How do you avoid losing your voice all the time if you are in a shouty / singy sort of job?

[FrankenZooey]

For the second time this year my voice has been f*cked up for a couple of weeks. As I work speaking and singing to groups of people this is a pain in the arse. It feels like it takes several weeks to get rid of a minor sore throat, because every couple of days I strain it again trying to use my voice, and it gets hoarse and sore again. Are there things I can do to a) prevent it b) alleviate it when it has happened?

You have to gargle

Can't think what the name of the tea is you're supposed to gargle, working on it, tastes foul...

OK got it now it's sage.

In Germany you can buy sage tea like peppermint of camomile everywhere. Was recommended to me and it does work. Don't know if you can get it in the UK. Never heard of it before I came here.

Oh yes I have tried sage before and it was good. I just bought loose sage and made tea with it.

try to speak from the diapragm rather than strainging the throat

Cece I do try that but I struggle with it. I was wondering if a speaking / singing lesson would help.

i sing a bit at work too. it's so annoying when your voice just gives up! dont the pros use throat coat?

singing/speaking lesson would probably help as they would teach you how to do it without straining your voice.

Avoid caffeine

Could you use a microphone?

I was thinking the same, caboose, but wanted MN to say so as well because it seems so darned poncy to have elocution lessons tbh

you need to have some voice training..i am a vocal coach!!!

I don't drink caffeine

I think I would laugh too much if I had to use a microphone SSSandy

Now repeat 'The Rain In Spain Lands Mainly On The Plain'

Beety what could a vocal coach do for me in one lesson and how much would it cost roughly, if you don't mind discussing it? Would one lesson be effective for starters?

I work around loads of singers.

Alexander technique.

NO foods or drinks that cause mucus buildup.

This is the hard part.

Wine, beer, chocolate, etc.

Caboose, I bloody love My Fair Lady

Beetroot would you make me find your slippers? Or would you charge extra for that..

I don't drink at all. I do eat chocolate, sometimes.

vocal training takes more than one session

It is like having singing lessons.

I would work on breathing in the first session and I would charge about 20 quid an hour for a private session. If it was business It would be between 50 and 100

if you found my slippers I would do it for free

Would one session help at all, or is it not worth beginning unless you can do a course of lessons Beetroot?

and are these yours at all? I found them under the sofa

in one session you could get an idea about how to breath, a bit of centring but you would really need more time.

Those slippers are hideous..no wonder they are under your sofa!

I agree with Beety. You need some singing/vocal training. Learning to breathe properly will teach you how to support your voice.

I am a teacher, but I used to be a singer. Even now, I will never call/shout across a room, I sort of sing from my diaphragm. It's hard to explain, but its a sort of tuneful call (that's the only way I can describe it!)

LF, if I ever have to shout I automatically breath in a different way

I coudl run a group session for a laugh.

Ok, so how long would it take me to learn this properly, do you think?

I understand you can only give me a rough idea.