If you’re an active musician then you know how quickly every night can become a Saturday night. Beers come out, guitars turn up, and everyone starts having a good time. While on my epic March bender, I realized that many of my musician friends aren’t looking out for their best long term interests as musicians. So, although the tips below are obvious, they are often overlooked.

EAR PLUGS
Do you have a pair of pro ear plugs? Not the construction ones, but the kind that cost between $100-$300 and are specifically moulded to your ears? If not you should invest in a pair. Your ears are your life. Without proper hearing you are fucked. If music is life then your ears are the starting point of that whole world.

At the very least make sure that at EVERY show you enjoy, you are protecting your ears somehow. Most concerts you’ll go to will have a good chance of blasting the sound so loud that you’ll have tinnitus for a few days. Once you’ve damaged your ears they’re not going to get any better. Save the death of your world, protect your ears anyway you can.

WATER
Of course Beer is tasty, but the benefits of drinking a big glass of water before you go to bed and when you wake up have been proven. I’m not saying stop drinking, but if you are serious about your voice, your performance, and your body then consider replacing beer for water whenever you can. Or not even replacing beer but simply making the point to drinking way more water. This is especially true if you’re touring. A liter of water will go far to help heal your body. After all we are made up of 75% water. Drink more water.

REST
Sleep is good for you. If you are a musician and run on musician hours, up till 3am or more, do not beat yourself up if you sleep till noon. You should be sleeping till noon! Your voice, your body, your mind, everything gets better when you get some rest. If sleeping till noon isn’t possible make sure you nap. Cats know the benefits of a nap and they run the internet so how can you argue with them? Hmm? Ya can’t. Sleep as much as you can. Let haters hate on your nap style, while you wake up fresh as a daisy from a 20 minute nap. This is another place where both water and earplugs will help you out.

Yes these tips are obvious, yes you’ve heard them before, but I’m willing to bet that you’re not getting enough sleep, or water, or wearing earplugs at all your shows. You’re busy and sometimes you forget the basics. Remember, water, earplugs and rest. Your future self will thank you.

Music Consciousness
Voyno