Health & Technique

Vocal Fold Disorders

As a singer, it is imperative that you keep your vocal health a priority. To maintain a healthy, robust voice, it is a good idea to learn about different voice

Mar 01 Kylie Evans

Tool Time 5: The Face Steamer and the Nebulizer

Today we aren’t looking at a specific item but the general uses of face steamers and nebulizers. If you have favorite singers or influencers, I’m sure you’ve seen a GRWM (get ready with me) that shows some use of a steamer or nebulizer. What is the difference and why would you use one over the other? That’s the question I’m looking to answer today. Neither of these tools are exclusive and can be used with the other tools mentioned in earlier articles: Breather Voice—Tool Time 4, Vocal Trainer by Better Voice—Tool Time 3, Belt Box—Tool Time 2, and Sing Ring by OOVO—Tool Time. Much like everything that I have gone over, these tools deal with optional maintenance for good health and better vocalization. These devices also have outside uses from voice care.

Mar 01 André Chiang

Diva Diaries | Entry 5: A Diva’s Guide to Career-Building Beyond the Voice

Maybe it’s the winter chill or the week I just spent at Toby’s alma mater for his performances of Die Fledermaus, but I’ve been “all in my feels”— reflecting a lot on what I wish I had known before jumping into undergrad and grad school for opera. There’s so much advice thrown at young singers—some of it helpful, some, well, not so much. Narratives like “You have to sacrifice everything if you want a career” and the classic, “If you can do anything else, do that” have personally haunted me, and spoiler alert: they couldn’t be further from the truth.

Mar 01 Theodora Siegel

What is Muscle Tension Dysphonia?

Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) is a voice disorder that is characterized by very tense muscles in the larynx surrounding the vocal cords. Read on to learn how to treat it!

Feb 01 Kylie Evans

Singing with Breast Cancer & the Art of Adaptability

Soprano Mandy Brown shares her experience with breast cancer diagnosis and the transformative power of adaptability, patience, and a supportive community.

Jan 25 Mandy Brown

The Music Major Minute: Take a Breath

In this installment of “The Music Major Minute,” you’ll find ways to manage your breath, from meditation to SVOT.

Jan 25 Christi Amonson

Somatic Movement for Singers

What if there were a practice that could help you optimize the quality of your breath, learn how to calm your nervous system, and understand the root cause of most chronic muscle tension? Read on to learn about Somatic Movement for Singers!

Jan 07 Cristina Castaldi

The Dr. Is In: Depression

Making a career out of singing professionally is a difficult proposition, without a doubt. It comes with the highs of putting your heart and soul into the thing you love and being celebrated for the talents you possess. Conversely, the stress from both personal and public expectations of singers is significant. Let’s face it: you are expected to perform perfectly on stage or in competitions every time, you feel the urgency of finding steady income in a tough market, and then you are bombarded with constant online feedback (negative or positive). Living in such a stressful, cortisol-saturated environment where the status quo is an activated fight-or-flight response can lead to illness and, especially, depression.

Jan 05 James S Aston, D.O. & Athena Cannon, PHARM.D.