What Is Healthy Vocal Production and Why Is It Relevant to Contemporary Singing - Essay Example

VOCAL HEALTH by Student’s name Code+ course name Professor’s name University name City, State Date Question 1: What is healthy vocal production and why is it relevant to contemporary singing? Healthy vocal production refers to the singing activities that please both the vocalists and the audience. These activities range from the physiological exercises of vocal production as well as the vocal presentation by the vocalists. Vocal health is regularly underestimated, however once issues arise, they can affect the vocalists’ career, and at times oblige surgery and long post-surgery periods of resting and recovering. To perform amid illness might be an ordeal. A vocalist who might be experiencing throat pains or hoarseness is advised to seek medical attention from the ENT (ear, nose, throat doctor) so as to have a medical evaluation on whether one’s vocals are in a safe state for a performance. From time to time, narcotics or steroids might relieve one of the symptoms, yet could possibly make one have a misguided feeling of "feeling well" and one might end up over-singing, bringing about further vocal injuries. There are times when one is compelled to perform through an ailment and when one does so, it is considered as running on a sprained ankles: one is required to figure out how to adjust so as to make it. If one does this over a long period of time, one might start to grow new (often unsuitable) muscle structures for the vocal production (Phillips 2003). How is healthy vocal production hindered in music sector? Poor posture: An effective position of our bodies is of significant effect to the quality of voice produced. Complications regarding the posture vary from the "collapsing" of the chests and rib cages, with an equivalent downward "falls" of a musicians’ heads and necks, to the extra-extended, "inflexible" pose of various artistes, which brings about in strain all over the whole body. Efficient pose advances from the kinesthetic consciousness that might be advanced after studying the physical education, for example, the Hatha yoga or Alexander Techniques (Radomski 2006). Poor breath support: A few vocalist find themselves "gasping" for air, and exhibiting clavicular or shallow breathing behaviors. However, a vocalist who has successfully been trained, uses basically diaphragmatic breathing support. The muscles within the lower back as well as the abdomen remain in a conscious engagement, as the diaphragm gets lowered. Since the breath streams are used in phonation, it is advisable for the artistes to little or no tension within the larynx. From time to time, while trying to raise loudness (projection), an artiste who is well trained might end up exceedingly supporting or "pushing" the airstream. This excessive effort might have effect on the quality of the vocals since it might produce unwanted harmonics (Radomski 2006). Lack of confidence: Majority of vocalists seem to have "recommendable ego" and might exhibit the aggressive manners that are termed to as the "prima donna" temperament. However, these manners are a cover-up for their nervousness and/or lack of confidence. Based on the fact that even a slight deviation - phlegm, for instance – might cause a transitory loss of voice (even to the iconic artistes!), artistes usually have a feeling that they are, at all times, vulnerable. In spite of the unpredictable state of vocal presentation, the vocalist becomes more confident through a continuous performance and improved self-awareness (Radomski 2006). Examples of some of the superstars that have ever lost their voices In 2011, three famous recording artistes had their vocals adversely affect their music career. The three different artistes experienced a development of a somewhat distinctive voice issue that obliged them to have some rest and in the end surgery (Hatschek 2012). Ostensibly the most esteemed voice within the pop musicians, that of the gifted British pop superstar Adele, was made silent after she was made to call off 17 US dates mid-tours and take laser surgery because of the state of her vocal cords. Her situation is only one case of a prominent artistes that face various challenges while trying to maintain their vocals. Adele's situation, reported by the global media houses as 2 hemorrhages in the vocal chords, was possibly worsened by the stress of touring (Hatschek 2012). These types of hemorrhages are frequently the consequence of phonotrauma, the physical stress brought about by vocalizing, upon the minute veins of the vocal cords. Singing loudly or pushing the voice whenever it is exhausted or if one is sick might subject a vocalist to these forms of vocal hemorrhages. The later news reports recommended that as Adele's recovery advanced, she was to pick up back gradually revisiting the lessons she had underrated as the "extremely essential vocal tit-bits." Adele was to take the first six months of the year off without having any stage performance so as to help her have a healthy and complete recovery of her popular vocal quality. Aerosmith's Steven Tyler was also said to have battled with the very ailment in 2006, resulting to a similar surgery as Adele. It is the famous voice specialist, Dr. Steven M. Zeitels, a Harvard Medical School specialist who was working at the Massachusetts General Hospital within Boston, carried the surgical operations on the two superstars (Margaret and Lesley 2001, Hatschek 2012). Keith Urban, the country music superstar, had the same surgery in November 2011 to amputate his vocal polyp, a lump that might grow close to the center of an artist's vocal cord. (As per the glossary originating from the voicemedicine.com, a polyp is a particular and plainly delineated mass – the word polyp refers to "lump" and doesn’t infer a tumor or precancerous lesions). The central-point area of such polyps gives a suggestion, to the point that, it too might be the outcome of phonotrauma. Urban was requested to take three months off from music performance while having his recovery being observed by a group of medical experts (Hatschek 2012). The artist/lyricist John Mayer was another famous superstar who faced vocal medical issues. In October 2010, Mayer’s manager reported that following a progression of expansive resting periods, the artiste’s voice was not recovering and he made a decision to undergo surgical operation. The artiste's condition was portrayed as a granuloma, a nonthreatening growth that is an outcome of the irritations or injuries in the vocal cords. It's frequently located at the back of the vocal cords, over a section of cartilage referred to as the vocal process that lies just beneath the membrane that covers the larynx. Just like the case with Adele and Keith Urban, Mayer paused working on his collection, abiding by the prescription of his medical specialists to pause his music activities till when his voice would be completely recovered from the injuries and surgery (Margaret and Lesley 2001, Hatschek 2012). Ways in which one’s vocal health can be enhanced Training one’s voice and body simply like the athletes: Take time to identify healthy singing techniques, don't abuse the voice, get adequate rest, eating balanced, healthy diets. Artists can be likened to vocal gymnasts who navigate their artistic vocal range in a manner that is easy and flexible. A gymnast is an individual with a substantial level of discipline and spends several hours trying to perfect one’s sphere and is considerably less likely than the common people to sustain injuries. Proficient artists are susceptible to some of these hazards and must keep up a disciplined practice plan with interludes of resting and recovery to have an optimum performance irrespective of the genre (Lyle 2014, Dayme 2009). Letting one’s voice sparkle. Endeavoring to imitate another person's voice or singing stylishness can oblige one to sing or start doing things beyond one’s normal physiologic limits or present-day vocal ability levels. This could bring about vocal injuries. Similarly, it is worth remembering that if one is trying to imitate somebody who is famous, there are numerous vocal artistes who have been successfully influenced by the famous artiste. Therefore, on is required to look for unique ways of becoming the next superstar that would be hired other than becoming a copycat (Lyle 2014, Dayme 2009). Pacing oneself. Whenever one is planning for shows or auditions, one has to pace oneself and one’s voice. No one is expected to consider attempting to get the majority of the exercises within the gym by practicing once a week for only 5 hours. Maybe, one ought to sing (as well as exercising) in a progressive daily increment of time (30-45 minutes), slowly developing muscular ability and stamina. As one improves with time, the vocalist ought to have the capacity of increasing the duration of time and in addition, decreasing the hitches of vocal skills (Lyle 2014, Dayme 2009). Minimizing phonotraumatic behaviors: Reducing behavior such as shouting, yelling, talking overexcitedly, and singing too uproariously. After one has enhanced the loudness of the vocals, ones’ vocal cords thud together harder (much like applauding truly hard, loudly, and quickly). After a time of doing this, one’s vocal cords start responding to the effect by swelling and becoming red. A lengthy phonotrauma can prompt vocal cord alterations, for example, vocal cord nodules (Lyle 2014, Dayme 2009). Sufficient hydration. Vocalist are advised to ensure that they take a lot of non-caffeinated drinks during the course of the day. Though nothing that is eaten or drank gets onto the vocal cords, sufficient oral hydration makes it possible for the mucus to the bodily fluid to behave like a grease rather than glue (Lyle 2014, Dayme 2009). In conclusion, poor vocal production is associate with poor posture, poor breath support and lack of confidence. Whenever a vocalist starts singing in a volume that it too loud, the vocal quality becomes degraded and the artistes becomes susceptible to medical complications. Artistes such as Adele, Keith Urban and John Mayer ended up losing their voices during the course of their music career. These artistes had to rest for a while then have surgical operations to regain their lost voices. The artistes faced the health challenges at the peak of their career and this shows how essential health vocal production is in the current world of music. Vocals can be enhance by training one’s voice and body simply like the athletes, letting one’s voice sparkle, pacing oneself, minimizing phonotraumatic behaviors and having sufficient hydration. Reference List Dayme, M 2009, Dynamics of the singing voice. Wien New York: Springer Hatschek, K 2012, Vocal Health Basics – How to Properly Care for Your Voice, http://blog.discmakers.com/2012/01/vocal-health-basics/ Lyle, H, 2014, Vocal yoga: the joy of breathing, singing and sounding. Pacific Palisades, CA: Bluecat Music & Publishing. Margaret, G; Lesley, M 2001, The voice and its disorders (6th ed.). John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken Phillips, P 2003, Singing for dummies. New York: Wiley. Radomski, T 2006, Vocal Health, available at http://www.thesingersresource.com/vocal_health_3.htm Read More