<p>My audition at school #1 is Friday. My throat feels tight (not sore but tight) and I don't have a strong head voice. My sound is extremely weak. I've been chugging tea and honey and using ricolas and vocal rest and the usual but does anyone have ANY advice whatsoever? I don't know if it is a cold or what is coming on, but I have worked much too hard and far too long to be taken out by a cold!</p>
<p>Do you have a personal steamer? Don’t use the menthol that comes with it if you do. Also a nettie pot can be useful to clear the sinus drip without meds. Rest, fluids - a lot of water not just tea. Watch what you are eating. Eat a healthy diet and get plenty of sleep. A little late for current cold, but use hand sanitizer like a zealot while at school and while you travel. It comes with the territory. Auditions are in cold season and the stress reduces your immune system. The panels understand. DD was barely recovered from strep throat at one conservatory audition but was still accepted. Take a back up recording with you in case you can’t sing. </p>
<p>Thank you! They won’t accept videos and if I am how I am now Friday I will be okay it just isn’t my strongest sound, but thank you!</p>
<p>Some of the things we use are:
Oil of oregano
Oil of olive leaf
Japanese pine bark
Ginger tea and lemon
Nin jiom pei pa koa (a Chinese throat syrup)
My d also likes fishermans friend lozenges in small quantities (it has menthol…but works amazing)</p>
<p>Throat Coat tea?</p>
<p>Menthol drys out your vocal cords, as do a lot of over the counter throat lozenges. Be very cautious.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate and then hydrate some more.</p>
<p>In short…you should be sure that the ricolas do not have ANY menthol whatsoever.</p>
<p>Ricolas DO have menthol, so avoid them and anything that has menthol in it, no matter the amount. Read labels, even if you’ve used something before because companies can and do change ingredients and they don’t have to write that on the front of the package. Force fluids, tea with honey is soothing. Keep a humidifier running near you and keep it cleaned daily.
If you really are having a problem it’s better not to force your voice. Call or email the school (By the way, do NOT talk on the phone unless absolutely necessary since it’s very hard on your voice) and see if they have an opening on a later date- they try to understand and the weather is complicating things everywhere anyway.</p>
<p>Don’t use Ricola’s they just make you cough more</p>
<p>Also, vocal rest means NO whispering either. . Whispering is worse than talking for your vocal cords. Take something to write on. </p>