Warning: If you are looking for a quick cure to bring your voice back, you won't find it here. As a teacher and classically trained vocalist, I refuse to support singing on a voice that is obviously in need of rest. However, if you want to know how to heal your lost voice, keep your voice healthy in the long term and how to prevent a lost voice in future, read on.
The Situation:
Any singer knows the drill. It's two days 'til performance time (or one, or none, or 5 minutes 'til curtain) and you have suddenly lost your precious ability to create sound of any kind, short of banging your head on the nearest wall. Yes, laryngitis (or one of it's relatives) has reared it's ugly head.
The Cause:
The most common reasons that singers lose their voice are (or the combination of) the attack of a virus, misuse, overuse, or stress. The last two are most likely to occur close to performance time for the obvious reasons that you are probably putting in a lot of extra rehearsals, and/or may be very nervous about the upcoming show. Remember that a lost voice is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. Please don't ignore it or try to "push through".
The Cure:
Go see a doctor, whether you think he/she can help you or not. You can't be too careful when it comes to your vocal cords. Although they may not be able to prescribe anything, they may be able to give you some advice as to whether you should even attempt to perform in your weakened state.
If its a common cold, there may be not much the doctor can do for you, but gargling can help to kill the germs in the back of your throat and lessen the severity of the virus. Mouthwash is great, but if you don't have it luke-warm salt water will do in a pinch. If you use coughdrops, stay away from Halls or any other brand that uses a numbing agent. Herbal lozenges such as Ricola and Fisherman's Friends relieve the pain without numbing. Minor sore throats can even be soothed with a regular scotch mint. Also, make sure you are getting plenty of vitamin C. If you've already got a cold, it will help to lesson the severity, and if you don't already have a cold it will help to prevent one. Colds also dry out your body, so drink a ridiculous amount of water.
If your vocal cords are suffering from overuse, rest is the only thing that will help it to heal. As soon as your voice begins to show symptoms of overuse, stop. Stop singing, stop talking, no noise from between your lips for at least twenty four hours, or until you have to warm up for the show. Then, warm up very slowly and gradually, taking the time to really ease your voice up to performance level.The toughest (but perhaps most important) thing to do is relax. A positive attitude is essential to your recovery. As soon as you panic, you're done for. Just keep telling yourself, "No. I will get my voice back. I refuse to succumb to the evilness of the voice-snatcher." Seriously.
Common Sense
If, at performance time, your voice has not returned, what then?
It is unfortunate that there are performers who think that performing with a sore or damaged voice is brave or noble. It's not. It's stupid. You need to ask yourself - Is this performance worth the possible permanent damage I could cause to my voice? Is this performance worth potentially never singing again? Even if you don't have an understudy, there are ways to make things easier on you. A Ghost Singer back stage? Turn a solo into a chorus number? Ask your director for help. That's what they are there for. Don't try to be a hero by ruining your voice. And any director who would recommend that you perform anyway? Back away slowly, because they don't have your best interests at heart.
Prevention
We all lose our voices once in a while, but if you find yourself in this situation often (more than once a year) or the problem lasts more than a week, you may have more serious problems. Poor technique is a very common reason for problems with vocal stamina. If you are not currently receiving vocal training, see a vocal teacher to make sure that your basic technique (breathing and resonance placement) is solid. Even if you already have a vocal instructor, you might consider visiting someone else for a second opinion, as sometimes people who have worked with us for a long time can start to overlook our bad habits. If your technique seems fine but the problem persists, you may need to take things a little farther and visit an ear, nose, and throat specialist.
I would also like to point out that for a vocal instructor most of this information should be a no-brainer. If you are training with someone who is not able to provide you with this same information, get a new instructor now. Any teacher who does not refer you to a doctor in times of ill vocal health is not a good teacher.
Links to more Tips for Healing A Lost Voice
Safeguarding your voice
Acute laryngitis in a professional singer : An article from: Ear, Nose & Throat Journal
