Improv Hum First
Before any voice work, hum. Lips closed, an easy "mmm" on a comfortable note, and feel where it buzzes — start at the lips, then move the buzz up into the nose, the cheekbones, the forehead. Slide the hum up and down, chasing the tickle into new places. Five minutes, no words, no performance. The voice you use on stage is the one you warmed up, or the one you strained. Humming wakes the resonators — the hollow spaces that let a voice carry without shouting — and it's the gentlest way to find volume that doesn't wreck your throat. Do it in the shower, in the car, before a show.
🎓 Notes for the teacher
Feel it, don't force it. If your throat tightens, the note is too high or too loud — back off until the buzz returns to your face. A warm voice is found, never squeezed.
Spotted a mistake, a missing variant, a better way to run it? Change it.