Vocal Maintenance

[shtick]

I've done a bit of research on maintaining the voice for singing. Anyone know anything about vocal maintenance for character voices?

Some of the Muppet performers have kept their characters consistent for decades. (Kevin Clash for example.) How does one maintain the voice of a character throughout their lifetime eventhough their own voice might be changing?

 

[robinthecrow]

Doing the voice every day of yours lives? Maybe the muppeteers have voice coaches....?

 

[Jinx]

Vocal health is the most important thing. If the performer's voice is healthy, and the character voices are produced in a healthy manner, then maintenance is more a matter of practice than anything else.

Hydration is the first (of many) aspects to be aware of in vocal health. And not just when your throat is feeling dry. Drinking plenty of water is extremely important.

Remember too that your voice is an instrument, uniquely your own. As some instruments are capable of producing a wide variety of pitches and timbres, and others a narrower variety, voices are the same. Some peoples' voices are simply not capable of producing many different character voices.

I have known performers to use an unhealthy character voice (particularly gutteral, growly or monster voices) who have done sometimes irreparable damage to their voices. The most obvious first indicator is if the voice hurts in any way at all. If it hurts at all stop doing it immediately!

I'll often have an idea of how I want a character voice to sound, and as I begin experimenting with it I sometimes have to sacrifice what is in my imagination for a near equivalent that can be produced consistently, for long periods of time, in a healthy manner.