A Vocal Athlete’s Guide to Vocal Health
Teachers, did you know that you are a “vocal athlete?” Most people consider vocal athletes to be people who use their voices at an extreme performance level: an opera singer, a pop star or a Shakespearean actor. But what is a vocal athlete? Better yet, what defines an athlete? Dr Wendy LeBorgne, Voice Specialist, defines an athlete as someone who has agility, flexibility, power, stamina and consistency of performance. A vocal athlete is exactly the same – a person who uses their voice to a high level in their respective discipline with the above qualities. Have you ever heard people say that teachers talk a lot? It’s common knowledge that teachers talk frequently and there
are a limited number of professions that use the voice with the frequency that you do. Ergo, you are a vocal athlete. But here is the problem…
You are playing at an elite level without any support from a coach. Would you expect an opera singer, pop star or
actor to take the stage without training? Without warming? Without taking every aspect of their environment into
consideration? No! And neither should you. One of the most important aspects of the vocal athlete definition is the “consistency of performance.” Your voice is one of your biggest teaching assets and very heavily relied
upon, but its consistency might not be reliable.
Do any of these things happen to you? Are you…
• getting a sore voice regularly?
• using ‘no talking’ regimes to recover during the school holidays?
• unable to raise your voice when needed?
• using up your valuable sick days recovering from voice strain or laryngitis?
• pushing through with your voice and becoming
exhausted, with an already demanding job?
• losing impact in the classroom because of your voice?
• avoiding talking to your family at the end of the day because your voice just needs a break?
• losing your voice altogether?
If you answered yes to any one of these, it’s one too many. Just like any athlete, it is reasonable to expect some fatigue
and a need to rest from time to time. But not during every winter season. Not at the end of every term. Not at the end
of every day.
Teachers, there is hope! Consistency of voice use can be achieved!
What do you think is the first thing an aspiring athlete does when they begin? They get training and knowledge to protect and fully understand their respective instrument of performance.
Have you ever had any training on how to use your voice in the classroom? How to breathe, project, resonate, and articulate? How to modify your voice for different situations, classroom environments, temperatures, and take effective rest? What about a vocal health seminar?
If the answer is no then it is time for a change! You have been left off the list of vocal athletes for too long. You deserve vocal training to protect and sustain your voice so you can fully impact the lives of those you teach. Do you want to start your vocal training for a healthy, impactful and consistent voice? Here’s how you get off the starting block.
BREATHING
You may be familiar with breathing mindfully, it’s spoken about a lot these days and it’s good for all sorts of things
— calmness, presence, reduction of anxiety and increased oxygen to the brain. But it’s also good for VOICE! Breath is the life-force of the voice and without it the voice gets tired, strained and we all know where that ends up: with a voice that is difficult to use and tiring you out.
Here’s a tip for Taking Control of Your Breath. This will help you increase the awareness of the breath in your body and learn where the optimal breath for voice is.
Steps:
1. Sit in a chair with your feet placed firmly on the floor.
2. Begin to breathe through your nose, jaw softly closed – not clenching.
3. Lean your body over the top of your legs so your belly and thighs are touching. Let your arms softly hang by your legs.
4. With each breath flowing in and out of your body, feel how much the abdomen expands and contracts against the legs. Do this five times, slowly in and out through the nose, aiming to get the breath into the lowest part of the abdomen.
5. Finally, slowly sit up. Try and keep the same expansion in your breathing as when you were leaning over. This is the breath needed to support your voice for the long term.
Teachers, vocal athletes and champions of the classroom, do you think you deserve a consistent and healthy voice? I do,
too. Let’s get to work!
