Hi!
You must think: all the sudden she's very active! I have been lurking for quite a time now, I was always very scared getting into the discussions because I didn't feel my english was well enough (by the way I'm dutch speaking). But your lovely comments on my Competition reports gave me courage!! :-)
I'll explain the situation. Next monday (29 mai) I have to sing my final recital exam for Master Degree in singing. For a few days now (maybe even weeks) I felt something was wrong with my voice but I couldn't tell exactly what. I gave concerts to prepare my exam and nobody (not even my singing teacher) heard something wrong. But still it felt like I had to do more as usual. Something just didn't feel right. I thought it were nerves or fatigue, so I tried not to worry. On wednesday I discovered I couldn't hum any more above my passage. When I try it, a whole different note than the one I want to sing comes up, a lot higher. Very scary! Also my pure headtones don't want to come. When I sing with the right breath and support the notes above the passage are ok, I just can't sing sing them very quiet any more. (I could never sing quiet high notes, but at least I could squeeze something out :-) ) I do have the feeling when I start a high note above the passage my vocal chords don't close as well as they have to, so I have to very careful not to crack them. This morning I panicked because I still couldn't hum, so I went to a special doctor. He didn't believe my mysterious disease at first, it had to be the nerves and the stress. He looked at my vocal chords and discovered there was a minuscule protuberance (i hope this is the right term) on one of my cords. He said it must have been there for quite a long time (very scary thought!). He reinsured me that I couldn't make it worse by singing and he tried to give me some confidence for the exam. The doctor also gave me Celestone, those are steroids. I don't like to take so strong medication but I do want to sing my exam, if possible at the maximum of my capabilities. I have been working towards this exam for the last five years so I really want to do it good! But I know it isn't worth destroying my voice and the rest of my career over. I'm able to sing at this point, I just have to be very carefull to do everything technically very, very right otherwise I have the chance to have only air and no sound.
Has anyone ever experienced the same thing? Can anyone give me some tips on what to do?
A very desperate soprano, Annelies
P.S. About the Elisabeth Competition: I saw it yesterday and am going to see it this evening but as you understand I was to busy worrying today to write a report. But I promise it will come.
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