Kylie wrote:
>If any of the teachers on the list could suggest
exercises to get the cords
>(and abdominal muscles) back into condition afterwards
that would be great.
Kylie,
I'll repeat here some of my response to someone else who
recently asked about recovering from intubation for
anesthesia, as I didn't post that reply to the whole
list. This is not so different from a singer recovering
from a garden-variety respiratory illness. If you're
hoarse, the vocal folds are swollen, irritated and
likely dehydrated as well. And they are only going to
heal at the speed they're going to heal. You can do
some things to help the process along, but if you rush
it, you will actually slow things down and could do some
damage. So prudence is the watchword.
From a vocal standpoint, hydration is your best friend.
Lots of warm liquids, without caffeine (or alcohol). No
singing on painkillers or anti-inflammatories, as they
can predispose you to vocal hemorrhage, especially when
the cords are already irritated.
As for vocal exercises, and ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT IT
DOES NOT CAUSE ANY PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT, you should start
very soft humming or singing on an "ng" up and down an
octave or so, siren-like, in your middle voice. If the
cords won't come together when you try that very gently
several times, stop and wait a day. Don't try to force
it to work, as you will end up using much more breath
pressure than is healthy. Once you can make that work,
gradually increase the range and, very carefully, the
dynamic level. As that improves, you can move on to
an "oo" and then an "ee" and an "ah" sound, working the
same way. Then try some of your usual warmups.
Once the vocal folds are feeling less irritated, I would
think some basic breathing exercises, such as gentle
panting (but only for short periods so as not to get
dehydrated) and a long, controlled exhalation on an "s"
sound, could help to get your abdominal muscles back
into shape for singing. Messa di voce exercises, of
course, are recommended pretty much anytime, for
anything!
Ease into your repertoire, trying only the less taxing
pieces first. I can't stress enough that the cords will
tell you what is enough, and you must listen to them!
Good luck!
Robin Lynne Frye
Mezzo-Soprano
Voice and Piano Teacher
New York, New York
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