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Rock stars now face a new hazard -- voice abuse. After last week's announcement that Phil Collins might give up touring because live concerts are ruining his voice, doctors are counseling stars about the dos and don'ts of voice care. Here in the studio today, we have Mr. Paul Phillips, an expert from the High Field Hospital. Paul, what advice would you give to singers facing voice problems? If pop singers have got voice problems, they really need to be more selective about where they work. They shouldn't work in smoky atmospheres. They also need to think about resting their voices after a show. Something else they need to be careful about is medicines. Aspirin, for example, singers should avoid aspirin. It thins the blood. And if a singer coughs, this can result in the bruising of the vocal cords. And is it true that some singers use drugs before concerts to boost their voices when they have voice problems? Yes, this does happen on occasion. They are easily-available on the continent and they are useful if a singer has problems with his vocal cords and has to sing that night. But if they are taken regularly, they cause a thinning of the voice muscle. Most pop singers suffer from three things: lack of training, overuse and abuse of the voice, especially when they are young. They have difficult lives. When they go on tour, they do a vast number of concerts, singing in smoky places. So, what would you advise the singers to do? Warm your voice up before a show and warm it down after. |
