Where's My Freaking Dressing Room?!

This week Alex and Helen mythbust some of the common misconceptions surrounding diet and singing.

Caffeine

A huge topic in the vocal world, there are many conversations about caffeine being a vocal irritant, drying out the cords and preventing healthy singing.

Mythbust: It’s important to remember that nothing you eat or drink directly touches the vocal folds; that is a physical impossibility. Caffeine is a diuretic and therefore dehydrates the whole body. In understanding that we can combat the effects with caffeine by drinking a healthy amount of water throughout the day. It’s also worth considering how much caffeine you ingest a day. It’s unlikely that 1 or 2 coffees will have a major effect, however, 6 or 7 might!

Alcohol

Like caffeine, alcohol dehydrates the body (note we’re saying the body, not the larynx/voice). And again, like caffeine, you can take in enough water to offset the alcohol you drink. However, we know that there are times when we all have a little too much to drink and we need to be conscious of how alcohol affects our ability to sing.

For some, alcohol is no problem and they can sing on a hangover without any difficulty. For others, it’s not so easy. When it comes to alcohol we recommend getting to know your body and how your body copes when hungover. It might sound lame but if you’re unable to sing when hungover it might be helpful to plan nights when you know you can enjoy a few drinks because nothing is required of you the following day, allowing you enough time to rest, rehydrate and recuperate.

Dairy

For many, dairy is considered a big no-no. Whether it be milk, chocolate or cheese, dairy is often said to thicken the vocal folds and create more mucus which can obstruct healthy and efficient singing.

Mythbust: Dairy cannot thicken vocal folds as it has no contact with vocal folds. In addition, dairy does not increase the body’s mucus production, however, there is a reaction between the enzymes in dairy and the body’s saliva which can create a somewhat thick liquid that then coats the mouth. There are a number of ways to combat this affect such as steaming, gargling salt water and drinking warm liquids. Similar to alcohol, your diet is about knowing your body. If you struggle to sing after eating chocolate or drinking milk, perhaps avoid it before a rehearsal or performance.

Acid

Acid reflux is considered a major vocal fold irritant. Unlike caffeine, alcohol and dairy, acid reflux can directly affect the vocal folds. Stomach acid created by acid reflux can rise into the oesophagus and when the throat sphincters are not functioning well this acid can then flow into the throat and touch the larynx.

Acid reflux does not affect everyone but for those it does, it’s important to consider your diet. Foods such as bell peppers, tomatoes and onions can be major irritants alongside orange juice, citrus fruits and even chocolate. For acid reflux we would recommend using a food diary, writing down what you eat and making a brief note of how it affects you in the following 12 hours. You can then see which food groups and which recipes work well for you, and which ones you might need to avoid.

Our diet is something that can considerably affect the way we sing and so it’s worth taking it into account. Athletes know exactly what they put in their body before they train and compete, and singers should not be so different.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all want to try and pretend nepotism doesn’t happen in the opera industry but, let’s face it, it does. So, how can you use nepotism to your own advantage?

• Make your own connections

If you’re in a room with someone you want to work with, what’s the harm in having a chat? You don’t have to directly ask for work, you don’t even have to directly ask for an audition, instead you can discuss an opera you saw recently, or something you read in the news, whatever! In making the initial connection it’s about making simple conversation and making an impression on said person.

• Make connections in a way that works for you

Perhaps you’re not used to making conversation with people you don’t know, or perhaps you’re a socially shy person; if that’s the case then maybe you can use social media to your advantage? Sending a tweet to a casting director or agent in an attempt to make contact can have a lot of value. Form connections in the way that works best for you. You should never have to feel uncomfortable when making connections.

• Use a business brain

Building relationships with people takes time. As with business relationships, you have to prime people in order for connections to prove fruitful. Take your time - calls, emails, tweets, meetings - it all contributes to the end outcome.

• Create your own luck!

Based on a book Helen read over the summer, here are five ways of thinking that could improve your own luck:

1. Be more relaxed (ha!) If you’re open to the situation in front of you, rather than desperately trying to achieve one single thing, you can be more open to new situations and ideas, and form new connections.
2. Be open to new things and new experiences. The more people you meet, the more things you do, the bigger your chances are to create your own luck.
3. Build and maintain a social network - create new connections, sustain old ones. (N.B. this can be tiring so make sure to schedule to appropriate rest time in response to this kind of work.)
4. Expect good luck. Many people walk into auditions telling themselves that they WILL get this role. Can you do the same? Often people that expect good luck are able to turn difficult situations on their head and see the positives - is that something you can try?

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's our last episode of the year so we decided to take a look back at the New Year's Resolutions we made back in series 1 on the pod in January and see whether we stuck to any of them or just totally ignored them.

Before we get started don’t forget to tag us on social media #AlexSimpsonFail and tell us whether you think Alex passed his driving test this week!

Resolution 1: Let it Go

Helen: 'I feel like I'm a lot better at letting go of bad rehearsal experiences, and even on a smaller scale bad notes or bars of music when I'm performing. I understand better now that there's no point getting hung up on those things, you just have to let them go. Having said that I still have massive issues with posting on social media so I didn't do so well there.'

Alex: 'I got a lot better at letting go of my worries in the rehearsal room. I was always so concerned about what my colleagues thought of me but over the course of the last year I've been able to let go of that worry and focus more on being in the actual moment.'

Resolution 2: Get It Done

Alex and Helen: 'As two people that love to control things, we both nailed this one. We love to plan our days, to schedule and organise our time and be as productive as possible.'

Helen: 'HOWEVER, that can have some set backs. You can get so used to creating your own ideal schedule that when someone else asks you to rehearse at a date/time you dislike, you really struggle to adapt. The scheduling has to be flexible.'

Resolution 3: Feed Yourself

Helen: 'Too easy. Just kidding! If I'm honest I don't think I was as successful with this as I wanted to be. It's been a really unusual year and so although I've found time for things I love such as reading, running, cooking, theatre, I haven't given myself to these things as mindfully as I probably should.'

Alex: I approached this resolution slightly differently - seeing it as making sure to make time for myself. I know now that in the morning I hate being in a rush to get the day started. I like to take my time when enjoying my breakfast and morning coffee. I see that process as a little ritual, something that I keep for myself and in that time I have the headspace to think, plan, consider. Making time for myself is really important.'

Alex and Helen: 'This resolution did make us both think about the fact that singing simply isn't the be all and end all for us. Yes, we absolutely love it and yes, we are passionate about this career but there are so many other things that are important to us and it's about being able to find the balance of those things.'

Resolution 4: Don't Make Resolutions

Helen: 'Har har. We're such losers. Having said that, I think this is something really important which I will take into 2022. The world is so unpredictable right now and your life can change overnight (I would know!) so try and adopt flexible goals that you can change and adapt as you see fit, rather than unrelenting resolutions.'

Alex: 'Resolutions don't have to be about looking at the bad things of 2021 and going into 2022 and saying I MUST FIX THESE. Resolutions can be celebrating things that went well and aiming to continue on that path, or making a commitment to try something new or different. We should see resolutions as a positive thing.'

This episode we're encouraging you to 'Hit the Refresh button' as we draw a line under 2021. Let's celebrate the end of the year and get ready to rock for 2022. We've got lots of exciting plans on the way so watch this space!

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a brand new season comes a lot of new changes:

• We are really specialising now, talking to that core audience (of approximately 2 people?!) about the world of OPERA and what things are like backstage.
• Episodes will be coming out EVERY WEEK!
• We’re delighted to be introducing a brand new podcast segment, ‘Breakdown of the Week’ where we share something that’s not gone quite as we planned and how we dealt with it. To ease us into that, we thought we’d start the season proper with a whole episode on breakdowns.

In this episode we discuss what we call three ‘red flags’ which are signs that we’re heading for a breakdown, and offer some tips and support as to how we can stop that from happening.

1. Unable to rest

Often we find that when our responsibilities are piling up and the to do list keeps getting longer it’s incredibly hard to rest. Any time we try to take a break our mind is filled with all of our unfinished jobs, all the worries we have for the future, and we can’t seem to sit still. When we’re unable to rest, this is a ‘red flag’ that a future breakdown may be on the way. How can we address this?

We have to be as disciplined with scheduling downtime as we do with scheduling practice and all of our other regular commitments.

Restorative downtime means taking a proper mental break; more often than not, this means no screens. You could go for a walk, cook a meal, read a book, go for a run, or even have a nap. In this day and age every element of our lives can be found on our phones. If your restorative downtime is watching a Netflix series while you’re on your phone messaging colleagues about rehearsals, scheduling room bookings or checking your emails, it’s not really downtime.

For both of us, if our communication styles rapidly change it’s a sign that things are not going well and a breakdown may be on the horizon. For Alex, he finds himself unable to speak. For Helen, she develops an incredibly short temper. How can we handle these changes?

Both Helen and Alex are big advocates of meditation and mindfulness. These practices teach us how to be aware of ourselves and how to notice when significant changes occur. This means when our communication styles change because we feel stressed, under pressure and close to burnout, we are able to step outside of ourselves, see what is happening, and manage this pressured behaviour. When we realise we are not coping well, we then try and practice good self care, prioritising things such as a healthy diet, a good sleep routine and regular exercise (Of course, all of this is a lot easier said than done!)

Both Alex and Helen find that certain physical symptoms highlight when things are not going so well. Alex becomes unusually over-emotional and Helen often experiences stomach cramps and heart tremors. Of course, each person’s symptoms are unique and personal, but how can we deal with this?

Depending on your physical symptoms, our advice is simple: treat it! If you have stomach cramps, make yourself a ginger tea and adapt your diet to include gentle and soothing meals. If you have heart tremors, perhaps practice familiar breathing exercises. If you’re feeling emotional, be kind to yourself. Allow yourself to express your feelings.

If you feel it would help, tell those you’re working with that you are going through a difficult time. More often than not, those around you will support you and want to prioritise your mental and physical wellbeing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New year, same dressing room, and this week Alex and Helen have a double bill for you.

To start, they discuss the seasonal nature of the career as a performer and how it often involves intense periods of work (like Christmas!) followed by intense periods of quiet (did someone say January blues?). They suggest using your off-season to reflect, plan and work on personal development as well as managing your on-season in order to avoid three months of chaotic work without a break.

Following that, they offer you a January self-care package. With the seasonal nature of the career in mind they understand that January can be a difficult time for many performers and so they suggest:

• Let the Christmas cheer spill over!

Why does all the fun have to stop as soon as we hit January 1st? January can often be cold, dark and difficult, why not warm it up with a nice cheese board and mulled wine with friends? Use the January downtime for things you won’t be able to do in the busier months, whether that be visiting family, reading or cooking.

• Let yourself cocoon

Christmas can be an intense period for performers so recognise if your body needs to rest and LISTEN! Give yourself the time to recover that you deserve. Others may be setting intense goals and attempting to follow resolutions but it’s important not to compare. The seasonal nature of the performing career is unique, let your body tell you what it needs.

• Manifest 2022

Alex and Helen like manifesting because it isn’t goal-bound or time-bound. It uses your imagination and gives you a creative opportunity to consider your future. Ask yourself where you’d like to be at the end of 2022 and see what your brain throws up! Do you like what you see? Can you make decisions which align with that manifestation in order to help bring you closer to that ideal?

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.