Vocal Remedies - BSF

[macbeth]

Posted: 7/21/03 at 5:18pm

http://www.backstage.com/backstage/features/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1937730

what remedies do you all use here? (those that perform)?

cursious!

macbeth

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/21/03 at 5:41pm

Per Enrico Caruso (and it don't get no higher than that):

STEAM.... STEAM...and more STEAM..

Steam is the ONLY THING that can actually KILL GERMS in your throat and, especially, in your nose.... this can nip a cold in the bud and shorten the length of a cold...

Even when you are not sick..Use it before any performance

It opens up the nasal passages (your resonators), clears them of gunk and clears any gunk in the throat. and can soothe the throat...

If you have no voice at all...put Vicks vap-orub in the steam and breath for 15 minutes........will at least give you some voice ..

and if you smoke, than you should steam every other day just to get the crap loose...

Any herbal tea is good (Decaffeinated ONLY) and TONS of WATER...

Also, BAKING SODA...is a GREAT Gargle.... 1 teaspoon in one warm glass of water, recommended by a throat doctor who handles Domingo and Broadway World favorite, (voiceanth rolls eyes) Bernadette Peters!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/21/03 at 6:04pm

Tea and alcohol. Put some peppermint schnapps or some brandy in your tea.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/21/03 at 6:09pm

Tea and alcohol.

the Elaine Stritch cure....

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 7/21/03 at 7:05pm

If my voice is really acting horrible, I go straight for the herbal tea--I like Celestial Seasonings flavored teas best (Country Peach Passion!). I usually drink about six or seven cups a day. While it's cooling, I breathe in the steam, and I try and drink it while it's hot but not scalding. The combination of the steam and warm liquid really opens the throat up.
I also try and take a shower at the hottest setting I can tolerate.

Another good remedy if your throat is hurting you is to gargle with clove water. You steep a bunch of cloves (anywhere between 4 and 6 should do) in hot water, let it cool a bit, remove the cloves, and then gargle but DON'T SWALLOW. The cloves have a natural anasthetic in them that will help a sore throat.

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 7/21/03 at 7:15pm

A shot of olive oil works wonders.

[seymour krelborn]

Posted: 7/21/03 at 8:05pm

Throat coat is my savior whenever I sing!

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 7/21/03 at 8:13pm

For me, it's always tea, too. Most of the time it works.

[Phantom05]

Posted: 7/21/03 at 8:25pm

I usually use mix lemon juice and honey, and then heat them together for about one minute and fifteen seconds. I know that it sounds kind of gross, but it really works! If you want a speedy cure, gargle either salt water or Listerine, either way one of them is going to burn like hell, and will most definitly kill whatever is causing the infection!!!
See Ya!

Phantom05

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/21/03 at 10:08pm

My voice coach freaked on me when I mentioned lemon. It's really high in acid and will strip your chords of all natural lubrcant.

[PJ]

Posted: 7/21/03 at 10:30pm

I've heard that about lemons. But I'm not singer or performer in any way, but I do get strep (?) throat no less than 4 times a year and I always just gargle salt water. It works for a while, but wears off soon after.

[kec]

Posted: 7/22/03 at 5:02am

I once lost my voice one week before my choral group was giving a concert. I drank a lot of Celestial Seasonings Throat Care tea -- Honey Lemon-Chammomile -- that week. I sang in the concert -- the voice wasn't totally there, but it was there.

[Belter]

Posted: 7/22/03 at 7:09am

I sing through my problems. You can cure vocal problems by singing healthily.

The Original Cast Member who played "Maggie," in A Chorus Line lost her voice on tour, was told she had nodes and would never sing again -- she was trained how to sing healthily and was singing again (and still is) six months later.

That said, for pain I keep cough drops in my throat constantly. Nothing like lubrication.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/22/03 at 10:56am

Define "healthily"

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/22/03 at 11:28am

Voiceanth, Stritchy drinks tea?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/22/03 at 11:31am

LOL!

[Timmerbo]

Posted: 7/22/03 at 12:54pm

I'll second the shot of olive oil suggestion. I've done it before and it's quite soothing.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/22/03 at 2:12pm

Yuck...

If you go to www.vocalcoach.com or www.thevocalcoach.com you'll find that they sell something called "entertainer's secret throat spray". I use it and it's quite much more yummy than olive oil. Also, you can use it as nasal spray to eliminate soothe dry nasal passages which can also have an effect on vocal quality, (don't ask me how).

[Phantom05]

Posted: 7/22/03 at 3:22pm

Something about a spray that doubles as a nose spray as well as a throat spray just sounds kind of NASTY to me!

See Ya!

Phantom05

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/22/03 at 3:34pm

Also, you can use it as nasal spray to eliminate soothe dry nasal passages which can also have an effect on vocal quality, (don't ask me how).

Voiceanth: The nasal passages and the bones around it are part of your "resonators" ...a big part...they will give the voice everything from color to volume...

This is called in operatic terms: The mask..thus teachers telling you..sing into the mask...

The sound from the vocal chords should "fly " into them...giving the sound impact...without sounding "nasal-y"....

Example: when early Streisand put pressure on the voice (too much air being used.. too much placement in the mask) it could sound braying and nasal..when she did'nt or when she "floated" the sound..(strong breath support making the sound go easily into the mask) it could have the most gorgeous quality..stunning quality...

they should be cared for just as well as the chords i.e steam ...blockage free pasages...

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/22/03 at 10:31pm

I've worked with Stritch and I can tell you she doesn't drink anymore. During the rehearsals I was begging people to slip her a bit of the sauce to put her to sleep.

[orion59]

Posted: 7/23/03 at 8:38am

Slippery Elm which you can get in the form of throat drops or in tea, the most common one being "Throat Coat" tea. Licorice Root tea is also good if you have congestion in the chest

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/23/03 at 9:53am

I know Stritchy doesn't drink anymore, too. I was just making a joke. I adore her and would never make fun of her past if I did not think she would get a laugh out of it herself.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 7/23/03 at 11:45pm

I've heard about slippery elm before but I'm told it tastes nasty which can impede peoples use of it. Tea with honey is good. One I use a lot to beat off colds are Zinc louzenges(with or without Vit C) Also this is disgusting but it works: gargle with Hydrogen Peroxide either half strength or dilute to what you can stand. After u gargle rinse your mouth (oral cavity only) cos it tastes G-D awful but i find it really clears out bacteria. I never heard that steam kills throat bacteria tho it does on solid surfaces I think the level u'd need would burn your throat!

[alterego]

Posted: 7/24/03 at 3:28am

Try crushed pineapple or pineapple pieces to soothe a sore throat.