Page 36 - CJNov_Dec24

On the Voice

invaluable during this period. While colds and flus do Provide resources. Developing a “so you’re sick…
not always merit a trip to the doctor, management of now what?” handout that includes clear explanations
RSV, COVID, and postacute coronavirus syndrome of what voice rest is (and is not), recommendations for
(PACS) or “long COVID” do require the guidance optimal hydration and humidification, “dos and don’ts”
of experienced medical professionals—either a gen- to address congestion and pain—as well as referral re-
eral practitioner or specialists in pulmonology, cardiol- sources for local medical professionals who specialize in
ogy, or neurology. When a singer confides the details the care of professional voice—can be a valuable life-
of their illness and plan of care, being supportive in line and time saver for both a singer and director who is
a manner that respects an individual’s right to medi- struggling to absorb and retain care recommendations.
cal privacy and deferring to the recommendations of a
medical team can be the best means of assisting them. Be available to your singer. Following up with a
sick singer both several days after their initial concerns
Being sick doesn’t mean you are a bad singer. and a few weeks after a singer starts to feel better can
Singers are biological beings and biology is unfair. provide important information and reassurance to a
Nevertheless, changes in voice function can have a sig- singer. In most cases of cold or flu, a singer should ex-
nificant negative impact on an individual’s mood and pect to start feeling “normal” after two or three weeks.
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sense of well-being. While cultivating voice health and However, it is not uncommon for chest infections in
certain self-care practices can boost an individual’s im- adolescents and adults to result in a lingering cough for
5
mune system, the best preventative steps cannot always up to two months after initial infection. In the case of
avoid illness. “long COVID,” recent research has identified lingering
cough, shortness of breath, and chronic fatigue as sig-
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Accommodations are necessary. Changes to nificantly correlated to changes in singing voice.
pitch range, dynamic range, stamina, and voice quality A choral director can provide a singer with a second
should not be “pushed through” or seen as a problem set of ears to track the progression of their vocal con-
to be solved in the short term. When you are sick, al- cerns during an illness. While many singers “bounce
low your voice to sound sick. Staying away from your back” quickly from illness, encouraging singers to ex-
fellow singers when you have a fever or are in the early pect a gradual return of pitch range, loudness range,
stages of a respiratory infection can prevent the spread and vocal stamina over several weeks can provide im-
of illness and allow your body time to rest and recover. portant encouragement and address what singing voice
If a singer can attend rehearsal but is not yet at full specialist Leda Scearce termed the “injury of confi-
vocal strength, using marking techniques that limit ex- dence.” 7
tending range and loudness, intermittent voice rest,
and relying on audiation or “mental rehearsal” should
be considered and encouraged. Depending on the sing- What to Do When You
er’s symptoms (i.e., changes to hearing acuity due to (the Director) Gets Sick?
congestion or degree of “brain fog”), specific alternate As choral directors, the buck often stops with us.
tasks could include active listening of the ensemble However, “pushing through” when we are sick often
while following along in the score and providing feed- sets a bad example because we are failing to practice
back according to prompts by the director; researching what we preach to our singers. Being transparent about
historical and cultural background information about how we manage and accommodate illness can provide
the composition, composer, poet, or arranger; or si- important teachable moments and growth opportuni-
lent memorization work. Frequent encouragement and ties for our singers while optimizing our voice function.
reassurance that “doing less is more,” especially with
singers who are passionate about singing, is incredibly You can come first. Director priorities and goals are
important during the period of illness. often outward facing: the music, the ensemble, and the
singers come first. While taking time to develop and

34 CHORAL JOURNAL November/December 2024 Volume 65 Number 4