Start Your Year On Top.

Those of you who study with me know my philosophy: if your body is telling you to take a break, you obviously need one.

However......

Have a look at the calendar: it’s nearly February. Had a good time in the sun? A great break with the family? Hopefully your Christmas was as decadent as mine......

It can take only a week for your vocal conditioning to decrease if you're not using it in rehearsal/performance/workout mode every day or so. The memory of it is still there, but you might have formed new pathways, different patterns over your break.

It’s time to get back on the horse.

Where to start? Here’s a few hints (in no particular order):

* Some daily semi-supine and a listen to your breath to re-engage.

* Some good sirening to really get those neglected pitches at either end of the spectrum back into working order (remember - if you don’t use it, you lose it).

* Some good rib stretches to make room for movement....or some yoga.

* Get your articulators back on track with some good muscular work.

 * Grab a great voice book from the library or local bookshop and work through it from the most basic exercises. I’d suggest Patsy Rodenberg ‘The Actor Speaks’, Kristen Linklater ‘Freeing the Natural Voice’ or (for great muscularity) Michael McCallion ‘The Voice Book’. This will allow you to really work at your own pace.

If you’re feeling particularly uninspired, meet with a friend every couple of days for a good voice workout.

Take note - don’t beat up on yourself if you’re not able to achieve what you could in November or December. Just keep engaging with your voice work daily, and the results will start to show. Note that it might take a couple of weeks of dedication.....but don’t leave it until a day before an audition or your return to drama school!