Keep your voice healthy with these 10 household items [watch now]

Worship leaders, this year may have many churches in lockdown but this hasn't meant you stop singing and worshipping. If you're at home and leading online there're dozens of weird and wonderful items  you can use to keep your voice healthy and primed for worship. 

Try these at at home. Use them everyday to keep your voice in tip top singing condition.
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​​Watch Video-WORSHIP VOCALISTS: Train Your Voice at HOME with these 10 HOUSEHOLD Items

1. Candle – Use a candle to help control your breath by holding a lit candle up (about 6 inches away from your face) as you breathe out through your mouth. Release your breath under control. Imagine what escaping gas sounds like and try to recreate that as you slowly exhale. The goal is to keep the flame steady. A frenetic flame means too much breath.
2. Straw – Using a straw helps to ‘stretch and unpress’ the vocal folds. Known as SOVTE(semi occluded vocal tract exercises), blowing through a straw creates back pressure that you can feel forward in your face, making it easier to lower the effort required to sing with maximal efficiency
3. Water – Placing the straw in water helps you to see if you are maintaining a steady breath flow. Use this method to help you sing through tricky areas of a song or to reduce fatigue or to just relax and massage your voicebox.
4. Oranges – Yes Fruit! A couple of oranges, one squeezed under each armpits, will help to activate back muscles (Lattisimus Dorsi). These muscles help to stabilise postural support when belting. Any thing that can fit under the armpits can be used to practice. Just remember to practice
5. Book. – Check on your posture and alignment with a book on your head. Poor posture during singing can affect the quality of your voice and your ability to sing higher in your range. Be careful not to tense up through the neck and shoulders. Keep your upper abdomen relaxed and BREEEATHE.
6. Headphones – Hear yourself practice without shouting. Whether you’re at church rehearsals or at home, wearing a pair of unplugged headphones will help you to connect with your inner head voice and get a better understanding of how you are singing. Listen in on your pitching and tone. Feel and focus resonance.  Remember the sound that comes from your mouth is different to the sound you hear in your head.
7. Mirror – Using a Mirror helps you to take an overall look at your posture during singing. Try to use a full-length Mirror if you have one, this way you can observe the way you stand, how you’re breathing or your head, neck and shoulders during warm up. If you don’t have a full length mirror, use one that allows you to see from your head to your hips.
8. Pencil – Find forward placement by holding a pencil between your lips and focusing the sound ABOVE the line of the pencil. Use a forward placing sound like ‘M’or ‘N’ or sing ‘MoNey’ starting from a high pitch and slowly descend down.
9. A Wall – Place your back up against a wall. Keep your knees bent and ensure the back of your head and both shoulders are resting on the wall. This exercise is good for connecting to your posture and aligning the spine. Alternatively, lie on the floor for the same effect.
10. Phone  - Your smartphone gives you access to hundreds of apps that can help you with your singing. Ear Trainers, Metronomes, Music Theory, Harmony Trainer, Musical Instruments can all be downloaded onto your phone to use as a part of your vocal routine.

Watch Video-WORSHIP VOCALISTS: Train Your Voice at HOME with these 10 HOUSEHOLD Items
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Are you ready to start working on your voice?
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Email me or schedule a Vocal Clarity call if you want ongoing mentorship, training, accountability and support beyond the scope of this article.

For when your voice is tired, make sure you grab your 'Sorry, I'm on Voice Rest' Badge Button.

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