Water Water Water

Singers need water. Lots of water. Loads of water. ALL. THE. WATER.

I’m sure you know that hydration is key to a healthy life in general, but did you know that dehydration can make it more difficult to sing? Every voice teacher, music director, and choir director I’ve ever had has made a huge point to remind us that water is essential to a singer’s life, but there is plenty of scientific evidence to back them up!

According to Mahalakshmi Sivsankar and Ciara Leydon (both PhDs), dehydration can lead to an increase in your phonation threshold pressure, or PTP, meaning the amount of pressure it takes for your vocal cords to come together to produce sound. The less pressure you need to make sound, the better. Vocal coaches often use the phrase “pushing” to describe when a student uses too much pressure to get sound out. More pressure means more strain on your vocal folds, which can cause injury and/or fatigue. A well-hydrated singer has a relatively low PTP, making sound production effortless, healthy, and sustainable.

Ways to keep your vocal cords hydrated are numerous, as hydration is measured via systemic and superficial properties. Systemic hydration refers to the amount of water inside your body and your vocal fold tissue, while superficial hydration refers to the fluid lining the vocal fold surface and laryngeal lumen. For the average person, doctors recommend drinking at least 64 fluid ounces of water every day, but for singers and those who exercise regularly, the recommendation (for adults) is at least a gallon (128 fluid ounces) of water per day. This amount of water intake will keep you systemically hydrated without fail! To increase your superficial hydration, invest in a humidifier for your bedroom and a personal steamer to take with you on the go! Both of these machines will keep water on your folds and in your larynx, keeping your voice happy and healthy.

While basically all liquid has some water in it, the best thing to drink to increase your hydration is water, plain and simple. It is also the healthiest option for the rest of your body as well, so it’s a win-win! Please let me know if you have any questions - I know this post was a bit more scientific than my typical blogs. I would love to hear your favorite hydration techniques!