Back To School
It’s that time of year - Back to School! So many of you have headed back into the classroom to soak up all the delicious knowledge that the new school year brings. It is also ‘Back to School’ for a lot of the professionals out there. After being shutdown for far too long, Broadway and shows and events are back! It brings my heart so much joy to see all of my friends, students, and colleagues heading ‘back to school’ in one form or another.
With the return of work and school, comes getting back into performance shape. I think it can be healthy for singers to take time off from the daily grind of practice and performance. Does that mean I recommend stopping all singing? No. Breaks can help both your body and your mind reset and recharge, but this is a topic for another blog. What I want everyone to think about as we all head ‘Back to School’ is how we get going again in a healthy way. I’m seeing a decent amount of singers who haven’t sung in a while and they are jumping right back in to auditions and rehearsals and shows, expecting to be exactly where they were before their break. Having that expectation and pushing yourself to achieve that can lead to fatigue and all sorts of other unhealthy outcomes. Give yourself grace and meet yourself where you are.
I’m sure that I am going to be saying this over and over again, but I really need everyone to understand that your vocal folds are muscles. Treat them as an athlete would because you are a vocal athlete. If I was a runner and I was getting back into running, I would make sure that I warmed-up well, took a pace that would exercise me but not drain me, and cool down/stretch after my workout. Structure your vocal workouts just the same. Pull out the warm-ups that make you feel good, start with a fun warm-up piece, try something that requires a bit more from you vocally, and then give yourself a quick cool-down. Work in 30 - 45 minutes chunks. Just as a runner wouldn’t expect to be able to healthily run a marathon in their fastest time ever after time off, don’t expect your voice to be able to sing ALL THE THINGS either.
Do you need to ease in for a long time, I don’t think so but it all depends on where you are in that moment. In general, give yourself a week to let your muscles get back in the groove. Once you get back into the swing of things, the muscles will become limber and agile again.
So, as you prepare for your own ‘Back to School’, give yourself the time you need to get back into vocal shape. Do the warm-ups and the cool downs you love, sing the pieces that feel good and bring your heart some happiness, push yourself a bit but be kind, and above all, enjoy it.
If you don’t have warm-ups you love or you don’t know how to cool down, sign up for a lesson! I would love to meet you where you are and get you to where you want to be!
