<p>Over the past few months I've been growing increasingly worried about my vocal health. It's possible that I'm just nervous about going off to college this fall and I'm overreacting, but I wanted to ask on here to see if anyone has any advice before going to a laryngologist or something.</p>
<p>At first I just concerned myself with the remedies we all hear about- honey, tea, etc- but those seem to be quick fixes, and unreliable, and I'm talking about long-term vocal health. </p>
<p>I don't exactly know how to describe my problem, but it just feels like I'm chronically dealing with vocal fatigue. You know the feeling you get after screaming a lot? Like you were really mean to your vocal folds and now you need to let them rest? I always always always have that feeling, every day, even if I haven't been overworking my voice. What the heck is going on?</p>
<p>Maybe it's improper singing technique- but I've been singing all my life, have been taking lessons from a really great teacher for years, and have worked with many different teachers in master classes etc, so I really don't think I'm doing anything wrong in that department.
Maybe it's a result of stress and lack of sleep- but honestly, MT kids are so busy 24/7 I don't think any of us can ever really get enough sleep. So I don't think I suffer from that problem any more than anyone else in the world of musical theatre.</p>
<p>Do I have some weird voice problem that only a specialist can diagnose and treat, or do I just need to face the fact that being in musical theatre you just have to get used to your voice being tired all the time?
I haven't talked to my teacher yet about these concerns at all, and she hasn't said anything so I assume it's not affecting how my voice sounds- or at least not enough for her to tell. I know that's who I should be talking to, but I figured I might as well see if anyone here has any advice before I tell her and she overreacts, or tells me I'm overreacting- which are both likely.</p>
<p>Dancer - you need to contact CoachC in this forum, who is a speech and vocal therapist. She works with musical theatre singers all the time, especially those in or entering MT university programs. She can give you good advice and point you in the right direction regarding your concerns. Just search under “CoachC” or a thread on “vocal health” and posts by her will pop up. Then you can message her.</p>
<p>My suggestion is that you get yourself to an ENT group or laryngologist that specializes with vocal performers as soon as possible. The internet is not the appropriate way to get a diagnosis of what is going on. What you are describing, at the extreme you are describing it, is not “normal” for MT students. Without being seen in person, there is no way to know whether what you are experiencing is due to a medical condition, a physiological or structural issue with your vocal apparatus, severe overuse or some other cause. An ENT group that specializes with vocal performers can provide not only a medical exam but also specialized vocal testing to determine what is going on and then structure a plan of treatment or therapy as is appropriate. You don’t indicate what city you are in but if you don’t know of a group in your area, I would certainly ask CoachC if she can recommend one. She is undoubtedly a well regarded voice and speech professional who is affiliated with a practice in the Pittsburgh area and may be able to recommend a practice near you. I would also discuss this with your voice teacher; she needs to know what you are experiencing. If you happen to be near Philadelphia, PM me and i can recommend an excellent group we used for my daughter.</p>
<p>Let me just agree vociferously with MichaelNKat, don’t solicit advice from the forum other than - Get Thee To an ENT! Soon. Even your voice teacher isn’t going to be able to diagnose the actual problems. Damage is possible, and the earlier the issue is caught, the better the prognosis is.</p>
<p>Dr. John let me know that your post was here and where you live. I’ll ask my voice specialists (doctor) friends about who to see that’s closest to you and get back to you with an answer tomorrow - because you definitely need to be seen by a voice doctor. It’s hard from your symptom description to pinpoint any specific problem, but a voice specialist will be able to look at your vocal folds with an expert eye and address what you are describing (probably with the help of a voice-specialist speech pathologist). </p>
<p>For general CC knowledge: I am still in close touch with my Pittsburgh voice friends but am now in NYC full-time and will begin working for a voice speciality practice here in July. But I still have access to the same great national network of true voice experts and am always glad to help our CC-ers! :)</p>
<p>dancerr625, you are not a hypochondriac if it does not feel right. It took several different doctors before DD landed with a voice professional that took the totality of her symptoms into consideration. Others picked up just one at a time. She had to keep at it until all issues were resolved and now is much better.</p>
<p>Singersmom07 brings up a good point. There is a difference between an ENT and an ENT who is a vocal specialist. Towards the end of my daughter’s senior year of h.s., she came off a show and a series of choir concerts with her voice feeling extreme fatigue and soreness that did not dissipate over a couple of days. We found an ENT group that also runs a voice center for those who use their voices professionally. The scope of expertise and services provided was nothing short of amazing for someone like me who had never previously been exposed to this level of vocal care. My daughter was seen by an ENT with a ton of experience dealing with professional singers who looked at the medical side of things. She was tested in a vocal lab that used all sorts of equipment that measured the functioning of her singing voice and actually produced graphs showing the functional patterns of her vocal apparatus. The 2 approaches were combined to complete a full medical, physiological and biomechanical diagnosis of her voice and the issues she was having. A comprehensive therapeutic program was put together based on medicine to address acid reflux, speech therapy to strengthen and make more flexible various structures involved in her vocal apparatus and singing therapy to develop certain technical aspects of her singing voice to make her a healthier singer.</p>
<p>Over and above the phenomenal level of care my daughter received, there was also a humorous side of this. She was initially put on complete vocal rest. No performing of any type and strongly encouraged to even limit her talking. While she was very disappointed that she couldn’t perform her last concerts and competitions with her school’s choir, she (suffering from extreme senioritis the last couple weeks of h.s.) reveled in holding up a sign in her classes that read “Sorry, can’t talk in class, doctor’s orders.”</p>
<p>I will pile on here having just taken my D to a nationally known laryngologist for the first time. You definitely feel in good hands when you seen signed head shots with testimonials from the likes of Renee Fleming and Placido Domingo!</p>
<p>In any event, I was amazed by how easy the entire procedure was. Frankly, if I had any idea how relatively quick and painless the procedures would be, I would not have waited so long to make the appointment. Fortunately, nothing serious was wrong, but she is now on treatment for GERD and allergies. I can’t think of better timing than to get a baseline scope the summer before college anyway. </p>
<p>The end of senior year is incredibly exhausting. You are certainly not imagining your fatigue which can have a serious impact on your voice. Good luck this summer and in your college career.</p>
<p>Had my appointment the other day- nothing seriously wrong! Just really swollen vocal folds. Presumably, they just became agitated throughout my busy senior year and I never really had time to rest enough for the swelling to go down. So I’m on complete vocal rest for the next two weeks, which is actually really really nice. I’ve been staying home, getting some good summer reading done, taking a few rehearsals off (which I’m really happy about- I’m Dean in All Shook Up at our local community theatre this summer and I HATE the Elvis music and the cheesy script…getting away from it is nice! haha. and the music director is really understanding of my need for rest and cool about letting me mark, letting me stay home, etc). I’m really enjoying the rest and relaxation! So I’d like to thank you all, especially coachc, for your help! I’d still be worrying, stressing, and straining if you hadn’t encouraged me to see a doctor. Thank you!!! :)</p>
<p>dancerr625, I am so glad you went and found out the issue. It is much better to deal with it while it is not too serious than let it go and develop to a career threatening one. Rest, follow the doctor’s advice and get ready for next year :)</p>