10 Tips for a Healthy Voice

Some people spend hours at the gym or pounding the pavement to keep their bodies in shape. But beyond singers and actors, who worries much about their voices?

"Your voice is your ambassador to the outside world, It portrays your personality and emotions. People make assessments about you based on your voice, so it is very important when you're speaking or singing to think about what people are really hearing. Problems with your voice also can have a tremendous impact on your life." Hogikyan

The following 10 tips will help keep your voice in shape:

1. Drink water to keep your body well hydrated, and avoid alcohol and caffeine. Your vocal cords vibrate very fast, and having a proper water balance helps keep them lubricated. Important note: Foods containing large amounts of water are excellent hydration-conscious snacks, including apples, pears, watermelon, peaches, melons, grapes, plums, bell peppers and applesauce.

2. Allow yourself several "vocal naps" every day, especially during periods of extended use. Find quiet ways to spend the lunch hour rather than talking in a noisy room or atmosphere with friends.

3. Don't smoke, or if you already do, quit. Smoking raises the risk of throat cancer tremendously, and inhaling smoke (even secondhand smoke) can irritate the vocal cords.

4. Don't abuse or misuse your voice. Avoid yelling or screaming, and try not to talk loudly in noisy areas. If your throat feels dry or tired, or your voice is getting hoarse, reduce your voice use. The hoarseness is a warning sign that your vocal cords are irritated.

5. Keep your throat and neck muscles relaxed even when singing high notes and low notes. Some singers tilt their heads up when singing high notes and down when singing low notes. "The high notes are on the ceiling and the low notes are on the floor," Rosenberg says. "Over time, you'll pay for that"—not just with strained vocal muscles but also by causing future limits on the vocal range.

6. Pay attention to how you speak every day. Even performers who have good singing habits can cause damage when they speak. Many skilled singers don't continue their healthy habits when they speak; indeed, many people—including singers—should have much more breath flow when they speak.

7. Don't clear your throat too often. When you clear your throat, it's like slamming your vocal cords together. Doing it too much can injure them and make you hoarse. Try a sip of water or swallow to quench the urge to clear. If you feel like you have to clear your throat a lot, get checked by a doctor for such things as acid reflux disease, or allergy and sinus conditions.

8. When you're sick, spare your voice. Don't talk when you're hoarse due to a cold or infection. Listen to what your voice is telling you.

9. When you have to speak publicly, to large groups or outdoors, think about using amplification to avoid straining your voice.

10. Humidify your home and work areas. Remember, moist is good for the voice.

Further, warming up the voice is not just for singers, the researchers say. Think of it like stretching and loosening up before exercise. Easy, daily warm-ups for your voice:

1. Do lip or tongue trills in the morning (try it in the shower or on your drive to work) to facilitate better use of airflow and breath.
2. Perform gentle humming and cooing to warm up your voice in the morning.
3. If you do more vocally complex warm-ups too, such as vocal scales, do the simple warm-ups first.
4. Repeat these exercises throughout the day to reduce muscular tension in the neck, shoulders and jaw.
5. At the end of the day, perform a cool-down of the voice with similar vocal tasks.

Selecting a Musical Instrument

Music is not just about words and accompanying beats, real music is instrumental. this is what makes a good musician. those who aspire to do music should therefore be schooled in it or at least know how to play one instrument.

Learning a musical instrument can become easy if you follow a few simple points. This article helps you select the instrument you can learn easily.
Many of us dream of being given a chance to record our album in a recording studio. But for this, we have to be able to play music comfortably. For many of us, it means that we need to learn to play a musical instrument. There are many types of musical instruments you can learn easily. However, a lot depends on your aptitude, talent and interest. Beginners tend to get confused by the wide variety of choices. However, with a little research, you will easily be able to decide which instrument can suit you the best. Your actual musical interests will decide the actual selection. Unless you like a particular music, you will not be interested enough to learn it. So, if piano sounds boring to you, it is better if you avoid learning it because otherwise, you may not be able to keep up your enthusiasm to master it. On the other hand if you have always loved the sound of a guitar, you may be able to do well with it because of your passion for it. Thus, listen to different types of music and choose the one that you love most. The next point to consider is the cost. It is possible that the music you want to learn is too costly for you. May be the instrument costs a lot or the tuitions are too expensive. Thus, try to select one that suits your budget. Also, consider taking tuitions that are offered in groups in order to reduce costs or get some free music software. If money is not a factor, you could opt for private tuitions that can offer you a lot of flexibility in timings. Consider also the amount of time you can devote to your lessons. If certain classes take a lot of your time or need a lot of practice, you may not be able to follow them. Unless, you have a lot of time at hand, it is better to choose instruments that do not demand heavy time dedication. Since learning music itself is challenging enough, you can make your task easier by choosing to learn on schedules that are comfortable for you. The key to learning quickly is paying attention to the instructor. You could buy CDs to learn or download music from the websites that give step by step instructions. You must be really involved in the training and be enthusiastic. You may not grasp the ABCs of the musical instrument immediately, so you need to be patient. Also, expose yourself to a lot of recordings by good players. Listen to the records as much as possible. Play it in your car audio, at home and whenever you have free time. You could also record music at home and check your progress. Another point is to notice your physical limitations when playing the instrument. A child or petite person may find certain instruments too heavy and may have to spend most of his energy in holding them. Similarly, certain musical instruments require long fingers or strong lung capabilities. You should check with the teacher or an experienced musician to find out whether you are up to the task.