Wendy LeBorgne, PhD CCC-SLP (Voice Pathologist and Singing Voice Specialist) is the director of the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation and the Professional Voice Center of Greater Cincinnati. Photo: USC Thorton Popular Music Major – Annie Dingwall Although nothing you eat or drink gets onto the vocal folds, adequate oral hydration allows the mucus to act like a lubricant instead of glue. Be sure to drink plenty of non-caffeinated beverages throughout the day. Long term phonotrauma can lead to vocal fold changes such as vocal fold nodules.ĥ. After a period of doing this, your vocal folds begin to react to the impact by becoming swollen and red. When you increase your vocal loudness, your vocal folds bang together harder (much like clapping your hands really hard, loud, and fast). Avoid phonotraumatic behaviors such as yelling, screaming, loud talking, singing too loudly. As you improve, you should be able to increase the amount of time as well as the difficulty of vocal skill.Ĥ. Rather, you should sing (and exercise) in smaller increments of time (30-45 minutes) each day, gradually building muscular skill and stamina. You would not think of trying to get all of your exercise in at the gym by going one day a week for 5 hours. When you are preparing for a show or audition season, you must pace yourself and your voice. You want to be the next star that they hire, not just a copycat.ģ. Also remember that if you are imitating someone who is already famous, their millions have been made. Attempting to imitate someone else’s voice or singing style can require you to sing or do things outside of your comfortable physiologic range or current vocal skill level. Professional singers carry some of these same risks and must maintain a disciplined practice schedule with intervals of rest and recovery to perform at an optimal level, regardless of genre.Ģ. Gymnasts are extremely disciplined people who spend hours perfecting their craft and are much more likely than the general public to sustain an injury. Singers are like vocal gymnasts who traverse their artistic range with apparent ease and flexibility. Train your voice and body just like an athlete: Learn proper singing technique, don’t overuse the voice, get plenty of rest, eat a balanced, healthy diet. Sometimes, indoor cats will spray in response inside the house.1. This can cause your indoor cat to become even more agitated. If the outdoor cat sprays, odor molecules can sometimes be carried in through vents or open doors or windows. Sometimes outdoor cats may come to your property and deliberately spray around the outside of your house. They may also start to eliminate in inappropriate areas around the house. They may vocalize and pace back and forth close to the window where they last saw the other cat. Some indoor cats may not become aggressive but still exhibits signs of stress. It may sound funny but it is not a funny matter when your cats suddenly start fighting with each other after one episode of redirected aggressive behavior or when your cat starts to attack you or your dog every time he sees you after the incident. I have certainly encountered many cats who get so upset at the sight of an outdoor cat that they fluff out their fur, start yowling and hissing and then may turn on the closest living creature standing next to them, whether that’s their feline housemate, the family dog or the unsuspecting owner. In some cases, indoor cats may become upset by the sight of strange cats close to their property. Those of us who keep our cats indoors know that sometimes indoor cats may be interested in watching outdoor cats walk through their yard and hang around outside their house. Indoor cats are kept away from potential dangers such as other outdoor animals, cars and getting into potentially toxic or poisonous substances such as rat bait or antifreeze (unless of course they find these things inside their own homes). While some people let their cats outside, other people choose to keep their cats indoors because indoor cats typically live longer lives than outdoor cats. The point is, owners of outdoor cats may not be aware of how much their outdoor cat is wandering or the effect it might be having on others.
Almost everyone in the neighborhood had tried to adopt her cat at one time or another. The cat would try to attack them in their own homes or cars when they tried to get the cat to leave! In another case, an owner was embarrassed to learn that her cat was going up to neighbors’ houses and begging for food. For example, I worked with a family that was mortified to learn at a neighborhood block party that the neighbors each had a story of how their cat was a bully. Many people may not realize that their cats may be a menace to the neighborhood or to the neighbors' cats.