VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Nelson Jewell · Guest

Good heavens! For two weeks I've been out of VO commission thanks to the cold & flu...or should I say, thanks to whomever brought it into work.

It's a nasty bug, it is. I'm a lot less stuffy, but my voice dropped almost a whole octave. I sound like James Earl Jones after a shot of testosterone. When I speak, people stop, look up, and say "Yes, God?"

My VO work is beginning to pile up. Thank goodness for patient producers.

Any remedies you'd like to share?

tackerman · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 2:43 am Post subject:

I use my neti pot about an hour before I hit the booth. That and sudafed will relieve the congestion enough for me to limp it through... Smile

bransom · DC Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 650 Location: St. Louis, MO

Yeah, it kicked my butt for two weeks. It went from head cold to bronchitis. The doctor finally relented and gave me antibiotics which, within 12 hours, made a huge difference. I'm darned near human again now.

Lost the James Earl Jones voice though. Dammit.

Tom Test · DC Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 629 Location: Chicago, IL

I echo the wonders of the Neti Pot. I use it even when I'm not sick, because it makes a significant improvement in the sound of my voice (especially more resonance). Also, the 12-hour nasal sprays really clear things out, but be very careful not to overuse them.

HTH
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Deirdre · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:46 am Post subject:

I make sure to eat enough dirt all year 'round so that my antibodies are at United States Marines readiness all the time.
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Scott S. · Joined: 05 Nov 2008 Posts: 7 Location: Indiana

I like the Neti Pot/Nasal Spray combo, too. Last time I was really sick, my nose was so clogged that the Neti Pot solution ran into my throat. The Nasal Spray was able to open things up enough for the Neti Pot to work.

ccpetersen · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 9:07 am Post subject:

I, too, vote for the Neti Pot usage each day. I save the Dirt approach for when I'm traveling through O'Hare airport. Wink

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Lee Gordon · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:48 am Post subject:

I'm just getting over a cold that I either caught from my nephew while I was vacationing in Florida or acquired on my own when I returned to the frozen North. Fortunately, it wasn't severe enough to stop me from any of my recording duties. Sometimes, a cold sounds worse to us, internally, than it does to the outside world.
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glittlefield · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:06 pm Post subject:

I'm getting over the same crud myself, Nelson. I was able to get my Thurl Ravenscroft imitation down pretty good, but then it started clearing up before I could record it without hacking my lungs out. One thing that kept it from getting worse was... yes... my neti pot. I whipped that puppy out and flushed my sinuses out at the first whiff of trouble.

My wife just went to EMMC today because she's got it now. They told her it was a sinus infection and asked her if she's ever heard of the neti pot... She told them her husband uses it, but there's no way she's sticking that thing up her nose. I'm trying to convince her it's not so bad once you get the angles down.

But I suppose having her eat dirt would be more difficult to do.
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ccpetersen · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:28 pm Post subject:

Well, if she was pregnant she might want to eat dirt. But, that's a high price to pay to get rid of a cold. ;0
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Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:15 pm Post subject:

and if i was having a girl i'd name her neti cuz she's way popular on this site.

dirt, paint chips, laundry soap ... that's called pika in pregnancease. weird, man.
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Audiogal · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 9:00 pm Post subject:

Close, Diane. Pica, actually. And I'm glad you're not experiencing it yourself these days!
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Chrissy · Guest

Nelson,

1. Heat some water to boiling, pour into a bowl, add some Vicks, put a towel over your head, and inhale.

2. Neti pot a couple of times a day when you have a cold otherwise once a day. The Neti pot people also put out a squeeze bottle which is easier to use especially if you have back or neck problems.

3. Take Zinc. If the Zinc casues nausea then take with food.

4. Teas you can use; Yogi teas puts out Cold Season, Breathe Easy, Throat Coat.

5. Before you start work wipe off all the areas you touch with clorox wipes or the equivalent. Use a hand sanitizer often during the day.

6. Try, try, try to train yourself not to touch you face, and eyes with your hand/s.

7. I left nasal sprays til last. Be careful if your going to use over the counter ones. Ask the pharmacist to recommend one. Most over the counter sprays can rasie blood pressure if over used, and be addictive. There are ones like Astelin which are prescription only.

8. Consider lining up a good ENT who deals with singers/actors.

Hope this helps.

Note; I'm not s doctor but I've been acting, and singing since the age of six. Also I worked in a hospital for six years.

Nelson Jewell · Guest

Thanks everyone for the tips. I feel better just from reading them.

Honestly, when I saw Neti Pot, I thought, man, I gave that stuff up in the 70's. But if I must I must. Then I looked it up on line and found a "how to" video. Thank goodness I won't have to buy ziggys. Not to mention using it only at 420...I'm at work at that time. Smile

My first stop this morning is Walgreens for a Neti Pot. It really sounds like a Philip Banks VO script in the making. "The Neti Pot...use only as directed."