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Stop! You're Killing Your Voice.

September 16, 2009 By voiceclubcoach 24 Comments

Screaming singerHow to Know if You’ve Gone Too Far

If there’s one question I hear all the time, it’s ‘how do I know if I’ve done something damaging to my voice?’  which always makes me think of something someone once told me about child rearing. “It only takes one time to touch a hot stove before they know better.”  Unfortunately I wasn’t that bright in my younger years as a singer.  So let’s take that analogy a bit further.  These are the tell tale signs that you’re taking your voice down a dangerous road. (*I am not a doctor and am not attempting to give medical advice.  If you have medical concerns about your voice please see a highly recommended ear, nose and throat physician.)

Pain

Pain is our body’s way of saying, ‘hey, knock that off!’  It is NOT a signal that you just had an intense performance.  It means you are requiring things of your voice that will damage it.  If you feel pain during or after singing, get the help of a qualified technique instructor to help put your voice back into a healthy balance.  A good one can help you do that without sacrificing your signature sound.  Yes, rock singers.  I’m talking to you.

Hoarseness

Ever scream at a huge sporting event and find your throat is sore the next day?  Probably no shocker.  Yet we seem surprised when the same thing happens after singing.  Hoarseness is another red flag that tells us your voice is not in balance and is being utilized incorrectly.   Hoarseness can also be a symptom of vocal cord polyps, granulomas (a growth caused by acid reflux and accompanied by ear and throat pain) and other medical conditions.  Even it this happens only occasionally, it’s time to be assessed by a good technique instructor.  If it’s happening consistently, see a a good ENT.

Loss of Voice

This is another way your voice protects itself from damage, it says ‘I’ve had enough, thank you.’  We’ve all had times when we’ve had an adrenaline packed performance and required more of our voices than we should, but if you are losing your voice at any time after you sing, you are heading down a road that could lead to nodes, cysts and surgery (oh my).

Missing Notes

If you find that all of a sudden you have specific notes in your range that are really weak or maybe missing altogether, it’s time to see a good ENT.  This is a classic sign that you’ve damaged your voice.  Nodes or cysts are like blisters on the vocal cords.  Wherever they develop the cords have trouble coming together .  If this is happening to you, you’re in need of medical intervention.  Once the problem is diagnosed and fixed, it will most likely return unless you find a qualified technique instructor to help retrain the bad habits you’ve formed that got you there.

If you’ve noticed the reoccurring theme has been ‘technique’.  There are many incredibly talented people who have horrendous technique.  Do they sound good?  Yes.  Will their voice last through everything they’d like to do with that talent?  Not without good technique.    So what is good technique and how do I find someone who teaches it?   We’ll talk about that next time.

Have you had a vocal problem you’d like more information on?  Tell us your stories about your experience with taking your voice a little to far.  Click ‘leave a comment’ at the top of this post.

Filed Under: Sing Better, Vocal Problems Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Vocal Surgery? What My Doctor Said.

August 5, 2009 By voiceclubcoach Leave a Comment

So I went in for the video laryngoscope that the throat specialist requested before operating on my right vocal cord that was damaged in my last surgery.  It was confirmed that my right cord is swollen and possibly has a node or a cyst.   (In the picture, the cords show up reversed so the right cord, where the bump is, is in the left in the picture. Look closely and you can see that it’s slightly wider than the other.)IMG_0509

As the doctor and I were talking, I told the doctor about the vocal technique I teach and it’s effectiveness to repair vocal damage.  I explained that we don’t work with anyone with a diagnosed medical problem until a doctor clears them for therapy and that I was waiting to be cleared so I could begin training to reverse the damage.  She asked me what specifically I would do if a student came to me with the problem I have so I explained where I would start and why.

IMG_0511At the end of our appointment as she was outlining the standard course of action for my vocal problem (a biopsy and probably surgery), I asked her what she would do if she were me.  She turned and said, “If I were you, I wouldn’t get the biospy.  I’d do what YOU do.”

I’ve had students with vocal damage who have had surgery with great results.  When a singers voice is at risk, the course of treatment is a very personal decision that really has to be made between the singer and their physicians.  But I’m so glad to have found the technique I teach; one that has been proven to actually reverse nodes, swelling and many other vocal issues for those of us who decide not to go under the knife, or the laser.

For me, there was no question that I was going to avoid surgery at all costs.  My whole ordeal started from trying to prevent damage to my voice (see previous posts) and ended with way more surgery than I ever bargained for.  No chance I’m going to let them get at my cords again! (Instead of ‘remember the alamo’, my mantra has been ‘remember Julie Andrews’!)

So now that I’ve been cleared by my physicians, I’m going to begin the road to vocal recovery using the method I’ve used to help other singers.  I’m going to enlist the help of other instructors who teach the same method and journal my progress here to remind those of you who have been there, or are there right now, that there is hope for a damaged voice.  And I’m so ready to have a little hope.

Filed Under: Personal Blog, Vocal Problems Tagged With: , , , ,

Not My Vocal Cords… Again!

August 5, 2009 By voiceclubcoach Leave a Comment

frustrationIt’s been a long time since I’ve posted a follow up on my voice damage so for all of you who have asked, here’s an update.  Last fall my doctors discovered that acid reflux was burning my vocal cords.  (see the post ‘The Voice Coach Has Vocal Damage for details)

Unfortunately, the ‘simple laproscopic surgery’ that was prescribed didn’t go as planned.  A section of my stomach was burned during the procedure and after I got home, my stomach burst.  After an ambulance ride, an emergency surgery to save my life and spending almost a month in the hospital, I didn’t have to worry about my voice anymore.  The acid could no longer reach my cords.  But due to the sepsis, I sustained organ damage and a very long excruciating recovery that I’m still drudging through eight months later.  I’ve had a total of four surgeries this year to repair damage from the emergency.  But at least my voice was fixed.  Well, maybe.

After my latest surgery in June I noticed pain in the right side of my throat and that I was missing almost a half an octave from my range.  It became painful to speak.  A throat specialist did a nasal scope and discovered a bump on my right vocal cord that we think resulted from my vocal cord being nicked by the breathing tube during my last surgery.  After all of this, my vocal cords are more damaged than ever!

It wasn’t clear if it was a vocal node, a cyst or something else, but when the specialist started talking about booking emergency O.R. time, I was devastated.   I have worked with several students to repair their vocal damage, but for the first time I understood that for a singer, the thought of surgery on your voice is like an athlete facing a possible amputation of a limb.  And, as an instructor, I knew I couldn’t work on my own voice until I was medically cleared to.  I was put on vocal rest until a video laryngoscope could be done to identify the next step.  That’s another story for another post….

Filed Under: Personal Blog, Vocal Problems Tagged With: , , , ,