GUEST POST : Singer's Corner: Audriix's Tips For Keeping Your Voice Healthy

I often get asked for tips on how to take care of your voice.  As someone who suffers from quite a few allergies, and someone who spends many hours each day singing, here are some of my tips that keep my voice staying strong and healthy: 

1. Drink water -- obvious but very important.  Stay hydrated!  I have my refillable water bottle, and I also have glasses of water stationed at my bedside table, by my piano, and at my studio computer so that I'm never without water.
2. Humidifier -- using a humidifier is another great way to keep your voice hydrated and body healthy.  Especially since I live at a high altitude, I find the humidifier incredibly helpful and important.  I have a humidifier on at all times in my bedroom which is really helpful since we often get dehydrated while sleeping.  Bonus: it'll help you sleep better, too!  I personally like Objecto's humidifiers since they come in different sizes and are also stylish.
3. Steam inhaler -- I start every morning and prepare for every show with a steam inhaler.  A steam inhaler is essentially a personal sauna for your voice/nasal passages.  It's a small device that allows you to breathe in water vapor, which warms up the voice and relieves congestion.  I use the MABIS Personal Steam Inhaler, but there are many different brands.  Simply plug it in, add some water, and breathe into it for about 9 minutes.  Sometimes, I will also add a few drops of essential oils as well.  Steam inhalers are very popular among singers--I can't recommend it enough!
4. Neti pot -- I typically only use a neti pot when I am feeling congested or my allergies are acting up.  A neti pot is a container used to irrigate your nasal cavity.  I mix in warm distilled water, a saline solution, and a few drops of moisturizing essential oils.  The whole process is kind of gross (I won't describe it here, but feel free to Google it!), and it also takes some practice, but it instantly clears up any congestion.  It's important to use sterile water and not to overdo it.  I use my neti pot about once a month preventatively, as well as as often as needed when sick or congested.
5. Tea and honey -- a singer's best friend!  Throat Coat tea is tea that is specifically designed to soothe singers' throats.  I drink Throat Coat tea when I'm practicing and performing; I bring it on stage in a thermos with me during shows.  Eating a few spoonfuls of honey is also terrific for coating the vocal cords.  My other throat coating tip is Grether's Pastilles, which are Swiss gummies that also help to hydrate the cords.  I'll eat one before I perform or record and they are incredibly helpful.  A lot of other singers swear by them as well, including Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Idina Menzel, and Harry Styles.
6. Vocal warmups -- besides everything else, it's still really important to warm up before singing.  Even warming up for a few minutes is really helpful for keeping the voice healthy.  Something especially important is to not oversing or push your voice more than you're able to.  Take your time building up your vocal stamina.  If you keep practicing, you'll be able to slowly expand your range and extend the amount of time you can sing for.  If you push yourself too much, you can damage your voice.

Those are some of my simple tips to keeping a healthy voice!  Got any other vocal questions?  Send me a message on Instagram (@audriix)!

Written by Audriix :
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When it comes to pursuing her passion for music, Audriix is nothing less than a force of nature. Growing up in northern California, the singer/songwriter begged for violin lessons at age two, took up the instrument just a year later, and soon moved on to also mastering piano, viola, and singing (eventually adding guitar and drums as well). Having started writing songs at age six, she later self-produced her first batch of material in the midst of earning three degrees from Stanford University. Through it all, Audriix has developed her own unforgettable voice as an artist: strong and self-assured, thoughtful but light-hearted, clear-eyed yet infectiously hopeful. On her full-length debut Status Change, Audriix brings that voice to a brightly edgy brand of pop built on massive choruses and effervescent melodies. Website : https://www.audriix.com