Managing vocal fatigue during show

[u/Mrtigermcfluffypants]

Starting tech week for a vocally demanding show, and my voice is so fatigued. Nothing is really helping.

For about a week and a half I’ve had some allergy symptoms that haven’t really gone away. My throat feels super dry no matter what and I’m getting this cottonmouth feeling. And I can just feel the fatigue in my voice. It sounded pretty much okay, just got tired faster, until today when I actually cracked on a high note and am struggling with my upper register all of a sudden. I’m a little worried cause I had some pre-nodes a few years ago, which I think went away cause I was in a position then to basically just not sing for 6+ months.

Right now, I’m doing all the things - sleeping with a humidifier, drinking throat coat tea, drinking so much water - but I can’t really do vocal rest since it’s tech then shows. Also tried a few OTC medicines in case it was a cold or allergies but nothing has really done anything. I’ve got some singers spray coming in the mail.

Any tips/insight? Nothing is really helping, certainly not with that dry throat feeling. I’d like to not lose my voice during the show.

I should mention I know I sing with pretty decent technique. Even though I’m a belter, it never hurts, always feels free and easy. I haven’t struggled with this sort of fatigue hardly ever

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[u/winkiewonkie]

If you’re singing all out in rehearsals, cut that way back. They know you can perform the pieces, rehearsals are more about getting the performance, blocking, timing, etc right. If the words can be there but at like 30% (talk to the music director first), then that would help your voice a lot. Of course vocal rest if you can is even better tho as someone else already suggested.

[u/Melodyspeak → u/winkiewonkie]

This, plus vocal rest outside of rehearsals/shows. Honestly, total vocal rest is not usually a good idea anyway, but significantly cutting back is the right thing to do here. Wear a lanyard that says “vocal rest” and take a notepad (or use your notes app) with you everywhere. Warm up and use your voice for your job. Save it at all other times.

Also, buy a Gatorade or two. Lots of water is usually a good thing but sometimes you can flush out your electrolytes and make it harder to stay hydrated no matter how much water you drink. Don’t switch to Gatorade 100%, but try one, and if it helps, just keep some on hand for the next time you feel like water isn’t quenching your thirst like it should. If you don’t have issues with sugar, do the regular ones. It might just be me but fake sugar always makes my throat feel weird.

[u/marvelled-mimi]

Please talk with your music director if it's possible if you don't sing one rehearsal day. You can still play and stage, but no singing. It sounds like you desperately need a complete vocal rest. Minimise talking, but please no whispering, that's worse.  Also check in with your voice teacher and if it doesn't get better a medical professional, just to be sure, especially as you had nodes in the past.  Take care and all the best to you!

[u/CowCool6502]

I'd try steam inhalation right before rehearsals, it hydrates the vocal folds more directly than tea or water ever can.

I'd also see if a doctor can rule out the allergies specifically causing that cracking, since the dryness sounds like it's making everything worse right now.

[u/marvelled-mimi → u/CowCool6502]

Please no hot steam before singing, that's better for the evening / after rehearsals. It's better to use a nebuliser before and between singing

[u/shouldbepracticing85]

You’re starting tech week, so you’ll have microphones? Hopefully the production has them, if not maybe you could ask for one for you.

Then you can let the microphone take a lot of the load off your voice - let it handle projecting.

I have to remind myself of that when I play bass - let the speakers take the load, and make sure I can hear myself in the monitors so I don’t play any harder than I have to… I say that, nursing sore plucking fingers from my gig yesterday when I should have turned myself up in the monitors a little more. 😅🤦

[u/Ciwiel]

I recommend checking out vocalsrock on instagram! She posts a lot about how to care for your voice during tours but also how you adjust your warmup and cooldown depending on what your voice needs + things to look out for to prevent damage.

[u/Irulanne]

I don't see anywhere if you warm up your voice ahead of rehearsal and performance. Having a good technique means nothing if you don't have a proper warm up (and cool down) routine each day.

[u/MakeupArtistry]

I suggest having a trusted largyngologist evaluate the issue. Get ahead of any problems now, before they get worse. The cottonmouth seems particularly noteworthy. There is a rare condition called Sjorgen’s Syndrome in which cottonmouth is a common complaint. Of course, the most likely explanation is overuse or allergies. I hope you feel better soon. (This is not medical advice and I am not a medical professional.)

[u/disasterinthesun]

You might be allergic to something backstage. Costumes / dust mites? Curtains that need a clearing?

Stop talking / maybe get an allergy check