The Voice Coach Podcast

We will pause our resonance training to talk about allergies, more specifically about hay fever. In this episode, I will share seven tips that might help mitigate the effects of this stational affection. We will go through the medications' side effects we need to be careful of, and some exercises to help us keep things on track.What You Will Learn In This Episode:- The importance of letting the doctor know we work with our voice before he prescribes any medicine- How staying hydrated can help us with hay fever- What kind of medicine components we should avoid- How vocal naps and avoiding clearing our throats can help us in our recovery- How consuming local honey can help us build immunity to the particular pollen in our area- Why wine is not our best friend if we struggle with allergiesIn general, a healthy lifestyle is the best preventive method for any disease of affection, and hay fever is not the exception. Resources:- Episode 005 How to Keep Your Voice Hydrated Efficiently https://pod.fo/e/b545d- Baylor College of Medicine blog post https://blogs.bcm.edu/2015/04/22/its-spring-time-but-why-am-i-hoarse/- What is hay fever? https://patient.info/allergies-blood-immune/hay-fever-leaflet- Allergies and the Voice https://www.ohniww.org/allergies-and-voice/- The Voice and Accent Hub https://facebook.com/groups/160080935058642Mentioned in this episode:Buy Nic's BookHead to onthemicbook.com to get your copy nowGet my book hereGet my book here

In this episode, we will continue talking about resonance. We will break down Barbara Houseman's definition of resonance, and I will share some exercises to encourage awareness of the spaces that affect our resonance potential. What You Will Learn In This Episode:- What resonance can offer to our voicing- How we can explore our resonance potential- A few soft palate, pharyngeal, and tongue release exercisesWhen it comes to our voicing and the message we have to share, it is really not about what we are trying to communicate, or who we are trying to communicate to. It is about having an accessible and responsive voice to the emotions of our message. That is why resonance is so important, because it grants that our voice and body are fully awake and connected. Resources: - The Voice and Accent Hub https://facebook.com/groups/160080935058642- Vocal Arts Workbook by David & Rebecca Carey https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/david-carey-jr/vocal-arts/9780713688245?gclid=CjwKCAjwwqaGBhBKEiwAMk-FtL65pbqlTwPMz_9yINTagyBiuxmXE-kpaWt0hBIekkhrcYR3z_KdDRoCEEEQAvD_BwE- Finding Your Voice by Barbara Houseman https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/barbara-houseman/finding-your-voice/9781854596598?gclid=CjwKCAjwwqaGBhBKEiwAMk-FtEkQhGczybl1AAYpqFSgTw_RYpdXzp3GV8-TqlpYfqqPUOiT0rxZ1hoCCwQQAvD_BwE- Nic's Quick Voice Tips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8E63vup6aA&t=140s- The Whispered Ah https://www.alexander-technique-online.com/articles/defining-the-alexander-technique/the-whispered-ah/Mentioned in this episode:Buy Nic's BookHead to onthemicbook.com to get your copy nowGet my book hereGet my book here

In today's episode, we will define and understand what vocal resonance is, and how we can improve it. I'll also share some simple exercises to increase resonance awareness and feel the vibrations in our bodies.What You Will Learn In This Episode:- What resonance is, and how it affects our voicing- How resonance affects the tonal quality of our voice- How different tensions in the vocal tract can affect the resonance- Why it is crucial to increase awareness around resonance- Some exercises to build up our resonance awarenessUnderstanding vocal resonance and exploring our resonance potential can help us better grasp our tonal quality. We can also play with other options within our voice, like using resonance to give the most of our voice with a minimum effort. Resources:- Voice & Accent Hub FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub- Voicework: Art & Science in CHanging Voices by Christina Shewell https://amzn.to/3uVyRAZ- The Right to Speak by Patsy Rodenburgh https://amzn.to/3zhz70f- Ep 01 How to structure a voice warm up https://pod.fo/e/b48fb- Ep 012 Physical release prep for resonance https://pod.fo/e/bbe13- Episode of The Naked Vocalist on resonance http://www.thenakedvocalist.com/nasal-resonance/- Voice Science Works article on Resonance https://www.voicescienceworks.org/resonance.htmlMentioned in this episode:Get my book hereBuy Nic's BookHead to onthemicbook.com to get your copy nowGet my book here

In this episode, we will talk about breath capacity for voicing, and understand it from a holistic perspective, rather than from a mechanical aspect. I will also share some simple exercises to increase our breath capacity that we can easily incorporate into our daily routines.What You Will Learn In This Episode:- Why breath capacity is part of a more extensive conversation than just increasing our breath range- The things we should consider before starting breath capacity training- Three simple exercises to improve breath capacityUnderstanding that breath capacity is much more than the need to have bigger loads of air coming in or out is crucial. We must consider things like breathing habits, familiarising with the length of the words, being aware of the air necessary to voice those phrases or words, and paying attention to the out-breath before the in-breath. Resources mentioned:- Voice & Accent Hub FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub- Voicework: Art & Science in Changing Voices https://amzn.to/3uVyRAZ- Breath support episodes 15, 16, 17, and 20https://pod.fo/e/c147ahttps://pod.fo/e/c2c37https://pod.fo/e/c45achttps://pod.fo/e/c90ecMentioned in this episode:Get my book hereBuy Nic's BookHead to onthemicbook.com to get your copy nowGet my book here

Today, we will have a prop-related episode - we will talk about straw phonation. I'll share three techniques to start practicing straw phonation in two different ways, doing straw work in water and doing straw work out of water. What You Will Learn In This Episode:- What is straw phonation, and how it can help us in our voicing- The simple techniques to practice straw phonation in and out of water- What are the differences and different effects in the type of straw we choose to do our phonationStraw phonation can improve the connection to lower abdominal support. It can encourage vocal fold alignment or closure, and it can promote an efficient, unregulated, subglottic air pressure, which will eventually help reduce vocal fatigue. Resources: - Book on to Ultimate Accent Toolkit https://nic-redman.mykajabi.com/course-ultimateaccenttoolkit- Another podcast on SOVT & singing https://www.thenakedvocalist.com/podcast/42/- Buy an SOVT straw https://www.rayvox.co.uk/?ref=NICREDMAN- The Voice Straw https://voicestraw.com- Research paper on WRT (water resistance therapy) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32302246/- The Voice and Accent Hub https://m.facebook.com/groups/160080935058642Mentioned in this episode:Buy Nic's BookHead to onthemicbook.com to get your copy nowGet my book hereGet my book here

In this episode, we will talk about SOVT - Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract. We will dive deep into what SOVT work is, and how you can use it in your daily voice work to improve your voicing.What You Will Learn In This Episode:- What is SOVT, and what it is used for- How SOVT can help us improve our voicing- A couple of techniques to use SOVT in vocal warmup, voice reset, and vocal cooldownAlthough SOVT has been used in voice training since the '60s, it was almost 30 years later that a study highlighted SOVT's scientific benefits. Understanding the importance of SOVT is essential for day-to-day voice users, because its entire purpose is to make voicing easier. Resources:- Sign up for info on The Ultimate Accent Toolkit Online Course https://nic-redman.mykajabi.com/ultimate-accent-toolkit-2-0- The science behind SOVT https://www.isingmag.com/semi-occluded-vocal-tract-exercises/- Abstract from research into the efficacy of SOVT, both with FRT (flow resistant tube eg straws) and VFE (vocal function exercises, eg exercises that utilise the SOVT position) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4610291/- Article on SOVT https://www.voicescienceworks.org/sovt-exercises.html- Paper on VFE, 2017 https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=honprog- Paper on SOVT, 2014 https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/vvd24.2.71- The Voice and Accent Hub https://m.facebook.com/groups/160080935058642Mentioned in this episode:Get my book hereBuy Nic's BookHead to onthemicbook.com to get your copy nowGet my book here

A few clients recently have mentioned how they feel like they struggle to find the time to do their voice work in the day. So I wanted to offer some tips for how to fit voice training into your routine without it hanging over you.Tips for Fitting Voice Practice Into Your Day: - Tip 1 - Aim for consistency. It doesn't matter how tiny the practice, it just has to be consistent, and to become a habit.- Tip 2 - Add your voice practice habit onto another habit. Check in on your habits and see what you could co-ordinate.- Tip 3 - Little and often is more useful in many cases. Do what many pros do: split your practice time into smaller, super-concentrated chunks, working multiple times a day.- Tip 4 - Set an achievable practice goal. - Tip 5 - Just do it. If you don't want to do it, reflect on why, what's holding you back? - Tip 6 - Make it fun! We do the things we enjoy more readily and voice work can, and should be fun. Okay, now I'm off to take my own advice and spend one minute lip trilling whilst I boil the kettle. I hope this inspires you to fit some voice work into your day.Resources: - Article from NPR on effective practice https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2017/03/06/518777865/the-most-practical-tips-for-practicing-according-to-science?t=1620725823672- Deliberate Practice by James Clear https://jamesclear.com/beginners-guide-deliberate-practice- Send me your questions https://nicolaredman.com/contact-accent-voice-coach- The Voice and Accent Hub https://m.facebook.com/groups/160080935058642- 5 Minute Vocal Warm Up https://youtu.be/SX6LSr8qJp8- Episode 1 - Voice Warm Up v Voice Work Out Chat https://pod.fo/e/b48fb Mentioned in this episode:Get my book hereBuy Nic's BookHead to onthemicbook.com to get your copy nowGet my book here

Today, we will condense all the breathing work we've been doing into a simple 5 minute routine to use either as a warm-up or as a tiny voice workout. I'll guide you through every step of this routine to make voicing a little easier.What You Will Learn In This Episode:- The importance of being aware of our breathing- Why we must check our alignment before starting any breathing exercises- A short, 5 minute breathing routine- The importance of keeping an exploring mindset while doing this routineThis 5 minute routine can be added to our voice prep; it can also reset our voice or cool it down. The more we can prolong these exercises, the better. What we want to achieve is to turn breathwork into daily practice. Resources: - The Ultimate Voice Getaway Retreat with Nic in the UK https://nicolaredman.com/spoken-voice-training-retreat-uk-ultimate-voice-getaway - To submit a question for the mail bag episode https://nicolaredman.com/contact-accent-voice-coach - Episode 0011 - Voice Warm Up V Voice Work Out Chat https://pod.fo/e/b48fb - Accent method breathing https://www.isingmag.com/the-accent-method-how-does-it-help-singers/ -If in Doubt, Breathe Out!: Breathing and support for singing based on the Accent Method, a book by Ron Morris and Linda Hutchison https://amzn.to/3tZujtD- Linklater Voice https://www.linklatervoice.com - Fitzmaurice Institute https://www.fitzmauriceinstitute.org Mentioned in this episode:Get my book hereBuy Nic's BookHead to onthemicbook.com to get your copy nowGet my book here

In this episode, we will go back to breathe land. We will go through a set of exercises to bring awareness of how voice support can help us use our voice more efficiently and reduce voice fatigue. What You Will Learn In This Episode:- Why breath and support are essential for our voice- How to do a short and effective warm-up- How voice fricatives can help us with voice support- Why we must release our belly on each end breathThese exercises are of great help if you experience vocal fatigue issues or discomfort; they will help you coordinate the voice and the support, get vocal fold closure and airflow coordination. Resources:- Send me your questions for the mailbag episode here https://nicolaredman.com/contact-accent-voice-coach- Link to The VAH https://m.facebook.com/groups/160080935058642- The Primal Voice - Dane Chalfin https://www.vocalrehabilitation.com- 5 Minute vocal warm up https://youtu.be/SX6LSr8qJp8- Finding Your Voice by Barbara Houseman https://amzn.to/3nEeQwN- Accent method breathing https://www.isingmag.com/the-accent-method-how-does-it-help-singers/- Accent method breathing book https://amzn.to/3tZujtD Mentioned in this episode:Get my book hereBuy Nic's BookHead to onthemicbook.com to get your copy nowGet my book here

Today I want to discuss a question that came up after a coaching session with one of my coachees: is voice coaching needed after we understand the techniques to voice efficiently and safely? I will share with you three reasons why it is a fantastic idea to explore voice training, even when we feel like we don't need it. What You Will Learn In This Episode:- What is a voice coach's role and ultimate goal- The benefits of working with a voice coach  to prevent rather than to cure voicing issues- Three reasons to keep exploring our voice trainingThere are top voice performers who never did a warmup or a tension release exercise in their lives, and their voices are perfect. Still, there is no harm in trying some voice coaching. The beauty of consistently doing voice training is that it focuses on awareness and mindfulness, which is incredibly useful for day-to-day life. Resources: - Book coaching with Nichttps://nicolaredman.com/voice-coaching- British Voice Associationhttp://www.britishvoiceassociation.org.uk- Barbara Housemanhttps://www.barbarahouseman.com- Matt Dudley https://www.fitzmauriceinstitute.org/find-teachers/2017/11/27/matthew-dudley- Yvonne Morleyhttps://yourvoicebox.co.uk- Joanna Ousten Weir https://www.thelinklatercenter.com/joanna-weir-ouston- The Voice and Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub Mentioned in this episode:Get my book hereBuy Nic's BookHead to onthemicbook.com to get your copy nowGet my book here