KATE COCKER: THE PRESENTER COACH WORKSHEET | Vocal Care and Warm Ups

Vocal warm ups and basic care

• Make sure the first time you speak on the radio is not the first time you have spoken that day

• Warm up your lips, and make sure you can get your mouth around your words

Tongue twisters are good for this – here is a good place to start http://www.write-out-loud.com/dictionexercises.html

• Use a technique: A E I O U

Say the vowels over and over Stretch your mouth into them Shout them, sing them, whisper them – repeat and add variety

• Drink a lot of water and stay physically fit. The performance of your vocal chords

are linked to your physical wellbeing.

• If you are ill, then take the day off. Powering through a soar throat or even whispering through some level of laryngitis will still delay repair of the vocal chords!

• Type “vocal health” in to google and you will get a lot of links

Here is one that I trust: http://www.write-out-loud.com/voice-health.html

• Try to control your throat – shouting and letting the air come through your vocal chords too fast can damage your throat. And try to avoid pubs or clubs where you are shouting to be heard before speaking on your show!