Music Teachers Blog

Even if you aren’t a teacher of singing, your voice is still pretty important to your teaching. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to communicate as effectively to your students or demonstrate what you want them to do with their instruments. Lets face it, if you suddenly lost your voice, things would definitely have to change in your studio. Although its not likely that you will completely lose your voice forever, it is possible to damage it and make it more difficult for you to do your job. Here are some simple changes that can help keep your voice functioning well.

1. Warm-up your voice before each teaching day begins. You probably warm-up on your major instrument, but you need to spend 5-10 minutes warming up your voice. Hum some simple 5 note scales throughout your easy singing range, sigh from the top of your range to the bottom and back up, sing mee may mah moh moo and really focus on feeling the lips and face buzz on the hum, then try to feel that same buzz on the vowels. This will get your voice ready to teach
2. Drink lots of water. Water keeps your vocal folds and other mucous membranes slippery and working well.
3. Find other ways to communicate. Instead of using your voice, try using flashcards, a dry erase board or playing it on your horn or the piano. There are several different learning styles. Try to find ways to use the other learning styles. It’ll save wear and tear on your voice. Use handouts for topics that you cover often.
4. Rest your voice. This falls into two categories. 1. If your throat is sore, you are hoarse or you have to make an effort to talk, you should either take the day off or resort to writing things instead of talking. If you try to talk through things like that, you may wind up learning bad habits that may cause further vocal injury. 2. When you are not teaching, cut back on the amount of talking that you do. Notice if you are chattering just to hear yourself talk. Teaching private lessons can require a lot of talking. Your voice needs time to rest in between all of those lessons.
5. Avoid things that dry out your voice and mouth. Items containing caffeine cause you to become less hydrated. If you drink them, make sure you drink extra water to compensate for the reduced amount of water in your body. The same goes for drinking alcohol. Smoking is really tough on your voice as well and is the subject of an entirely different article.

Posted in Teaching Tips |

About the Author

Singer and Voice Teacher, Amy Gould has performed for numerous audiences around the western Michigan area. She is a vocalist and flutist with the 126 Army Band from Wyoming, Michigan and has performed as a guest artist with the Grand Rapids Symphonic Band. She has also performed with the Grand Rapids Opera Chorus and as a substitute for The Musekgon Camarata Singers. Throughout her teaching career of more than ten years, Amy has helped hundreds of students to improve their voices and reach their singing goals. She holds a B.A. in Vocal Music Performance from Michigan State University and has studied at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. She has also attended master classes in vocal pedagogy by Richard Miller and acting by Mark Taslitt. Currently, she teaches private voice lessons and directs the VSA Adult Choir for adults with special needs. She also writes and produces her own podcast and blog to help singers (of all styles and ability levels) improve their singing.