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can you still be a good singer if you smoke
Can you smoke weed and still be a good singer? Someone told me that it makes your lungs stronger- because it makes you build up something or whatever- dont know how true that is.please don't lecture me about not smoking weed, thanks.
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No! weed is bad for your whole body. It breaks down brain cells and parts of the inside body. If you want to be a singer or whatever don't smoke it at all. It's very addicting.
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Can you smoke weed and still be a good singer? Someone told me that it makes your lungs stronger- because it makes you build up something or whatever- dont know how true that is.please don't lecture me about not smoking weed, thanks.
OK, I'm going to give you an answer from experience as a voice teacher (27 years), a writer, and a singer... that's me.
The short answer is...
There is no short answer.
Over 25 years I've discovered that the human voice is like a fingerprint... no two are the same. I've taught chain smokers who defied every rule I thought I knew of.
I do know where the breathing thing came from... I stumbled on it myself years ago. It's the thing people do when they take a puff and then pull in an "extra bit of breath" to get the smoke as deep as they can. Holding the breath, NOT with your throat closed, but by using your diaphragm, you strengthen that muscle. I converted this into actual breathing exercises, without the smoke, actually. This form of slow intake.. hold with mouth and throat open, then pull a bit, pull a bit, pull a bit more air will increase your lung capacity as well as strengthen the muscle that controls breathing.
You are the only one that can determine what MJ does or does not do to your voice. As a rule (and I hate rules) the professional singer mentioned above is the most nearly correct. The hot air crossing over your vocal chords is by far the most irritating and potentially voice damaging thing about smoking. But there are ways around that too. Water pipes for one. And especially the newer vaporizers will deal with the heat and the smoke to a good extent.. BUT!
If your vocal chords are sensitive, almost anything foreign may irritate them.
MJ opened up my writing when I was younger, and I'm better for it. I came from such a screwed up, uptight background.. being screamed at daily, I'd NEVER ever have written a word had I not read some Carlos Casteneda books about the proper use of "power plants", and how not to abuse them.
In moderation for me, the upside is greater than the downside. HOWEVER, when I'm performing or in the studio, it's no smoke for two weeks prior.. and if you can't do that, well then that's it's own problem.. know what I mean?
So really, lectures and good intentions aside, YOU will be the best judge. Experiment as a scientist would... Try partaking a certain amount for 2 weeks, & record yourself. Then stop for two weeks and record yourself. You'll see how your voice responds.
Some people, (I used to use the example of Bruce Springsteen back in the day) have what I call "leather vocal chords". Bruce would do 4 hour shows for months on end, year after year.. no vocal training, nothing. He never lost his voice for any concert I ever saw in the 70's, 80' 90's.
Students would come in and ask "Can you teach me how to sing like him?" .. Answer... I can't. He's a genetic freak of nature... a good one. I'm not so lucky. Smoke filled clubs bother my voice terribly, they always did, WAY more than my own personal casual & careful MJ use.
But I never preach one size fits all.
The choice comes down to a basic cost/benefit analysis.
In the end smoke is smoke. Your throat and all the vocal piping before the lungs are lined with tiny hairs called cilia. They are designed to recognize things like smoke & make you cough. That's what I'm sure you've seen when people are passing around a joint. If you smoke ANYTHING regularly, these cilia kinda sorta burn away & become desensitized. That's why when someone quits cigarettes you often see them coughing uncontrollably for weeks. The cilia are growing back. But that's chronic daily usage. If one uses a water pipe etc or even smokes maybe half a MJ "ciggie" once a day, this will probably not happen.
The tar thing while technically true is well, not technically true. No one has done good multiple, unbiased controlled studies of MJ users, heck they can't even agree about cigarette smokers, because even cigarette smokers can't be categorized by a controlled lab study.. people act completely differently in their day to day life: some barely puff, some inhale deeply and hold, some inhale and immediately exhale etc... and they do it differnetly from the lab to the real world, and from month to month. Cigarettes also vary wildly in tar and nicotine content.... same as MJ does. "North California death weed" is going to be 10 times more irritating than "regular". It's like trying to quantify caffeine in coffee.. how strong is the oil?... how fine is the grind?... how long does it percolate?... yadah yadah.
THE KEY:
"Know thyself"... or or at least start getting to.
"Everything in moderation" and...
Listen to your body.
You'll find the balance that's right for you, as opposed to me or the next person.
Lastly, Drink TONS of good clear water every day.
3 quarts MINIMUM for men, and close to that for women. More if you sweat a lot. I drink a gallon a day.... yup.
UNKNOWINGLY DEHYDRATED STUDENTS account for far more vocal problems (from dry mucus membranes... death to a singer), than a few cigarettes, even a bit of MJ. Just listen to your body. ;-)
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Not really, no.
Most singers don't smoke because it messes with their lungs. If you have crappy lungs, the quality of your voice when singing isn't very good.
An example of a singer who didn't take care of their voice is Anthony Green. He's a very talented man, but because he does drugs, drinks, and doesn't really do vocal warm-ups, etc, his voice is shot and is no good live. The album sounds great, but that's because of the mixing and whatever else is done in the studio.
To be quite honest with you, if you want your voice to stay good, don't smoke, don't drink & do lots of vocal warm-ups, etc. If you don't take care of your voice, don't expect to get very far with a vocal career.
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Smoke inhalation is never good for your lungs. Smoking anything damages the lungs. Inhaling any type of smoke will cause damage.
"Smoking is particularly harmful for teens because their bodies are still growing and changing. Smoking reduces the rate of lung growth and lessens the amount of lung function that a young person should have. The poisons found in cigarette and marijuana smoke affect normal development and can cause life-threatening diseases, such as chronic bronchitis, heart disease, and stroke. Smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer and is also a leading cause of cancer of the mouth, throat, bladder, pancreas, and kidney.
Some teens might argue that marijuana isn't as bad for them as tobacco. They're wrong. Marijuana smoke contains some of the same cancer-causing compounds as tobacco, sometimes in higher concentrations. In fact, one joint can contain as many cancer-causing chemicals as four cigarettes. What many teens may not know is that the strength of marijuana may be as high as 25 times that of earlier decades."
From: [Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
I Googled for some more information and found that a lot of long-term pot users developed sore lungs. A lot of them had pain in the lungs after smoking. Some of them even developed emphysema directly related to their marijuana usage.
Smoking pot = smoke inhalation.
Smoke inhalation = damaged lungs.
Damaged lungs = poor lung capacity.
Poor lung capacity = poor singing skills.
I also read that smoking marijuana can actually cause the vocal cords to swell, thus leading to small tears in them. Your range will be affected, to say the least. A professional singer says that the voice begins to get raspy and, as time goes on, will worsen. She said "heat, dry air, and smoke inhalation," were the key problems with this.
Your answer? No. Smoking pot will not improve your vocal range or lung capacity to make you a "better singer" now or in the future.
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I think you can be ok, but really, the true pros stay away from that stuff, not necessarily for moral reasons, but because they understand that the music industry is highly competitive, and any advantage helps. There is more tar in one "hit" of weed than in an entire cigarette. It really affects your lungs. You may not notice it right away, but over time it affects your ability to regulate your breathing. Whoever told you it makes your lungs stronger is an idiot. If your lungs were filled with water would they be stronger? Why would they be stronger if they were filled with tar? If you really want to pursue singing professionally, you need to keep you lungs and throat as clean as possible. Look at Whitney Houston. She's been a smoker (weed and cigs) forever. Her voice has suffered greatly over the last decade. Its really sad. But you don't have to take our word for it. Find a vocal coach and ask them. See what they say about it. They can probably give you a more "scientific" explanation too. Anyway, whatever you decide to do, good luck! Go after your dreams with determination and passion and you will meet success.
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well i smoke and i am a very talented singer
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