Has anyone else noticed an increase in “nose breathing” by performers on Broadway?

[Ensemble17591322022]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 1:13pm

I’m noticing that instead of taking an inhalation through the mouth during a song, more and more performers are keeping their mouth closed and inhaling through their nose during a song. 

I know the nose breathing is for vocal safety to prevent drying out, but it looks (and sounds) so unnatural to me since people don’t really inhale through the nose before speaking in real life. 

Wondering if others notice it as well.

Updated On: 3/6/26 at 01:13 PM

[ER765]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 2:05pm

…girl, what?

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 2:06pm

excuse me

[Ensemble17591322022]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 2:19pm

ER765 said: "…girl, what?"

Edited for clarity. 

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 2:25pm

hmm, what is someone breathing through their nose when making this thread?

[Ensemble17591322022]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 2:38pm

SteveSanders said: "hmm, what is someone breathing through their nose when making this thread?"

It’s okay if you don’t know what I’m talking about. Some people will. 

[joevitus]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 3:12pm

Ensemble17591322022 said: "SteveSanders said: "hmm, what is someone breathing through their nose when making this thread?"

It’s okay if you don’t know what I’m talking about. Some people will."

Apparently no one has yet.

[morosco]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 3:46pm

Here's an example of Christian Dante White (Cornelius) nose breathing. No matter what, he sounds magnificent.

Put On Your Sunday Clothes

Updated On: 3/6/26 at 03:46 PM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 3:57pm

Ensemble17591322022 said: "SteveSanders said: "hmm, what is someone breathing through their nose when making this thread?"

It’s okay if you don’t know what I’m talking about. Some people will."

 

Crickets.

[Ensemble17591322022]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 4:30pm

morosco said: "Here's an example of Christian Dante White (Cornelius) nose breathing. No matter what, he sounds magnificent.

Put On Your Sunday Clothes"

Thank you for this example, that’s exactly what I’m meaning. 

[Ensemble17591322022]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 4:31pm

JSquared2 said: "Ensemble17591322022 said: "SteveSanders said: "hmm, what is someone breathing through their nose when making this thread?"

It’s okay if you don’t know what I’m talking about. Some people will."



Crickets."

There was an example posted several minutes before you wrote this 😅😅😅😅

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 6:00pm

Ensemble17591322022 said: "so unnatural to me since people don’t really inhale through the nose before speaking in real life."

So I don't exist or at least I'm unnatural? You've got me worried a little.

Seriously, I only inhale through the mouth when I'm near death after running too much. Which I never do.

[Ensemble17591322022]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 6:15pm

Mary_Poppins said: "Ensemble17591322022 said: "so unnatural to me since people don’t really inhale through the nose before speaking in real life."

So I don't exist or at least I'm unnatural? You've got me worried a little.

Seriously, I only inhale through the mouth when I'm near death after running too much. Which I never do."

This gentleman may be exaggerating to make the point, but it seems it’s uncommon to do so:

https://youtu.be/PZG431ii-9E?t=81&si=kq6XN5aegJi-7tya
 

Updated On: 3/6/26 at 06:15 PM

[Mary_Poppins]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 6:55pm

If it's uncommon then what's your problem?

If you're worried because it's increasing, maybe vocal coaches other than the guy in that video have been re-evaluating it and found it more advantageous than previously thought.

And what would you consider more important: vocal safety or some rather subtle sound difference. I mean, semi-randomly breaking out into song complete with glory notes and all that in the middle of a conversation isn't very realistic or natural to begin with but some nose breathing is one step too far for you?

Also, why does Youtube shove this self-inflated MickeyJo guy in my face whenever I watch anything Musical related?

[Ensemble17591322022]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 7:07pm

If it had been a staple of vocal performances since the dawn of time, and if it was something I’d heard all my life, maybe it wouldn’t be so jarring. But it’s extremely jarring to me, both in sound and visual. There’s a lot of head and neck movement involved in taking a deep nasal breath.

So yes, it is a suspension of disbelief too far, because it’s not at all a match with the visual and aural world that has been established. And if you watch from the start of the video, he said it took him out of the moment. Will singers start doing nose breathing during book scenes as well, to keep it consistent?

If Broadway voices got by just fine without nose inhalation for 100 years or so until now, maybe something needs to be stopped rather than added.

If it doesn’t bother you, wonderful. Maybe if enough of it happens, it will become more obvious. 

Updated On: 3/6/26 at 07:07 PM

[darquegk]

Posted: 3/6/26 at 7:17pm

This has the air of someone in the mid-sixties asking if anyone else is bothered by the gradual disappearance of the rolled or delicately flipped R in spoken or sung material.

[John Adams]

Posted: 3/7/26 at 6:41am

Mary_Poppins said: "[...] why does Youtube shove this self-inflated MickeyJo guy in my face whenever I watch anything Musical related?"

He does come off as being pretentious. 

Would you consider him to be a "mouth breather"?