Page 91 - Music

(c) Fried foods: Foods such as chips, fried bites or snacks that have been deep-
fried or prepared in a lot of oil tend to accumulate the vocal cords with too
much fat. Too much fat in the vocal cords reduces their flexibility, hence poor
voice performance.

(d) Foods or drinks with caffein: These include coffee, caffeinated tea and others
which may cause loss of water in the body (dehydration), hence drying-out
the vocal cords. When the vocal cords become dry, they can easily get injured
since there is no mucus to reduce their friction when they vibrate.

(e) Cold foods and drinks: Foods and drinks that are too cold cause the muscles
in the throat to become tight or constricted, resulting in unnecessary stress and

loss of flexibility to the vocal cords. This negatively affects the performance
of the singer’s voice.

Exercise 6.1

Answer the following questions:

1. What role does water play in maintaining vocal health for a singer?

2. With examples, explained the disadvantages of eating fried foods and
dairy products before a singing performance.

3. Why is herbal tea preferred over caffeinated tea for singers?
4. With examples, explain how processed sugar may negatively affect a

singer’s voice.

Techniques for a good singing performance

A skilled singer applies appropriate techniques to produce a clear and controlled
sound. The techniques allow the singer to breathe correctly while singing, sing in
accurate pitch, sing correct notes and articulate words correctly. These techniques
make the voice both powerful and flexible, allowing the singer to effectively
convey a wide range of emotions. The following are some of the important
techniques that singers should observe for good performances:

(a) Correct body posture: Body posture is related to how singers position their
bodies when singing. In order to achieve good vocal production when
singing, singers should correctly position their body parts such as feet, knees,

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