Singer's Tip #4 - SOOTHE

So you have overworked your voice - maybe you didn’t prepare properly, maybe you didn’t use proper technique- pushed too hard - talked too much right before the gig - maybe you sang on a dry throat or you simply overused your voice. Whatever the cause, there are tried and true therapies that can help you now! So don’t despair… Grab a nice cup of tea and let’s go over how to soothe your throat when you’ve overdone it.

First and foremost- you will have to be the best judge of how your throat is feeling and if you have actual pain when you talk or sing, you should make an appointment with a voice specialist.

In the meantime, let’s go over what to do if you feel vocal fatigue or mild soreness.

1. Hydrate - You guessed it! Back to my Singer’s Tip #1 yet again.. Your vocal tract will heal much more quickly if it is properly hydrated with plenty of water and soothing broths. Lemon and honey also have antibacterial properties and bring comfort to a tired or sore throat.

2. Steam - You can drape a towel over your head to trap the steam and bend slightly over a pot of boiling water on your stovetop for 10-15 minutes. Inhaling the steam is the most efficient and direct way to hydrate your vocal tract! This is also a good thing to do before performances especially if your throat is feeling dry. Refrain from talking or singing for about 20 minutes after your treatment- the tissues will be delicate while they are absorbing this moisture.

3. Throat Coat Tea! This is my absolutely favorite tea and I use it frequently. As I stated before, I have it in a thermos for every gig and sip throughout the performance and vocal practice. Throat Coat by Traditional Medicinals has Licorice Root, Slippery Elm Bark and Marshmallow Root, all of which are particularly soothing to your throat. It’s like taking your throat to the spa- says so on the box! Yogi Tea also makes Throat Comfort with many of the same ingredients. One of the main ingredients is licorice, so if you’re not fond of licorice, you might want to try Gaia Tea’s Throat Shield. It still has marshmallow root which is hydrating and soothing and also peppermint and sage.

4. Rest your voice. This is particularly important if you have a sore throat or if you’ve really overdone it and you are experiencing throat pain. This doesn’t mean you can’t talk at all, but keep talking at a minimum… about 6 sentences an hour. When you do talk, support your voice with proper breath and speak in a neutral tone and a lower volume. Do not whisper! This is actually harder on your voice than speaking. Do not sing until you have no pain or discomfort. If you suspect you have injured your voice or experience pain when you sing or talk, seek the advice of a physician, an ear nose & throat physician or voice therapist.

5. When you are ready to get back to singing, put more focus on your foundations - great breathing support, gentle warm ups and building resonance to facilitate healthier singing.

6. Reach out to a voice teacher like myself to learn proper vocal technique and vocal protocols so that you can use your voice in a healthy way and avoid improper practices that can inevitably lead to vocal damage and injury. Make sure you trace your steps to understand why & how your vocal injury or overuse happened so that you can make the necessary changes to keep your voice healthy and fit for years to come!