Liz Johnson has been teaching voice in the Nashville area for more than 20 years.
When her professional singer clients are feeling sick, many of them get their voice back using a simple exercise with a straw and a little bit of water in a cup.
"The first thing we want to do is get a cup of water and put a little bit of water in the bottom of the cup,” said Liz Johnson, a voice teacher and vocologist in Nashville.
After that, Johnson said people should simply hum through the straw into the water for 90 seconds to two minutes.
So, how does this work?
When you've got a scratchy voice, Johnson said that can be caused by swelling.
“Vocal cords might be inflamed or swollen, and so that causes the voice to not feel good and to not sound good,” Johnson said.
Johnson said this trick is backed by science.
"We're getting some back pressure inside the mouth and the throat, which helps the vocal folds to vibrate more efficiently. It's also bringing the vocal cords, or vocal folds, into better proximity to each other,” Johnson said.
Click here for more information from Johnson on healthy singing tips.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
Music lessons for just 50 cents! A Nashville music school has been providing that to area students for over 40 years including for the city's current mayor. As a child, I always wanted to take piano lessons. I was able to for about 6 months but had to stop due to family finances. I would have loved to have had access to a program like this at the W. O. Smith Music School.
- Lelan Statom
