Lip rolls and vowel humming are a fun way of vocal warm ups. Bhastrika pranayama is yet another technique of vocal warms ups helpful to hit high notes. Glides are useful for a smooth voice.

I always try to spice things up and bring something new. We do various vocal scales, to develop the hearing as well as keeping the voice flexible. I incorporate exercises on songs as well, so there is a double win for the student.

Students bored with vocal exercises usually don't understand or have never been told the whys and wherefores of why we do them. I usually explain a particular exercise and how the breath must be used and what you need to be thinking when you are vocalizing... that there is a goal with each one... Once they understand that, boredom goes out the window and they can realize the benefits and reasons for doing them. Also, when they do a particular exercise well, I quickly ask them what they did to accomplish it. We backtracked and broke down each thing they did to do it right. Once they know that, accomplishment is almost guaranteed. They start to become an expert with their voice and understand the focus they must have when they sing.

I’m not a vocal coach, but I am a vocal instructor. I teach bel canto style singing and am always looking for ways to connect vowel to vowel, body to breath, and music to emotions. I do a myriad of things…sometimes I break out a hand puppet to show my students exactly how I want them to drop their jaws. First I demonstrate what I see, then what I want to see. When working on resonance in the upper register, I go from (back of tongue bouncing on soft palate) “sing ing ing ing…”with finger waggles to a legato descending [i] instructing singer to make “the most beautiful sound you’ve ever made” along with a sweeping hand gesture. 55555555- 54321. I also encourage showing happiness if singing “I love to sing”, and do they ever look HAPPY! ??

If your students are bored with vocal warm-ups, it means they’re not being challenged. Vocal exercises warm up the voice, but they do so much more. They build strength, flexibility, and stamina. Repeating the same exercises every lesson can leave critical areas unaddressed and make students lose interest. Instead, approach each lesson like a detective. Listen to what the voice is telling you—what areas need attention today? Adapt your exercises based on what you hear, and explore new paths to challenge and develop each student. This approach keeps lessons engaging and helps students grow in dynamic and meaningful ways.