Student Blog: Three Ways to Heat Up Your Warm-Ups

As any performer knows, warm-ups are an essential part of pre-performance preparation. Singing through scales, going over your text, and stretching are all warm-ups we're familiar with. But what if your warm-ups leave you still feeling cold? Luckily, my speech and voice teacher taught a masterclass last semester all about how to warm-up properly. So here I am, to spread the knowledge she gave us that day with my top three tips on how to make the best of your warm-ups.

Treat your warm-ups like you're decorating your room - Make it about YOU!

One thing that my professor stressed was that your warm-ups need to be personalized. Your vocal and physical demands and abilities are different from your neighbor's, so your warm-ups will naturally be different. And while everyone can benefit from a good tongue twister and scales session, the kind of show you're in will affect how you warm up, too. Last semester, for example, I was in a production of Macbeth, obviously a text with heightened language. To really keep up my diction, I would go through my lines before the show with my tongue sticking out; it sounds silly, but it really helps! I also know that onstage I struggle with nerves and tightening up my muscles, so one day I included a quick meditation before the places call. It helped me get in character and calmed my nerves, so I continued it through the rest of the run! And speaking of adding to your warm-ups...

Your warm-ups should be like rubber - FLEXIBLE!

Using the example of my pre-show meditation above, you can see why your warm-ups should be flexible and not set in stone. This also goes the opposite way. Don't be afraid to remove something if it's not working for you! In my Macbeth warm-ups, I originally did a breath cycle where I'd inhale, hold, exhale, and hold again for 4 counts each. I did this in an attempt to help me focus my energy on the performance, but I never felt anything from it. So I took it out and replaced it with the meditation from before! Also, what you are warming up FOR will affect how you warm-up. If you're doing a Golden Age musical like Oklahoma!, you most likely wouldn't prepare the same way as you would for a rock musical like Rent. If you're doing a Shakespearean tragedy, you'll want to focus on your diction and voice, while for a Neil Simon farce you might want to include more stretches in your routine to keep up with all the stair climbing and door slamming you'll do.

And last but definitely not least - SAFETY FIRST!

It might seem obvious, but your warm-ups are meant to prepare you for a performance, not to be the performance. My vocal range goes up to a G#, so I wouldn't want to try belting a Bb during my warm-ups! I might want to try an A, but I know anything higher than that is simply not healthy for my voice. Likewise, be cognizant of your physical limits, don't do anything that will hurt. A little discomfort is to be expected when doing stretches, but if anything starts to feel painful, just stop! There's no shame in marking or going at a slower pace than someone else. To use a final Macbeth example, my director had us do push-ups at the very end when he'd lead warm-ups. I know that I physically could not do the full amount he suggested, so when I hit my cap I'd hold a plank instead. That way, I still got in a good warm-up while being aware of my limits, and most importantly, safe!