A pitcher can succeed without a fastball, a batter doesn’t even need a bat in his hand to be effective, and there have been a great many umpires who have been accused of working with impaired vision. But, non-negotiably, a broadcaster needs a voice – and that’s tested over the course of a strenuous season. Because of this, it’s important to consider how best to take care of your money-maker.
- Sleep: One of my favorite pieces of advice is “Success begins the night before.” Vocal health starts with regular health, and regular health starts with regular sleep.
- Stay hydrated: The classic metaphor for vocal cords is ‘rubber band,’ which leads to the terrible visual image of a dry rubber band snapping. Sip room temperature water, it’s good for your vocal cords, it’s good for you.
- Listen up: Take early care to monitor how you sound in your headphones and adjust accordingly. How you speak is affected by how you hear yourself. If you have difficulty, you’re going to strain louder – often without realizing. A voice should burst forth effortlessly, like water running out of a faucet. (In this scenario, the faucet is not low pressure.)
- Find a vocal coach: Find an expert, whether in theater or in voice, who will be able to help you breathe correctly/diaphragmatically and expand your vocal range.
- Work on your posture: On that note of diaphragmatic breathing, take care that you’re reducing the stress in your neck and shoulders (roll your head from side to side to stay loose) and keeping your body straight and tall, no matter how much it wishes to slump. Poor posture affects voice and brings a different kind of strain. Stretch and find movement throughout the day; this is especially necessary because broadcasting is so sedentary.
- Adding resonance: Now that you’re breathing properly and fueling your words healthily with each breath, open up the back of your throat to bring resonance/fullness into your words. A yawn is the easiest way to feel the sensation of widening the back of the throat, an important technique to understand for making your highlights even bigger.
- Watch what you eat and drink: Dairy increases phlegm in the lungs, as does coffee. Ice cream coats the throat. Meals at the ballpark that sabotage my on-air performance are fresh fruit, fries/ketchup, popcorn and nuts (they both stick in the throat), and frozen lemonade. I’m a sucker for cold desserts on hot days, but they numb the tongue and hamper enunciation.
- Warm up: The same way that athletes should stretch before play begins, get your vocal cords ready in advance, with a light quick tongue ready to pronounce the names of the starting lineup. Putting your mouth in action early ensures your voice is on its game from the very first pitch.
- Tea to recover: If and when your throat is sore from cold and overuse, the best remedy is warm tea with lemon and honey. (I’m a fan of throat coat, too.)
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