- Vocal Rest- this is the big one, and I can't emphasise it enough. It's annoying, but a lot of the time the best thing you can do is to do nothing. Think of your voice in the same way you regard the rest of your body; you wouldn't run a 10k if you'd pulled a muscle, would you? Most of the time I would recommend you sit it out as it's not worth the risk of doing further damage to yourself. However, if you have an audition for drama school etc. that absolutely can't be changed (I have been in this situation, see: http://journeytodramaschool.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/drama-school-audition-2-mountview.html) and you think you'll be able to do your songs justice without hurting yourself, then proceed with caution. Make sure you sing a song that won't strain your voice and drink lots of water. This brings me nicely onto my second point...
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate-I pretty much always have a bottle with me, and am constantly taking sips from it. I used to be in a constant state of dehydration just due to forgetting to rehydrate, but having a bottle near me makes it so much easier to monitor how much I've been drinking. Also keep in mind the major side effect from drinking a lot of water, and make sure you know where the nearest available toilets are if you know that you need to go a lot!
- Steam- I always feel some much better after inhaling steam, it helps to clear the sinuses and you can really feel its effect on the vocal cords. You can inhale it from a steamer, a bowl full of hot water or simply in the bathroom when you're shower room.
- Warm up thoroughly- if you have to sing, make sure you warm it up properly. You really don't want to strain yourself and damage your voice permanently
- Gargling with salt- soothes pain and apparently kills bacteria. Can't go too wrong with that, but make sure not to swallow it!
- Honey- I get relief from drinking hot water with or without lemon with a generous helping of honey (any type). I've heard Manuka honey is amazing, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet so I'll report back later with my findings.
- Avoid alcohol-(sob) you might find that you're not that affected by drinking, but personally I know that I am highly sensitive to the affect of alcohol on my voice. I try to avoid it for at least a week before a big audition and when I'm having a drink make sure I'm also having water so my vocal cords don't get dried out
That's all I've got to report on, though I know other people have reported success with sore throat lozenges and decongestants, amongst other things. Feel free to let me know what tricks you have to help with a sore throat and if you're seriously worried about your voice/throat GO SEE A DOCTOR. I can't emphasise this last point enough, it's not worth damaging your voice in the longterm!
Until next time!
Until next time!
the pg drama app
No comments:
Post a Comment