Yeah, I can sympathize. Right now I think I could do a real good job of singing Old Man River, cuz I feel like I'm full of mud.

I worked for eight years for the telephone company in a building that was all sealed up. Couldn't open any windows and every virus and every mold spore in the building got recycled. If one person came in with a cold or some other kind of plague, withing a week or so, everybody else had it too. When the phone company sold the building, the hotel chain that bought it found that, in addition to remodeling it for their purposes, they had to decontaminate the place. Sick building syndrome. I never had allergies before I went to work for Ma Bell, but I sure do now. Chronic cough, which the doctor says is caused by sinus drainage which, in turn, is caused by allergies.

My wife works at the Seattle Public Library (downtown), and that's sort of like working as a steward on a plague ship. She doesn't bring much home (takes lots of precautions like washing hands frequently, etc.) , but every now and then she does. She came down with a sore throat about a week ago, and it developed into a cold. Now I've got it too.

In this condition, I avoid singing if I can. But sometimes it can't be helped. I tried a few vocal exercises a few moments ago just to see how it went, and other than having to stop for a moment while I coughed up a lung, the voice itself sounded okay. Check out Alice's voice threads. She's got some good information there. If you have to sing over a cold or other vocal impairment, knowing something about good voice production can help you get through it without winding up hoarse or otherwise screwing up your voice. And knowing something about good vocal technique won't make you suddenly start sounding like an opera singer (lots of aspiring opera singers wish it was that easy).

Take vitamin C. Drink lots of fluids. Gargle a couple times a day with Listerine. Hunker down and take it easy.

Don (Cough!! Hack!!) Firth