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"D0s " & "Don'ts" which singers need to resort to for maintaining their voice

Topic started by A.G.Kutty (@ cf2-real.isu.net.sa) on Tue Apr 4 11:28:57 EDT 2000.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Actors and Actresses,with the passage of time, change their roles from heros and heroines to
those of father and mother or even grandfather and grandmother.But we have the example of singers who maintain their voice for decades together in such a condition that they can sing for teen age heros and heroines for ever. Examples are SPB,Yesudas etc.Can we discuss such personalities who could maintain the freshness of their voice on a permanent basis? What could have been the "Dos" and "Don'ts" they resort to for maintainig this?
Some of the reasons may be food habits, "sadhakam" etc.Please throw light from your knowledge and experience.

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Responses:

• From: aruvi (@ fw1.nybe.on.ca) on: Tue Apr 4 11:47:23 EDT 2000
  
  KJY
  Eat chicken
  
  
• From: Kutty (@ cf1-real.isu.net.sa) on: Tue Apr 4 12:17:41 EDT 2000
  
  Aruvi, an equivalent alternative is required for vegetarian singers, is it? In south indian scenerio,it seems there are many vegetarian singers.
  I hear that these people totally avoid taking
  cold stuff like ice creams etc.
  
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 209.36.218.132) on: Tue Apr 4 18:48:07 EDT 2000
  
  Kutty,
  I remember reading that KJY is very picky about the temperature of his liquid diet. Lukewarm is his preferred temperature. SPB has said he doesn't take any specific care, he said he has had hot coffee or ice cream before singing. Referring to his voice he said,"Adhu paadunna paadum saar"
  
  A speculation on my part: Besides his natural gift, SPB could have inadvertently benefitted from drinking fine Scoth all these years. I don't mean this as an insult or any kind of judgement because I personally do consume and have known people who have consumed drinks for many years; it definitely conditions the voice a certain way.
  
  I'm interested in hearing from professional singers in this forum on this issue.
  
  
• From: rajaG (@ kcecfp01.sprint.com) on: Tue Apr 4 19:37:54 EDT 2000
  
  I am more inclined to side with SPB (my natural bias notwithstanding). Diet by itself, has not affected my singing in any particular way. (I suck either way!!!) However, some people have natural allergies which may affect their overall physical condition in a particular manner. These allergies can lead to temporary conditions which may cause ENT problems. Most of the concerts in the U.S. are preceded by Dinner. Normally the vocalists are treated to 'left-overs' because they have been 'saving' their voice for the concert. Well, I don't. I don't want to miss good food (especially when that may be the only 'payment' I get for that evening's work:-)))
  
  Udhaya,
  
  Your observation about fine Scotch is interesting. Many north Indian vocalists are also Scotch bhakthaas and will 'request' a stiff one before+during+after the concert. I have found that
  wine makes my throat dry. I have never been a fan of Scotch, so I cannot address its by-product benefits.
  
  
  
• From: Nandakumar (@ pc-sarkar-p.eng.mcmaster.ca) on: Wed Apr 5 00:54:46 EDT 2000
  
  I think drinking helps someone who's singing on stage to let go, feel light, whatever, i cant say it, I dont think it conditions the voice,
  
  
• From: Velaiyaththavan (@ 129.252.26.235) on: Wed Apr 5 01:51:32 EDT 2000
  
  IS this waht is known as "sruthi yEthikkarathu" ? :-)
  
  
• From: Kutty (@ cf1-real.isu.net.sa) on: Wed Apr 5 04:03:55 EDT 2000
  
  Along with food habits,"Sadhakam" done on a consistent and continuous manner may possibly be
  one of the important factors.Specially, it appears
  that if it is done in the early morning time, it
  gives more effective results.Film singers like SPB&KJY are very buzy people and I do not know how many of them find time for it.
  Periodic medical monitoring is obviously a need for professional singers.
  Sheerkazhi Govindarajan was a singer who always
  maintained consistency of his voice throughout his
  life.Sheerkazhi, being a classical oriented singer,I feel he would have been definitely resorting to "Sadhakam".
  
  
  
  
• From: Kumuthavalli (@ orion.singnet.com.sg) on: Wed Apr 5 07:03:53 EDT 2000
  
  Hi, I am doing carnatic vocal as well but pardon me; i have no idea what "sadhakam" is... Can someone please enlighten me, please?
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.142) on: Wed Apr 5 07:59:16 EDT 2000
  
  sAdhakam is not `liquid diet', for sure:-) (pls refer SPB's fav)
  
  
• From: aruvi (@ thing07.slip.yorku.ca) on: Wed Apr 5 08:44:54 EDT 2000
  
  PPineapple should not be eaten by singers. It affects their throat. Read that somewhere.
  
  
• From: rajaG (@ 208.24.179.211) on: Wed Apr 5 09:53:54 EDT 2000
  
  Kumuthavalli: Sadhakam = Riyaaz = Practice (vocal exercise)
  
  
• From: MS (@ 129.252.26.235) on: Wed Apr 5 10:37:45 EDT 2000
  
  Kjy does saadhakam regularly.
  
  
• From: hihi:-) (@ psiphi.umsl.edu) on: Wed Apr 5 10:54:56 EDT 2000
  
  sAdha gum kUdAdhu, EnnA vAyE thoRakka mudiyAdhu :-))
  
  (vElai, pOdhumA? :-) )
  
  
• From: Velaiyaththavan (@ 129.252.26.235) on: Wed Apr 5 12:33:15 EDT 2000
  
  sAdhA gum willcause bAdhagam appadeengireengaLAa ? :-)
  
  
• From: Neel (@ ts003d21.har-ct.concentric.net) on: Wed Apr 5 13:20:44 EDT 2000
  
  Ayyo kodumaiyay, kadikkaraangalay
  
  
• From: vikas (@ 202.9.149.170) on: Wed Apr 5 14:42:30 EDT 2000
  
  nice little topic this is
  
  
• From: Kumuthavalli (@ orion.singnet.com.sg) on: Thu Apr 6 01:47:30 EDT 2000
  
  rajaG: Practice as in singing all the different 'varisai' and the 7 swarangal, right?
  
  
• From: bb (@ masur.crhc.uiuc.edu) on: Thu Apr 6 03:48:53 EDT 2000
  
  talking about having scotch, i've noticed many naadhaswaram/thavil vidwans consuming liquor before a concert, may be because the instruments need a huge amount of strength.
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.153) on: Thu Apr 6 05:06:01 EDT 2000
  
  bb: If you believe taking liquor gives a huge amount of strength, I'm sorry, you're mistaken:-) (eppOvAchchum adichchirukkeengaLA?)
  
  
• From: rajaG (@ daecfp01.sprint.com) on: Thu Apr 6 10:07:50 EDT 2000
  
  bb: I think it is more a mental 'feel good' effect as Nandakumar pointed out.
  
  kumuthavalli: Practice varies with individuals.
  
  
• From: bb (@ masur.crhc.uiuc.edu) on: Thu Apr 6 12:53:56 EDT 2000
  
  eden, adichchadhillai:-))
  
  
• From: Rafiq (@ alproxy1.proxy.lucent.com) on: Thu Apr 6 16:00:00 EDT 2000
  
  My two cents: After a couple of beers (4+) I sing better. Not just the total confidence that comes from not caring what the rest of the world thinks but seriously, a clearer voice and better breath control. Sam Adams seems the best.
  
  
• From: Neel (@ ts003d02.har-ct.concentric.net) on: Thu Apr 6 21:28:51 EDT 2000
  
  This thread needs to be renamed.
  
  
• From: Velaiyaththavan (@ 129.252.26.235) on: Fri Apr 7 01:07:50 EDT 2000
  
  If scotch or any other hot drink is seemingly beneficial to the throat, why does the cinema portray drunkards as one singing with "kattai kural" ?
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ 205.252.37.3) on: Fri Apr 7 10:48:58 EDT 2000
  
  Velai, that's probably because of over-confidence ;-) konjam thanni adichcha confidence varum, over-a thanni adichcha over-confidence varum :-)))
  
  Unga thalaivar KJY thaane paadinaar, "Adada Rum-mu vandha ragam varum konda...." :-)
  
  
• From: rajaG (@ daecfp01.sprint.com) on: Fri Apr 7 11:13:46 EDT 2000
  
  Velai: Since when did you start seeking cinema as a guideline for practices in real life?:-)
  
  Neel: Good call! may be we should call this thread "Drinking and Singing".
  
  
• From: pg (@ gate02.merck-medco.com) on: Fri Apr 7 11:50:37 EDT 2000
  
  I have seen Pankaj Udhas drink about 5-6 bottles of extra strong Bullet beer during a 5 hour concert. Non-stop drinking before, on-stage and after a concert.
  
  I don't know about other ghazal singers.
  
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 209.36.218.65) on: Fri Apr 7 12:46:51 EDT 2000
  
  Neel,
  I think we're still very much in topic here. This is one facet of music that rarely gets discussed. Despite some enjoyable wisecracks, I still find this thread informative.
  
  Let me add another issue to this discussion. In my high school days (adhaavathu karkaalaththil) one of the singers in the intramural competitions used to smoke. I thought this seriously affected a singing voice and his comment was that it broke his adolescent voice which shrieked somewhere between a boy's and a man's.
  
  What do you guys think? Is smoking a no-no if you're a serious singer?
  
  
• From: srikanth (@ host2.cvs.aa.net) on: Fri Apr 7 13:52:27 EDT 2000
  
  drinking has got nothing to do with good singing or bad singing....Till date I have not seen any playback singer drunk while recording, though I have seen few carnatic singers..drunk during concerts.
  Rajag, My recording studio is No drink zone. :)))
  
  
• From: raja (@ 63.86.193.2) on: Fri Apr 7 15:14:29 EDT 2000
  
  -Booze Digression-most of you would have seen this mail ..
  
  "A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo, and when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole is maintained or even improved by the regular culling of the weakest members.
  In much the same way, the human brain can operate only as fast as the slowest brain cells through which the electrical signals pass. Recent epidemiological studies have shown that while excessive intake of alcohol kills off
  brain cells, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first.
  Thus, regular consumption of beer helps eliminate the weaker cells, constantly making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. The result of this in-depth study verifies and validates the causal link between all-weekend parties and job related performance. It also explains why,
  after a few short years of leaving a university and getting married, most professionals cannot keep up with theperformance of the new graduates. Only those few that stick to the strict regimen of voracious alcoholic consumption can maintain the intellectual levelsthat they achieve during their college years.
  So, this is a call to arms. As our country is losing its technological edge, we must not shudder in our homes.
  Get back into the bars. Quaff that pint. Your company andcountry need you to be at your peak, and you shouldn't deny yourself the career that you could have. Take life by the
  bottle and be all that you can be.
  
  
• From: MS (@ 129.252.26.235) on: Fri Apr 7 16:11:50 EDT 2000
  
  Does that explain the speed of T.N.Seshagopalan in swarasanchaaram ? :-)
  
  

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