forum performance tips song database e-cards MTA shop blog shows auditions

MTA Login
Main Menu
Home
Search
News Feeds
Links
Gift Center
Calendar
FAQs
Center Stage Club
Show Reviews
Performance Tips
Resources
Who's Online
Forum Statistics
Total user: 2563
Total message: 16444

 

 

What Not To Eat Before Performing PDF Print E-mail
Written by triplethreat   

What You Should and Shouldn't Eat Before Performing

Just to clarify: Nothing that you eat or drink can possibly have any direct effect on the quality of your voice. When you swallow, the food goes down your esophagus, and never comes in contact with your vocal cords. The following may effect other aspects of your performance (ie. breathing) but not the vibration of the vocal folds. For any of this to make any difference at all, it would have to be very soon before performing. More than four hours way? Eat whatever you want.

Overall health should come first. Remember that the best way to keep your voice healthy is to keep your body healthy, so eat a complete diet and keep your body hydrated.

Good

  • water - in moderation. Remember that saliva is your mouth's natural lubricant, not water. If your mouth is dry from nervousness (not thirst) chew gum to keep it moist. Just remember to spit it out before you go onstage.
  • citrus juice (you should water it down to avoid the "lumpy" feeling that too much acidity can cause in your throat)
  • mints and mint flavored things (if you must have tea, this is the way to go)

Bad

  • milk products (the lactose coats both throat and stomach and may effect your breathing)
  • carbonated beverages (burping mishaps)
  • sugary foods
  • coffee (you're just asking for mucus buildup)
  • leaving gum in your mouth while singing (It will cause you to start "hiding" behaviors to keep the gum from falling out of your mouth, which can cause tension and make you look silly. It will also increase saliva production which will cause you to swallow too often)

Additional Advice

  • Anything can damage your performance if you consume too much. Singers and dancers suffer the most from overeating -- a full stomach puts pressure on the abdomen and prevents you from breathing properly, and can cause cramps. Whenever possible, eat at least a few hours before performing to give your body time to digest.
  • Take a straw for drinks backstage so you won't mess up your makeup.
  • Remember that everyone is different. While some people maintain that lemonade is great before a performance, I have always found that it gives me a lump in my throat if I don't water it down first. Experiment with different things until you find what works best for you. Then let me know!

Some Advice From A Contributor, David Newman

"While it is true that there are demonstrable effects from drinking milk, coffee, or juice, they vary greatly from person to person. I think all advice regarding foods to eat or avoid should be offered with a big caveat: determine how things affect you, and then act accordingly. There was a period when I was singing children's operas at 9 am every morning. I actually drank a pint of milk before each performance because it seemed to help me keep my cords lubricated. (In fact, in one of those shows, I played a wolf with an upset stomach. We filled a Pepto-Bismol bottle with Nestle's Strawberry Quik, which I drank throughout the show!)

Juice, on the other hand, tends to gunk up the works for me. I just don't worry about eating chocolate - it seems to have very little effect on me. I still drink coffee almost every morning, and the only effect I notice is that I am more awake! (I picked up this habit when I was singing in the Spoleto Festival in Italy. We often had rehearsal at 8 am. I knew I could either get up at 6 am and warm up, or get up at 7:30 and have a cappucino on the way to rehearsal. The effects of each of these choices was similar for me, and the latter was much more appealing!)

When I was in college, I dated a woman whose mother was a professional oratorio singer. We spent a few weeks at her home, during which her mother had several performances. For three days before each performance, she would adhere to a strict regimen, taking naps at a specific time, and only eating certain foods. She was completely stressed out and very difficult to be around during those times, because everything had to be "just so".

I quickly decided that if I had to live life so strictly around every performance, I would rather do something else for a living! So, I made up my mind never to get so obsessed with singing that it made life unpleasant.

In fact, most of the professional singers I know are fairly easygoing in this regard. They are aware of specific things that have an obvious adverse effect on them, and they don't spend much time worrying about anything else.

And, in fact, this affords them the ability to avoid what probably has the worst adverse effect on the voice - Stress!

For advice on avoiding stress, I highly recommend visiting the website of my friend and mentor David Gordon at http://www.spiritsound.com/quotes.html. Be sure to read "How to stay stressed"!"

Visitor's Advice

  • I had a terrible experience at one competition (i'm a dancer). Me and a few of my fellow dancers were trying to eat SOMETHING before we danced because we hadn't eaten and someone had some grapes. It turns out that every single one of us that ate the grapes got terrible cramps while we were dancing. Therefore we have all sworn off of eating grapes before dancing =) -- Dinah
  • Nothing with caffeine, it ruins your voice for several hours. Also chocolate and chewy candies can disrupt your throat and give you a lump in your throat and perhaps even a hoarse voice. -- Kelly
  • I have always found that if you take 8oz. of water and add two drops of lemon juice (if you aren't suffering from a dry or sore throat) about half of an hour before performing, you can guarantee a clear, crisp voice. -- Sarah
  • I swear by flat Cherry Coke, as for me, the syrup functions like throat coat...but tastes a lot better. -- R. Marie

 

Comments (14) >> feed
...
written by annie, January 21, 2007

After staying at school for long practices (from 2 - 6:30) my stomach would just stop taking anything liquid. So I bring dry cereal, it wont do anything to you. smilies/smiley.gif

...
written by Angelina Panozzo, April 13, 2007

I have a rave for Chloraseptic prouducts....I got a seriously nasty case of bronchitis last winter right when all my college auditions were taking place (go figure). I had a horribly sore throat, but I knew I coulnd't skip these uber important auditions, so I invested in Chloraseptic throat spray. I wouldn't recommend it for regular usage, due to its ability to numb your tounge, but it definitely saved me. It numbed my throat enough so that I could sing without extreme discomfort, but left me enough feeling for vocal agility.

...
written by Elizabeth K., June 07, 2007

Just a note on chloraseptic-type products: they are numbing which means you could be hurting yourself during your performance and not know it until later. A combo I really like when I am fighting off a cold or sore throat (or even allergies) is mint or green tea with honey and lemon juice. If it's post-performance or rehearsal (and you are of age!) a very small amount of whiskey mixed into the concoction has antiseptic and pain-relieving qualities. Has worked for me for years. For all day performances/rehearsals/callbacks, I make a very large thermos of the non-alcohol version and drink it all day.

...
written by Stefani, June 11, 2007

Thanks! I always wondered about what not to eat, and this has given me a good base of discovery! smilies/grin.gif

...
written by mezzo_soprano, June 24, 2007

Does coffee disrupt your voice if you arn't singing but just talking?


...
written by FiddlerontheroofStar, June 26, 2007

green tea also works wonders. 5 days b4 opening night, i got Strep Throat and Bronchitous and green tea cured me (along with alot of meds)

...
written by Jo, July 18, 2007

I like this ginger drink that really cures all ills (especially with lemon). I get it in little powder packets at an oriental supermarket (although you could probably get it at health food stores) and its basically powdered ginger with honey

...
written by Marge, December 01, 2007

Last spring we were doing a school show on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Friday, we had school, then practice until 6 and curtain at 7:30. A few friends decided to order from the local pizza place, but our dance captain (who's a very proffesional ballerina, as well as a great singer) warned them not to. She ended up fasting from lunch (at 11:30) to curtain.

I found a happy medium between hunger cramps and pizza cramps. After practice, I made a mug of mint tea in the cafeteria and had a small snack. This has become my routine for before every show.

...
written by Shannon, December 03, 2007

I heard that eating grilled chicken wouldn't affect your voice too much, so I decided to try it before a recital today. Luckily I ate two hours before I had to sing, because apparently no matter what I eat, it affects my singing! (I've tried a LOT of things...nothing has worked, unfortunately, in allowing me to eat before singing) Just be careful. If you know you'll have to sing a lot during the day, PLAN times to eat beforehand. I had to sing at church, then a recital, then an audition, basically all one right after the other. I slotted in that time two hours before the recital to eat, and it's a good thing I did - the eating still affected my voice a little during the recital, but no one noticed but me. smilies/smiley.gif From now on my rule is going to be that I have to give myself no less than 2 1/2 hours before a performance to eat!

...
written by Allie, January 01, 2008

Before I perform at ANYTHING, I always eat potato chips, water, and a spoonful of honey. It soothes my voice and my nerves. But I learned to always try a new food before a REHEARSAL, and not a performance. And don't drink too much water... bad expierence when I almost missed my cue because I was in the bathroom!

...
written by Caitlin, January 27, 2008

I always do one or two honey shots any time I get the chance; I find that it really improves my voice and the stickiness really only lasts a few seconds. Other than that, I can't eat anything sweet or drink anything other than water, but I think it really does depend on the person.

...
written by Laura, February 27, 2008

Mint herbal tea (sometimes with a little lemon) and cough drops always work for me!!! smilies/smiley.gif

...
written by Sarah, March 01, 2008

Throat Coat with honey and Ricola work great!

...
written by Kaylee, May 27, 2008

I make this singer's tea. It has hot water, lemon, honey, and, surprisingly, cayenne pepper. It saved my voice enough for me to be able to sing O mio babbino for a judge at an arts festival in the morning, and then sing Carrie in Carousel that evening. My voice teacher swears by Sore throat/laryngitis but Nature's Sunshine.

Write comment

You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.


busy
 
< Prev   Next >

 

Latest Blog Entries
* Headshots!
* when it rains, it pours...
* My first blog
* Beauty and the Beast Casting
* me!

Applause For This SiteContact UsPrivacy PolicyLabelled With ICRAMusicalTheatreProduction.com