This month, a reader of The Magazine of Santa Clarita sent in a question about voice maintenance.
Q: “In the same week I came down with some cold, I pushed my voice by too much auditioning. If I’m going to be making a living off of my voice, I need to know how to take good care of it. Any suggestions?” — Jennifer C., Acton, CA
A: Jennifer, I’m so sorry to hear about your cold. I don’t know how you pushed your voice so much, but unless you really need to push your voice hard—like for a demanding role for a videogame or animated project that requires a lot of shouting or bellowing—most auditions don’t call for you to have so much vocal force. They call for a natural, conversational read, requiring your everyday voice. To avoid situations like you experienced in the future, bring water or juice with you into the booth. Get plenty of sleep to give your throat (and your body) the rest it needs–at least seven to eight hours, preferably. Don’t smoke or drink. If you get laryngitis, don’t talk—your vocal cords are inflamed and need to heal. Hot herbal tea with honey and lemon juice helps soothe your throat. If you feel a cold coming on, be careful about using Zicam—zinc in a nasal gel formula. Too much zinc can destroy your taste buds. Ask your doctor about Alpha CF, a homeopathic formula, or citrus seed extract in tablet form. And don’t ignore a medical condition. Any persistent cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, dizziness, or anything that can affect your performance should be professionally diagnosed quickly. Hope you feel better soon!
Marc Cashman creates and produces copy and music advertising for radio and television, was named one of the “Best Voices of the Year” by AudioFile Magazine, and was the Keynote Speaker and Master Class instructor at the international voiceover conventions VOICE 2008 and 2010 in Los Angeles. Winner of over 150 advertising awards, and a working voice actor as well, he heads the Voiceover Program at California Institute of the Arts and instructs voice acting of all levels through his classes, The Cashman Cache of Voice-Acting Techniques in Los Angeles, California. Cashman Commercials © 2011
Marc can be contacted at cashcomm@earthlink.net or his website, www.cashmancommercials.com.