So there I am a few short years ago in my ongoing voice (singing) lessons as my professional Coach is trying to figure out where my Head Voice is hiding. Simply couldn’t find it! I mention to him that the year before I had a tough accident while pushing a large wheelbarrow up a steep wet slope, where my feet went out from under me and I fell forward onto the steel edge of the wheelbarrow with all my weight behind it, right across my throat. Knocked me out completely. He fortunately suggested that I have my vocal chords checked by a vocal surgeon (Otolaryngologist). I did and the short of it was the accident had completely displaced my epiglotis and caused cysts or nodes to form on the edges of my vocal cords requiring surgery to remove them so they could close properly. Not a fun process when having scopes either put down your throat directly or inserted down the throat by going through the nose...but absolutely necessary to repair the damage and to offer me the long-term vocal stability to sing professionally. The moral of the story and my advice to other singers...if you are having prolonged major discomfort with your throat when you sing, have it checked by a specialist. Singing the “right way” is therapeutic and should never cause long term discomfort or make you hoarse. Oh...and my head voice? It is still partially hiding out, but I’m finally working on it with abandon, now with no discomfort whatsoever.
