<p>So my very last audition is finally approaching, Sunday Feb. 25th, CMU. I am getting nervous because I have been sick since Monday. I do not just mean I have a cold or am feeling tired. I can hardly talk or swallow because of an extremely sore throat and I am coughing and having trouble breathing. I got tested for strep, but the doctor said it was negative, and probably just a virus that I would have to ride out for about a week. </p>
<p>I checked online and all of CMU's dates are filled for MT. I may very well be better by Sunday, but I am getting nervous. I am not one to skip out on performing for a sniffly nose, I have been known to perform in a dance recital with a fever above 100 and to sing with bad sinus infections, but if I can't produce sound, there is not much point in me auditioning. </p>
<p>I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me, or for others who may find themselves in a similar situation, as many auditions happen in prime sick season. Should I call the school now and ask about rescheduling, should I just try and get better and hope for the best? I'm getting a little nervous...Thank you!</p>
<p>I think you take care of yourself the best you can between now and then and give it your best shot. Assuming of course that you can sing and talk at that point. Couple of suggestions though. </p>
<p>Is your doctor sure its not the flu? If it is, I have seen the prescription drug tami-flu work wonders. You might want to call the doctors office back and press them a bit. Tell them you have this looming event and see what they suggest. </p>
<p>Also, at the risk of starting a thread about how to get well there are some basics; Getting well from colds and stuff like this is all about letting your body’s immune system have the best chance to fight the bugs making you sick. Much of that is about good circulation that allows the white blood cells to move in on the bad bugs, fight them and then carry them off into the “out box”. </p>
<p>That’s why drink lots of liquids. (if your not peeing hourly your not drinking enough)
Stay warm (improves circulation)
Take one aspirin twice a day (thins the blood and improves circulation)
Don’t eat greasy foods (bogs down circulation as it takes a lot of blood into the stomach to digest) Same with sugary foods. No Pop!
Eat frequent small meals as apposed to large ones.
Wash hands like every hour that you are awake.
Gargle with germ killing mouth wash.
I like Airborne. Their directions suggest every 3 hours while sick or feeling like you are going to become sick.
Not everyone agrees but I believe Echinacea helps bolster the immune system. No question that large doses of vitamin C does (there is plenty in the airborne).</p>
<p>If your feeling good enough to audition but not great and your taking a fever reducer/pain medication. Prior to the audition you could switch to one of the Excedrin products which have acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine. The combination of those three is called “caffeine adjuvancy”, which is really designed to fight headaches. Yet the caffeine they use is not like the normal stuff in beverages, its what they call “therapeutically activated caffeine” that they have a patent on. I couldn’t tell you the difference but when I need to “perform” and not felling my best that caffeine gives me a nice boost that is pretty smooth as apposed to the jitters of too much coffee for energy. But certainly follow the directions and press you doctor.</p>
<p>OK, I know this may sound really disgusting but it has worked in the past for my daughter when she had a very sore throat two days before a big competition. We actually got this from her doctor. Mix equal amounts of Chloroseptic, Benadryl and Mylanta or Maalox and use it as a gargle every few hours (we usually try to find all cherry flavored). Each of the ingredients works in a different way to sooth your throat (one helps the swelling, the other the soreness, and one coats your throat). Just remember, you NEVER want to use Chloroseptic any time right before you sing. My daughter also uses Airborne and it has seemed to help her. And get plenty of rest (that's the hard one!). Hoping for the best for your last audition.</p>
<p>I was extremely sick for my last audition and I did everything I could. I gurgled salt water inorder to reduce the swelling of the throat. That seemed to help a lot in the long run. But, also, if you feel your voice is cracking a lot, right before your audition you could drink straight honey. I'm sure it's not recommended, but I've done it before during times of vocal stress and it DOES temporarily get rid of those cracks. </p>
<p>Most importantly is don't freak out. Even if you are sick, you CAN'T get better if you're stressing out about it because that will just add more to your illness (mentally, anyhow). Also, make sure no one can even guess you are sick. You don't want any pity during auditions.</p>
<p>There is some erroneous advice above that is important to correct:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Nothing you ingest "soothes" your vocal folds except steam (and steroids, but that's a diff story and can only be prescribed by a doctor). Anything else soothes or coats your THROAT - which can help psychologically, for sure, b/c then it hurts less to make sound. The best thing to do for your SOUND is get a personal steamer (handheld, found in the vaporizer aisle in any drug store) and steam away WITHOUT menthol pads (which dry your vocal folds). Phonate lightly while you steam - just light humming.</p></li>
<li><p>If you take a pain reliever, make sure it's not an anti-coagulant (like aspirin) - if you have been coughing a lot, your vocal folds may be compromised from the force of that, and you don't want to risk getting a vocal hemorrhage (a burst blood vessel in your v.f.)</p></li>
<li><p>NO CAFFEINE in any form - while it might "energize" you, it is imperative that you stay as hydrated as possible, and caffeine will counter any attempts you make to hydrate. You must drink water like crazy in order to give your vocal fold mucosa a chance to be as lubricated as possible. And you must do so well before you sing or speak, b/c the water has to metabolize through your body in order to do its job.</p></li>
<li><p>NO MENTHOL - make sure any throat drops you use don't contain menthol.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>NanE, you never want to use anything to numb your throat before you sing. You could cause damage without realizing, especially if you are trying to cover up a sore throat. The gargle is simply to help soothe your throat, while you are getting some vocal rest, and hopefully help you feel a little better.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone! I am drinking a lot and resting (which is no fun because my family is on vacation in California and I am suck in the hotel room all day!) and I really appreciate all the advice!</p>
<p>You missed my point about Caffeine. Certainly long term use of that drug causes dehydration which is counter productive. My suggestion was for one dose prior to performance. After a week of “hydrating” one small dose within an hour of performance is not going to dehydrate a person. And, there is empirical data that supports the notion that small doses of caffeine improves athletic performance.</p>
<p>As a mom of a child who studies voice, I appreciate your input as well. I copied coach c's recommendations for D in case she suffers from a sore throat before one of her auditions.</p>
<p>We swear by Airborne....our physician laughs and says it psychological!
Another question...We have seen many performers chew on an aspirin prior to singing. My d did summer stock last year and cast members kept large bottles of aspirin at every station. What's that about?</p>
<p>Sorry, you missed my point - b/c I did not explain it fully. I understood that you were talking about a sinigle dose of caffeine, and that is what I responded to. A search of the professional laryngology literature indicates:</p>
<p>"Two hundred and fifty mg of caffeine were provided to volunteers in tablet form, and blood levels along with laryngograph readings were recorded to document the changes produced. Analysing the irregularities of frequencies in a) free speech b) a reading passage and c) singing 'Happy Birthday', substantial changes were seen to authenticate the fact that caffeine does produce alterations in voice quality but these alterations have considerable intra-subject variability." </p>
<p>This is from a study published in the Journal of Laryngology and Otology. Other similar studies indicate that caffeine should be avoided entirely.</p>
<p>However, the University of Pittsburgh Voice Center, where I work, is currently doing a lot of top-level research on the applications of sports science (biomechanics, sports psychology, etc.) to vocal performance. Your point is an interesting one that I will raise with the chief researcher when I get a chance. (Her name is Katherine Verdolini and she is one of the top voice researchers in the world - and an avid marathon runner herself.)</p>
<p>And I don't know what was up with the aspirin - but I will certainly check with the laryngologist where I work. He'll know if it was bunk, not bunk, or perhaps bunk (something there is no agreement on among top laryngologists, as sometimes occurs). :)</p>
<p>Now that’s a different matter than dehydration and if that’s the currently accepted science in your field then far be if for me to argue the point. I will share a few observations though;</p>
<p>For what its worth. years ago I spoke with the head of Stanford Medical Center and he told me something to this effect: “caffeine is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive substance and where it to be discovered today it would be as illegal as cocaine.” </p>
<p>Also, the quote from that study you cite says, as I read it, in some people who took caffeine there were alterations in voice, etc. But it does not say negative alterations. So, is the science unequivocal that the alterations are negative?</p>
<p>Here is how the FDA describes caffeine; “Doses of 100-200 mg result in increased alertness and wakefulness, faster and clearer flow of thought, increased focus, and better general body coordination, causes bronchial relaxation (can be used as an antiasthmatic drug), increases gastric acid production, and boosts the metabolic rate. Caffeine also fits the definition of an addictive substance, with withdrawal symptoms, an increase in tolerance over time, and physical cravings.”</p>
<p>Since we are not talking about the effects of caffeine on a healthy voice, would it not be possible that the above benefits for a sick person might outweigh a small negative to voice? I think that would be a great thing for you field to look at. As were you sick enough you might welcome an “alteration in voice” :)</p>
<p>"The best thing to do for your SOUND is get a personal steamer (handheld, found in the vaporizer aisle in any drug store) and steam away WITHOUT menthol pads (which dry your vocal folds). Phonate lightly while you steam - just light humming." Coach C</p>
<p>I have tried finding one of the personal handheld steamers Coach C refers to, to no avail. I have found a small one that works without water, just the vaporizer liquid. I have found one that works with water and the scent pads or liquid. Both of these were handheld but require the use of some form of Menthol. I did find a small one that worked with water or water and menthol. It was electric and more of a table top model. Are the handheld ones electric or do they run on batteries? Can anyone recommend a brand name of steamer or Chain where I might find one of these?</p>
<p>This is what you need - you use this with water alone or with the menthol pads, but no menthol for vocal fold help, as I have said. It sounds like maybe you did find this one and weren't sure it's what you needed? I'm sorry I said "handheld" - that may have confused you - I was picturing what my students do, which is hold the base - but you can definitely describe this as "tableop" also. :) It's usually available in all major drugstores and also Wal-Mart, Target, etc.</p>