Blog Post Update #111 - Vocal First Aid Kit

VOCAL FIRST AID KIT

For any singer that does regular “gigs”, shows, studio sessions, tour dates, or even auditions, it is wisdom to keep a “Vocal First Aid Kit” handy.  Just as you probably keep a First Aid Kit in your car for physical emergencies, when your livelihood depends on your voice, it’s very smart to be able to take care of any Vocal emergencies you might have.  Personally, I think a Travel-Size Cooler works really well for holding all these supplies. It keeps everything together in one place, along with a List of Contents, which you need to keep updated after every use, so that it’s ready to go for the next time you need it. Of course, make CERTAIN to have plenty of water or water bottles, which you have LABELED with your name so that no one else "shares".  Here are the suggested contents for your kit:

“Local” honey with PLASTIC SPOONS (if in a jar, keep jar in a Ziploc bag to avoid sticky spillage).  “Local” honey is from hives nearby.  Check on the Internet or at a nearby farm for fresh supplies.  I buy local honey at a “Bagel Boys” shop near me.  You can also check on the Internet for a Honey Farm nearby or Organic Food Market that sells Honey “Sticks”, which are WAY less messy, convenient, inexpensive, and easy to pack ANYWHERE!

·      In a portable thermos, keep “Throat Coat” (http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/products/throat-coat/) or “Throat Comfort” (https://www.yogiproducts.com/teas/throat-comfort/) tea, as well as Peppermint, Chamomile, and/or Slippery Elm Bark Teas, to combine with one of the first two.  The thermos should actually just keep lots of very warm to hot water.  You keep the supply of tea BAGS of: Throat Coat, Throat comfort, Chamomile, or whatever your personal favorites are, to combine with, hopefully, the following. This tea is my own recipe.  It's very simple but very effective.  You simply steep finely chopped, fresh ginger into hot water, (in a tea ball) and add honey and as much or as little Cayenne Pepper as you like.  Growing up, the only "spice" my Mother cooked with was salt.  HOWEVER, I have come to LOVE this tea, especially if my throat is tired or bothering me.  I can feel it "warming" as it goes down my esophagus.  Wonderful! This tea REALLY ignites your Immune System AND will soothe your Vocal Folds at the same time!

·      A Tea Ball, if your tea is not in bags, and a cup and/or other hot and cold container to prepare, mix and drink your tea from.  Again, have a larger plastic bag to hold all of this to cut down on the mess.

·      Grapefruit Seed Extract; Vitamin C 1000 mg. with rosehips; and/or Wellness Formula (any version – tablet, spray or liquid - http://www.sourcenaturals.com/products/GP1345/); and/or Stress Tabs (http://www.mystresstabs.com/product-info/)– These are “supplements” but a good singer, especially a professional, should always think proactively, which means keeping your immune system strong, especially around others.

·      Alkalol liquid (http://www.alkalolcompany.com/) for gargling and/or nasal rinse (Alkalol can be ordered from ANY local pharmacy desk and it is very inexpensive)

·      NeilMed Bottles (probably 2, so you can interchange them) plus a large number of NeilMed Packets – a Travel-Size Bottle of Dish Soap and a Dish Towel for cleaning the NeilMed Bottles and Plastic Bags for Storage Purposes.

·      FOR TRAVELING – Sudafed tablets (https://www.sudafed.com/products?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Branded+-+OTC&utm_term=%2Bsudafed%20pe&utm_content=PE+-+OTC|mkwid|sXGzEDHrP_dc|pcrid|81059072600) (unless your doctor has prescribed something else).  These (one dose) should be taken 30 MINUTES prior to TAKEOFF and/or 30 minutes before landing, for air travel, if there is ANY question that your nose and/or ears are “closing” or blocked.  Sudafed is a short-acting, non-habit-forming over-the-counter medication that can save you from a full-on ear infection after a flight.  Regardless of whether you take the Sudafed or not, DRINK LOTS OF WATER WHILE FLYING.  Air travel is VERY dehydrating, but the water will help.

 ON THE PLANE, AVOID ALCOHOL - Though you may feel that alcohol helps you relax, in truth it dries you out terribly and immediately adds to your “Jet Lag” by, literally, drying out your brain and thus giving you a horrible headache associated with hangover, Jet Lag, or even withdrawal. Instead, what you REALLY need to do in push WATER, WATER, WATER. You might consider purchasing some packets of “Crystal Light” (available in various flavors) in add to your water bottles that will change up the flavor from simple water to exotic Strawberry Kiwi, Grape, or Lemonade [with no actual citric acid] or several others. Water has the opposite effect on the brain from alcohol. By keeping it hydrated, water allows to brain to function successfully and at full potential, even across multiple time zones.

·      ALSO FOR AIR TRAVEL and ONLY FOR USE WHEN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, 2 sprays per nostril of Neosynephrine (http://neosynephrine.com/) or Afrin Nose Spray (https://www.afrin.com/afrin/home/index.jspa), 30 minutes before takeoff, and/or 30 minutes prior to landing – use in conjunction with Sudafed for best results.  Landing is actually harder on our ears and sinuses than takeoff because the process tends to take longer.

·      Other possible contents include:  Sugar-Free throat lozenges such as Halls Black Cherry Sugar Free Lozenges, should bottled water be unavailable or inconvenient for a period of time; Black Elderberry Syrup (http://www.gaiaherbs.com/products/detail/95/Black-Elderberry-Syrup) for more Immune Support and to soothe the throat; Kleenex; a small towel for freshening up.  Absolutely NO sprays or syrups or lozenges that "deaden" throat pain, such as Chloraseptic - NEVER use this!  You can do PERMANENT damage to yourself!

·      ON REHEARSAL/PERFORMANCE DAYS, EIGHT HOURS PRIOR TO AND, OF COURSE, DURING SINGING, NO M.E.O.W. – NO MILK or dairy; NO EGGS; NO ORANGE juice or citrus; NO WHEAT – ALSO AVOID CARBONATED AND CAFFEINATED BEVERAGES PLUS DRINK/PUSH LOTS OF WATER, WATER, WATER… AND SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP!

  For TROUBLE SLEEPING, whether in a strange bed, from the stress and nerves of traveling all day, jitters/anxiety prior to your upcoming gig or WHATEVER, here are a few of suggestions. FIRST OF ALL, SLOW DOWN AND GIVE YOURSELF TIME AND EMOTIONAL/MENTAL SPACE to calm down, then: Take Over-the-Counter Melatonin and/or Magnesium. These are “Naturally-Occurring” Supplements/Minerals that will “encourage” your body to RELAX and calm down. Another good suggestion might be to ask the Front desk of your Hotel for an extra pillow or two so that you can, hopefully, simulate your “at-home” sleep-situation” a bit more accurately. My next suggestion is to go on YouTube and search “Sleep Music”. I, in particular, enjoy “Sleep Music with Rain and Nature Sounds”, but you could listen to a few and see what seems to work best for you. You can use headphones or not, depending on your sleeping arrangements. Okay, my LAST idea is one of my FAVORITE BREATHING TECHNIQUES. It’s called “Count to 10 and Do it Again!” That’s exactly what you do! Without speaking out loud, you count to ten, like on your fingers, one at a time, and once you reach ten, you start back at one and go back to ten again! Or you can count DOWN from Ten to one and THEN, go back UP to Ten and then, back down to one, and then, back up to ten, and, you get the idea! It’s like counting Sheep except NO SHEEP WERE BORED TO DEATH IN THE PUTTING TO SLEEP OF THIS SINGER!!! OKAY?

  Again, I know this is a lot of information but it's good stuff and hopefully you will find it helpful as well.  Please post any questions or comments or further suggestions below.  Check out my website at SingitForward.net and thanks again for reading.  Sing it Forward!