What steps should you take to improve your voice? Singing sensation Claire Richards tells all… Submitted by: Bray Leino Wednesday, 13 January 2010 From warbling classics in the shower to booming out the latest track whilst at the wheel on the M4, never before have so many Brits had aspirations to become singers. With The X-Factor inspiring a whopping 12 million people to audition – twice the number of people living in London - and home karaoke games such as Sing Star and Rock Band selling out at Christmas, it seems everyone wants to get in on the act. But how should all our aspiring singers take the best care of their voices and give themselves the best possible shot at fame – whether on stage or in your living room? Jakemans (http://www.jakemans.com), the soothing menthol cough sweet popular with professional singers, has teamed up with Steps star Claire Richards to provide some tips on how to enhance the singing voices that Mother Nature gave us. With a string of hit singles including ‘5,6,7,8’, ‘Tragedy’ and ‘Last Thing On My Mind’, Claire was a key member of the pop quintet and is keen to continue her singing career after her second child is born later this year. Her top tips for aspiring performers everywhere include: 1.Wherever possible, avoid alcohol, especially before singing 2.Swap your usual cuppa for a herbal tea or hot honey and lemon 3.Make sure you warm up your voice properly 4.Steam your throat regularly by breathing in hot water vapours 5.Sip warm or tepid water rather than cold 6.Suck Jakemans before performing, the menthol vapors lubricate the vocal cords 7.Don’t gargle if you have a sore throat – it’s a myth 8.If you have a cold, try and clear your throat gently rather than big strong coughs 9.Avoid throat sprays that numb the throat, they’ll give you a false sense of security and damage your vocal cords more 10.Finally, try and rest your voice whenever you can, particularly before singing. Don’t talk too much Claire comments: “Performing live with Steps in front of thousands of people, several nights of the week can take its toll on your voice and it’s important for your voice to be at its best. Vocal training can really help but it’s a pricey option and if you’ve got some raw talent to work with, there are quite a few things you can do to improve your voice. Jakemans has long been a favourite of mine and I used to always request it to be backstage as the menthol vapours felt almost cleansing before I went on stage.” Jakemans has been producing soothing cough and throat sweets for over 100 years. Combining menthol which acts as a mild analgesic and provides stimulating vapours to help keep the nose clear, with tasty flavours, the sweets are popular with professional singers such as West End Star Zoe Tyler. Available in 100 gram bags for a credit-crunch-tastic 69p, the Jakemans range includes the traditional Throat & Chest, Cherry Menthol, Honey & Lemon, Menthol & Eucalyptus variants and new Blueberry Menthol. Page 1 Available from large supermarkets, pharmacists and health food stores it is suitable for vegetarians and contains absolutely no artificial flavours or colours. ENDS For further press information, images or samples of Jakemans products please contact Jess Hall or Claire Forster at Bray Leino PR. Email [email protected] / [email protected], or call on 0117 973 1173. Notes to editors: Jakemans consists of a range of boiled functional confectionery containing menthol to soothe throats and give off vapors to clear the head. Jakemans’ products are available from a number of retailers including major supermarkets (Sainsburys, ASDA, Tesco), key health retailers (Boots, Superdrug) the convenience sector and many independent stores. RRP prices start at 69p for the traditional menthol range which contains only natural colours and flavours and is suitable for vegetarians Available in 5 flavours: •Throat and Chest (distinctively traditional aniseed flavour) •Cherry Menthol •Honey and Lemon (contains real honey known for its soothing antiseptic and antibacterial qualities) •Menthol and Eucalyptus (carefully blended peppermint and lemon oil for extra-strong sensation) •Blueberry Menthol For further information on Jakemans, please visit www.jakemans.com For press information and photography please contact: Jess Hall (Tel: 01179 064 539, [email protected]) Claire Forster (Tel: 0117 9064 525, [email protected]) Page 2 Distributed via Press Release Wire (https://pressreleases.responsesource.com/) on behalf of Bray Leino Copyright © 1999-2021 ResponseSource, The Johnson Building, 79 Hatton Garden, London, EC1N 8AW, UK e: [email protected] t: 020 3426 4051 f: 0345 370 7776 w: https://www.responsesource.com.