When I started studying voice technique at Berklee Online, the very first module I did was called Developing Good Rituals.
(UPDATED 19th February 2019)
A ritual is a set of steps, repeated with a consistency that helps you to achieve a specific outcome continually. For example, a pre-gig ritual or pre-practice ritual to get your voice ready for the work ahead.
I have always loved having routines & to-do lists. I may not be the average creative in this respect, or maybe I’m just one of the few that will admit to it!
Aside from the Berklee re-introduction to daily rituals, I have learnt through studying productivity how powerful a focussed & scheduled plan can be for the creative process when there is follow through!
“If it’s not scheduled, it’s not done.” – Marie Forleo
The bottom line is, a ritual is only useful if it is scheduled & implemented!
As I continue to research more about crafting, whether it’s singing, songwriting, self-care or even parenting, having a clear outline of your priorities & then scheduling them to be done every day is a powerful tool that helps shift the dial & sets the good from the GREAT artists apart.
We each will have a different focus so what I will outline is the daily ritual that helps me focus on the three areas that are most important to me currently.
My top 3 Priorities
1. Vocal Health & Maintenance
2. Physical/Mental Health & Wellbeing
3. Creative Development
I have recently pulled back on doing gigs to focus on my vocal coaching & artist development work, but I do still sing sessions plus do a LOT of talking when I am coaching.
Looking after your speaking voice is very important as we use it more than our singing voice on any given day.
My three essential vocal health & wellbeing daily rituals are:
1. Siren
2. Singers Stretches
3. Speaking Voice Mindfulness
This daily ritual will take five minutes to complete, so it’s easy to fit in.
When I am super focussed due to an increased singing workload, I am touring or simply have more time, I have a more comprehensive care ritual as part of my daily vocal care checklist.
Check out my Daily Vocal Care Checklist here
For my mental & physical health I focus on three essentials also:
1. Meditation – every morning before I get out of bed
2. Hydration – 2.5 litres of water daily (you can work out a formula for how much water you need to drink plus check out loads of additional vocal health tips here)
3. Nutrition – no flour, no sugar, three meals per day that are the correct portion size for my body & no snacking – but that’s me. You do you and what you know works for you.
I will share EVERYTHING about all elements of my meditation practice & nutrition plan if you want to know! Just comment below & I’ll make a specific post.
If you are an emerging artist that wants to uplevel their vocal ability & performance skills, I recommend adding a little accountability to the process in the form of these tools & tips.
1. Daily Vocal Care Checklist – a visual reminder of what you need to do to nurture your voice.
2. Vocal Journal – you can see the one that my students and I use. It’s a place to jot down how your voice is feeling, what you are reading or working on for inspiration & to review or see patterns in your vocal health & ability.
3. Practice Plan – an outline of what you are working on in each practice session.
Key Tips:
Make time & schedule each of these in your diary!
These are the fundamentals that help you to set up good singing habits & practices in general.
Line them all up together, do them daily or weekly depending on how much time you can fit in.
Now I’d love to know what rituals you currently have in place? Pre-gig, practice rituals, daily rituals – even non-sing related rituals that get your head in the game before you work or exercise even.
Comment below or flick me an email!
Cherie x