Tips: Preparing for a Performance (Voice)

So a while back, I did an Instagram story day where I talked about how I prepare my voice for days where I have a performance, specifically for when I need to sing. Now, I have wanted to put these tips on my blog, but because I waited so long to do it, I have deleted the videos from my phone. I do believe that I have retained my knowledge of what they are (especially since I used these tips for a performance I had recently) and I am excited to share them with you today.

I should point out that I am not an expert by any means, but I pulled these tips from what I have read and what I have learned since being apart of theatre.

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1) Exercise

This is something I don't do enough of and I need to start actively pursuing again. Even if it is just a light jog around the block, exercise is great for your lung capacity. Back when I would exercise more, I found that my lung capacity had significantly increased and I felt better throughout the day. Exercising can also help to calm feeling of stress and nervousness which is always good when you get pre-performance jitters.

2) Take Allergy and Asthma Medication if Needed

As someone with mild asthma and quite a few airborne allergies, I have found that taking care of them can definitely help with your singing. Making sure you take your asthma medication when needed, you are ensuring that you are able to take in as much air as you need when you're singing. Now I know allergies affect people in different ways. For me, my nose gets stuffed up and I need to breathe through my mouth more. In some rare cases, my asthma acts up, forcing me to use my emergency inhaler so I can breathe normally. This is why I believe that you need to make sure you take care of your asthma and allergies in order to sing to the best of your abilities. Also, it is better for your health.

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3) No Dairy

Now, this is where I have no choice but to get a little graphic. On the day of a performance, it is always a good idea to stop consuming any dairy products. This is because dairy can cause phlegm to build up in the back of your throat causing you to clear it in order to be able to speak clearly. You never want to have to clear your throat in the middle of a song. I have found in my personal experience that avoiding dairy helps to decrease the production of phlegm and helps to improve your singing.

4) No Caffeine

I know that many of us live off of caffeine, but it must be avoided when a performance is involved. Not only have I read about this, but I have seen one of my friends do this before. Caffeine can actually dry out your throat, thus causing the production of phlegm, just like dairy. I will say that a good substitute for caffeine is exercise since it helps to keep you alert, awake, and focused throughout the day.

5) Plenty of Water

I know this seems like a no-brainer, but singers actually need to consume more water than the average person. Singing actually exercises your vocal cords which is why your throat tends to dry out when you sing. On days where I am performing, I try to stick to drinking only water because it helps to hydrate my throat and also keeps me hydrated as well which is always a good thing when it comes to your overall health.

6) Hot Lemon and Honey Recipe

Lemon Honey Drink

This is a recipe I have been using for a few years now, and I absolutely swear by it. A friend of mine
gave it to me to help me with my vocal range. What I've found is that it really helps more with clearing out your throat. There is something about it that helps to not only clear everything out but also hydrate your throat at the same time.

I start with heating up some water. Now you could make non-caffeinated tea out of this if you'd like, but I much prefer just using hot water. Fill a mug with the hot water and add to it 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to 1 tablespoon of honey. Mix it all up. After this, I add an ice cube so that the drink is still hot but it is not going to scald my throat. Then I drink it until the mug is empty

7) Warm Up Voice

Warming up your voice is key for any performance, so it is important to find the right warm-ups for you. Since my vocal coach records all of our lessons and emails them to me, I usually use the warm-up from my previous lesson in order to prepare my voice for all of the singing instore.

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It is important to warm up your vocal cords and go in cold because it could cause you to force your voice a bit, thereby hurting your throat.

8) Practice a couple of times

Before any performance, I like to practice my song(s) a couple of times. This helps to refamiliarize myself with the song(s) I need to sing. It helps to boost my confidence with that song and I end up going out feeling ready to sing in front of the audience. I will say, don't practice too much. You don't want to wear out your voice before you perform. Just a couple times so you are sure you've got it.

These tips have helped me a lot when it came to performing songs in front of an audience. It has helped me to maximize my voice so that I can sing at my full potential. I hope this helps you guys when it comes time for your performance.



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