What to do when you have a cold!

I have been a singer and a vocal coach for many years. Over that time, I have had my share of colds – some were pretty severe, but most are the “common” type:  after 6 or 7 days of nose blowing etc., it is over.

The more severe type of cold that begins with an irritated throat and develops into a very sore throat before “breaking” into the sneezing and blowing process, can take even more care than what I am going to explain here. But when students & professional singers ask me what I do for a common cold, this is my answer.

Since singing is my livelihood – I take even a simple cold quite seriously. If I cannot sing, I can’t teach or perform. So, as soon as I feel that telltale irritation in the back of my throat (usually, behind my nose), I go into “quiet mode.”  And I wait to see how the irritation progresses. We singers usually know if the cold is going to be a doozer – or just an annoyance.  No matter what, I begin like this:

• I cancel any activity that does not HAVE to be done.
• I start to gargle twice a day (AM & PM) with warm salt water
• I take 3 or 4 tablets (1000mg each) of Redoxon Vitamin C each day during the illness – in lukewarm water
• I also put several drops of wild oil of oregano (organic) under my tongue. It is very strong. But I try to gargle with those few drops
• I talk as little as possible
• I try (more than usual) to remain very calm so that my body does not have to fight stress, as well as the cold.

The stress issue is important: I have observed over many years, that if I can stay quite calm, my colds are less severe. I think that the reduction of stress is vital for an active singer. So I pause to take deep breaths several times a day to keep my body coming back to a quiet state. I also try to find a good novel to read. And when I can find some time to get away away from whatever work must continue, I take short breaks to read a bit or to lie down and simply breathe deeply.
• I eat lightly, but well: Fruit & vegetable juices and warm broths (chicken and turkey) are good.
• I drink a lot of chamomile tea.
• When the cold is coming to a close, I test out my voice with 10 or 15 minutes of exercises.  (If you sing too soon, you can prolong the cold OR bring too much heat into your vocal cords and risk getting laryngitis.)
If after those 15 minutes I am still in good voice, I (happily) leave it for the day and do a little more the next day and more the next etc…

But most important: do things that will help you avoid getting colds….
• Eat well
• Get enough sleep
• Wash your hands often and well
• Drink lots of good fluids
• Don’t over-eat
• Avoid eating late at night
• Avoid smoking, or drinking too much
• Manage your stress well

_____________NEED A LITTLE HELP WITH YOUR SINGING?_________

GET STARTED ON YOUR DREAM! – 18-page E-Guide (PDF)
plus a 20 minute Vocal Warm-Up “tape” (MP3) called SING WITH ME!
The MP3, Sing With Me contains 15 minutes of easy-to-follow singing exercises and 5 minutes of a sing-along song to get your singing juices flowing!

LISTEN TO A SAMPLE!!!
…Here is a 2-minute demo of the “Sing With Me” Vocal Warm-Up:
SING-WITH-ME-DEMO

“GET STARTED ON YOUR DREAM” is fun. It’s easy.
It’s an inexpensive way to get you started on your dream!
PURCHASE THIS GUIDE & VOCAL WARM UP HERE! 
Get Started On Your Dream – E-Guide and Vocal Warm up.

How To Sing Better
This week, I’d like to answer  questions from two readers of my Hot Tips For Smart Singers Newsletter…  I will keep their names private. But you can read their questions -  minus any strictly personal information they may have included.

How to sing better
2 Themes:  
1. Are scales and vocal exercises really helpful? Do they teach you how to sing better?
2. How to sing high notes more easily by starting high and going up from there.

QUESTION FROM READER #1
I found your site while looking for warm-ups etc. I’m a 56…  My singing is inconsistent and limited so I’m looking for ways to improve. I always end up not choosing certain songs because I can’t sing them well. Last night I did simple major scales from low E to C just making different sounds to loosen/warm-up.  I was shocked how it made an immediate difference both in keeping me from feeling tight and I actually sang a song that I generally did in a low key in a higher key.  It was easier and sounded better than ever.  Is that possible that just doing those scales made such a difference so fast or was it in my head?

MY ANSWER (HOW TO SING BETTER USING SCALES ETC…)
Yes, I think that scales and other kinds of “warms up” can be very helpful. If for no other reason than that they help you to get your breath co-ordinated with your vocal cords. Kind of like warming up your body before you play football or before you run a long distance. But the process for singing is more delicate and precise.

Also, with vocal warm ups, you do not have to think about words, emotions or a difficult melody. You are only singing a series of notes that take you through various parts of your range. There are some very simple exercises that will lead you up to the top notes and down to the bottom notes, without you even knowing how high or low you are singing. I especially those exercises that are more like making “sounds” than like singing – for this purpose. You discover the extremes of your voice in a playful way. Your ears hear how easy it is to sing through out your range. Then you work more consciously on making those notes reliable on a day to day basis.
As an example: The bubble lips exercise is one of those helpful, playful exercises. That’s the one where you put your lips together and make a sound like a horse blowing air through its lips. In singing this exercise, you also make a sound as your lips are “bubbling” and the two together (sound and lip movement) allow you to gently move air and sound through your entire range with little pressure on your throat. In a short video lesson (sing high notes), I show you how to do the exercise. (That particular exercise comes at around 3:20 in this video. You’ll see what I mean.)

Doing this kind of vocal work can also help to teach both your mind and body that the upper & lower notes are never “out of reach.”  Never “up there” or “down there”… Thus the wider range songs become easier and easier.

If you would like to try a very simple 20 minute warm-up, here is my latest that I created for singers who are beginning to use scales etc. The warm up ends with a sing along song – just to get you singing after doing some of the exercises. You can listen to a sample from that warm up here - Sing With Me! If you like what you hear, you can get it for $4.99 in my store.

QUESTION FROM READER #2
Remember your pianissimo exercise? You mentioned something about improvisation. Well, I was playing around with an idea & I found that if you start with the high note going higher, the voice seems to thin out more rapidly.
In other words you start out with an “ooo” already in the high note,  then break into the ah. And then do  a descending scale in ooo.  I’ve included an example of what I mean:

MP3 sound file:Start High – Then Rise.

So you start in your high notes and keep going up. Of course, as you are going up, the “ah” part becomes more challenging. So to tackle this you can either bend your knees as you approach the note (thinking low).
Or, what I do is -  jump up and down.  This seems to give the voice more balance and less wobble. I don’t know, maybe the results are in my head, please let me know what you think. Stay blessed.

MY ANSWER
Good question. And nice to have your sound file for reference. Yes, it is clear that when you begin higher in your range, and then move up, you are already starting the tone using thinner, shorter vocal cords. (Well sung higher notes demand that the vocal cords be thinner and that they vibrate over a short section of the cords. Much of this is automatic when we sing.)

So in starting with the lighter vocal weight, it should be easier to “move on up” the scale. This assumes that you are starting your first note well – without strain. And the OO vowel (as in mOOn)  – is also quite helpful in singing with less weight in the throat. The AH vowel can sometimes spread and make the top too broad. So your approach with OO is smart! It makes sense.

Bending your knees is also an action that I use with singers who are tight on the top notes. You can also lean forward from the waist. This “breaks” the tension and can loosen up your diaphragm – if that area is also tight.

I’ve never tried jumping up and down. Doesn’t the sound go a bit crazy when you do that? But you know, I am seeing after my many years of teaching and singing, that a lot of good singing comes from having fun during the learning process. Sometimes in a lesson – we will just stop and laugh about the crazy sounds we are making. Laughing can cut the tension and allow more natural, less tense energy to lift the voice. So maybe, jumping up and down does that for you!

Thank you both for your questions!
barbara@barbaralewis.com
Back from How To Sing Better to Get Started On Your Dream!
—————————————

SPECIAL HOLIDAY PACKAGE!
“Give the Gift of Singing to Someone you Love!”

• LESSONS THAT GIVE YOU JOY!
(3 Half/hours of pure joy)

• GET STARTED ON YOUR DREAM TO SING!
(A special starter kit….)

The “Singing after Forty“ Club

A new subscription membership that will offer members a wide array of training features and other specials such as:
1. A Weekly vocal exercise, warm-up, or singing tip (audio and/or video)
2. Complimentary 15 minute private vocal consultation session with Barbara Lewis (You must have access to Skype.) – a 20$ value
3. 10% discount on private voice consultation and coaching prices
4.  Access to the new “Singing After Forty” – “The Basics” series of videos – a $49.00 value. This series will be rolled out gradually as the club progresses. (See description down the page.)
5. Access to other videos that will become “Club Member only” files.
For example:  “How To Really Prepare A Song – The Nuts & Bolts!” to get you ready for auditions and performances
And coming later…
- Chance to be featured in the “Singing after Forty” Profile series
- Interactive pages where members can talk with one another
- Other insider information that pertains especially to the interests of singers over forty (vocal issues, health issues, other musical needs.)
- In time, I will invite other singing experts to contribute information (audio, video & written) to the club, as well.
- An annual “Singing after Forty” Club Webinar (web-based seminars)

A new video series called, “Singing After Forty” – The Basics – Level 1 which will take singers, step by step, through the fundamentals of good singing.

This will be a fun, lively, relaxed and very informal video series brought to you from long-time professional singer/vocal coach, Barbara Lewis especially for singers-over-forty who are just beginning to live their singing dream & for more experienced singers who would like to be reminded about the good basic habits of healthy singing.

Video 1 – A simple, effective routine of physical exercises that I do daily, to begin your singing practice
Video 2 - Guided breathing exercises to improve your breathing capacity and control. (Also includes humming exercises.)
Video 3 - Tips on posture, tongue & jaw position, and ways to hear better
Video 4 - Finding & keeping the right mental/vocal attitude as you move into your first vocal sounds
Video 5 – “Playing” with your voice as you gradually warm up (singing with the spirit of “play”)

Plus 4 different warm-up sequences on video to prepare for various kinds of singing activities:
Video 6 – Singing in the shower (Put on your shower cap!)
Video 7 – Singing in your car (includes an MP3 file for you to use in the car)
Video 8 – Preparing for an audition
Video 9 – Preparing for a concert
__________________
CONTACT ME!
If  you are interested in hearing more about the “Singing after Forty” Club,
please let me know by e-mail: barbara@barbaralewis.com  Use the subject title – “Keep me posted on the SAF Club.” There is no obligation in doing this. I will use these e-mails as an indication of how many people are interested. And you will hear about the Club only as it gets closer to the launch date.

I created this healing meditation for those of us who may need a few minutes of quiet, uplifting thought.
I hope you enjoy it….

COOL HOBBY!
There is nothing like finding an exciting way to continue your life after retirement! Here’s an activity that can keep you in better mental, emotional and physical shape. Singing – one of those really cool hobbies!

In the coming weeks, I will be launching a new video series called, “Singing After Forty” – The Basics – which will take singers who are “over forty” (as I am!) -  by the hand (so to speak) and lead them (YOU?) step by step through the fun and easy development of their voices.
In the meantime, here is a peek into improving your cool hobby – if you already are a singer-in-motion….

I wish you great singing!
Barbara Lewis

You can see more videos from this series here:  SINGING AFTER FORTY with singer/coach, Barbara Lewis

View the You Tube Broadcast of the free vocal lesson series, “Sing With Me!”

The you tube broadcast of “Sing With Me!” is a 9-part series of short (5 to 6-minute) vocal lessons that offer you useful tips and tricks about ways to improve your voice.

Each “lesson” gives you quick and easy insight into how to approach a common vocal challenge: high notes, low notes, smooth singing, ways to soothe a tired voice…
View the SING WITH ME videos!

One singer’s response: “I don’t take lessons regularly so sometimes I find myself going “off track”
and your videos bring me back. I really love them.
I also enjoy reading your articles, they keep me motivated.” – Danielle

Read the same free weekly newsletter that has kept Danielle inspired over the past two years:
SINGING TIPS WITH BARBARA LEWIS!

Barbara welcomes you to her Free 9-part Video Series featuring step-by-step lessons on Singing called, “Singing After Forty.”

You can find links to the entire free lessons series here on her Singing Tips Web Site.

We hope you enjoy this series!

View Video To Learn More!

Only $9.95! “GET STARTED ON YOUR DREAM” is fun. It’s easy.
It’s an inexpensive way to get you started on your dream!
PURCHASE THIS GUIDE & VOCAL WARM UP HERE:
Get Started On Your Dream – E-Guide and Vocal Warm up.

 DO YOU LOVE TO SING? (but just cannot seem to get started?)

I can’t tell you the number of times that audience members (both men and women), have come to me after a concert to tell me that “secretly” they have always wanted to sing.
Perhaps they dreamed about it in their younger years. Maybe they began to study and learn about singing as teens. But then along came another career opportunity or marriage or motherhood and singing took a backseat and then exited the car altogether!
Professional pianists have admitted the same desire to me; as have doctors, social workers, marketing specialists, guitar players, massage therapists… The list goes on. I tell them what I am going to tell you. If you love to sing:

“Sing Now! Begin Now.”

EVERY ONE SHOULD SING!  The benefits of learning to sing well outweigh what is spent in time or money. First and foremost, singing makes you feel good. Think about the joy you feel when you sing along with a song on the radio. Few human endeavors can compare to singing – to the feeling of powerful sound and rhythm flowing through our bodies. We singers are different from other musicians. We are our own instrument!

MANY BENEFITS FOR THOSE WHO LOVE TO SING!
Here are but some of the many benefits from taking singing lessons:
• You learn how to stand with greater confidence and poise. (You look taller.)
•Your breathing changes – deepens. Your speaking voice becomes more powerful.
• You discover shades of feeling that you never knew you had.
• You learn how to express those feelings through song.
• You find the courage to sing in front of others; to present yourself with greater ease
• You can walk into a crowded room with more assuredness
In short, you become more fully yourself!

And your age does not matter. “Now” may be just the right time to satisfy your long-term desire to lift your voice in song; or to sing lullabies to your grandchildren; to record a few favorite songs for your family; to learn finally that you DO have a voice. Then again, you might find that your deep desire to express a life-time of experience through music pushes you further along than you ever thought you could go.

One of my students, Claire Duchesneau, is 60. Four years ago she came back to singing after being years away from it. The desire to sing never left her. Now she is working on her 2nd CD of classic jazz songs. Early response to her first CD (which I produced) has been very promising. And she will soon launch her second recording at a well-known jazz club in Montreal. Claire and I share the same attitude about singing – “It’s never too late to sing! If you love to sing, do it NOW!”

DIFFERENT NEEDS AT DIFFERENT AGES
Those in their 60s will have different personal and vocal concerns than people in their 50s or 40s. Each decade has its own challenges and rewards. Still, no matter your age, you possess a lifetime of experience to share through song. And keep in mind that in the world of jazz, blues and folk music, the older singer is still treasured.

So if you love to sing and you have a strong desire to explore your voice even though you are no longer one of those 20-somethings we see on the Idol shows, here is a great way to get started!

GET STARTED ON YOUR DREAM! – 18-page E-Guide (PDF)
plus a 20 minute Vocal Warm-Up “tape” (MP3) called SING WITH ME!
The MP3, Sing With Me contains 15 minutes of easy-to-follow singing exercises and 5 minutes of a sing-along song to get your singing juices flowing!

LISTEN TO A SAMPLE!
…Here is a 2-minute demo of the “Sing With Me” Vocal Warm-Up:
SING-WITH-ME-DEMO

“GET STARTED ON YOUR DREAM” is fun. It’s easy.
It’s an inexpensive way to get you started on your dream!
PURCHASE THIS GUIDE & VOCAL WARM UP HERE! 
Get Started On Your Dream – E-Guide and Vocal Warm up.

The “Get Started On Your Dream” E-Guide:
Sample some of the questions that are answered in this guide:
• I really want to sing, but I am too old
• What about my health?
• What will my friends (and relatives) say?
• But I don’t hear as well as I used to.  And to sing, I have to hear well, right?
• Could I consider having a “career” this late in my life?
• How do I find a good teacher?
• What can I expect at a lesson?
• What do I need to bring with me to a lesson?
• How much work will this take?
• What If I want to learn to sing by using one of the better known singing courses on CD or DVD?
• Okay. So how do I get started? What do I do first?

The SING WITH ME – VOCAL WARM-UP (20 minutes)
1.   15-minute Warm up called: SING WITH ME!
Breathing exercise – get ready to sing!
• “Nooo” on a long-held note
• Yum yum yum
• Ee-Oo-You You You You
• Humming

2.  Sing Along Song: “All Through The Night” -  (5-minutes) 
A Welsh folk song from the 1700’s. I chose this song for its beautiful, easy melody that many voice-types can enjoy. If any of the words offend you, please change those words to suit your needs. I hope you enjoy singing along after you have warmed up your glorious voice!

Purchase Your Own Or Buy A Copy For Someone You Love! 
Get Started On Your Dream – E-Guide and Vocal Warm up