Page 48 - CJSept24

On the Voice

the lips and nose—is a critical contributor to the acous- patency for those with common colds. Some relief
tic boost needed to sing louder or to hit higher notes from more persistent allergic rhinitis symptoms may
with ease. Many singers rely, at least in part, on vocal be found with use of nasal irrigation with hypertonic
tract tuning to achieve the choral dynamics expected saline rinses (e.g., a Neti pot). If nasal congestion is the
by the director. Nasal and sinus congestion that fill or only symptom of illness and this can be managed with
block these resonating spaces make it difficult to sing OTC remedies, then singing would likely be fine. For
easily and some singers will develop maladaptive strat- persistent nasal congestion, it would be helpful to see
egies to sing while congested. Compensations for nasal an ear, nose, and throat physician (otolaryngologist) for
congestion often include using more phonatory effort medical management.
to achieve louder voice, which over time may result in
throat discomfort as well as increased vocal effort while
singing and increased vocal fatigue. Laryngitis
When experiencing nasal congestion due to a cold Laryngitis is the term used when a singer experi-
or sinus infection, it would be most helpful for optimal ences persistent difficulty producing voice throughout
singing to manage the congestion with over-the-coun- the range. Difficulty producing voice due to laryngitis
ter (OTC) remedies. Nasal sprays to open the nasal is attributed to swelling in the vocal folds that prevents
passages can be helpful in the acute phase and allow optimal vibration of the vocal folds resulting in effort-
the congestion to drain out of the nasal and sinus spac- ful voice production characterized by a limited sing-
es. Some individuals may try OTC antihistamines to ing range and often times reports of increased vocal
dry up the mucus; however, there is some evidence that fatigue. Acute laryngitis is probably one of the most
the drying effects for the nose may extend to drying the difficult symptoms to sing with and it is not advised.
surface of the vocal folds, making production of voice A quick litmus test to see if there is vocal fold edema
more effortful. In general, it is best to avoid anything (swelling) present, is to produce lip trills or tongue
that dries the mouth or throat. Steam inhalation from bubbles (tongue held out of the mouth, not to be con-
a vaporizer device or even via a bowl of hot water has fused with tongue trill) or your favorite semioccluded
been shown to alleviate symptoms and increase nasal vocal tract (SOVT) task throughout the singing range.
If SOVTs can still be freely produced throughout the
performance singing range, then singing may still be
possible. If SOVTs cannot be freely produced, then
Get more attached the singer should sit out the rehearsal or performance
and limit extensive talking to let the vocal fold swelling
subside. It is very important not to force the voice as
to your music. such behaviors could exacerbate the issue.

The experience of laryngitis will likely affect each
singer differently and the impacts of mild vocal fold
swelling may be more limiting for some styles of cho-
ral singing versus others. Further, the voice part be-
ing produced may matter as well. High soprano sing-
ers will likely experience voice difficulties, particularly
when producing the highest notes with mild vocal fold
edema, whereas a lower alto singer may not encounter
any difficulty at all with mild vocal fold swelling.
When experiencing acute laryngitis, vocal rest for
both the speaking and singing voice is advised until
Toll-free: 1.877.246.7253 • sales@musicfolder.com the swelling subsides. It will also be important for the
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46 CHORAL JOURNAL September 2024 Volume 65 Number 2