The Experts Weigh In: A Singer's Secret Arsenal

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BY: ROWEN BRIDLER, CONTRIBUTOR

Before I became a professional singer and actress, I read a lot about the topic of protecting your voice. I wanted to have a clear throat for recording, and for my acting, I desired the ability to get my words out without stumbling. I quickly learned the obvious tricks, such as drinking herbal tea (to warm up the throat) and having throat sweets when I got a bit 'croaky'. But while I did all these things, I lacked a good strategy for dealing with stress, which can negatively affect the voice. I'll admit it - I'm one of the many victims of IBS, and extra stress can cause my IBS to play havoc on my life if I don't keep it under control. I have to be extra careful to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, while avoiding white bread, pasta, rice and other typical foods that make IBS symptoms flare up.

However, as a singer, I found that spicy foods cleared up my throat effectively. Much to the dismay of my IBS, I happen to be quite a fan of Mexican food, especially snacks like chips and salsa (Tori Amos used to eat salsa and blue corn chips before recording, so it seemed like quite a good habit to adopt). Although eating these things can be really effective for clearing my throat and sinuses, it wreaks havoc on my tummy. The stress of going into the studio, knowing I'm spending £25 an hour to get the vocals recorded on a song, will push me over the edge if I eat spicy food as well. Thankfully, if I need the same throat-clearing effect of spicy foods, I can opt for hot tea with ginger (fresh ginger is always much preferable to lemon and ginger tea bags). Ginger is kind to my stomach, leaving me with little to worry about in the studio.

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Some of my clients worry about their voice 'giving out on them' if they have several gigs (or a long series of audio books to record). Even for those who don't sing or act, voice preservation can be a concern when delivering a series of presentations over a few days. Honestly, I think the worry of losing your voice makes everything ten times worse. From personal experience, it isn't going to happen unless you purposely go against recommended advice. The most basic things you can do to preserve your voice include avoiding dairy products (yes, that means chocolate) and drinking plenty of herbal tea or water. But remember, it's also important to manage your stress levels.

Now let's talk about smoking. One of my clients recently asked if it was absolutely necessary to give up smoking. This one's a no brainer - yes, yes and yes! Smoking is the worst thing you can do! It sabotages your breath control, limits your lung capacity and reduces your range for singing. There's no two ways about it. Unfortunately, where I live in the Czech Republic (and in many other places in Europe apart from the UK), there is still no ban on smoking indoors. If you live in a place like this, you need to avoid hanging out in smoky bars, especially if you're likely to get caught up in a fascinating conversation that requires you to yell above the din of the music and chatter - you'll be breathing in huge lung-fulls of smoke this way.

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Lastly, regular exercise is enormously beneficial to anyone needing to speak in public or sing. I exercise three times a week with sessions of 30 minutes of Pilates followed by 30 minutes of aerobics, which involve me leaping about to my favourite pop songs (Kylie Minogue and Madonna time!). This has helped me in so many ways, so much so that I can't do without it now. Firstly, it keeps my energy levels up overall, and secondly, it helps to improve my circulation, which, judging by my Mum's constantly cold hands and feet, would be getting even worse now if I didn't work out. And thirdly, it helps in dealing with stress because I can literally punch and high kick my way to feeling strong and in control, and that in turn keeps the worst of my IBS at bay.

Exercising also has great mental health benefits. That feeling of energy and strength (and giving Kylie Minogue a run for her money as I half dance, half leap about through a series of her songs) makes me feel like anything else I have to tackle in my life is simple compared to the energy needed for aerobics. It also gives me the added bonus of doing a bit of singing while out of breath, which is really good practice for any pressured situation (like an audition or performance in front of a big crowd of people) because you learn to make the best of a really difficult situation. There's definitely something important about keeping to those three slots per week as non-negotiable time for me. I block it out on my calendar and stick to it. I'm prioritising my health, and I think that's vital. It reminds me that above all else, despite however many clients I may be coaching that week, my health comes first. Exercising improves my breath control and helps my voice directly in that way, but it's also a crucial form of self-care. Above all else, it's fun. And fun is the perfect antidote to stress!

Rowen Bridler is a singer-songwriter, actress and voice coach. A native of the UK, she now lives in Prague, though if she had it her way, she would be a nomad, travelling across the US and Europe. She works with clients from both an acting and/or musical background to help build their confidence and enable them to best use their voices for either singing or voice over work. She is currently working on a couple of films, one of which is the Danish production '1864', where she plays Johanna von Bismarck. She has also established a 'mini-songs' series containing snippets of her own songs performed in front of her Macbook. In her spare time, of which she has almost none, she can be found wearing Cookie Monster t-shirts with her pearls, working out to girly pop songs and reading old copies of Vogue.

To read more about Rowen, visit her at www.rowenbridler.com and www.howtosingforyourlife.com.

The Experts Weigh In: From The Outside Looking In

BY: BENNETT GOLDER, CONTRIBUTOR

Well, here it goes. I've been asked to write a guest blog post for Strictly Nutritious, which is surprising because I'm not terribly interesting. Before I begin, I must point out that I don't trend towards the nutritious, so this post will be more about feeding your mind - probably not so much your body or spirit.

I'm an American who lives abroad. I've lived in London now for just over two years. I say 'American living abroad' intentionally because I dislike the seeming finality of saying 'ex-pat'. Saying ex-pat seems to preclude the possibility of moving back (I might) and also seems to indicate that I'm not proud of who I am and where I came from (I am).

However, I've found the experience of living abroad to be quite enlightening. In fact, I think the distance of the Atlantic Ocean has given me a great opportunity to cast a more critical eye on the wild, wacky place that I call my homeland.

I hate to say it but America is an angry place. Having worked in politics for four years in Washington, D.C., I know this firsthand. Our office fielded hundreds of angry calls every day from people all over the world. We use violence to get our points across - even IF our only point is: 'I'm angry'. To make matters worse, politicians and talking heads lob ad hominem attacks on 24 hour cable news talk shows without thinking twice.

"Barack Obama is a socialist dictator bent on destroying everything we hold dear"...

"George W. Bush was, quite simply, Hitler"...

I could go on all day.

When did this become OK? Why have we gotten to this point? Just why are Americans so angry?

OK, to be fair, the majority aren't so angry, but here's one thing I've noticed about the UK. People here aren't so angry. 'Keep Calm and Carry On' isn't just a hackneyed poster that tourists buy on Oxford Street. Brits tend to keep their wits about them. Politics here are carried out with a bit of humor and a healthy dose of British self-deprecating wit. People protest, and sometimes the government listens. People whine and complain, but typically they do so with their legendary stiff British upper lip.

I can't say why for sure that it seems less angry here, but I think the biggest reason is that people just aren't that stressed.

If you lose your job, it's tough, but there's a safety net to catch you and help you until you're back on your feet. If you get sick, you don't have to worry that you'll get dropped from your insurance or your co-pay will be too high. The National Health Service - the kind that some politicians will tell you has ruined Britain - takes care of everyone regardless of whether they're a British citizen or not. On top of that, nobody is that overworked because you get about 25 days of holiday every year. University educations are also inexpensive and accessible to all.

It's an amazing thing just how much stress can ruin your life and make you unhappy. I'm not saying that socialized medicine is the panacea, but it's a start. I'm not saying more holiday will make Americans suddenly stop killing each other, but it's a start. Brits have a healthy distrust of the state, but when all is said and done, they know the state will take care of them should any accident occur - it's that underlying comfort that makes people rest a bit easier at night over here.

Now, in the interest of proving that I'm still quite proud to be an American, I must mention a few things the Brits could learn from Americans...

1. No, you don't need to put butter on EVERYTHING. Some foods' original flavors like to shine through without having to fight through a thick film of fermented cream.
2. America is multiethnic. Britain is not. You're not getting overrun by immigrants and you don't need to close off your borders. America gains its strength through its diversity.
3. We get British humor. We just don't think it's that funny.
4. For the last time, I know rugby players don't wear pads, but there's no way they could beat up our football players. It's not even close.
5. It's a vitamin, pronounced 'VYE-tuh-min', not 'VIH-tuh-min'. Because it's VYE-tul you eat VYE-tuh-mins, not VIH-tul that you eat VIH-tuh-mins. Case closed.

Bennett Golder lives and works in London, England, but hails from Marietta, Georgia, like myself. He received his BA in Political Science from Vanderbilt University and his Masters in Political Sociology from the London School of Economics. But that's not all! He still managed to fit a career in politics in Washington, D.C. in there somewhere too! On his day off, you can find Bennett doing lots of walking and eating - exploring all the different neighborhoods and culinary fares that London has to offer (but he still likes his collard greens best, as any good Southern boy will tell you). When asked what his favorite part of London is, he replied "I've never been in a more dynamic city than London. Every neighbourhood has its own distinct feel, its own edge. It's massive but not overwhelming, beautiful but not imperfect, and exceptionally diverse in every sense of the word. The author Samuel Johnson once said, 'If you're tired of London, you're tired of life'."