Why Singers Need Water

Shelagh Davies speaks to VoiceCouncil Magazine about the unique stresses on singers that call for more attention to be paid to proper hydration.

Shelagh Davies is a Registered Speech-Language Pathologist and a Clinical Assistant Professor and researcher in the Graduate School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, University of British Columbia. She has over 20 years of clinical experience and is internationally recognized for her work with the voice and its disorders. As a singer and public speaker herself she is familiar with the joys and challenges of performance. See http://www.shelaghdavies.com/

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[pufftum]

Breathing through the nose is most natural when at rest. For talking, singing or exercising, mouth breathing is most natural. Mouth breathing is more efficient, but it does dry you out more, which is why singers need to hydrate. Learning how to take a full, efficient breath is a skill anyone can learn whether breathing through their mouth or nose. I'm sure if you read your own comment aloud you will breathe through your mouth several times.

[RocktheStageNYC]

This is pure nonsense. I don't care how many degrees or diplomas she has on the walls; breathing through the nose is how we are born breathing. Its how the body WANTS to breathe. Breathing through the nose is neither "intrusive" nor takes longer than mouth breathing. Mouth breathing is inefficient and leads to shallow breaths compared to nose breathing. Nose breathing also warms and moistens the air you breathe whereas mouth breathing leads to dry mouth and more water intake.