You woke up from a long night's sleep with a sore throat. Why might you be experiencing discomfort? How can you fix it?
Slept with mouth open, tension on neck - lubricate/hydrate, laryngeal massage, voice nap, slow chewing on gum, turn on humidifier in room
You just left a sports game for your local team. Why might you be experiencing discomfort? How can you fix it? What can you do differently next time?
prologned vocal use, using voice at high volume - voice nap, neck stretches, laryngeal massage, lubrication - next time reduce length of vocal use, lower volume
you just ate some popcorn and it feels like there's something stuck in your throat - why might you be experiencing discomfort? How can you fix it?
kernel may be stuck, irritated larynx - try not to cough repeatedly, drink a thick liquid/pudding, water
You notice you keep coughing a lot - why might you be experiencing discomfort? How can you fix it? What can you do differently?
repeated coughing is something to avoid, harshly slams vocal folds together, can dry out vocal chords - lubricate/cough drops, use humidifier
You just spent some time playing cars with your baby cousin and making silly noises - Why might you be experiencing discomfort? How could you fix it? What can you do differently next time?
unnatural noises out of our pitch range can be harmful as vocal folds touch differently - voice nap, chant talk - avoid making noises & use words instead
its the weekend and you've gone to multiple parties/events in one day. Why might you be experiencing discomfort? What rule should you remind yourself of? What could you do differently next time?
Prologned vocal use - be mindful of 30:10 rule - next time perform proper laryngeal warmup before
You're in the middle of theater practice and after a long scene, you notice some pain. Why might you be experiencing discomfort? How can you fix it?
prolonged use, louder vocal volume - request vocal break, perform laryngeal massage, nasal glide stimulation sentences - try microphone, proper laryngeal warmup
You're at singing lessions and feel like your "voice box" feels "high up" - why might this be happening? How can you fix it?
tension in neck/larynx from singing - take vocal break, laryngeal massage, tongue protrusion, yawn sigh, open mouth posture
You just got a coffee before school and notice some burning/discomfort in your throat. Why might this be happening? How could you fix it?
caffeinated drinks can lead to increase in reflux/GERD or dryness in vocal chords - lubricate with water, limit caffeine amounts, use humidifer if possible
After eating a big meal at dinner, you notice some pain in your throat/under your chin. Why is this? How can you fix it?
Chewing rough foods can tire tongue/jaw/neck muscles which are all connected to larynx - try laryngeal massage (thumbs under BOT), stretches, slow chewing
Your voice coach is looking for some new ~cool~ warmup exercises to give to their other students. What might you suggest?
diaphragmatic breathing, posture, neck stretch, massage, slow chewing, inhalation phonation
You notice a lot of tension in your jaw/base of tongue after performing a short song - what strategy could you use??
open mouth posture, nasal glide stimulation sentences, massage
You notice a friend drinking lemonade and eating an orange before theater practice. Why might this be an unsafe vocal behavior? What could you suggest to them?
acidic foods (i.e,. citrus) can be harmful for vocal fold health - suggest other lubrication/snack options
You notice a friend whispering a lot prior to a theater performance. Why might this be an unsafe vocal behavior? What could you suggest to them?
whispering is considered an unnatural pitch, harshly makes vocal folds hit together - suggest talking at comfortable, natural pitch instead
