Vocal Health is an All-Day, Every-Day Necessity!

I have felt compelled to write this particular blog for some time, but just recently got around to it due to many of my singer friends dealing with issues due to the change in season. So, let me start by saying that I’ve written a lot about vocal health, discussed the issue with various doctors, even published the book Superior Vocal Health by David Aaron Katz (superiorvocalhealth,com) because I believe that many vocal problems can be remedied by attending to our vocal health. But, this must be a part of our daily life. Many singers call me when they run into trouble on the road, and many times it is due to becoming sick, their immune systems affected by their choice of food, surrounded by countless people in which they are subjected to germs, as well as a change in their environment, such as dry air, air conditioning, etc. So, whenever I fly around the world to do a TV show or vocal workshop, I become very anal about my vocal health routine. For the record, I must admit that I do get lazy when I am not preparing for a show, and sometimes my “vocal health regimen” isn’t met daily as it should be. Still, I want to share what I a currently do to maintain a strong, healthy voice and prep my body to beat off the cold season.

Now, without getting into great detail, I’d like to share with you my current vocal health repertoire:

*TONS of water-I drink a minimum of a gallon a day (usually two gallons when on the road) infused with sachets from singerswater.com.  My ENT, Dermatologist, and family doctor ALL swear by the importance of water, therefore my trust in saying you need more water is secure! As far as the Singers Water sachets, these  are simply sachets that you add to your water to infuse the water with minerals such as ionic silver and calcium, nutrients that are said to be beneficial to overall health. I also drink lots of hot water to help moisten the pharynx and reduce tissue swelling.

Portabler Steamer-Water is so important to me that I also carry a portable steamer with me to make sure my hotel room has a higher level of humidity during sleep.

*Sinus Rinse-Continuing on with my water obsession, I keep a Neilmed Sinus Rinse bottle or Neti Pot with me with plenty of salt packets and flushing my sinuses every morning as I shower.

*Superior Vocal Health Products-When on the road, I take Throat Saver spray, Sinus Clear Out drops, and Vocal Rescue gargle mix with me to keep my voice in shape.

*Vocal Eze-This is a another spray I love which to me is “food for the voice.”

*Vitamin C and Zinc-I take 2-3 vitamin C/B-Complex packets, such as Emergen-C, once every morning, as well as 1-3 zinc tablets, morning, noon, and night (the chalky type that dissolve in your mouth NOT the hard candy type) for overall support. The benefits of C, B-complex, and Zinc are well documented. I also love Crew Brew, made by the makers of Vocal Eze, which can be used in place of Emergen-C.

*Airborne- I know these effervescent tablets have gotten much flack over the years but I SWEAR that if I do not take these tablets in a bottle of water whenever I travel, I always get a cold. It has happened twice to me now on the way back from Japan where I’d forgotten to take my Airborne during the flights back. Like clockwork, the cold overtakes me.

FYI- I don’t over-use the mentioned sprays. I simply take a few squirts in the morning, and if I feel dry during the show or workshop, I may take another few squirts. I do gargle with Vocal Recue at the end of the day and use Sinus Clear Out not so much to “clear out” my sinuses, but more as a immune booster, due to the herbs in this formula, that I like to use several times daily.

Now, this is the bare bones of my current regimen. For those of you who have read my book, Raise Your Voice, or the book Superior Vocal Health, you know there is much more that can be done to keep your voice in shape. Bottom line, if we wish to stay in peak vocal performance, it will take more than vocal exercises and daily singing. We must address our personal health and hygiene every day, not ramp up our efforts before hitting the studio or getting ready for the weekend gig, or preparing to leave for the tour. So, what will YOU change today to assure that you maintain vocal health from this day forward?  It’s time to make vocal health and all-day, every-day necessity! And if this list has enlightened you and you wish to know more, check out Raise Your Voice and Superior Vocal Health at venderapublishing.com.