Mental health and wellbeing column: avoiding vocal fatigue

In all teaching, we find ourselves needing to use our voice. It's an essential piece of kit, no matter which subject you teach. But as music teachers, it's arguably our most important instrument. It's our biggest and most versatile teaching tool used to give instructions, talk to pupils and parents, demonstrate aural skills and, crucially, build relationships with our students and get the most out of them.

However, like any regularly used instrument, it needs maintenance and a little TLC to avoid long-term strain or damage.

Signs your voice might need a tune-up

Have you noticed your voice feeling tired, croaky and sore at the end of term, or even the end of a long and varied teaching day? Let's shine a light on some of the indicators of a tired voice:

• Sore or burning sensation in the throat
• A roughness to the vocal tone when speaking or singing
• Dryness or scratchy sensation in the throat
• Changes in vocal tone or quality.

It goes without saying that if you experience any of these symptoms regularly, we encourage you to speak with a specialist. Unresolved issues can cause greater damage in the long run.

Overuse or misuse of the voice is a common cause of vocal fold disorders, often caused through excessive singing, talking or shouting. Ultimately, as music teachers you'll be keenly aware of your voice and what it normally sounds and feels like. Anything outside of your usual experience might be a sign that your hard-working voice box needs a break.

Maintaining good vocal health

You may well have some go-to methods to keep your voice in good working order, but here are some from the Kent Music team to add to your repertoire:

• Stay hydrated. Drinking water regularly throughout the day will help maintain good vocal health. For those who need extra hydration, steam inhalation can moisten and relax the throat.
• Morning warm-ups. Prepare your voice for the day! Try humming up and down in pitch to create a siren effect, getting a little higher and lower each time to use more of your vocal range. Alternatively, hum along to the radio on the way to work.
• Breathing exercises. Exercises which focus on the movement of the breath are especially helpful. Try inhaling for four, holding for four, and exhaling for four, increasing the length of the counts each time. It works as well for us teachers as for pupils.
• Engage your core. Your voice is a whole-body instrument. Take deep breaths from your chest to strengthen your voice, instead of relying solely on your throat. Speaking from your throat without enough breath support can strain your vocal cords. Check out resources on Alexander Technique to go more in-depth on this – you won't regret it.
• Try not to shout. If you have a class which takes a while to settle, try using a visual cue to get their attention and follow this by speaking softly or at a normal volume. This should bring the class to you rather than raising your voice over them, which risks escalating noisy scenarios.
• Vocal rest. Try to find times throughout the day to rest your voice. You could even stack some good vocal habits at the same time, such as breathing exercises and drinking water (or nice steamy tea) between lessons or school visits.

The tips above are a wonderful place to start, but there's a wealth of expertise out there to help keep your voice happy. We recommend checking out specialised guides from Sing Up, the ISM and the NHS (see below), and don't forget to speak to your colleagues – who knows what vocal tips you might discover and pass along?

• Sing Up – vocal health for teachers
• ISM – Keeping a Clear Voice handbook
• NHS – voice care advice for teachers
• Kent Music website