Captain Obvious and The Importance of Hydration as a Singer.

I am Captain Obvious, your vocal instructor here to tell you that you (singers, and probably everyone else too) probably need to drink more water but somehow that just doesn’t seem like enough. Pun intended.

I think we all understand that we are primarily comprised of water and need it for basic survival but why is it important for singers to stay hydrated? To break it down a little further…the reason is: because the mucous membranes that line the throat, larynx, and nose rely on it.  Dehydration of the mucosal lining will lead to more friction when the folds vibrate and more friction will lead to inflammation.  Swollen/inflamed folds are more difficult to close and if you don’t already know it- closed folds create a clear tone. Folds that are bowed open and not sealing properly create an airy tone.

Every day I teach singers of all different levels via Skype and in the home studio north of Nashville, TN and periodically I forget to remind people or ask how much water they are drinking when I hear that airy dryness in a voice. Though you can generally hear it when someone is dehydrated or not eating a healthy diet, these attributes to a voice can manifest from muscle tension or simply being tired. So when I go ahead and ask a client, “Do you need a drink of water?”-the answer is almost always “Yes.” And eventhough I feel like Captain Obvious, the student normally has that momentary epiphany. Duh. Ultimately, the amount of water you need to drink is based on several factors so the old adage “Drink 8 glasses of water a day” is ultimately a generalization. Use this as a basic premise and then factor in height and weight.  But also factor in the following: Do you consume lots of fresh fruits and vegetables? If so, you may need less due to the water content of those foods.  Do you eat more processed and dense foods? You may require more. Do you drink alcohol? For every alcoholic drink, you’re dehydrating yourself.  You can match a glass of water for a beer in trade as a singer. Coffee drinker? Thats an entirely different blog but factor that into the dehydration nefarious camp.

I guess in the Personal Water Bottle, sometimes I assume that we're already on top of that but the truth is that we often forget and need reminders so here is your reminder! For your instrument to work properly, for you to have control over your voice, you need to stay hydrated.  Over and out.