shoes to Fill

Adel walked in Whitney’s shoes at every concert, as her voice began to weaken from over-use and stress (according to reports). Steven walked in her shoes singing the National Anthem without sleep (according to fellow band member Joe Perry), every singer who has had doubts and fears before a performance has walked in Whitney’s shoes, as have I, when I was diagnosed with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease  (from in-haling second hand smoke singing in smoke-filled rooms, which forced me to stop singing 2 years ago.)

The human voice is an amazing God created instrument and like any instrument, it must be understood, loved and not abused. The high notes and the loud volume expected from today’s singers is causing chronic voice problems because much of what the public hears is created in an electronic studio and CANNOT be duplicated live all the time. (Just a note: For those that are comparing Whitney’s National Anthem to what they are calling “Stevens Flub”, need to re-evaluate their thinking because Whitney’s Anthem was created in a studio and she was lip-syncing while Stevens was LIVE. (Read my post)

Bottom Line:

As the true facts about Whitney’s death become known and all the speculation is put to rest, David Foster’s suggestion to “Try walking in Whitney’s shoes before you judge her action.” will ring true for every singer who has the courage to step on a stage and open their mouth. Do not be so quick to judge next time your favorite artist does not “sound exactly like the CD!”  Maybe they are having one of those “human bad voice days.”

Whitney IS  still the greatest singing voice I’ve ever heard and is now singing with pure joy in her heart…  

Then her current CD was launched with ‘Rollin in the Deep’ and ‘Someone Like You’  jumping off the charts. I liked both songs but when I heard Adel’s “new” voice pulled tight to the top of her range, I knew that on tour she would be in BIG trouble. I bought tickets to her first concert in San Diego because I wanted to see how she was going to pull-off the power on those high notes ‘live.”

Well, long story short, the concert was cancelled because of “vocal problems”…DARN!!!!! Although Adel did come back to San Diego at a larger venue, her voice problems forced the cancellation of her tour and she had to have surgery on her vocal cords. Tomorrow night she will sing for the first time at the Grammy’s so I will continue this after I hear her sing…  I can hardly wait. Stay tuned.

OK … So Steven Tyler’s Rendition of  Our National Anthem Wasn’t Perfect, and He “Blew-out” a Few High Notes  as  Many Famous, and NOT so Famous, Singers Have Done Before Him …

By now, isn’t it obvious to all of you critics and Steven Tyler bas-hers that our National Anthem is  a hard song  to sing? Those of you who are comparing Steven’s “Anthem” to Whitney Houston’s “Anthem” at the 1991 Superbowl, which many believed set the standard  for the “perfect Anthem”, or the Jennifer Hudson “flawless Anthem” at  Super Bowl XLIII,  are in need of a Big Voice Reality Check!

It’s common knowledge that Whitney and Jennifer’s performances were pre-recorded in a big recording studio with auto tune and then edited to perfection, long before the Superbowl.  They, along with many of the singers on “The 10 Best National Anthems” list, were  lip-syncing their song. If you are not familiar with what the words, lip-sync means, it’s this: They mouthed the words to the National Anthem as the pre-recorded CD played over the arena sound system. They did not sing the National Anthem live. (This group also includes Faith Hill’s critically acclaimed version at Superbowl XXXIV.)

To be on the safe side, most renditions of Our National Anthem sung at important events, ARE pre-recorded to avoid vocal disasters and screw-ups.

It takes a true voice-pro and a ton of intestinal fortitude to stand in front of thousands of fans,  microphone in hand, and sing LIVE without CD back-up, especially when we live in an un-forgiving, electronically enhanced society that hasn’t a clue how the human voice functions, or whether what they are hearing and loving is live or “Memorex”.

Of course the edited, enhanced versions are amazing, but so is Steven Tyler’s singing on the Arrowsmith studio albums. “There are too many variables to go live.”, wisely stated Superbowl pre-show producer Rickey Minor.  ”I would never recommend any artist go live because the slightest glitch could devastate their performance.”  Which brings us …

… Back to Steven Tyler

For the media to consistently acclaim Steven’s anthem as the worst since Rosanne Barr’s disaster where she grabbed her crotch and spat on the ground, (which of course was ment to be funny…) is ridiculous.  Roseanne is NOT a singer, while Steven is one of the best! So…What DID happen to Steven’s voice?

A Voice Coach’s Take on Steven Tyler’s National Anthem

According to Arrowsmith band member Joe Perry, an amazing singer in his own right, Steven had flown into Tampa to sing the National Anthem. after attending 2 funerals in Los Angles and was exhausted. The first thing I learned when I began teaching voice over 20 years ago was that the voice is not like a guitar or horn, that you can put in a closet when you are not using it. Your voice is happy when your happy, sad when your sad, sick when your sick and exhausted when your exhausted. The great Opera singer Pavarotti once said; “As a singer, if you have 5 good voice days in a month if you are lucky. The rest of the time, you must sing like you are having a good voice day, no matter what is going on in your life. “

Emotions, hormones, cabin compression in an airplane, air conditioning, what you eat and drink etc.etc.etc. The list of things that can affect your voice goes on and on. That’s why singing is such a blessing to the listener, and a frustration to the singer. We all want to sing our best, but there are times when outside circumstances are so overwhelming that no matter how good we are, we suffer “vocal blowouts.”

As I watched Steven start to sing, I knew he was in trouble because he started too high which is so easy to do with the, oh so frustrating to sing, National Anthem. (I’m sure it would have been fine on one of those, “good voice days.”  For those of you who have been in Stevens shoes …  knowing you are in deep trouble long before you get to the “rockets red glare…”, here is the greatest advise I can give when singing the National Anthem   a-cappella, (without music):

NEVER, Never  Get Your  Starting Note (Pitch)  by Singing the “Oh-woh. . . .”

It is the second word “Say” that you should use to set a safer key to sing in. If the word “Say”, as in; “Oh-woh SAY can you see…” is on the lowest note in your range…you will be just fine when you get to the highest “Rockets Red Glare. . .” part of the song.  I swear, this has never failed to work with my students. Even those without big ranges.

I did a one-minute video for One minute U on YouTube a few years ago and have received hundreds of comments from people who told me; “This tip has saved my life many times!” So I know it works…

Please me know your success or if it doesn’t work for you, let me know and we will figure it out together. Oh … and if any of you know Steven, will you please tell him the key word is SAY! In the mean time don’t be so quick to bash a good singer who falters, unless you have; “Walked (or sung) in their shoes.”

Here is the link to: Vimeo How to Sing the National Anthem in the Right Key.

The Voice of Success

This is my book proposal for AMACOM BOOKS for The Voice of Success, A Woman’s Guide to a Powerful and Persuasive Voice. Just tap the link and you’ll be asked to save the document to your computer.

Much love, and enjoy!

Joni #3004

by: Voice and Performance Coach/Best Selling Author,Joni Wilson

“We are only beginning to understand what contributes to our healing.

According to ABC news, Dr. Oz, the world famous heart surgeon, and medial expert believes; ”That we are only beginning to understand what contributes to our healing.” As an advocate of “complementary medicine” Dr. Oz is challenging the “status quo” to expand their definition of conventional health care and include such unconventional methods as singing.

On Good Morning America recently, Dr. Oz was shown singing; “Dream A Little Dream of Me.” with a group of recovering patients. He explained how singing prompts deeper breathing and energy healing. “We used to spend hours asking folks to take deep breaths, and singing accomplishes that goal.” He explained to the group.

From headaches to asthma, allergies to MS and Parkinson’s disease

As a voice coach for 20 years, I have loudly declared the health benefits of singing to anyone who would listen. Over the years, I have watched as my students of all ages walked into my studio tired, stressed, and mentally pushed to the limits by school, work, relationship-malfunctions, and major physical ailments of various varieties. After an hour of the vocal aerobics, I put them through, and using the vibrating energy that comes from, deep-breathing and singing the songs they love, my students always walk out quicker–of-step and grinning ear-to-ear. From headaches to asthma, allergies to MS and Parkinson’s disease learning how to sing correctly, strengthens the muscles your body needs to combat the dis-ease that accompanies most major health problems.

Are you stuck with the voice you were born with?

The longer I teach voice, the more respect I have for this amazing vocal instrument, that resides inside every human body. I have enough stories and examples of how singing and speaking correctly has literally changed lives, healed bodies and launched new careers (not just singing), to fill an entire book.

The key word here is “correctly.” When you learn how to play this most amazing “God created instrument” correctly, your voice and your body form a synergy that not only delights the ears of those who hear it, your voice will actually please your harshest critic …namely YOU! Are you stuck with the voice you came in with …NO! Can anyone learn to use his or her voice correctly … YES!

Every note you sing has a profound effect on your body

There is a good reason why singing has been a large part of our religious ceremonies for as long as human beings have walked this planet. Every note you sing contains a vibrating energy and resonance that has a profound effect on your body. For thousands of years people have used chanting and singing to bring them closer to the God experience no matter what their religious preference maybe.

Voice health effects are still shrouded in mystery

Sadly, the human voice and its effects on the mind, body, and spirit is still shrouded in mystery. We all have a voice but very few of us actually know how to access it’s ultimate potential. Thank you Dr. Oz for opening a door that can ultimately take energy medicine and singing to a completely new level. Oh, and by the way Dr. Oz…if you would like a bit of help with that singing voice…call me!

Joni Wilson is an internationally recognized voice expert, best selling author and creator the amazing 3-Dimensional Voice® Technique. For more information about Joni, her latest book; The Voice of Success: A Woman’s Guide to a Powerful and Persuasive Voice, (AMACOM books) and the best on-line voice lessons visit: virtualvoicecoach.com