Caller with no voice.

Subject: Caller with no voice.
From: Mo the caller
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 05:17 AM

Any advice please?
I'm squeaking, and I've got a booking on Sat.
I started with a sore throat Mon evening, had a dreadful cold Tues. but felt better yesterday, so rather than cancel at short notice I called at our club last night (Wed). Felt fine while I did it, but not got much volume this morning.
Saturday my plan was attend a singing workshop in the day, call at a party in the evening. I can scrub the singing, but want to call, if I can. Help!

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: joseph
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 05:38 AM

try honey and hot water. also a little drop of drambuie is good for the throat

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Betsy
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 05:46 AM

One of those tiny mobile mikes / also clip on your ear that telephonists / football /computer buffs etc use .You can also walk round the room and every one can hear you at the same level.A lady caller used one last Friday at Mick Sheehan's 60th Birthday in Richmond ( Yorks ) she was very good and obviously took all the strain out of needing to shout and bawl in a big room. Acouple of bob investment will keep you in good stead for quite a few years I would have thought .

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: treewind
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 05:59 AM

Lots of callers use radio headset mics, and they do let you get on the dance floor to sort out problems, but they don't have any magical property that makes your voice audible at the same level anywhere in the room, because the sound still comes out of the speakers, which are usually up one end with the band. I'm not convinced that they let you turn up the gain more without feedback either - if that were true they might help if your voice is a bit weak. In the end all you can hope for is a room with good acoustics and not too much background noise from excited drunken revellers shouting at each other, and that the band doesn't insist on being very loud.

Oh yes, and the honey and water, fishermen's friends, Vocalzones, or all the other remedies suggested for singers with bad throats - do search the Mudcat forum for those because it's been covered before, more than once I'm sure.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: treewind
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 06:02 AM

PS - here's one: Voice -what foods r good for the throat?

Anahata

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 06:31 AM

rest your voice now,gargle with salt water,cut out alcohol,drink herbal teas ,there is probably a herbal tea,[,cut out dairy products temporarily] that is good for the vocal chords.

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Mo the caller
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 06:39 AM

Thanks.
I'm annoyed to be missing the CRM workshop in Liverpool, and I don't suppose they'll want me coughing all through their set at Northwich on Fri either.

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 07:07 AM

Be sure not to force anything or you'll strain your voice, which can then take months to heal. If you feel any tight resistance in your throat, or that singing/speaking is taking extra effort or isn't full strength, you really do have to give it the time it needs. The mics are a good idea -

Best of luck -

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Splott Man
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 08:37 AM

Vocalzones.

Available over the counter in chemist shops.

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 09:43 AM

Whispering hurts it more than talking normally, so don't.

~S~

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: BB
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 03:57 PM

Proctor's Pinelyptus Pastilles are very soothing, and I think less fierce than Vocalzones. If you still have a sore throat, frequent gargling with Difflam can be of some help. Some sort of mic is a good idea, but as said above, don't push your voice too hard.

I'm just getting over the worst cold I've had in years, and had absolutely no alternative but to cancel last Friday's gig, the first time ever we've had to cancel. Praying that it's going to survive three gigs this weekend!

Good luck to both of us!

Barbara

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: fiddler
Date: 02 Nov 07 - 04:31 AM

Been there Mo,

Sympathy use Stage doctor (adrenaline) we all get it.

Try to control the start of the evening quietly and use Garlic!!!

Garlic is great for the voice!

I worked with a pack of Opera singers over the years Garlic is brilliant for all sorts of things on teh voice.

Meanwhile - as I said - I've been there - Good luck - I needed it - You will too!

Andy

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 02 Nov 07 - 07:37 AM

This works for me

Slices of stem ginger
Spring Onion (chopped)
Black Pepper
Lemon Juice (pref whole squeezed lemon)
2 tablespoons honey
Mug and a half of water
Boil up for 5-10minutes to reduce water
Strain and drink
One morning and one in evening

It speeds up a cold and prevents it happening if you feel one coming on.

A friend passed it to me - I was very sceptical but hey this really works!

Sarah

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Mo the caller
Date: 03 Nov 07 - 07:17 PM

Some of those remedies sound almost as revolting as the gargle the pharmacist sold me.
But I croaked down the phone to our band leader yesterday, that it might be better with a different caller, if there was one free, and he found one.
Then I was a bit better this morning, so I would probably have got through (yes the adrenaline works wonders), but I might not have done myself a lot of good.

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Mr Happy
Date: 03 Nov 07 - 07:47 PM

Damson gin's the best coff mixture & throte soother!

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Azizi
Date: 03 Nov 07 - 09:06 PM

Mo, I don't have any suggestions regarding remedies. However, I'm popping into this thread to send you best wishes.

Though I can imagine that you were disappointed not to call on that event, saving your voice for another day or night "sounds" like the best choice you could have made.

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Alice
Date: 03 Nov 07 - 10:33 PM

Don't use your voice at all if you can help it until it is better.
The vocal cords can be damaged if you force them. It's best that
you rested it so you can use it in the future!
Take care,
Alice

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Mr Happy
Date: 03 Nov 07 - 11:47 PM

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=y6pZtLwX3h0

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 04 Nov 07 - 01:10 AM

Now that it's too late I think of it - use Sign Language!

(Keep this in mind for next time.)

Get well.

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Mr Happy
Date: 04 Nov 07 - 01:18 AM

Sign Language, in a barn dance/ ceilidh??

You can't be serious!!

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Mo the caller
Date: 04 Nov 07 - 03:23 AM

I already do to an extent. Well I bounce around in the middle of the ring in Blaydon Races, and Gay Gordons. That was my fall-back option, think of enough dances that I could show rather than call.
But it depends on the room and the crowd if it would work.

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Mo the caller
Date: 04 Nov 07 - 03:37 AM

We did do a Barn Dance for the deaf once, with sign languange interpreter. I bounced around more than usual that night.

That clip was too true to be funny Mr Happy!

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: treewind
Date: 04 Nov 07 - 05:49 AM

Well come on Mo, Saturday's past and gone - what voice precautions/cures did you take how did the gig go?

A.

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Mo the caller
Date: 04 Nov 07 - 05:51 AM

The cures didn't work fast enough, and the band leader found someone else.

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Art Thieme
Date: 04 Nov 07 - 01:56 PM

You could always play air guitar!!!!!!!!!!   ;-)

Art

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 04 Nov 07 - 02:26 PM

Here you are...

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: fiddler
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 03:07 AM

Ah well Mo probably the best choice.

A hard decision.

I did a gig for a deaf school once - Thought it was for the PTA but oh no it was for the deaf folk.

A great night, the band pointed bass bins at the wooden floor, they danced better than most hearing folk. There was a signer in each set to relay my instructions..... It really did work!

Hope you are fit and well again soon Mo.

Andy

Subject: RE: Caller with no voice.
From: Grab
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 06:05 AM

Another aid to the throat - if you can find some Fox's Glacier liquorice-and-aniseed sweets, they seem to work really well for me and my wife at fighting sore throats. Can be hard to find though, even in the UK, and I suspect they're not available outside the UK.

Graham.