What happens when you don't warm up your voice

I urge every student and recording client I work with to be sure and warm up vocally before performance. That preparation includes:

• Carefully doing special vocal exercises to warm up the instrument and to find the proper body/voice connection.
• Singing, at least as long as your upcoming performance, full voice at least 3 and preferably 4 days before your show. (If you are regularly performing and in top shape, you might be able to skip this full voice preparation.)

So, I decided to prove my point by having my own show to do and NOT warming up before it. After all, I do vocal exercises all the time as I teach. And... I was BUSY with deadlines and distractions. Oh, the sacrificial experiments I do for my people!!

The show was at a huge outdoor 4th of July celebration in Decatur, Alabama. I spent the night with my mother who lives in Florence. I started the day, yes, by singing my songs full voice at my mother's piano a couple of times. (Remember, I said to do this BEFORE the day of your show?!...) Then I drove to Studio One Acting School where I taught our Runaway Home (the musical) cast a new acapella arrangement I created for them of "God Bless America". I also rehearsed them on a few songs from the musical that we would be singing at the show. It was great to see them and sing with them again, which we did for a couple of hours!!...

Then we met at the stadium field and rehearsed a little more backstage. Can I say it was HOT, ya'll!!??? I was sweating even before I took to the stage, where I energetically sang a couple of solos and then sang with them. It was a great show, and I felt good about all our performances, but as I left the stage I was talking in a voice that sounded like I'd been breathing helium. I took about 48 hours for my cords to calm down and shrink.

OK, I've turned around. Somebody kick me now. :<

Vocal problem: How Do You Cure Hiccups?

Hiccups can be a real nuisance when they manifest in the middle of a performance, whether on stage or in recording studio.

I've had to waste valuable studio time waiting for hiccups (and resulting giggles) to go away. I decided I would do a survey and ask this question for the sake of all singers and speakers:

How do you cure hiccups? What has really worked for you???

These are the things that keep me up at night :)

Vocal "Breaks"... how to eliminate them

There are times you want a vocal "break"- such as when you want to yodel or "flip" a little vocal cry (think Emmy Lou Harris). However, most of the time these breaks are unwanted and happen when vocal strain and tightness impede smooth movements in the vocal apparatus. In these cases, your chest voice gets thin, loud and harsh and then finally when you go a bit higher, you find yourself in a weak, useless head voice.

Here are some tips to smoothly blend your chest and head registers so that you seem to have one rich, mixed vocal register without breaks (those unwanted cracks in your voice):

• Try "pulling" your words from your nose when you're in middle voice. Then when you cross over to your upper register, "pull" your words from your mouth. This may seem unnatural, but will serve to mix your registers together so you can't tell from listening where you "crossover" from chest to head.
• If you can't remember to do this at the right time, try touching your nose when in chest or middle voice to remind you to pull from your nose. Then when you cross over to head voice, touch your mouth to remind you to pull from there. Pretty soon you will be able to do it without having to touch your face.
• Try the blending steps exercise in my Power, Path & Performance course at www.judyrodman.com . You will sing three notes in chest, the same notes in head voice, then the third time you'll sing the same notes in what I call a "land between the two registers", or a blend of head and chest. Do this at least once a day.
• BACK OFF THE PRESSURE!!! You can't blend your voice if you're singing too hard. How can you tell if you're doing this? YOU CAN FEEL YOUR THROAT STRAIN! Back off pressure, then add passion (crisply form words with the right emotion).
• Make the beginning of the yawn kick in right before you think the break will occur. You should feel eyes, nose and sinuses expand.
• Touch two fingers VERY LIGHTLY to your larynx. Now sing the phrase, but don't allow any tension near your fingers. If your shoulders, jaw or tongue gets tight, you will become aware and will be able to relax much faster with your fingers here. Notice that you WILL feel your larynx move... if it's working without interference with outside tension, it will actually tilt up and back allowing a smooth and unbroken vocal line.
• Bobble your head on your shoulders. Think James Taylor, Aretha, Alanis Morrisette, Christina, Wynonna. Part of their vocal magic comes from flexibility at the neck and shoulders. This also allows the larynx to tilt.
• Be sure to "lift the lid" but "leave the pan on the stove". What I mean by this is: Lift the inside of your soft palate and back of your nose, but don't lift your shoulders or tighten neck muscles. When you lift this way, you will actually feel your neck getting longer- not shorter. "Talk with your eyes" with relaxed shoulders you will help yourself do this.

Let me know what works for you! Click on the comment button below this post to leave your thoughts.

Vocal challenges in Children

Are you a parent, relative, teacher or friend of a little singer- or are you a little singer? This post's for you!

Here's an email I just got from Ellen Dockery, a dear session singer friend of mine who has begun teaching piano and voice:

judy,
if i could rely on your expertise for a second...i have a 6 yr. old piano/voice student. she's a great little singer-do you have any advice or precautions for a child her age?
i look forward to getting your cd!
thanks SO much!
love and many hugs,
ellen :-)

Here is my advice for little singers:

First of all, check and see if they are straining when they sing. Unfortunately, well-meaning choir directors and school teachers can sometimes encourage volume and power that little voices are not ready to generate. Add the stiffness and uniform stillness that is often encouraged in the posture and you have a recipe for disaster. Hey...sometimes the kid just decides to sing too loud out of the sheer passion!

• How can you tell if they are too loud? Does it sound like yelling? It may be cute now, but it may truly damage their voices. I had a girl who developed little blood blisters (the beginnings of nodes) by a few days of singing too loud. I've read that it is possible to develop this damage from just 20 minutes of over-blowing your vocal cords. (Hear that, little cheerleader??)
• Another way to tell... can you get them to make NON-BREATHY sounds in their head voice? Ask them to mimic Mickey or Minny Mouse. Then have them sing some little tune in head voice and see if they can clear the breathiness up. If not, they may need to be checked out by a doctor- preferably one specializing in the vocal apparatus, like the Vanderbilt Voice Clinic in Nashville.
• If they are yelling, the first thing to do is get them aware that their throat is feeling strained. Many times they don't know there is another way. Have them sing at the wall with their head and heel against the wall so they can't lean forward. Encourage them to stay flexible and to keep the chin level and floating. If they go for a high note and strain, suggest to them that they back off the volume so it feels better. Maybe put a book on their head so they won't lift the chin too much. ASK THEM TO SING FROM THEIR EYES! Make it a game... keep them having fun.
• Teach them the Power, Path & Performance technique of "pulling" words. For help, check my training cds.

Another common problem of children is having a weak voice. Shyness of personality, fear of being heard, and a dislike of the feeling of a tense throat can cause this.

• First of all, talk to them and LISTEN TO THEM. Many times a child just needs to know his or her voice is valid and that someone wants to hear what they say or sing. This fosters a good relationship where they will trust what you ask them to do.
• Next, have them pretend to sing to a stuffed animal or their real pet. Have them "sing a story". (Try to make sure they choose songs they can relate to!!)
• Teach them to open their arms out wide and take a breath in their belly. Then teach them to squeeze a horse or pillow with their legs for power. This tends to crack them up and is great fun. It will teach them to use the correct area of pelvic floor for power, while not squeezing in at the chest or throat.

And then there are children who seem to be tone deaf. I will state unequivocally: Tone deafness is a myth. Anyone with ears can learn to sing on pitch. I once taught a girl who had sustained 70% hearing loss when she was very young. She was determined and I got resourceful and by "pitch target practice" she learned to sing on pitch just fine. I would play a note, she would listen (think it) then mime it, then sing the pitch and I'd tell her if she was right, or if she needed to move it up or down. She also learned to feel and count rhythm.

Here is a website full of wonderful ideas and suggestions for child singers: http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Music/Sing_in_tune.html

And finally I'll reiterate... HELP THEM CHOOSE GOOD SONGS! Encourage them to write their own! They need to learn that singing is communication. And that what they say counts.

Do you have or know a child singer? I'd love to hear from you... what seems to be the vocal challenges in that child? What works? What doesn't? Click on the "comment" link below this post.

More thoughts on vocal pitch problems

I want to add some thoughts to my previous post:
Slowwww Dowsnnnn when you try the target practice exercise. Take plenty of time to:

1. Hear the music- the note(s) you play
2. Intend to hit that pitch dead center (focus your mind in a purposeful aim)
3. Support your aim (use your breath support centered in the pelvic floor to lift your voice into the right placement)

You can go a bit faster only when you are consistantly accurate in hitting pitch at the slower speed. This slowing down is vitally important... don't shortcut training the automatic nervous system. If you are used to being inaccurate with pitch it may take some time to re-train yourself and to trust yourself to sing in tune.

Before long your singing won't be like a game of vocal pin-the-tail-on-the-pitch. Your ears will be wide open and you will have begun habitually AIMING your voice at the right pitch!!

Another suggestion having to do with studio singing... don't think the recording engineer can make your vocal all it should be with vocal tuning. This technology is used, in my humble opinion, FAR TOO MUCH in today's recordings. The human voice sounds and communicates to the heart better with natural variences not usually allowed by those who over-tune vocals. Flying the same chorus everywhere can backfire and sound BORING!

Not to say vocal tuning and flying should not be done. On the contrary, sometimes it's wonderful to keep a vocal that has just the right magic but needs a slight pitch tweaking. And sometimes the chorus really is the same. It depends on the genre you're going for. Ask yourself (or someone whose opinion you trust) if you sound like a machine. If so, swallow your pride, get out your checkbook for studio time and sing a couple more passes of that song !!

Vocal Training: Pitch Issues and Target Practice

If you have pitch problems, it can usually be chalked up to:

1. The acoustic instruments (piano, ac. guitar) aren't loud enough
2. You aren't really listening to the music
3. The bass is too loud (overtones can fool you)
4. The electric guitar is too loud, or you're swimming in violin, steel, harmonica or organ
5. You don't want to listen to the music!
6. Your earphones are all the way flush against your ears instead of one side partially off (ok, so some people do well this way... go figure!)
7. You can't hear yourself acoustically and get aurally disoriented
8. You aren't connecting to your voice to the music
9. There is too little or too much reverb on your voice
10. You aren't really listening to the music
11. Your shoulder/back/neck/spine/big toe or some other part hurts and you aren't supporting your voice well enough for accuracy
12. You aren't really listening to the music

There are a lot of suggestions in the list above, but did you notice a certain redundancy? YOU AREN'T REALLY LISTENING TO THE MUSIC... You think you are, but you're not aiming at the center of the pitch in the music. And it's hard to hit something when you aren't aiming. Many times this is what is going on.

Here is a great way to fix it. Target practice!! Every day, make time to practice your aim. Hit a piano key or a note on guitar. Sing a short syllable like "la" or ya" and try to hit the pitch dead on. IMPORTANT: make sure you know when you're right- if you're not sure, enlist the help of a friend who CAN hear whether you're on pitch or not. Check yourself one note at time, then picking more random notes ( a short phrase) and see if you can hit them. Keep making the notes harder to hit.

You'll be amazed. Even people who have had damage to their ears from childhood infections, etc. can learn to be on pitch. If you want to bad enough, you can do it. Just make time for target practice!

Jaw movement and the voice

The position and movement of the jaw has significant effects on the voice. You may hear different points of view from various vocal teachers about what you should try to do with your jaw. Whatever you are taught, just know that you can over-do what is being suggested.

Here's what I've learned by experience with both my own voice and that of my students and recording clients:

A stiff jaw (I call it "lockjaw") will limit your control of pitch, vocal range, tone color, and articulation. It will numb the eyes, which need to sparkle with communication in order to stimulate and expand the upper nasal membrane (yes, the eyes are intricately connected to the nose). It will tighten the throat, causing the larynx to rise uncomfortably (not good) with high notes. It thins the voice and causes vocal fatigue to quickly set in.

Sooooo... what to do?

• First of all, drop the jaw loosely. Don't drop it tightly like pliers, drop it at the hinge like a monkey wrench. You know that phrase from the movie "Forrest Gump" - "Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates"... try talking in that slack-jawed way and you should feel the jaw dropping.

NOTE: DO NOT OVER-DROP the jaw!! In fact, Forrest Gump drops the jaw too much for good vocal production. You need to feel distance between your molars, but to do this correctly you need to lift the upper jaw more than drop the lower one when you sing or speak. Anatomically, when I say "lift the upper jaw", I'm really trying to get you to lift your soft palate and the back of your nasal membrane. If you're doing this, your eyes will show it. The upper jaw lift feels like the beginning of the yawn. If you over-drop the jaw, you'll compromise this upwards lift.

• Secondly, move the jaw in a chewing motion. Don't over-chew; what I'm talking about is a slight sideways movement that unlocks the jaw much like a slight twist unlocks a frozen nut or screw. I noticed this when one of the members of my church choir was having trouble holding a note. When I suggested that she move her jaw in a slight chewing motion, all her vocal fatigue with this note disappeared.

So, give your jaw permission to be free...JUST DON'T OVER DO IT!

FYI: I have two cd packages available on my vocal training method "Power, Path and Performance".

• My 6-cd package sells normally for $130 + $5 s&h; if you order it by calling 615-347-5195 or emailing judyrodman@comcast.net, I will discount it to $99 + $5 s&h.
• My 1-cd condensed course sells for $17 plus $3 s&h. It's new, not even on the internet yet, so order it by the same phone or email.

Back Off the Pressure!

Here's a very important tip for using max vocal power...

DON'T DO IT!

I mean... never use 100% of the power you have available to sing. It will turn into "pushed" sound instead of what I like to call "pulled" sound.

Instead of "pushing", imagine pulling your voice, by the word, from above and behind you. If you sing as hard as you can, you will tense muscles and tendons in your neck, shoulders, jaw and tongue- oh, yes- and your larynx! This will limit your vocal range, will make it very hard and effortful to reach for upper notes, will fatigue your voice, and will sound strained, thin and brittle.

Instead, back off the pressure and you will find yourself with more vocal range, tone and pitch control. You'll be able to blend your registers much better. Your voice will less likely suffer from strain and fatigue.

That's because when you back off a bit, you'll be better able to keep your throat open, giving the vibrations from your larynx an open path to the resonation zones in your face, sinuses, nose, throat and trachea. You'll be able to blend your vocal registers so you are not screaming chest voice and then changing to weak head voice.

Here's the bottom line: Vocal volume should come from more resonation, not more pressure through your vocal cords!!!

IMPORTANT: As you back off the power, you should (and can) add PASSION! Meaning, with less strain in your face, neck and shoulders, you can articulate the words and emotions of your song even stronger.

So......

Whether live performance or in the studio: Back off the pressure + add passion, and you'll find that less is truly more!

Sick Singer Remedies

First and very important... I am not a doctor. From time to time on this blog, I will share with you my and other's experiences with health remedies, but it is always best to check with your doctor before trying any of these tips.

For sinus issues (pardon the pun!):

Singers with chronic sinus and allergy problems can not sound their best. The vocal resonation zones are sick! Worse yet, the thickened mucous membranes offer the perfect medium for bacteria, viruses, and even fungus to take hold and multiply. While it's best to deal with the mucous membranes as soon as they begin to thicken, but so many products are ineffective and/or have too many undesirable side effects- like drying out the vocal cords.

"Sinol" is a new allergy and sinus product from the health food industry. One of my sisters, who has truly serious sinus problems, says that so far it is working miracles for her.

For irritated throats (actually good for any performance)

"FireWater" - that's what my other sister calls the concoction I recommend of lemon juice, honey and ceyenne pepper in a container of water (mix it to taste). Sip it frequently to help thin, ease and heal the mucous membranes of the throat, or to prepare your throat for live or studio singing, or public speaking.

For acid reflux;

There seems to be an epidemic of this right now. There are many reasons for acid reflux. It irritates not only the esophagus but also the vocals cords, sometimes causing serious vocal problems. In my case, it was due to not having enough acid or enzymes to digest my food. I went to a naturapath named Dr. Eddi Boyd, who tested me and recommended a product called "Pepsin HCL".

In my blog links, you will find a link to "My Family Doctor" - a great new medical magazine where I find practical advice from medical professionals on staying well.

Besides medical docs, I also go to trustworthy alternative medical pracitioners regularly. I believe in the integration of both mainstream and alternative medicine. I eat a healthy, digestable diet and take suppliments to keep my immune system rocking. I try to avoid antibiotics unless I really truly need them. When you have to perform, you want to be able to depend on a healthy instrument- having to cancel a show is never fun.

Do your own research and you'll be amazed at the real solutions out there to your health mystery. Your voice needs your spirit AND your body well; don't give up until you find the help you need. Please share your remedy experiences by clicking the comments link at the end of this post. I believe more in word of mouth experience than marketing ads.

And also remember, a remedy that may work for you may not for another. Use wisdom, common sense and err on the side of caution. And comment... What works for you?

Posture for Singers- Studio

Many times a singer has trouble getting studio vocals and can't figure out why. It happens a lot with vocalists who do a lot of live performance work and are used to singing while holding a microphone (wired or wireless). But of course, it also happens with people who are new to the studio.

Try changing your posture!

• First of all, stand with your feet in farther towards the mic than you're used to. Ask the engineer to make this possible, which may entail a longer boom stand position so you can move under it. You may need to move the music stand farther back, too. (THOUGH I HOPE YOU'RE NOT READING THE LYRIC WHILE PERFORMING!!)It's so important not to move your head forward (closing the ribs and the throat), and if you move it forward while in this position, you'll hit the mic with your mouth!
• Stand tall, flexible, and confident! Don't stand there like a bump on a log. Unless your voice needs to communicate that you are a bump on a log :)
• Talk with your hands!!! Use your hands just like you would with your friendliest live crowd (or your favorite unguarded vocal performance in the shower or to a pet audience) Your hands are connected to your arms...which are connected to your shoulders... spine... ribcage... DIAPHRAGM. Your expressive hands & arms can keep your chest from caving in, which gives your diaphragm too much slack and also limits your inhale. You need to keep the bottom of your ribs expanded but not frozen, and "talking with your hands" can help.
• Use a dummy mic! I've had amazing success having vocalists use to live performance hold a dead mic or similarly weighted object in their hands while singing. It psychologically causes the body to balance itself differently. Without the mic, these singers feel front-heavy, like a fish out of water. Sometimes all they need to do is to use the previous tip and "talk with their hands". However, sometimes that's not enough. If you'd like to try this, grab the dummy mic and hold it close to your mouth like you do on stage, but keep your mouth closer to the live mic which is recording you.
• Air out your armpits! Don't clench your ribcage with your upper arms. This is a position you assume when you're scared. If you're scared, don't show it with body language.
• Let the groove get into your legs! If you allow a dance-like sway in your feet, legs and hips, you will affect your spine in such a way as to free up your ribcage, and also to free up your mind. It will tell your automatic nervous system that you are confident, into the music, and confident. Act as if, and ye shall be!
• Keep your head level! Don't lift or dip your chin. Just flexibly balance your head on your neck... don't let your neck or shoulders get tight for any reason.
• Keep your eyes communicating. This affects your posture, your open throat, and your emotional impact.
• MOVE YOUR MOUTH! Communicate, communicate, communicate. What the heck are you saying? And remember, you're not singing to the control room- you're singing to the object of the song, for the sake of those who will listen to the final product and hopefully, be moved!

While you are doing your studio vocals, it is not the time to be worrying about technique... use your posture to set you up, literally, in the right position and then just get uninhibited with body language and go for it!

Posture for Singers- Live Performance

Posture sounds like a technical, cold word. But you wouldn't believe how assuming a better one can change your life as a vocalist.

First let's talk about live performance. Next post will concentrate on posture for the recording studio.

Don't -

• DON'T STAND STIFFLY with your arms clenched into your sides- you will lose both resonance and control. Especially watch the hand holding the mic... don't let that arm clench. This "non-verbal" body language will communicates a lack of confidence, too. The voice will obey the cue with an unsure, thin, pitchy sound.
• DON'T LEAN FORWARD toward the audience in such a way as to cause your ribcage to tighten in front, you're also going to have trouble with support and control of breath and your voice will not be as wide. If you lean forward, do so from the hips so as to keep the ribs wide open.
• DON'T TIGHTEN YOUR RIBCAGE by slouching when you sing while playing guitar, keyboard, drums or other instrument. Instead... play your instrument with your chest out! Move into the mic with your feet and body so you can lean back a bit- NOT FORWARD! Chin level. This will help you use your butt for power, whether standing or seated on a stool. I will reiterate this point below...

DO -

• PLAY YOUR INSTRUMENT WITH YOUR CHEST OUT, SPINE FLEXIBLE!
• STAND OR SIT SO THAT YOUR WEIGHT IS BALANCED ON YOUR BUTT.
• STAND OR SIT TALL AND FLEXIBLE
• MOVE! Feel the groove in your feet, legs and spine- like dancing. This will also transfer energy to the hips and butt, and will result in a more correct breath support (vocal power should come from the pelvic floor).
• MAKE YOUR POSTURE COMMUNICATE CONFIDENT BODY LANGUAGE...This is not an arrogant stance. It's a taking care of business stance that tells your audience you've got something good to give them!
• KEEP YOUR HEAD BACK , chin down (level), neck floating and when going for a high note, pulling slightly to the side!! (Hint...Study a good hip hop artist for this posture)
• KEEP YOUR CHIN floating and level.
• MOVE YOUR FEET FORWARD (causing you to lean back and open the chest) - when using a boom stand while standing, singing and playing. This tip is HUGELY important. If you're using a straight stand, be sure and get close enough that you don't have to lean forward and close your ribs (have I said this enough??) Or take the stand in your hand and lean it towards YOU. Or better yet, take the mic out and use it to help balance you. Don't lean your head in to follow the mic.
• USE YOUR HANDS! Talk with your hands... they are connected to your arms, shoulders, spine, ribcage and eventually your diaphragm. This is good stage presence, too. Just make it look REAL... make sure the hands are communicating what you're saying or singing. Don't let them become dead weight pulling your ribs down and inward.

Next time... studio posture!

Help for Singers with Tight Throats

Have you had problems ever feeling tight or strained in your throat after singing? Did you know that you can sing almost as loud and long, as high or low as you want without ever having your throat feel pain or fatigue?

First, let's define "the throat": Let's call it the top back of your nasal membrane where the Eustation tubes open, the back of your mouth and the top of your trachea. Trace it by doing this little exercise which I call the 6-way inside stretch:

Expand these areas as you read the words:

• Nose
• Eyes
• Jaw (drop open)
• Ears
• Scalp (about where a baseball cap would cover)

If you are doing this, it will probably make you want to yawn.

Now try pulling a word... grab the word by your upper teeth and say it in such a way that the 6-way inside stretch occurs.

Try this slowly speaking (pulling) the words "Should...Old....Aquain...tance...Be...For...got...

Now try doing it faster.

Now try singing it this way. Sing faster. Now that you're laughing... know that you don't exactly have to be this crazy on stage or with friends... BUT... Do try to retain a bit of this animation and try singing it for real.

Does your throat feel more open? Let me know...

For training materials, try my "Power, Path & Performance" cds http://www.judyrodman.com/buy.html

I have recently created a single cd condensed course...contact me via judyrodman@comcast.net

Studio Singing Techniques: Body Language

Ever have trouble getting your vocals as good in the studio as you do in live performance? How you stand at the mic in the studio makes all the difference in the world.

If your hands hang limply at your sides, your face frozen in a zombie stare, your voice doesn't know what to do. If you were speaking or singing to the one to whom the lyrics of the song is directed, you would probably use a much different body language- the LANGUAGE OF COMMUNICATION! You would probably make facial expressions, use your hands, even your legs and spine would move with the groove. Technically, this tells your voice what to do in three areas: breath (your arms are connected to your spine, your spine works your ribcage), tone (moving your face and eyes make differences in your vocal resonators), and real-ness of your vocal performance. Heck, it gets YOU into your own song.

Think about it this way: Someone listens to your recorded voice on their cd player. You should affect them like a great actor who pulls you into their performance. At the mic, use body language like you naturally would if you were talking or singing the song in live performance. It's a great way to make your cd listener feel something.

In my experience ...Move it... or lose em!

When mucous membranes go wrong

A couple of tips for allergies and thick mucous membranes of the nose… First one:
try using a “Neti Pot” filled with saline solution to wash the allergens out of your nasal passageways. For some sufferers, this can work miracles. Get the Neti Pot and the non-iodized salt you must use for saline solution at your local health food store.

Second one was sent to me by recording engineer Ronny Light. He tells me this tip is listed in Wikipedia under Vomer. It's under the heading Trivia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vomer
“Clear your stuffed nose!”

“Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you'll feel your sinuses start to drain.”

Also- Ask about the many herbal preparations to boost the immune system as well. DRINK A LOT OF WATER!!! Half your weight in ounces is a good amount to shoot for. If you can, put ceyenne pepper in everything you can think of - food and drink.

A wonderful throat soother is a glass of water with a heaping tsp lemon juice, heaping tsp honey, and a dash or three of ceyenne... just have something handy to blow your nose with! :)

And lastly- I had great results by drinking a very diluted pineapple juice and water mixture when I was sick and had a loooooong day of recording sessions to sing.

Let me know if you have a favorite remedy for singer's crud!