In this episode of Good Job Podcast, Beth Roars talks to Welsh Opera Soprano Rhiannon Herridge, who was forced to give up her job performing on the prestigious Silversea cruise line due to vocal injury. Together they explore how to prevent and recover from vocal damage, how it affected Rhiannon’s confidence and how an old back injury may have even caused the problems in the first place. Rhiannon also chats about her struggle with perfectionism and what life is like working away and travelling the world on a ship.
““Your vocal health has to be your priority””
Podcast Episode Highlights:
00:22 - Beth Roars introduces Rhiannon and the fact that they worked together on shows for Silversea cruise line
00:57 - What was Rhiannon Herridge’s worst job ever?
01:16 - Beth Roars and Rhiannon share their experiences of what it’s like working as a singer in care homes
03:12 - What was Rhiannon’s journey into music and why did she want to sing?
04:22 - How being in a children's choir helped Rhiannon learn musically
05:10 - Beth Roars and Rhiannon Herridge compare experiences of singing in rural areas of the UK
05:48 - The pros and cons of working on a cruise ship
06:48 - Rhiannon and Beth explore the demands of singing different vocal styles and having to switch between styles quickly on the ships
07:52 - What helped Rhiannon to mold between styles
08:29 - Is it better to specialise or be versatile?
08:51 - How Rhiannon Herridge injured her voice
09:40 - How Rhiannon losing her voice affected her mental health and confidence
10:47 - How singing is linked to your identity and how that can affect you when your voice is compromised and you can’t perform to your best
11:31 - Did singing whilst ill cause Rhiannon’s illness?
12:15 - The pressure to work through illness and feeling unable to give any less than your all to maintain your standards as a professional
13:08 - Is perfectionism a good thing?
13:41 - How wearing ear defenders has helped Rhiannon Herridge practice
14:00 - Why you should feel singing as well as just listening to your voice
14:43 - The traps that Classical Sopranos can fall into
15:51 - Does Rhiannon still use vocal coaches and singing teachers?
16:10 - How is Rhiannon recovering from her vocal injury
16:20 - The role of an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist)
16:58 - Is using steroids to get you through shows a good idea?
18:08 - How Help Musicians UK and an Osteopath helped Rhiannon in her recovery
19:38 - How an old injury in Rhiannon’s back potentially caused her vocal problems
21:50 - The importance of following your intuition when it comes to illness, even if you’re under contract and feel obliged to perform
22:08 - Rhiannon’s advice for anyone with vocal problems
23:40 - How to know if a vocal problem or illness is serious
24:20 - Did Rhiannon doubt being a singer and has she ever considered a change in career?
25:25 - Rhiannon speaks about what it’s like to be on a cruise ship and see people’s lives at home progress whilst she’s away - the worry of being left behind
26:36 - Beth Roars asks if Rhiannon has a favourite country?
27:05 - What is Rhiannon Herridge up to now?
Key Points:
Trust your instincts when it comes to your voice. If something feels like it’s unhealthy, consult the opinion of a specialist and trust that your feeling counts for more sometimes than the opinion of an outsider who doesn’t know your voice as well.
Make sure your voice is as healthy as possible to lead to the most confident, freest performance you can possibly have.
Try and do something that you’d do for free and, if it involves performing, try to find something where you can do that regularly!
Quotes:
“In an ideal world, singing should be coming from you organically. We obviously don’t have that luxury in the modern day. A lot of different jobs are quite taxing in that way”
Rhiannon Herridge
“When you know something is wrong, no matter how encouraging people are around you, it just crushes your soul”
Rhiannon Herridge
“Once you are on stage and once you have an audience, you can’t help but give more than you intend. You feel really compelled, from somewhere, to give everything you can.”
Rhiannon Herridge
“I think that people who don’t suffer from perfectionism think it’s a desirable trait. I don’t think it is.”
Rhiannon Herridge
“You should more be feeling what you are singing rather than hearing what you are feeling, because what you hear, because of the bones in the face and the way the sound is conducted isn’t what an audience member would hear anyway.”
Rhiannon Herridge
“Help Musicians have been invaluable in my vocal recovery”
Rhiannon Herridge
“When I first read my first contract I literally thought… I’d do this for free!”
Rhiannon Herridge
Resources Mentioned:
Beth Roars: Website YouTube Instagram Twitter Facebook Patreon
Help Musicians UK - https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/
Vocal Rehabilitation - Dane Chalfin - vocalrehabilitation.com
Silversea Cruises - https://www.silversea.com/en.html
