How much water?

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:08 am

If you have allergies to milk products- certainly THAT could/would affect the vocal mechanism due to swelling or sinus blockage or whatever form the allergy might take in the individual. Just like being around cats could have the same issues for certain singers. But to blatantly make this statement as a general rule is BAD science.

Phlegm in the throat (unless you're gargling with it and its sitting on the epiglottis) will not significantly affect tone. If there is phlegm, you clear it, it travels down the same pipe as all other food and liquids and ends up in the stomach. Can milk cause additional or thickened phlegm? In some people, yes. In thousands upon thousands of others, no.

The lungs are below the vocal bands, the mouth is above them. Gravity handles the rest. Saliva, thickened or not can affect the tone (only after it has been produced by the vocal bands) and then only by the minimal way in which it affects the vibrating air in your throat and mouth. Think of it as the difference between the wooden pipe of a church organ as opposed to a wet or coated pipe of a church organ. Are they different?...to an extent. Significant? I don't think so.

I don't disagree that continuous clearing of the throat (especially if done so very agressively where the bands slam together as when coughing) can be detrimental to vocal health (anyone who understands the mechanism can't argue otherwise) However, to say that milk causes this or that MILK= BAD or almost anything food/drink related is bad (unless it affects muscle/brain ability like alcohol) is really stretching a point that isn't scientific.

I also don't discount the "Believe it and it will happen" phenomenon. Singing is a mental process controlling invisible (to the singer) muscles and involuntary muscles like the diaphragm. If the singer believes milk affects their tone it probably will, likewise if they believe sucking on a lemon or a shot of cognac helps it probably will as well.

Phil

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:43 pm

I honestly think that a lot of its mental. If you drink milk, it DOES make your voice "feel" different. A lot of foods do this in various ways. For example, I don't know what but beef makes me cough a lot. It may not scientifically cause a problem with the voice, but your looking at it all wrong. If someone doesn't feel right in their voice, its going to effect their performance. Its like how they say that 90% of Baseball is a mental game. Confidence goes a long way. Thats why I'm going to start selling my new pill that gives everybody their best singing day ever. Its a complex mix of rare substances from the rain forrests' of Africa and South America. Placebo effect.

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:45 pm

As a vocalist myself, I can personally say that dairy products particulary cheese affects my voice. I avoid Lasagna, pizza a few days before I perform a show. Water is good but for me rest is the ultimate cure for a tired vocal. I prefer to do light vocal warmups to ease my voice tension and loosen up any flem buildup on the vocal membrane. Some vocal sprays like Vocal Eze has worked for me as well. I have tendency to buy a bottle and then some other singer says hey can I try it and for some reason I never get the bottle back. As far as milk goes, I don't think every singer is affected by it. I think if you use your headvoice more than your chestvoice, milk seems to play a factor. I have these debates with other singers over the years. They all agree that rest and vocal warmups is a key factor for them.
My headvoice is very difficult to manage when I have thickened saliva or flem. As I warmup my voice gradually, I can feel this mucus working its way off. At this point when my headvoice is totally free, I know its safe to hit my voice hard with my chest or head.

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:49 pm

Another thing to consider is stomach reflux due to acidic foods like tomatoes. Again Pizza, Lasagna, Spaghetti. Anything highly acidic and causing stomach reflux will contribute to a irritated vocal cord. Best cure is to sleep with your head higher than your body and see the doctor if you have this problem. Get a prescription to reduce stomach reflux. I think in the last 10 years, many singers have discovered this as a problem and always blamed vocal problems on allergies or milk possibly.

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:47 pm

I guess I should add what this is all about. Water. Yes lots of it keeps the mucus membrane down.
Also something I learned from a club singer once, Liquid calcium with Robitussin Cough Syrup. Mix 4 to 1 in the same order. Works wonders for breaking the flem and curing a irritated vocal.
Unfortunately Liquid Calcium is getting hard to find.

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:20 pm

A new study on drinking water.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080404/ts_afp/healthuswater_080404050741
The point is that if you gulp water it will pass through and flush out urea and sodium. If water is sipped then it will absorb into you.
Lungs need to absorb water, as do all your organs.
Drink water till your urine is nearly clear.

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:33 am

hey how about asking a singer!?!

water= yes (not cold)

tea= yes (plain not cold)

milk=ARE YOU KIDDING? NO

carbonated bevs- not too much- but a little seltzer will help a singer who sings from there belly avoid a bellyache

a shot of whiskey is ok to loosen up an uptight singer.

tang= as a reward for a good take

sq

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 4:53 pm

Yeah,
It seems that a large number of singers would agree that milk is bad.
Water is good. I would agree on the sipping thing. I find I perform best when I don't gulp it down but sip it throughout the day.
Listen to those singers I tell yah. Isn't it them we want to make comfortable and get the best out of them.
I know what works for me and if a singer has never questioned what they put into their body, they should. They could be lactose intolerant and not even know it.
Ask Celine D what not to eat, she will give you a french mouthful.
Of course she may give you advice on almost anything, lol.

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:28 pm

pmolsonmus wrote:

Okay,

I'll play....

Please explain WHY milk and dairy products are considered bad. Please point to this scientific article that everyone seems to have read except professional singers who actually have studied anatomy.

I'll play too.

Force feed a lactose intolerant singer an entire gallon of milk. Let's see if it affects his ability to track a great vocal track! I think we need the guys from Mythbusters to film this one. And pick Sebastian Bach, ex-singer of Skid Row for the show. I'd love to see him puking up milk while trying to sing...

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 4:22 pm

well if he aint singing, i know one thing that may happen, that studio will have one fowl smell. I hear gas plays a big part on lactose intolerant folk.

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 4:31 pm

havinga-studios wrote:

well if he aint singing, i know one thing that may happen, that studio will have one fowl smell. I hear gas plays a big part on lactose intolerant folk.

It definitely plays a pretty big part on my intolerance of their intolerance! Wink

Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 2:52 pm

Since I am not a singer, I only advise them on musical matters.

You would not believe some of the things fine singers can get away with!

With less gifted or well trained artists no amount of voodoo seems to help....

Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 5:47 pm

I usually boil some water in a tea kettle and drink hot water. From what I was told in my choirs, the steam relaxes and opens your throat. Try it out!

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