Whether you’re belting your face off in a musical or performing several shows per week of a straight play, keeping your voice healthy is a top priority. Not only will this help to sustain yourself through the run of the show, but it will also improve the quality and longevity of your voice to sustain your career. Here’s some items you may want to add to your vocal health toolbox!

1. Water Bottle with a Straw - Staying adequately hydrated before, during, and after a

show is integral to keeping your voice healthy and guaranteeing it will sound the best it

possibly can! Additionally, using a straw in a water bottle is the perfect way to find a

sweet spot of your voice when warming up and releasing tension to return your vocal

folds to normal when cooling down after a show.

2. Vocal Steamer - Directly inhaling the warm vapor through a vocal steamer helps to

hydrate and soothe the vocal folds. Performers commonly use these in the morning or at

night, depending on when you feel you need it most, and provide approximately a 30

minute period of silence directly after steaming. It is a low time commitment and many

options are handheld, making them easily portable!

3. Nebulizer - The nebulizer is a famously adored vocal health tool that can be used right

before performances to help hydrate your voice with a sterilized saline solution. By

hydrating the surface of your vocal folds, it works to reduce fatigue and pressure, while

increasing vocal flexibility. Nebulizers are small and incredibly portable; you could even

use it while you’re walking to a show or audition, and you’ll barely even notice it’s there!

4. Lozenges - Popping a lozenge in your mouth before a performance assists in hydrating

your voice and lubricating the voice in order to prevent dryness. It is often recommended

to avoid using products that contain menthol directly before singing, due to the fact that

they can dry you out and often numb the vocal folds, therefore masking strain (though

that’s why they’re typically great to utilize when sick!). Popular brands are Grether’s

Pastilles, Luden’s, and Throat Coat.

5. Tension Relieving Aid - Getting your body physically engaged and as relieved from any

tension as possible is vital to using your voice to the best of its ability. There are several

physical items you can utilize such as foam rollers to activate the chest and back, facial

rollers for releasing the jaw, and gauze pads to stretch out your tongue. Of course, there

are also several ways to relieve bodily tension without needing anything else, such as full

body stretches and gently using your fingers to massage your jaw and throat.

Everyone’s vocal health toolbox is going to look different because everyone’s voices are unique to them! Discovering what to utilize that best suits your voice is a process of trial and error. The important thing is to acquire a handful of practices or items that are always ready to go to keep your voice the most hydrated, healthiest that it can be.