I’ve been away from the habit of delivering long orations, so today in my first class returning from a long break, I suffered from wobbly knees, and worst of all, I only made it halfway through lecture before my voice started to rasp and fade. Uh-oh. I have many more hours of talking ahead of me.
After class, I ran out and bought some chamomile tea, and also some honey lemon ginseng tea. I think I’ll bring a cup to my classes so I can lube up partway through. Does anyone have recommendations for habits/chemical reagents that I should use to strengthen my voice and to help me get through hour long lectures on very dry topics?
There was a well known ancient Greek orator whose name I forget who said to go to the beach and talk above the roaring surf with pebbles in your mouth. (Probably not Cocoa Pebbles)
Hot lemonade (as hot as you can drink it) sweetened with a bit of honey is excellent for dry, scratchy, throats.
Fresh ginger tea is also good, but dried ginger seems to lose its medicinal properties. Fresh ginger tastes better too, spicy and lemony.
i researched this at one point. Singing instructors say you have to stay well hydrated, that the topical solutions (e.g., tea, mist) don’t work as well. That said, things are so dry in the winter, maybe a humidifier at night?
oh, and it’s topical but Neti Pots. Neti Pots solve everything (almost), and they are the one traditional technique that is endorsed by scientists. bonus: will also lower your chances of catching bugs from your students.
Neti pots can be dangerous if the water is contaminated. I usually just get the spray saline stuff you can find in the allergies/colds part of the pharmacy section of a supermarket.
I was gonna suggest joining the choir or finding a vocal coach on campus. Channel your inner Bruce Dickinson.
I wish the was a digital thingy you could program to speak your lecture, with the option of using the voice of Richard Attenborough or Brian Blessed.
Then you only need to jump in with answers to questions and additional comments.
@Hemidactylus – you are correct. I should have mentioned to boil the water first. Thanks.
@6 birgerjohansson or, Gilbert Gottfried
Use a PA. Something like this. https://www.amazon.com/800W-Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker-Built/dp/B07XZFNZ5D
After decades of lecturing, I reckon PZ is well inured to its rigours and familiar with its challenges.
I noticed a tone of confidence after a recent video, about warming up.
Come game day, there goes that optimism. :|
I reckon doing additional work to ‘build up’ is not the go.
Just lecturing is itself work, so adding to that load is a bit silly.
No spring chicken, he.
(He knows all this, of course)
Can I recommend the Lax Vox method?
It’s used to treat issues with the voice, but is also popular with speakers and singers who want to warm up their voice before they start. The back pressure caused by the bubbles massages the vocal folds, and it helps train your body to regulate the air flow from your belly when using your voice.
My wife teaches in lengthy classes and suffered vocal issues for a prolonged time, this helped her recover and regain. I use it for singing warmup, as do many singers. In experience a noticeable improvement in the voice, both sound and feel.
There are many videos online with different exercises, as per need. It pays to follow the instructions closely though. Just bubbling into any odd milkshake doesn’t cut it.
I experience… Where’s the edit button when you need one.
And it’s not the back pressure from the bubbles but from the water against the exhaling, of course. The depth of the straw / tube regulates the pressure.
PZ, I am sorry to mention something that will be of little practical use to you, but one of the quickest remedies I’ve ever found for hoarseness is gargling bourbon.
Let it linger on the back of your throat for a long time as you breathe out, and your throat rapidly becomes completely anesthetized.
Sorry, but, don’t swallow the bourbon! (That cures other things, not the throat.)
However, this seems rather impractical to do during class, so I’m afraid it’s not of great use to you for me to have brought it up. Just store the info away for some other occasion.
Exoskeleton!
Maybe Elon is working on one!