Thoughts on vocal fatigue & hoarsness

Oh, the dreadful feeling

of your voice getting hoarse.

It’s not fun and it also doesn’t always mean you’re doing something wrong.

Early in my teaching career, I had a wrestle with postnasal drip. My sinuses were leaking to the back of my throat causing a ton of inflammation that made it painful to even talk. I was devastated and panicking because I prided myself on taking care of my voice and having good technique. I felt I had some pretty strong tools to make sure that I wasn’t injuring myself. It shook my confidence till I went to an ENT to discover that it was a postnasal drip when I had never experienced that in my life. As if I needed more impostor syndrome and vocal rest was incredibly difficult for me, lol.

I learned to always be mindful of possible causes instead of jumping straight to the conclusion that I am doing something wrong. If you’re struggling with hoarseness it could be true over-use of the voice without optimal support or function, a postnatal drip, medications, illness coming on, general fatigue, or dehydration. Remember that when you’re a singer your body is your instrument so the better you take care of it the better it’s going to work for you. Drink all of the water, take care of your stress levels, see a doctor when something feels off, and get some guidance from a teacher you can trust to help train you into some healthy habits if you feel it’s coming from the way you use your voice.

xoxo

Taylor