By Joanna Cazden

Musician's Log, Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Twilight. Drizzle. Been driving all day. Three frustrating hours stuck behind a bad accident put me way behind schedule. Played a vegan coffeehouse last night; tomorrow I have a radio promo and a full-length concert in the back room of a music store.

Pull off the Interstate, fumble for my cell phone and itinerary. Let my host know I won't make it for supper. Get out to stretch my legs, and then grind down the highway for three or four more hours. But I'll keep the radio turned off for a while and spend some time on vocal maintenance.

Traveling is an inevitable part of life for performing artists. But for a singer, grueling days and nights cramped in a car, bus, or airline seat, along with erratic nutrition and lack of sleep, can put the voice itself at risk.

You know the drill. After the first day on the road, you are tired and wired but trying to enjoy yourself. Another day or two and your back is seriously stiff. You ignore it. Within a week, your high notes start to disappear, you sound rough instead of ready, and you're convinced you've caught a sore throat. Most likely you're not sick, just exhausted, and the fatigue is showing up--where else?--in your voice.

So be prepared. Whatever you do at home to protect and strengthen your voice, you'll need extra doses on the road. (See Singer's Tune-Up for specific exercises.) A vocal warm-up tape can be especially helpful for travelers. Some are generic, while others are specifically designed for high or low male or female voices. Look for them at sheet-music or karaoke stores, and use them in your car's tape deck or a portable tape player with headphones. (Don't use headphones while driving, though!)

You can also try the Vocal Function Exercise principles developed by Dr. Joseph Stemple. Sing very quiet, long, single tones on the vowels ah, ee, and oo, staying in your midrange and keeping each note smooth and consistent throughout the length of a full breath. Then, slide through your entire range a few times, from bottom to top and back again. Stemple has clearly demonstrated that sustaining a quiet tone actually engages more of the vocal muscles than a sudden or loud sound, thus providing a more thorough, efficient vocal workout.

Whatever warm-up techniques you choose, practice them at home first under travel-like conditions: seated, facing one direction, and without visual cues. You'll eventually develop a routine you can do anywhere.

Before leaving home, prepare additional precautionary measures. For sleep insurance, pack earplugs, an opaque sleep mask, and a pillow that suits your neck. Stock up on protein bars, dried fruit, and whole-grain munchies at the health-food store so you won't need to rely on fast food. Plan to drink two quarts of water per day to keep the vocal tissues healthy. Drink more than that if you're traveling by air or to especially dry destinations.

Midnight, at the oasis (finally!)
Found a parking place only a block away from where I'm staying. Got my gear lugged up to my friends' third-floor apartment. Played with their new dog while they briefed me on the schedule for tomorrow. Looks like I'll be able to catch some decent sleep and then have time for yoga stretches and a good warm-up between brunch and the radio broadcast. Later, I'll swing by the music store for sound check and then back to base camp for a shower, light supper, and performance attire.

Schedule time for exercise and warming up every day to counteract the effects of travel stiffness on your posture and breath. Take extra-long showers to humidify and soothe your airway. Try not to be embarrassed or defensive about self-care: this is your career we're talking about!

And no matter how burned out you feel after a day in the saddle, no matter who invites you to socialize after a gig, don't eat a big meal late at night. Heartburn and acid reflux can irritate the voice while you sleep, and you won't sleep as well, either. It's better to make breakfast your time for serious chow.

Wednesday, 5 p.m.
I've just met the mic stand from hell: an aging gooseneck that droops out of position on a whim. Fixing it and finding a buzz-free monitor took longer than I'd planned. But a functional P.A. and monitor are part of my survival plan, so the time crunch is necessary. It just means I can't take half an hour to dress.

Beg, borrow, lug, whine, do whatever you can to get at least one onstage monitor. Not being able to hear what the audience hears can seriously strain your voice as well as your nerves. By helping you sing at safe rather than extreme levels, monitors also serve as insurance for the gigs still waiting down the road.

The final challenge for the vocalist on tour is to limit how much you talk. Sure, you want to schmooze up the fans, the media, and the folks who booked your gigs. But extended periods of talking--especially over noise--can hurt your voice as much as singing carelessly. So do your business in quiet surroundings whenever possible, and use down time (including set breaks) to rest your voice completely.

Thursday, 10 a.m.
The gig drew well, despite bad weather. The guy at the coffee bar next door donated a thermos of herb tea, and my voice stayed clear throughout my range. Sold almost as many CDs as I'd hoped, and then celebrated (quietly) with the local pals who made it all happen.

Now I'm back behind the wheel. Today's distance quota is like that old railroad ballad: 500 miles. Despite my best efforts, I'm definitely more tired than when I left home two weeks ago. If I stay disciplined, I will finish this marathon. But please, no more traffic accidents! I want that in my contract!

Reprinted from Electronic Musician's Jam supplement, August 1998

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