10/14/2022
✨💖✨ A while back I answered this singing and voice question on Quora:
Question: "My throat aches when I sing. This sometimes happens when I've only been singing for one minute. The ENT says my vocal cords look fine. Why does my throat ache when I sing?"
Answer: "Been there, done that, sweetie! I had no idea what I was doing wrong then. It took me a few years to unlearn my bad habits, and now, 20 years later, I still teach this.
Here are three questions you need to address and answer in the affirmative to know you’re doing everything correctly. My guess is, you fall down on at least one of them. I used to fall down on all three of them!!
1) Is your throat open, as in yawning, when you sing? Always? On every, single note, no matter how long you hold it? If not, pay attention to the yawning or smelling the roses position in your throat, mouth and nasal cavities, which is crucial for keeping the throat free and clear.
2) Is your abdominal motor working? Do you use your abdominals and intercostals for strength and power, rather than relying on your throat for vocal production? If not, then try faster scales, even staccato, to get your diaphragm working better.
3) Is your posture aligned? Standing tall, ribs out, lifted from top of back of head, chin slightly tucked (never crane your neck!)? If not, then there'll be undue pressure on your neck which compresses the organs, causing pain. Try walking around while singing, instead of standing, paying close attention to keep your body tall and loose, but inflated and huge like a body builder. At the same time moving through the room or house as if you were merely going for a walk. Sing this way, and you’ll be more relaxed.
When you can confidently answer these three questions with a yes!, your throat should not hurt. If it still does, then consider consulting either a very talented, experienced energy healer and/or holistic voice teacher to clear any possible underlying emotional blocks, or see a different medical professional. I feel you got this! Toi toi toi!" ✨💖✨
