How to Fix and Prevent a Sore Throat, According to Professional Singers
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It’s cold and flu season, that special time of year when your throat becomes susceptible to soreness and scratchiness (or if you’re lucky, a spot-on Kathleen Turner impression). For most people, a sore throat is a mere nuisance. But for those whose livelihood depends on their ability to speak or bust out a tune, quick and reliable sore-throat fixes are essential and must be on hand inmedicine cabinetsorkitchenpantries at all times.
“Our vocal cords are a muscle and they need to stay active and in shape while both speaking and singing,” says Bianca Marroquín, who currently stars as Roxie Hart inChicagoon Broadway. “Just as an athlete remains trained and ready for events, eight Broadway shows per week requires great discipline and care.” To get a leg up on germs and the next bug that’s probably already going around, we talked to professional singers about their proven sore-throatremediesand prevention techniques.
Best ways to prevent a sore throat
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Caroline Rose, the singer-songwriter who recently released her second albumLoner, is a proponent of a DIY gargle. “I’m basically plagued with throat issues while we’re on the road, so I have a preemptive regimen each night of gargling withAncient Secretssalt mixed in water,” she says. “When I’m feeling real spunky, I’ll do it in the morning, too. Pure saltwater’s all-healing; it’s an age-old remedy for a reason.”
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Three-time Grammy Award winner Angelique Kidjo has her own special recipe for an effective swish. “I do a gargle with fresh thyme infused with hot water in a mug,” says Kidjo. “Add one tablespoon of salted butter and one tablespoon of honey, wait until it is warm, and use for a gargle.”
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“Like most people, I’d say Throat Coattea,” says Michelle Zauner, the singer-songwriter who performs under the moniker Japanese Breakfast. However, that’s not her only solution.
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“I actually am a very loud person and have — knock on wood — never lost my voice because I’m basically always shouting in my everyday life. But if I have a tickle in my throat, I go on health lock down, cut alcohol, stop talking, take Airbornegummies, vitamin C raspberry powder with seltzer, and just drink and pee as much as possible until it’s gone.”—Zauner
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Add some extra zest and 1,000 mg of vitamin C to your water with Emergen-C’s Fizzy Drink Mix available in raspberry, açaí berry, orange, lemonade, and more tangy flavors.
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Along with the ever popular Throat Coat tea, Navid Eliot, one of the core members of Planes on Paper, also recommends drinking a shot ofapple cider vinegar— “Bragg’s is where it’s at” — mixed into a mug of hot water with a tablespoon of honey to ward off a scratchy throat and runny nose. “Honey and apple-cider vinegar are just good for fighting colds, or so the wives’ tale goes.”
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When taking a trip, follow Amelia Meath’s lead and feign illness. “I usually pretend I am already sick so I get into the rhythm of taking extra care of myself,” says Meath, the singer-songwriter known as one half of the electro-pop duo Sylvan Esso and one third of the folk trio Mountain Man. “If you’re traveling on a plane, get sugar free lozenges and try to just always have one in your mouth to keep your chords from drying out. I like Olba’s the best.”
The best sore-throat remedies
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“A teaspoon of Manuka honey fromNew Zealandwith as much chopped up garlic as I can handle usually sorts it out, along with gargling salt water,” says Aaron Livingston, the soul and R&B singer-songwriter and Grammy-winning producer known as Son Little. He adds that a vow of silence can also do the trick. “[It] gives you an excuse not to talk to anyone.”
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If you’re pressed for time, here’s a way to get Manuka honey mixed with cold-busting ingredients like lemon, ginger, or eucalyptus in easy-to-carry cough drops.
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Similarly, Bonnie Milligan who plays Princess Pamela in Broadway’sHead Over Heels, opts for Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, a honey-and-loquat Syrup. “It helps my voice feel stronger and protected,” she says.
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“I lost my voice for two entire weeks before going on tour with the Gipsy Kings last May and left no stone unturned in terms of vocal remedies,” says Doe Paoro — her real name is Sonia Kreitzer — adding that Echinacea Goldenseal Propolis Throat Spray by Gaia Herbs is her go-to.
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Martin Earley of the alternative rock-folk trio the Ballroom Thieves also keeps propolis Spray on hand “in case of emergencies.” Other options are Singer’s Saving Grace Soothing Throat Spray, the same remedy favored by singer-songwriter Matt Costa.
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Vocal Eze is Marroquín’s No. 1 pick when it comes to sprays. She uses it to keep her “cords lubricated and protected between scenes.”
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Milligan swears by two kinds of herbal capsules. “When I’m starting to feel under the weather, I load up on Wellness Formula and Oil of Oregano.”
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Like garlic, oregano, especially when concentrated into an oil, is an effective natural antibiotic and anti-fungal remedy. It’s also been used to treat yeast infections and improve gut health.
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If herbal remedies aren’t for you, there are a few other tricks the vocally gifted have up their sleeves. Christopher Maltman, the British baritone who’s now performing as Mark Rutland in the Metropolitan Opera’sMarnierecommends GeloRevoice, a throatlozengefrom Austrian company Gebro that’s designed to stimulate saliva production.
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