I’m Alan Currens, co-owner of Denver Music Institute and a professional entertainer. I’m also a baritone turned tenor and I struggle daily with control of my voice and singing correctly. The most important part of my vocal regimen is that I continue taking lessons ~ even after all these years of being a pro entertainer, bad habits find their way into my performances.

Here’s some advice from someone who is in the trenches and who has to work to keep the progress I earn.

How to protect your voice

When I think about protecting my voice the first thing that comes to mind is to sing quieter, to not “yell”. In a way, this instinct is absolutely correct. The notes you want and the tone you want will not come from volume or more air passing through your throat. You also won’t find those notes or that tone in the tension of your abdomen.

If you just think of “volume”, you will be starting in the right place. Because, although a lower volume alone will not protect your voice it does make it incredibly difficult to damage your voice. We see students from all areas of the industry and with all levels of formal or informal training and the most damage we encounter comes from those who put themselves in environments that force them to yell in order to hear themselves. I myself come from a rock and roll background and we were as guilty of this (if not more guilty) than anyone else out there. In fact, that’s where all of the muscle memory issues I have were born and groomed. I have had to re-learn everything I know about singing in a band.

So, before you research another article or google for more advice, call a school in your area. Talk to a voice coach. Tell them what you do, what you fear is happening to your voice and what your goals are. They will be able to formulate an approach and training that can teach you to leave those bad habits in your past and introduce new and healthy muscle memories that will protect your voice.

If you are in Denver, call us ~ 303-788- 0303 and start down a new, better road with your voice!

---

---

About DMI

Denver Music Institute is owned by professional entertainers

It matters that we are pros. We are actually out there singing for our supper, not as a hobby. And someone who sings for a living has to consider the future. We have to preserve our talents and in the case of a singer, our instrument. If we loose our voices, we have no income. This is a different mindset than most schools bring to the table. We don’t just want to teach you scales and how to sing your favorite songs. We want to invite you to our workshops and master classes so we can share secrets and valuable information you’ll need to make the most of your career with your voice.

DMI owners Alan Currens and Dana Wield also own and front the destination event band, Mannequin the Band. Mannequin is Destination Management Company reps preferred band for their most elite clientele. Being a wedding band and corporate band that sets the bar in Colorado, it is important that their school promotes the skills and entrepreneurial education needed for DMI students to embark on a life filled with music performance.