Number 10, September 1, 2021

Coming Back Together:  Singing with Masks

There seems to be good news on the horizon with regard to in-person music making these days, though the information we’re getting can seem confusing and inconsistent.  We’ve all been following the news reports from the CDC and recommendations for masking and getting vaccinated against COVID.  Masking issues are dominating the world of live, in-person music events as I write, with both artists and audiences impacted greatly.

Just as a quick blog this time, I want to make a few recommendations for masking for singers.  There are several products on the market now that provide singers with adequate breathing capabilities and help follow venue guidelines.  As a product recommendation blog this time, I will list a few of the recommended items, should you need to sing in public where masking is mandatory.  The use of the surgical, disposable mask is not recommended because there is not much ability to breathe. 

Here is a good choice from Amazon, an adjustable strap mask with good room for breathing – the Disposable KF94 Mask:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NS79964/ref=cm

There are a couple of singer’s masks, too. They work well but are reported to be not necessarily the most comfortable ones.   

Here is one from Broadway Relief:  https://www.broadwayreliefproject.com/singersmask 

And finally, the Resonance Singer’s Mask:   https://www.mymusicfolders.com/product/resonance-singers-mask-with-disposable-biofilters/ 

As you prepare to re-unite with singing friends in choirs or groups, remember that singing can bring us together and make us stronger again. And these days, we need all the strength we can get. 

Remember to stay safe, GET VACCINATED, follow protocols and keep singing!

See you next time for more on voice production, performance and storytelling in song.   

Thanks for reading!  

Blessings and love,

Susie

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Award-winning recording artist, Broadway singer, journalist, educator and critically-acclaimed powerhouse vocalist, Susie Glaze has been called “one of the most beautiful voices in bluegrass and folk music today” by Roz Larman of KPFK’s Folk Scene.  LA Weekly voted her ensemble Best New Folk in their Best of LA Weekly for 2019, calling Susie “an incomparable vocalist.”  “A flat out superb vocalist… Glaze delivers warm, amber-toned vocals that explore the psychic depth of a lyric with deft acuity and technical perfection.”  As an educator, Susie has lectured at USC Thornton School of Music and Cal State Northridge on “Balladry to Bluegrass,” illuminating the historical path of ancient folk forms in the United Kingdom to the United States via immigration into the mountains of Appalachia.  Susie has taught workshops since 2018 at California music camps RiverTunes and Vocáli Voice Camp.  She is a current specialist in performance and historian on the work of American folk music icon, Jean Ritchie.  Susie now offers private voice coaching online via the Zoom platform.   www.susieglaze.com 

Quick Announcement:  I’m opening my voice studio to new students, so if you’re interested in studying singing, check out my teaching HERE   Then get in touch!   Email me HERE