#nowplaying // troy | jaime woods

whether you are getting over yet another cold, fighting springtime allergies, or weary by the end of another school week – i may experience one or two of these on the regular – your voice may leave you from time to time. and as a gigging singer, your voice is the money maker, obviously. that thang needs to be operational at all times lest we starve. when i first started teaching, i would lose my voice every thursday like clockwork + i would suffer without a voice until sunday – where the vicious cycle of not being able to speak would repeat itself week after week. how annoying. of course there are steps to prevent vocal loss but we can explore that in another blog. today is all about retrieving what has been lost, regardless of how you lost it. i discovered this series of remedies when i had to sing for the school faculty talent show +, because of my usual cold, rehearsing, + over-talking whilst teaching, my voice was completely gone a few days before the show. i couldn’t even speak. noooooooo! i had to try something to get my voice back + in the process i was able to find 7 remedies to getting the voice back in a day.

1. vocal rest
the process of resting the vocal cords by not speaking or singing – not even a whisper. shh! also, do not clear your throat. this will just cause more irritation and increase the time of your recover. bae taught me that.

2. lemon + honey
a classic that my mama taught me, squeeze some fresh lemon into a coffee mug + add 3 tablespoons of honey. stir. sip. 4 cups throughout the day. note: it won’t be a full cup.

3. ginger chews
as a singer, you should have a pack of these on you at all times – in your car, in your purse, on your nightstand. ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory and soothes disorders of the throat, including vocal loss. now, you can always just chew on straight-up ginger (gag) but i recommend gin gins spicy apple ginger chews. they are like delicious taffy candy to help get your voice back up + running. go ahead + get 3 packs.

4. singers throat spray
again, singers – keep this stuff on you regardless. it’s instant relief + soothes the throat. use at that first tickle or scratch and it will calm any discomfort and reduce what could be a sore throat. my singers throat spray of choice? singer’s saving grace in honey lemon.

5. salt water
another mama remedy, take a glass of warm water + add 3 tablespoons of salt. gargle, bih.

6. room temp water
this one should be obvious but drink water. as humans, we should be drinking water on the regular + as singers, we should be drinking water ritually. we gotta keep the vocal chords lubricated to avoid harshness when the vocal cords vibrate to produce sound. harshness on the vocal cords = vocal loss. if you really don’t like the taste of water, you can add lemon or a water enhancer. one of my favorites is sparkling water. you still get that fizz but it’s good for you. bottoms up.

7. throat coat tea
keep this stuff in the pantry at all times. add honey to your mug of throat coat tea and enjoy 4-6 cups throughout the day. it’s soothing + it has such a distinct taste: sweet + earthy, silky, with a distinct licorice taste says the box. try it for yourself. i know you’ll enjoy.

if you follow all the aforementioned remedies, your voice will be well on its way back in a day. don’t forget to rest that voice.

what are some of your remedies for getting your voice back? let ya girl know!

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