CHAPTER 1: How do you take care of your voice?
AARON LEHMAN- Lots of water. Entertainer’s secret throat spray, and throat coat tea.
JAY SAWYER: I do not yell. I try and stay healthy and away from sick people. I do not smoke.
OLI PENGILLY: Water, lots of it! If I have to do a gravitas voice or something like a hyper active / exaggerated character then I’ll down a pint of water.
ANN DEWIG: Saline rinses, saline sprays, probiotics, try to limit sugar/alcohol/simple carbs. Also vocal rest days 1x a month.
ASHLEY CAVALIERE: Drink a lot of water, try to take allegra during allergy season! & Try to pace everything so I am not over doing it in one sitting.
ADAM SCHNEIDER: a lot of tea and minimal yelling
ADRIENNE GRECHMAN: Water, water, and more water. At least a gallon a day! And when I go to concerts or baseball games, no yelling.
ALYSON STEEL: I try not to scream at my kids- KEYWORD: TRY. And Drink Water
AMANDA MADI: Singing – I sing all the time and my kids yell at me to “stop singing”, also, not yelling as much J
ANDY SAFNAUER: Water, and I try to get a decent amount of rest at night. That for me is 6 hours. Less than that each night over a few days makes my voice sound fatigued. I avoid yelling weekends at my kids games. I just sit and clap.
ANNA CROWE: I don’t smoke. I hydrate, keep my throat warm and protected, I stop any sinus/allergy drip immediately. Avoid vocal strain by not yelling or developing character voices that are difficult to maintain.
BETH STEWART: Plenty of fluids. I don’t smoke. I don’t bellow or scream. And never whisper.
BETH CAMERON: I try not to get sick…ever. If I do have a sore or raspy throat I dissolve an aspirin in warm water and gargle with it. Then follow that with honey tea. Works great! (But it only lasts about an hour).
BOB SCHMIDT: I drink a lot of tea. I limit my screaming to when my cat shits on the rug.
RANDY THOMAS: I maintain a habit of good, healthful, clean eating and am getting back to into Yoga and hiking which is my happy place. I found an amazing CBD oil that is improving so many things in my body that I attribute continued good health and clarity to this CBD Oil Brand that contains no THC. It’s is also helping me sleep.
BRADY HALES: Hydration and exercise, proper nutrition, singing, warming up, warming down, throat coat tea as needed
BRIAN WHITAKER: Water, lots of water. Avoid those dairy products before a session.
BRIAN WEST: Lemon Tea and honey. And no more screaming at concerts! lol
BRIGID REALE: Clean eating and exercise. A healthy body contributes to a healthy mind and healthy voice. I have been Paleo/Keto for the past 5 years. I also am pro-active with homeopathic medicine and treatments. I warm up my voice and do vocal exercises regularly.
CHAD ERICKSON: I wish there was a vocal spa…I need it!
CHRIS ROLLINS: I smoke two packs of menthols a day, and drink a fifth of Jack and smoke a dime bag every night. Just kidding. Do the kids still call them ‘dime bags’? I don’t do anything special really. I drink water, I stay away from dairy before big sessions. I even yell at sporting events!! It’s just part of your “life experiences” that come out in the performance later.
CHRISTY LEE HUGHES: I drink tons of water and do not use drugs or smoke anything, I also do vocal warm ups.
DAVE FOXX: TONS of water.
DAVID CHRISTIAN: Water, rest, and No “Monster Truck” screaming ads
DRAKE DONOVAN: I’m not as diligent as I should be in caring for my voice. I do make sure to keep my yelling to a minimum; thus, I don’t scream at sporting events and try to avoid noisy places where shouting replaces normal conversation, but it’s tough to do when you’re at conventions like CRS, Conclave or WWRS.
DREW HALL: Lots of water. Throat coat if needed. And don’t talk to people that don’t deserve it, haha!
DREWSEAN WILLIAMS: Lukewarm water when I 1st wake up. Gargle with Peroxide. No Cheese. Sometimes Ginger Ale.
JOHN FROST: Bourbon. Some Whiskey. Sleep.
GALE VAN COTT: Obsessive yawning to relax throat
IRMA BLANCO: Avoid playoff hockey games! and tea…
ISSA LOPEZ: Scarves, Sleep, Coconut water really keeps my throat nice and clear.
JAKE KAPLAN: Not pushing a read my voice is not able to do, focusing on my natural sound as oppose to someone else’s. I don’t scream when I go on a roller coasters or sing too loud at concerts.
JAMES HALL: Jack Daniels. I joke – room temperature lemon and water, and vocalzone.
JANET AULT: I take care of my voice by not screaming! I rarely raise my voice. I have to be careful watching my favorite sports teams!!!
JEFF BERLIN: Sprays: Entertainer’s Secret, Myco Shield. Tea: Slipper Elm Bark, LOTS of Green Tea, Ginger/Tumeric Tea. Gargle with Alkolol. Mostly I just try to not get sick.
JEN SWEENEY: I don’t smoke or go to smokey places and I try not to yell or talk at loud concerts.
JENIFER KAPLAN: Taking care of your voice is extremely important. I trained with famous Judy Davis for voice since I was 15. So the key to caring for the voice is to remember it is an instrument and you must also exercise the muscles for the voice. I do vocal eases and exercises daily, to clean the vocal cords I use alkaline water boiled with ginger root and Clover Honey (the closest lubricant to the voice), to heal over stressed vocal cords I use internal Aloe Vera gel, you need to hold your tongue with a towel and try not to swallow and take a dropper and place the Aloe down the throat and let it slide.
JENNIFER KNIGHT: I warm up, use proper technique, rest when I need to, and try not to yell/scream or overuse. Water, throat coat tea. That’s about it.
JOANNA STADWISER: I just try to stay hydrated and no late night yelling at the bar!
JOE ALAN: Lots of tea! I drink tea like it’s going out of style. I do not however, stick out my pinky.
JOHN SEBASTIAN: I take care of my voice by abstaining from alcohol, caffeine and dairy products, always warming up before I begin a project, never pushing my voice too hard and resting it, when it needs it.
JONNY JAZZNO: Deep breathing in a hot shower is awesome (try it)
JOSH GOODMAN: Lots of water and fluids (green tea especially), sometimes Halls Lemon/Honey Menthol Cough Drops (if it’s a longggg session), and NOT getting sick (with 2 kids it’s a challenge)
KRYSTA WALLRAUCH: I stay away from cold beverages, stay hydrated, use essential oils in my water, do warmups, and get plenty of rest.
LAURA SCHREIBER: Two main things: I religiously follow a grain free/dairy free diet to keep inflammation down. I also take daily homeopathic supplements to promote overall wellness including an amazing probiotic, vitamins, and Chinese herbs.
LISA KEYS: I drink a lot of water and try not to yell or scream. I use a couple of vocal sprays when my voice feels rough or Throat Coat tea.
MARC O’NEILL: Vegan (Plant-Based) lifestyle, fermented foods, raw foods… good oral healthcare.
MARIA PENDOLINO: Maximum hydration, warm-ups, don’t overdo it each day.
RIDER: Honestly it’s a day to day thing depending on what time of year it is. When the pollen hits in the spring its a mix of Allegra, Afrin and Honey that keeps me going. The rest of the year its just lots of water and slow easy warm ups in the am.
MATT HOWELL: Always warmup with humming or singing. No dairy on record days. Try not to yell…too much
MELISSA THOMAS: Drink TONS of water, I’ve taken 12 years of singing and musical theatre lessons so I learned how to be very careful with my instrument. But Key #1, never scream.
MELODY SHARP: I drink water nonstop. I also try to get as much sleep as humanly possible (as a mom of 3) because nothing affects my voice as much as lack of sleep! I avoid smoke filled settings where I’d have to shout over loud noise (and I keep yelling at the kiddos/yorkies to a bare minimum… lol 😉
MIKE MCKAY: I really just try not to use it when I don’t have to. I manage acid reflux (which, as a vo, if you don’t have, you will according to my ENT).
MITCH JOHNSON: Just stick to the one bottle of Jack Daniels a day! No really, don’t smoke and watch it when you hear it straining – 20 pages of shouting bunch idents can make you very raspy
NEIL WILSON: Lots of Bourbon! Kidding. Honestly, if you are using your voice correctly… then the care of it comes naturally. Don’t over push it or over work it to sound like someone you aspire to be. That’s a recipe for disaster.
NICK DALEY: I switched away from Dairy milk a while back because it caused excess phlegm. Now I drink rice milk which is just basically colored water. Green tea and honey is good for a sore throat. Got mouth noise? Eat a green apple (it’s all in the peel, red apples don’t work).
NICK MILLER: Being Australian it could be as tough as the outback, as red as the red sands of the Simpson Desert or cool as the ocean blue of The Great Barrier Reef, however always it goes through the motions of rest, warm up / warm down, warm tea with honey and no loud venues. Lemon is a no no.
PAT GARRETT: I don’t smoke I drink water
MACHA GRUBER: HYDRATION, HYDRATION, HYDRATION – beer is not hydration.
RACHEL MCGRATH: I feed it loads of gluten and then have it watch Mr. Rogers every evening before bed.
RENA-MARIE VILLANO: I do vocal warm ups in the shower, and sometimes I’ll sing my favorite songs. Joni Mitchell albums from the 70s are my favorites to sing to.
RICH VAN SLYKE: I learned what it feels like to strain, and I avoid straining.
ROBERTA SOLOMON: I don’t do anything elaborate, but I don’t abuse my voice. I don’t smoke (although I used to years ago), and I drink a ton of water throughout the day (to counteract all the coffee I’m also drinking). Sadly, I don’t attend a lot of big concerts because it’s too hard to talk the next day when I’ve been shouting over the music. That’s kind of a bummer, because I love live music. When I get hit with allergies, I use Entertainer’s Secret, a natural vocal spray, and drink a lot of hot tea with lemon.
ROBIN SIEGERMAN: Lots of lemon water, Manuka honey, and a turmeric/honey/apple cider vinegar, black pepper, lemon, ginger in hot water concoction when required.
RUSSELL JAMES: Scotch! Seriously, though, no yelling, even when the kids make you angry!
RYAN DREAN: I drink an obscene amount of water and try to drink Hot Tea when I can. I always do some type of warm up each day but some days it must be done in 60 seconds or less.
SCOTT MATTHEWS: I really don’t have a regimen of any kind. Although, I have mad respect for those who do!
STEVE TAYLOR: Scotch and cigarettes. Daily. No, actually – room-temperature water all day; try to stay away from higher-fat foods during the day, and Claritin to kill sinus drainage, which I have year-round because my allergies hate me.
STEVE FOSTER: Usually just clear my throat and drink water to preserve my voice, though mine is gruff no matter what 🙂
STUART ROBERTS: I’d love to say I have a regime I stick to but… I don’t. However, if you have a long day of recording ahead of you, drink plenty of water and keep a pack of Strepsils handy!
SUSAN MAZEL: I drink a TON of water. And I try not to overtax my voice during the day if I can help it.
SYLVIA VILLAGRAN: Lots of water, no dairy (I cheat on my morning cup of coffee tho) The rest of the day water or tea.
TASIA VALENZA: I drink lots of water. I breathe deeply and I drink tea and I try…to rest my voice.. another words.. be quiet 🙂
TIFFANY JOYELLE PAGE: I take care of my voice by keeping hydrated, no yelling/ whispering, vocal warm-ups, tongue twisters.
TRE MOSLEY: No yelling, I keep it warm all the time. No cigarettes, no hard liquor.
WENDY K GRAY: This has always been important to me, as a singer and as a voice over actor. Over time, I have discovered that screaming is awful for me, not getting enough rest and pushing myself with longer hours than I should. I like to drink lots of room temperature water and Throat Coat Tea when I’m not feeling well. Rest. I understand MY voice now. Everyone is different.
WILL MORGAN: i take care of my voice by staying hydrated by drinking lots of water. It does help when you are talking all day.