The global spread of COVID-19 has presented a plethora of challenges, with lesser and greater degrees of trauma, for every member of the human race. In Australia, a tremendous response to the need to stay home in order to save lives has witnessed an extraordinary change in the day-to-day lives of singers. This blog is designed to address the need for otherwise healthy singers to maintain their vocal capacity ready for the day they can reignite their performing, rehearsing, training and socially vocal selves. Yes, you will get to use that gig bag again!
Vocal Side Effects of Isolation:
- Loss of project goals and incentives
- Working from home
- Decrease in incidental movement
- Loss of dialogue and voice use
- Increase in video/tele-conferencing
- Job loss or reduction
- Suspension of ensemble activities, such as band, choir or theatre rehearsals and gigs
- Distress, anxiety or fear
- Mental, emotional and physical tension
There are a number of habits which can be nurtured to support our vocal strength and resilience, so that we not only survive this unnatural musical hiatus but thrive in new ways that will ultimately surprise us. Here are a few ideas on how to tackle the above side effects in positive, courageous and hopeful ways. It won’t take much googling for you to find even more!
Loss of project goals and incentives
- Create your own!
- Set mini-goals related to your own musicianship and technique.
- Try song writing, or co-writing with friends online.
- Generate project ideas with friends eg a new cover every week, compete to memorise Hamilton… 😉
- Research a genre, era or artist you’ve always wanted to know more about.
- Take the opportunity to reset.
- Do that musical thing you always wanted to do…one day…this is the day!
Working from home
- Decrease in incidental movement and dialogue
- Organise your schedule to include exercise in the morning.
- Stand for voice telephone calls whenever possible; stretch your arms and shoulders before you sit down again (opening out through your pectoral area in particular will help); breathe deeply.
- Eat your lunch outside, weather permitting. Don’t take your phone. Look at nature, chew your food well, and breathe.
- Loss of dialogue and voice use
- Warm your voice up for longer – in the morning (this is a great time to finally satisfy yourself that you understand what your voice feels like when it is really warmed up!)
- Read aloud – emails, reports, everything! No monotones though, please.
- Turn a vocal goal into small chunks and disperse them throughout your day. Some vocal and rhythmic work will stimulate your brain and save you dozing off after lunch.
- Maintain excellent hydration.
- Increase in video/tele-conferencing
- Warm your voice up prior to the conference.
- Maintain healthy speech habits, including resonant voice and modulated tone patterns.
- Do your best to set up an ergonomically friendly environment so that your voice is supported and your focus doesn’t flag prematurely.
- Take the time to set audio levels (speaker and mic) that promote sustainable speech production.
- Take note of the times when your voice was tired or hoarse after a virtual meeting and endeavour to pinpoint the cause. (And practice vocal rest until the voice is restored.)
- Regularly look out a window at an object in the distance.
Job loss or reduction
- Seek advice concerning government stimulus packages.
- Ask your vocal coach whether there are any options available to maintain some ad hoc online training in order to monitor your vocal health. Be prepared to still pay something or offer a barter.
- Buff up your CV or repertoire list with online training and creative forum groups.
- Ask your peers for support – offer each other shared rehearsal sessions online, accountability to continue rehearsal or just inspiration!
- Offer music/industry tuition online.
- Offer babysitting services to essential workers.
Suspension of ensemble activities, such as band, choir or theatre rehearsals and gigs
- Explore platforms that allow for group sessions of some sort.
- Even allowing for the latency in signal that prevents simultaneous music making, there is still an abundance of creative and musical activities possible.
- Generate new repertoire lists, cover arrangements, original work.
- Get together with some people from your community to rehearse virtually, hearing each other practice the same excerpt and then offering positive and constructive feedback.
Distress, anxiety or fear about the overall situation, leading to mental, emotional and physical tension
- Dig deep and consider positive ways you can respond to this global crisis.
- Start a gratitude journal (literal, digital or virtual) – listing a minimum of 3 things you’re thankful for before you go to bed each evening.
- Take this opportunity to ask for help in managing your anxiety. Tele-health options are now available.
- Exercise daily.
- Sleep and eat well.
- Establish a routine.
- Get dressed and put lace up shoes on.
- Allow yourself to lament, grieve, accept.
- Limit your social media and news access.
- Practice mindfulness. The Smiling Mind app is a good place to start.
- Pray and meditate.
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Sources
Glengrove Studio clients who have generously shared their new work-from-home challenges in recent weeks.
Photo by Sushobhan Badhai on Unsplash