***Do Not Ignore a Persistent Sore Throat

If a persistent sore throat or chronic hoarseness is something you are experiencing, your 1st step is to find out the cause. If left unattended, it will likely get worse and possibly result in permanent damage to your speaking voice. What I am talking about is known as vocal abuse and it is becoming more and more common in today’s hectic and ‘loud’ world.

As a people, we are using our voices more heavily throughout the day than ever before. In many cases, we are speaking in a louder voice to be heard in ‘noisy’ environments. This puts tremendous pressure on the throat and vocal cords which can even result in loss of voice by the end of the day.

Trying to speak in loud clubs for several hours at a time, rooting for your favorite sports teams sometimes on a daily basis, training, teaching, coaching, campaigning, ministering and public speaking are all scenarios which place a premium on your voice. If your business depends on the ability to speak, then it is in your best interest to stop the abuse immediately.

If you have been to an ear, nose, and throat specialist and have been given a clean bill of health, then the problem lies in how you are producing your sound. While you have five resonators responsible for phonation – the production of voiced sound – it is most likely that you are pushing your voice from your throat and your voice box. Two other resonators, which play a significant role in voice production, are the mouth and nasal cavities; however, the strain is not felt in those areas.

The resonator which is not being used by most people is the chest cavity. The great voices which we hear on TV or in the movies, i.e., James Earl Jones, Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, George Clooney, Felicia Rashad, and Diane Sawyer, are all being powered by means of their chest cavity. This is one of the reasons their voices stand out from the rest. Deeper in pitch, warmer in quality, and resonant, each one of these descriptions fits those 6 voices.

When you learn to use your chest cavity as your primary sounding board, you will immediately stop the vocal abuse as you will no longer push your voice from your throat. You will also be able to increase your volume without shouting. Known as projection, this ability to increase your volume correctly is only possible when you use your chest cavity. Anything else is shouting or yelling.

Imagine ending the vocal abuse and discovering a richer, warmer, more mature sound in the process. It doesn’t get any better than that!