Hi Brian,
Apropos my post on music colleges and my vocal glip:
read on!!
This sounds very similar to my problem at college. I
had a haemmorage of my right vocal fold, due to
excessively bad teaching. I'm a high lyric baritone
with a free and easy top, and my teacher was convinced
I was a tenor, and the best way to achieve that was
too do it by force and muck my voice up for nine
months!
Some advice for what it's worth. The only time you
should keep the voice rested is in a case like this.
Generally, it's healthier to keep a nice exercised
larynx, but please, please don't talk!!! Hard I know,
but really worth it. Also, try not to take the
steroids. If you're resting the voice, they won't be
needed. Lots of steam is great. Pure steam mind,
nothing in it. And don't burn yourself!!
The larynx is one of the strongest parts of the human
anatomy, but like anything else can be broken and
repaired. If you've got a glip, it's more than likely
you've been doing something wrong: not necessarily,
but quite likely. My voice broke because I allowed the
idiot teacher to try and change what I did. He would
trick me into playing arias sometimes up a minor 3rd.
I could always sing the dots, but used to think I was
'out of voice' at lesson end as I felt so knackered!!
Consquently, one day I thought I had a severe cold as
nothing vocal of any use was appearing, and some blood
in my hanky! Next stop, Harley Street for a check up.
Oops!
Re. your vocal rest. After ten days, you may well be
healed up, but don't whatever you do start singing
hard again. I made this mistake. Seven days vocal
rest, check up. Another seven, and the specialist said
a little gentle vocalising. Teacher said how sorry he
was, but it was clearer than ever that I was a tenor.
I tried to change teacher, college refused! I stayed
away from lessons somewhat frustrated! I finally
thought (stupid, stupid stupid!) that perhaps he was
right!! Doh!! Had a couple of lessons, seemed ok.
Suddenly I'm singing well and high and after two
weeks, back to square one and Harley Street again. A
hard lesson to learn, but one I'm glad I did! In the
end I took six months to off to heal properly and of
course changed teacher (my saviour!!) and have never
had any ill effects since. I'm lucky that my vocal
folds are obviously made of tempered steel, and I do
abuse them with monotonous regularity!!
Also, as an Englishman, it's interesting to hear about
acid reflux. Something that hardly seems to happen in
the UK (or rather not spoken of) and Europe. Perhaps
it' something in your water? lol. In any case, I'm
inclined to think of this problem as not exactly an
excuse, but perhaps an easy way out!! I'm not
intending to offend listers who do suffer with it, but
it does seem odd. I occasionally have it myself, but
it doesn't do anything to my voice production.
Interesting that your doc says the valves work less
well as we get older. I suppose that's obvious in a
way, but I'd like to get other more anatomically
minded listers views on that one. I would be inclined
to think that if the vocal mechansim is working well
(plenty of singers over fifty have the healthiest
sounds imaginable and no leaking air sound) then that
shouldn't be?
I've just re-read your post as I thought you'd said
your technique had been stable for eighteen years!!!
Well, it could be you've answered your own question!!?
It takes a long while in many cases for the voice to
give in as it's so strong. And, with youth the muscles
are too. Only as we get older does it take longer to
get better!!!
I wish you well for the future. My vocal blip was in
1983, and I've done non stop singing ever since and
never missed a note or had to struggle, so must be
doing something right!! It was also this dilemma which
got me into teaching. . . O my God!!!
All the best,
Ian, Voice wrecker to the stars!!!
ps: Long, rambling, and God knows if any use!
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