Season of Snotty Dotty

Aaaaaatchoooo, the sound cut through the door with the power of a loud siren before my student had knocked, and we both laughed as I opened it and let her in. Sorry she said, I’b got a sduffy dose…

So we’re back in the season of strange language.

The constant temperature changes can be a bit hard to deal with at this time of year and I would estimate that 50% of my students right now are “Snotty Dotties” suffering from some kind of throat and nose infection.

For a singer this is a problem since it can be a bit difficult to balance the sound in your head and pitch correctly, plus it intervenes with getting a clear forward placement /projection of the voice, so I would like to share some tips that helped me save many a tour when I just had to perform two full shows in different theatres every night, regardless of my state of health.

General healthcare:

First of all I always keep a good supply of Vitamin C 1000mg tablets. We don’t get enough C to keep us healthy from eating fruit and veg alone.

Try to stay dry and warm, especially your feet and your neck.

Blow your nose regularly through the day to keep all passages clear.

Wear a scarf to keep your neck warm

Gargle in Warm salty Water. This removes mucus as well as healing any infected or inflamed part of your mouth in a natural way.

Avoid dairy products until you are free from cold.

Eat plenty of fruit and veg…try some raw carrot wedges, celery, peppers, they make nice snacks and keep you light and healthy.

Drink plenty of warm drinks – not hot, not cold. Lemon and honey is an old tested remedy that soothes and helps.

Lots of lukewarm water to stay well hydrated.

Try to see the funny side of life and yourself, your immune system benefits greatly from laughing and smiling, and let’s face it… who enjoys being with a Grumpy Snotty Dotty…