Hello all!
Welcome to Part 2 of the Audition Tips series! Yesterday, I reviewed the importance of KNOWING YOUR SHOW, and how to easily succeed at the potentially daunting task. Our topic for today will help you to:

PREPARE YOUR VOICE

I teach all levels of performers from first-time, semi-shy singers to the advanced "pros," and I recommend the following to everyone:

-Start by focusing in on your breathing. Without proper breath support, a steady, beautiful sound will be difficult to produce. In fact, let's take a moment to check on your breathing capacity right now!

 *Breathe in through your mouth for 4 counts, filling your belly with air...
 *Hold that breath for another 4 counts...
 *Release ALL of that breath in the duration of yet another 4 counts!

How did you do? That was pretty simple, huh? If you agree, challenge yourself! Try increasing the counts from 4 to 6, then 6 to 8, then 8 to 10...You get the idea. :) This simple and fun exercise will help you connect to your diaphragm, as well as naturally warm and moisturize the air that will be transferred to your larynx and lungs.

-Give yourself a facial/throat massage. Since it's important to keep tension out of the face when singing, and touching a muscle releases it, there's no better remedy. This is my FAVORITE step, by the way! Sometimes I beg my husband to help out to fully relax my muscles. Right, @michaeljohnson? :) (He's the best!) Anyway, time for you to give it a try:

 *Begin massaging at your hairline, working your way slowly down to your forehead, then your temples.
 *Continuing to move down the sides of the face, pause for a moment at your jaw hinges and release those. (I'm a singer dealing with the early stages of TMJ, and this is VERY important to keep the muscles from locking up mid-song. This will be the topic of a future article. Stay tuned!!!)
 *Keep moving down the face. Then, massage your lower and upper lips before moving upwards to massage the bridge and sides of the nose.
 *Finish up your facial massage by digging your thumbs into cheekbones. (Super important for sinus pain sufferers!)
 *Now that your face is feeling nice and loose, press your thumb directly under the center of your chin. Here, you'll notice a squishy patch before you reach your trachea. This is the base of your tongue!!! Drop your jaw slightly and massage it out.
 *Finally, place both hands on the sides of your trachea. With your mouth open, move it back and forth VERLY SLOWLY, and DO NOT TALK. Warning!!! It might pop and crunch a bit, but there's no need for alarm. You're simply releasing lots of pent up tension!

-Drink LOTS of water. Our throats tend to dry out pretty easily year-round with the combination of yucky or extreme weather, and indoor heating/cooling systems. It's highly recommended to drink eight, 8 oz. glasses of water per day; however, if you're a caffeine fanatic like me who NEEDS her coffee to behave like a normal human being, just remember to balance out the caffeine intake with the same amount of water. Caffeine is a diuretic (...sadness...)!

-Warm up wisely. It's always best to visit a vocal coach to record a vocal warm up tailored to your needs. Never underestimate the power of retaining a vocal coach at any age and skill level! My wonderful students range from 8 - 60! You're never too old or "too talented" to have a professional fine tune your voice. :)

-Lastly, when/if your voice fails you before the big audition (it happens to the best of us...), adhere to a strict vocal rest regimen:

 *Don't talk or sing for 24 hours. We all pretty much text our lives away, so do it up! :)
 *Drink lots of caffeine-free tea (like Throat Coat), or hot water with honey and lemon to warm and release the larynx.
 *Instead of singing, switch over to ear training. Listen to your audition piece so that it stays fresh in your mind.
 *SLEEP!!! The more you rest, the quicker your body will heal itself.
 *If you don't mind throat sprays, check out Vocal Ease. It's been a lifesaver for keeping my throat lubricated when it's been damaged by illness or overuse.

I hope you enjoyed today's tip! Check back tomorrow for Part 3!

All the Best,
Kim