Re: [Callers] Caller's Throat

I'm new to calling, but have been singing for many years, some of that in musical theater, which can easily strain one's voice. When I've overdone it, I've found that slippery elm bark can help quite a bit - and it's healthy to boot. Thayer's makes a good slippery elm bark lozenge. It's inexpensive, easily portable, and even comes in two flavors. Honey with lemon is another old standard for soothing the throat (and after the gig, you can add a slug of whiskey). Drinking a lot of water is a very good idea, especially if you're getting that thick mucusy quality to your voice. You can also use expectorants like guaifenesin if necessary (a rainforest plant product); this isn't an emergency fix though, so start early. For general toning, there are many herbs that support the respiratory system in general - such as mullein, nettles, fritillaria. These should be fixed up in tincture or tea formulation and taken fairly often. If you're interested in playing with these, I suggest you consult an herbalist or good book by someone like David Hoffmann, Rosemary Gladstar, Susun Weed, or Michael Tierra for more info before making them; that way you can make something perfect for your situation. There's also an over-the-counter homeopathic concoction out called "Sore Throat Relief" by Natra-Bio. I've been trying that recently and had some luck. Whatever you do, do *not* use that anesthetic throat spray. All it does is make you unconscious of the damage being done. Yes, it can get you through a gig but I've seen people permanently ruin their voices through its use. If you're not already doing this, I'd also suggest several tips that singers use regularly: *practice calling from your chest voice instead of your throat voice (causes less strain overall) *practice breathing from deep in the chest (imagine your lungs as a vase being filled from the bottom up) - this also gives you more staying power and groundedness *loosen your jaw muscles overall through goofy-looking yoga type exercises (like the lion pose where the mouth is wide open w/ tongue stuck far out, & eyes rolled upward); neck & shoulder rolls *whenever you think of it, relax your jaw by opening your mouth a bit & letting your jaw hang slack, and breathing deep. These might not work in the middle of a call <g>, but if practiced regularly, will make calling easier on your body, therefore less likely to get strained. Best of luck to you and your throat's health! Tina Fields Hindsight Now! ____________________________________________________________________________________Get the Yahoo! toolbar and be alerted to new email wherever you're surfing. http://new.toolbar.yahoo.com/toolbar/features/mail/index.php