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athletes choose to put their health and wellness first, NOTES
singers should do the same for the good of themselves
and the entire squad. Such choices include establishing 1 “Flu Season,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
a relationship with an otolaryngologist; learning how September 20, 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/
diet can impact reflux and hydration; avoiding irritants season/index.html.
and allergens (such as vaping and smoking); developing 2 Ibid.
effective time, stress, and sleep management strategies; 3 For a deeper discussion of common symptoms please re-
and being aware of how voice use outside of the re- fer to Mary J. Sandage and Mariah E. Morton-Jones,
hearsal and performance space influences singing voice “I’m Sick, Should I Sing or Not?,” Choral Journal 65, no.
function. 2 (September 2024): 45–49. This article seeks to build
upon this discussion.
4 “Relationships,” Dysphonia International, March 13, 2019,
Conclusion https://dysphonia.org/your-journey/living-with
As mentioned earlier, when the identified voice -a-voice-disorder/impact-on-relationships/.
changes begin to improve, a gradual return to vocal 5 Xiaofang Gao, Guangrong Hu, and Peng Yan, “Causes of
activity with increased pitch, loudness, and time spent Chronic Cough in Adolescent and Adult Patients,” Medi-
singing without the onset of fatigue can be expected. cal Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran 34 (2020): 136.
However, when a change in voice quality has not re- 6 Sophia Dove, Leryn Turlington, Kate Elmendorf, Kurayi
solved within three to four weeks after a singer is oth- Mahachi, Christine Petersen, and David Meyer. “Sing-
erwise feeling better, examination by an appropriate ing Voice Symptomatology Following Presumed
medical specialist with extensive experience in working SARS-CoV-2 Infection,” Journal of Voice, e-publication
with singers and high-demand voice users should be a ahead of print, November 16, 2022, doi:10.1016/j.
priority. jvoice.2022.11.012.
Advanced planning and regular implementation of 7 Leda Scearce, Manual of Singing Voice Rehabilitation: A Practi-
these singer- and director-centered strategies will make cal Approach to Vocal Health and Wellness (San Diego: Plural
them more effective when illness strikes, and integra- Publishing, 2016).
tion of them will positively impact the daily rehearsal 8 Harri Hemilä and Elizabeth Chalker, “Vitamin C Reduces
process while simultaneously enhancing your choir cul- the Severity of Common Colds: A Meta-Analysis.” BMC
ture. Clear education and recommendations, positive Public Health 23, no. 1 (2023): 2468.
encouragement, and support via one-on-one “check- 9 L. Susan Wieland, Vanessa Piechotta, Termeh Feinberg,
ins” all provide avenues to supporting a singer’s man- Emilie Ludeman, Brian Hutton, Salmaan Kanji, Dugald
agement of their optimal vocal health. Advocating for Seely, and Chantelle Garritty. “Elderberry for Prevention
and demonstrating an “athletic level” of self-care will and Treatment of Viral Respiratory Illnesses: A System-
make tasks that address illness-related issues a matter atic Review.” BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 21
of shifting habits as opposed to establishing new ones. (2021): 112.
Utilizing strategies that rely less on verbal instruction 10 Robert Thayer Sataloff, Treatment of Voice Disorders (San Di-
from the director—and implementing them before you ego: Plural Publishing, 2005).
get sick—has great value beyond voice conservation:
they build individual ownership and collective respon-
sibility within our ensembles.

Philip A. Doucette is a licensed speech-language pa-
thologist, an active singing voice rehabilitationist, and
associate director of the Wilmington Children’s Cho-
rus in Wilmington, Delaware.

CHORAL JOURNAL November/December 2024 Volume 65 Number 4 37