Voice in Sickness

 I found myself in pickle last week. 

I developed an infection through the throat and chest. Normally, I would cancel my private students, use this time for vocal rest and alter my group classes for minimal speaking.

Unfortunately, it happens to be the very start of the teaching year, so pulling out my trusty John Clarke, Sounds of Australia rainy day option DVD, would label me as pretty shabby.

To add to misfortune, I was doing a very vocally demanding show - in fact 8 of them. In four days. Near midnight. In a dusty spore ridden basement if a gaol. There is no understudy and the show is a sell out.

So..... How to manage my voice? 

Carefully. 

Very carefully. 

This is what I have been doing for my own voice. It may sound like a lot of rigamarole, but the last thing I need is a lost voice or (dare I mention it it?) nodules:

- I booked a session with my speech path to make sure there were no real underlying issues (apart from snot/phlegm/infection....sexy).

- I made myself a voice kit including gaviscon (for light reflux management that might aggravate the vocal folds and pharynx); Fess - nasal spray for clearing out gunk after dusty basement scenes); grape seed oil - - for a quick swish around the teeth, allowing some secretions to get into the saliva and oil the vocal folds; Betadine throat gargle - to eliminate further bacterial infection; difflam - anti-inflammatory lozenges for use only AFTER performance (you don't want to compound voice problems by numbing the area during), hydrolyte sachets - to make sure vocal folds were kept sufficiently hydrated by maximum water intake during the day. 

- I bought stacks of pineapple juice to sip throughout the performance.

- I completely rested the voice during the day when I was not working. Yes, this meant forgoing social activities.

- Semi-supine - making sure tension was not playing a part in restricting my voice.

- Giving myself a limit. This means making a cut off point where you simply must stop. Mine for example is if parts of the voice start to disappear and I need to strain to get them - or if there is pain.That is my stop point, the danger point and it is important it is observed. 

- In my teaching I used a piano or clapping to get attention.

- I always give myself a good warm up, but to really start slowly and listen to what the body is telling you.

I am a voice professional. If I lose my voice, I can't make a living. If I lose my voice - or even parts of it - I cannot lead by example. Most importantly, of I lose my voice, my trust in my body and impulse as an actor will be undermined, and this is the greatest asset I have.