You feel it coming on, the tickle in your throat, the sniffle in your nose and sneezing! Oh the sneezing! You think to yourself, “I can’t be sick! I’ve got a voice lesson later today! I’ve got a performance and an audition coming up next week! There’s too much going on to be down and out! Sick or no, I’m going to power through!” And then…you get kicked in the knees by the worst cold of your life. Thank you life. Just what I needed.
So many times we try to power through and think – mind over matter and attempt to will ourselves into being well. Or worse than that – we see a post on Facebook. A friend is dreadfully ill and sharing all the details via social media. Your thoughts go to remembering being sick and you begin thinking “Gosh, I haven’t been THAT sick in a while. Maybe I’m next?” Whoops! Don’t even think about it!” Next thing you know, you’re the one feeling like crud on the couch.
Opposition is a part of life. We’re pretty easily guaranteed that 50% of the time we will feel healthy and well and the other 50% we get to experience feeling like crap. I know. You’re stoked that I’m even saying this.
So, you’re sick. How do you know if you should cancel your lesson- if ever?
To me, sickness is just like a good story. There’s a beginning, a once upon a time- a middle, which is the meat of the story- and an end, a happily ever after, THE END. As soon as we feel a sniffle I know we all wish we could fast forward to the best part- THE END. We do not get that luxury, unfortunately.
ONCE UPON A TIME – If you’re at the very beginning of sickness – feeling like you might be coming down with something – you’re probably fine to go to your lesson. If you’re on the very edge, teetering on “Oh my gosh I’m totally sick”, do everyone a favor and cancel your lesson. Your teacher will thank you.
THE MEAT OF YOUR STORY – At this point you are totally and completely sick. Nothing sounds better to you than the warm folds of your sheets and the darkness of your room. Sleep is calling your name. Regardless of weather or not you’re puking, this is the time that you should cancel your lesson and go to bed! You may have magically turned into an alto (or bass) or you may have no voice at all. Sleep, hydration and rest are the most important things right now. Embrace your bed and resist binge watching Netflix so that you can sleep and really heal!
THE END – Sometimes this part of your sickness story can take longer that you think it should. Be patient. Healing takes time. Baby steps are required and sometimes you feel like you’re taking backwards steps if you over-do things. Eventually, with time, your body and voice will be back to normal. If you are on the upswing and are feeling well, go to your lesson! If you’re still not sure if you’re well enough for a lesson it’s always a great idea to talk to your teacher, tell them what’s been going on with your sickness and see what they say. Even if you can’t sing at your full capacity there are other things you can do at your lesson. Exploring repertoire and finding new music could be something you do! It’s more important, whenever possible, to keep the commitment of your lesson time and the consistency of attendance.
If you think you’re coming down with something but still feel fine, go ahead and go. But tell your teacher what’s up. If you’re sick, cancel your lesson. If you’re on the upswing, use your intuition and best judgement to decide. Again, communicate with your teacher. What ever your situation, I hope you can quickly recover so you can sing with your full voice again!