Hydration and why it's essential for voice users
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Why you should sip water all day, instead of chugging it just before you sing…
Because water doesn’t (and shouldn’t!) touch your vocal folds, the body needs time to absorb moisture into all of its tissues.
If water did get into your larynx / voice box, you would choke, so you definitely don’t want fluid going into your lungs! Instead, the epiglottis comes up, along with the tongue, to protect your airways and direct food and fluids the right way: down the esophagus, which leads to the stomach.
If you place your fingers lightly just above your Adam’s apple (the front tip of the thyroid cartilage that houses your vocal folds) and swallow, you can feel the whole mechanism lifting, then dropping back into place.
Image via Tenggorokan (2015).
Hydration with pure water (and some find steaming useful - more on that later) throughout the day (and the week, if possible) of a vocal performance will help keep tissues flexible and moving with greatest efficiency. You should drink a certain amount of water daily, depending on your body weight.
For example, according to Joanna Cazden (2012), the below is recommended:
100 lbs. / 45 kg = 50 oz / 1.5 liters
125 lbs. / 60 kg = 62 oz / 2 liters
150 lbs. / 75 kg = 75 oz / 2.5 liters
200 lbs. / 100 kg = 100 oz / 3 liters
(You also don’t want to have to run to the bathroom just before a performance when nerves kick in!)
Why you should avoid drinking a big coffee, black tea, or alcohol before you sing / speak…
All of these drinks are actually diuretic (drying) on the tissues of the body, including the mouth and the vocal muscles and folds. Dryness = less flexibility. Plus, there’s mouth noise!
Ever heard people on the radio with very clicky, noisy mouths? Chances are, they’ve just had a coffee. With nerves, it’s not uncommon to get dry mouth, as it is. The proximity (closeness) of a radio mic means it can pick up all your mouth noise, which can be reduced by hydration in the form of water.
I’ve read that greasy crisps or chips (fries) are quite good to eat because the oil coats the inside of the mouth for better lubrication (therefore, less mouth noise). I’ve personally used a little olive or coconut oil swilled around, if water isn’t cutting the noise in my voiceover recording sessions.
Why you could use steam to hydrate and warm up your voice in the morning…
Steaming is a quick, relaxing way to warm up the vocal folds and bring some moisture to them, as you are literally breathing in warm water vapor. Take 10 minutes of your morning to prepare for a high-intensity vocal day.
Old school steaming (without a steamer) is simple. You’ll need: a large bowl of hot water on a table; a towel that covers your head, neck and the bowl to keep the steam in. Arms should lean on the table, NOT THE BOWL!
You’ll notice that, with steaming, your vocal folds are warmed and flexible, ready for your SOVT exercises. Steaming early in the morning on reherasal or performance day brings a moment of meditation and calm for your mind, while prepping the body for vocalization.
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References:
CAZDEN, J., 2012. Everyday Voice Care. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard.
TENGGOROKAN, 2015. Penyebab dan Gejala kanker laring (Face and Larynx image and article), 15 Feb 2015 [Online]. Available from: http://www.telingahidungtenggorokan.com/penyebab-dan-gejala-kanker-laring.html [Accessed 26 Sept 2016].