Hi Jon
I think what ever you've been doing has been working out OK for you. I was even thinking last yr of asking you what you were doing, cause for the past few times I've been getting there with an already hypo-allegric throat which by the 2nd night goes into de-fib & gives me that raspy croak sort of sound.
Seeing as you're asking though might I suggest a couple things that I've tried. Bring some abalone for later use. Be sure to start early though cause they didn't work for me cause I didn't start early enough. The week before you get here, say on Monday morning start the days off with a strict diet of sashimi, use wasabi mixed with tamari & ginger root an wash it down with liberal amounts sukiyaki, raw lobster tail & a cheap port will do if ya can't get the real stuff. After each meal do some physical & vocal exercises like jumping jacks an all the while turn your head side to side an start opening & closing your jaws. Start his one off easy & work your way to stressful, now start flapping ya lips & start singing your vowels beginning at your lowest range an work up to your high range extending the ranges as you continue. Do this until, let's say for 3 days an nites. Continue the physical & vowel training but stop with the sashimi an sukiyaki an let your guts settle down. After you've been throughly flushed you'd wanting ta be starting a regular diet of steak tatar using again liberal amount of Jim Bean's best with a little bit of tabasco sauce mixed with some hot fish oils. Add to your training regimen, starting no later than thrusday morning, a new routine, lay off the jumping jacks. Raise your arms up & out out & spread your legs a little better than shoulder's width apart an bend at the waist keeping your knees strait, cross an touch your toes, it's important to hold that position fro 22 seconds & yell at the floor, again singing your vowels, straighting out you body back to the starting position & repeat for 10 reps 3x daily working your way up to 20 by the time you get to Mystic. Ask Rika to take pictures cause technique is important & I may want to keep these pictures an patent this if it woks on you. You'll be getting much credit & exposure if all goes well. Anyway by the time the Friday (this is when we take part in eating the abalone) nite sing gets going strong an you start ta sing the dogs that attended last yr won't be able to stop howling, an they probably won't even be there. So I'll try the same regime & we can have a real good howl together for ourselves an anyone else that chooses too. I just hope that you'll be able to stay on your feet as long as ya did last year, you were impressive. See ya there
All the best to you & Rika
Barry