I feel like there is a lot of stigma attached to vocal injury, since it is associated with having bad technique. However, athletes still get injured even if they have excellent technique.
My singing teacher was having a conversation with us about this, whether or not we should normalize vocal injuries the same way we normalize injuries with athletes
Isabel Meyer We should. When a dancer gets injured they’ll get their rest time with almost no problem. Singers for too long have had to fight for ours. Our vocal folds ARE muscles, just like any other and as such, can also get injured. It’s the stigma of, because it’s not one of our five appendages or core, too many seems to think it’s not a real. A muscle is a muscle.
I felt like I was on the edge of my seat watch this video! As a singer and teacher myself, I couldn’t imagine the fear of not having access to my voice. I’m so glad you took care of yourself! No shame around vocal injuries! It can happen to anyone! 💗
THANK YOU, Natalie! Classical singer and voice teacher here and a big fan of yours. When successful singers like you "come out" about voice injuries, you change the culture of shame and silence for all of us. Brava!
As a future speech therapist/throat specialist and as a fan I say this: PLEASE continue to take of that voice so you can bring these AMAZING moments. I love you, and love your GIFT! It takes a lot of courage to tell everybody about vocal injuries, specially when you are a vocal coach. I'm glad it's all good and healthy!
when you said "i need to pull you out for two shows" my first reaction was "yes girl, like a football player you are injured lose two shows of the season get better" very happy you mentioned it later, performers are athletes
between 2017 - 2018 i lost my voice for a WHOLE YEAR, from August 2017 to September 2018. Don't know why. I saw different doctors, i was so inflamed and swollen that my vocal chords couldn't properly stretch or vibrate past a certain point, but no doctor knew the cause of this inflammation.I tried everything but nothing worked. I've been singing since i was 3 i think, and from the age of 13 I sing everyday. Some days for hours if I'm recording something complex, and I've never lost my voice, never had nodules. I was devastated, I had more than 1 octave completely gone, above F4 it was just air, and singing easy notes like Cs or Ds would take extreme effort. Singing is my whole life and i had to learn how to live a life without singing. One day my voice simply came back, out of nowhere. In august 2017 my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, i think the stress caused this. Don't know why telling my story could mean something, but I wanted to share lol For singers singing is not just a hobby, is life.
I'm so sorry to hear that. I wouldn't know what to do if I were in your situation. I'm worried because I feel like my larynx is moving unnecessarily too much. Even when I'm talking normally. I'm scared that it might take a toll on my voice. 😥
This happened to me! I had to quit singing professionally for almost 2 years. Then suddenly it came back, I was in tears PRAYING literally praying to God that my voice never leaves me again, I've been working hard and it's now stronger than ever!
Dude thank u for sharing, i honestly need to feel like its not only me and i'll get better and my life is not over by losing my ability to sing, wish u and ur mother health🙏
I lost my voice (a whole octave from it!) last year and had to have 6 weeks of vocal rest. It was terrifying and shook my whole world and my whole identity. And it was, without doubt, an impact of grief. I lost my father shockingly and suddenly the year before and had to go back to work (singing), but I was forcing myself to sing through the shock and grief that was in my body which caused so much tension, which I again I forced myself to sing through. Unconsciously I wasn't using my diagram and I was not letting my larynx go into the "cry position" or tilt because I knew if I did I might not make it through the session... It took a lot of gentleness, softening and going back to basics (and if I'm honest, crying) to come back to my voice again.
Wow we have very similar stories. I started about the same time as you but had vocal issues from 16-19 Sounds like you may have had severe acid reflux. I had that and could barely talk for about 1-3 years. I feel ya bro it sucks.
I had a big vocal injury 20 years ago as an actor. I got a surgery on my vocal cords. The doctor said to me: you must find a very good voice teacher if you want to keep working as an actor. Luckily, life puts Lucette Tremblay in my life, a very great teacher in Montreal. We worked together 2 to 3 times a week at the beginning. I literally had to relearned how to speak, because my “technique” was really wrong… Not only was I able to play again as an actor, but I also became an opera and musicals singers! So yes, injury’s happened, and sometimes, if you take time to see why it happened, it can be for the best! Love your work Natalie, thanks for sharing that! :)
I've honestly been too scared to go in and get my voice checked out, and I've been doing the exact same things you did. Coming up with SO MANY bizarre excuses especially during rehearsals of my show in February- the weather, the room, my diet. This is a wake up call 😂. I'll schedule an appointment as soon as quarantine is over.
But use lockdown as an excuse to go on vocal rest for a week. I will be amazed if you don't see any changes. Honestly its amazing. Do not speak, or make any sound at all from your voice, or drink caffeine or alcohol or smoke for 4 days and see how u feel after (go slowly the first day back speaking!) X
OMG: I hemorrhaged my right vocal cord when I was going thru my divorce. I totally relate to this. Mine was from crying! Singing was my only source of income at the time & I had 2 little kids. It was the scariest thing. So glad you are ok.
Thank you so much for sharing!! And there’s definitely no shame you or anyone should feel about this. Although, of course it’s so so scary. I’m so glad your chords are back to normal :)
Thanks for sharing your story! It’s so important to hear stories like this and remind yourself that you haven’t done anything wrong if this happens to you. So glad you’re back and blessing us with your beautiful voice! Xx
So glad to hear you’re doing well and moved through the injury with grace, vulnerability and resilience. Musicians are absolutely athletes! Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you for this. I had THE EXACT thing happen to me in 2012. I was in my 3rd year at drama school and I thought my life was over. Unfortunately I discovered my hemmorage too late and the tissue had already healed itself with a big lumpy scar so I had to have surgery to remove the scar tissue and a weeks voice rest. I too siren every day my old non performer housemate used to wake up, hear me siren and then siren in her room too as a joke. Now, if ever i'm feeling not vocally great I voice rest for a few days. It is AMAZING! I also dont EVER go to loud parties. Ill go to gigs and concerts but i'm supee aware of not singing loud over the music/talking over the noise. PLUS i don't drink alcohol ever as it completely dries out my voice and makes me speak loud when i get drunk ha. Ive changed so much of my life to accomodate my voice. I don't have anywhere NEAR your vocal talents or awareness but i care so much about my voice its such a trigger of happiness for me that if i couldnt sing i would be devastated!!! Thank you for this video, it can be really hard talking about it cause there seems to be some stigma attached. But like you said, its no diffferent to an athlete getting tendonitis or spraining an ankle. We are vocal athletes and have to look after our instrument and admit defeat or risk it getting worse! Also, hello Julie Andrews people, the purest most beautiful voice ever had issues. Be kinder to yourself, you're not a machine! Cant wait for you to come to the UK again i have put in a request to have a lesson with you. #CannotRiffToSaveMyLife.
Appreciate you Natalie! Thank you for opening up about this. Knowing how hard vocal injuries are, not only physically but almost more so mentally, it's nice to be reminded sometimes that we are not the only person in the world who has dealt with them, and that there can be a light at the end injury of the tunnel
Thank you for sharing your story! Very impactful and really relatable when it comes to the feeling of not being able to sing at your best. I have vasovagal too and I feel a lot better knowing I have this in common with one of the best singers out there!
Ugh thank you so much for talking about this Natalie! I have the exact same fear...literally anything shifts and I'm worried I'll never sing again. It sounds so intense that you had to go through this, it must have been so stressful but I'm glad you came out stronger the other side. Sending you so much love X
Thank you for sharing and I'm so glad you healed in a relatively short period of time. I had vocal nodules years ago that took months to heal. I cried when I could finally sing at my highest register again. Love your videos!
Thank you for sharing! We all completely understand your freak out and near melt down. I panic sometimes when my allergies are flaring that I'll never sing again and I'm not even a pro.
I'm so glad that you've recovered! You have an incredible voice and I've learned SO much from your videos. Vocal injuries are super scary and I hope you never have to go through anything like that again!
Thank You sooooo much for sharing this. I wish more singers shared stories like this. I also had some similar vocal issues and it all came to a head 2 years ago when i found out i had to have surgery and was scared that i would never sing again or that my voice would be completely different. I had the surgery Jan 2019 and even though everything went great I completely lost my confidence with my voice and I didn't sing again until March of this year. Hearing you talk about how your voice is literally everything is how a lot of us singers feel, i unfortunately couldn't get over my fears quick enough but I tell all my friends that sing to take care of their instruments and to always trust their body, if something feels off get checked. Thank You again!! ❤️
This was such a beneficial story to hear. You are absolutely incredible and such an inspiration to me. I am more than happy to have heard your story. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much for sharing Natalie, I admire you now even more than ever and I'll always look up to you as a singer and a teacher, one of the very few great ones...love from Argentina!
Thank you for sharing. Vocal teachers talk about being careful and taking care of the voice but no one ever explains what actually happens if you don't. Thank you for the description. I've heard singers being called vocal athletes but now have an appreciation for what that means from your description and how to better rest the voice. So glad you got through that ok.
Thank you for this! It's so scary to get vocal injuries. I just finished my final year in a music theatre performance program and right before our auditions for our final shows AND our showcase for agents I got bronchitis and could barely speak. I even sprained a rib coughing! Recovery time sucks so much, but if you give it your full attention and take it seriously, you can get back to normal, and it felt so good when I did ❤️ I'm so glad you caught it and recovered so quickly too. Love listening to you sing! 😊
This is the MOST HELPFUL VIDEO EVER. Thank you so much for sharing. Being that you are a voice teacher, it’s so so important that you tell us these things and expose us to this kind of information about all vocal possibilities, and it was very brave of you to do so. Thank you, I’m glad you’re doing well now :)
This is the most relateable video I've ever watched on UA-cam. Nobody really truly understands the emotional attachment us Singers have to our voices and how scary it is to experience something like this!
I feel like there is a lot of stigma attached to vocal injury, since it is associated with having bad technique. However, athletes still get injured even if they have excellent technique.
so so so true
Especially hemorrhages do not seem to correlate to technique issues.
My singing teacher was having a conversation with us about this, whether or not we should normalize vocal injuries the same way we normalize injuries with athletes
+ bad technique or not, vocal injuries can be devastating. we just need to have more empathy
Isabel Meyer We should. When a dancer gets injured they’ll get their rest time with almost no problem. Singers for too long have had to fight for ours. Our vocal folds ARE muscles, just like any other and as such, can also get injured. It’s the stigma of, because it’s not one of our five appendages or core, too many seems to think it’s not a real. A muscle is a muscle.
people really don’t understand that when we lose our voices our whole world is over, but thank you for showing that it’s not Natalie 💙
I felt like I was on the edge of my seat watch this video! As a singer and teacher myself, I couldn’t imagine the fear of not having access to my voice. I’m so glad you took care of yourself! No shame around vocal injuries! It can happen to anyone! 💗
You're wonderful. Vulnerability is strength 👍🌷 thank you for sharing
Yes singers support singers 😍
I’m soo glad you got though this. Sending you my love. Stay stafe xxx
Honest Vocal Coach hello!!!! I love your channel
THANK YOU, Natalie! Classical singer and voice teacher here and a big fan of yours. When successful singers like you "come out" about voice injuries, you change the culture of shame and silence for all of us. Brava!
I literally gasped so loudly when you said "haemorrhage." I was totally not expecting that. I'm so glad you're better now!!
As a future speech therapist/throat specialist and as a fan I say this: PLEASE continue to take of that voice so you can bring these AMAZING moments. I love you, and love your GIFT! It takes a lot of courage to tell everybody about vocal injuries, specially when you are a vocal coach. I'm glad it's all good and healthy!
when she started “act” crying, I really thought she was really crying. Unless she was really crying, that acting is amazing
she’s an actress
when you said "i need to pull you out for two shows" my first reaction was "yes girl, like a football player you are injured lose two shows of the season get better" very happy you mentioned it later, performers are athletes
between 2017 - 2018 i lost my voice for a WHOLE YEAR, from August 2017 to September 2018. Don't know why. I saw different doctors, i was so inflamed and swollen that my vocal chords couldn't properly stretch or vibrate past a certain point, but no doctor knew the cause of this inflammation.I tried everything but nothing worked. I've been singing since i was 3 i think, and from the age of 13 I sing everyday. Some days for hours if I'm recording something complex, and I've never lost my voice, never had nodules. I was devastated, I had more than 1 octave completely gone, above F4 it was just air, and singing easy notes like Cs or Ds would take extreme effort. Singing is my whole life and i had to learn how to live a life without singing. One day my voice simply came back, out of nowhere. In august 2017 my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, i think the stress caused this. Don't know why telling my story could mean something, but I wanted to share lol For singers singing is not just a hobby, is life.
I'm so sorry to hear that. I wouldn't know what to do if I were in your situation. I'm worried because I feel like my larynx is moving unnecessarily too much. Even when I'm talking normally. I'm scared that it might take a toll on my voice. 😥
This happened to me! I had to quit singing professionally for almost 2 years. Then suddenly it came back, I was in tears PRAYING literally praying to God that my voice never leaves me again, I've been working hard and it's now stronger than ever!
Dude thank u for sharing, i honestly need to feel like its not only me and i'll get better and my life is not over by losing my ability to sing, wish u and ur mother health🙏
I lost my voice (a whole octave from it!) last year and had to have 6 weeks of vocal rest. It was terrifying and shook my whole world and my whole identity. And it was, without doubt, an impact of grief. I lost my father shockingly and suddenly the year before and had to go back to work (singing), but I was forcing myself to sing through the shock and grief that was in my body which caused so much tension, which I again I forced myself to sing through. Unconsciously I wasn't using my diagram and I was not letting my larynx go into the "cry position" or tilt because I knew if I did I might not make it through the session... It took a lot of gentleness, softening and going back to basics (and if I'm honest, crying) to come back to my voice again.
Wow we have very similar stories. I started about the same time as you but had vocal issues from 16-19 Sounds like you may have had severe acid reflux. I had that and could barely talk for about 1-3 years. I feel ya bro it sucks.
5:22 both those riffs still sounded great though lol.
This story is heart breaking, I don't know how I'd have got through this
I had a big vocal injury 20 years ago as an actor. I got a surgery on my vocal cords. The doctor said to me: you must find a very good voice teacher if you want to keep working as an actor. Luckily, life puts Lucette Tremblay in my life, a very great teacher in Montreal. We worked together 2 to 3 times a week at the beginning. I literally had to relearned how to speak, because my “technique” was really wrong… Not only was I able to play again as an actor, but I also became an opera and musicals singers! So yes, injury’s happened, and sometimes, if you take time to see why it happened, it can be for the best! Love your work Natalie, thanks for sharing that! :)
I've honestly been too scared to go in and get my voice checked out, and I've been doing the exact same things you did. Coming up with SO MANY bizarre excuses especially during rehearsals of my show in February- the weather, the room, my diet. This is a wake up call 😂. I'll schedule an appointment as soon as quarantine is over.
But use lockdown as an excuse to go on vocal rest for a week. I will be amazed if you don't see any changes. Honestly its amazing. Do not speak, or make any sound at all from your voice, or drink caffeine or alcohol or smoke for 4 days and see how u feel after (go slowly the first day back speaking!) X
OMG: I hemorrhaged my right vocal cord when I was going thru my divorce. I totally relate to this. Mine was from crying! Singing was my only source of income at the time & I had 2 little kids. It was the scariest thing. So glad you are ok.
Oh my, is there anything you did that helped with your voice?
You are so strong! Thank you for sharing this with your fellow singers Natalie!!
Thank you for sharing your story!
Thank you SO much for sharing all of this.
OMG ... thank you so much for posting this and being so transparent.. this is very helpful !!
I really needed to hear this. Thank you so much.
Omg, I'm glad that you got through it! You are like my favorite singer and vocal teacher, take care!
thank you!!!!! shedding light on mariah's situation too 🥺🥺
This was so inspiring and I'm so glad you're okay!
YES QUEEN! Thanks for sharing your story with us
Thank you so much for sharing your story Natalie!
Thank you for your honesty, you're awesome!!!
You’re too awesome 🖤 thank you for sharing with us, Natalie!!
Thank you for sharing your vocal journey!!! #endthestigmaofvocalinjury
thank you for sharing this story it's so important and it helps a lot of people!
Thank you for sharing this!!
Thank you for sharing this. This is very encouraging and mind opening for us singers!
Yes! Congratulations on getting through that! Thank you for sharing your story
Thank you for sharing your experiences! 🎤❤️
I'm so happy that you got through this Natalie.
It’s so important to hear messages like this. Thank you for being vulnerable. Thank you for posting.
Thanks for sharing this Natalie!! So brave of you!
Thank you so much for sharing!! And there’s definitely no shame you or anyone should feel about this. Although, of course it’s so so scary. I’m so glad your chords are back to normal :)
this was honestly so amazing to watch! made me emotional.
thank you for sharing this, you can't believe how uplifting this was
Thanks for sharing - glad you're back to being well!
Thankyou so much for sharing! I'll be sharing this with my students for sure :)
Thank you for sharing it with us! It's very helpful! ❤️
OMG this is so helpful. Thank you so much for sharing this & happy you're back in action!
i'm so sorry you had to go through this😩glad you are better now!! you're the best ❤️
Thank you Natalie for sharing your story. x
Natalie, you are amazing in every way. Thank you for sharing and I am so happy you got through the challenges.
So happy you are okay. Thank you for sharing your story. You are such an inspiration! ❤️💜
Thank you so much for sharing this. It helps me learn a lot as a singer and rare countertenor.
You have no idea how much I needed to hear this today xx
Thank you for sharing Natalie - learnt a lot from this - much love 💕
thanks for this. love you!
Thank you so mcuh for sharing this!!!! I looved it. This is definitely helpful.
Thanks for sharing your story! It’s so important to hear stories like this and remind yourself that you haven’t done anything wrong if this happens to you. So glad you’re back and blessing us with your beautiful voice! Xx
So glad to hear you’re doing well and moved through the injury with grace, vulnerability and resilience. Musicians are absolutely athletes! Thanks so much for sharing.
thank you for sharing, very brave and strong of you. glad to hear you're on the mend now. we love you x
Thank you very much for sharing your experience! This encourages me.
Thank you for sharing this with us, Nat.
Thank you for this. I had THE EXACT thing happen to me in 2012. I was in my 3rd year at drama school and I thought my life was over. Unfortunately I discovered my hemmorage too late and the tissue had already healed itself with a big lumpy scar so I had to have surgery to remove the scar tissue and a weeks voice rest.
I too siren every day my old non performer housemate used to wake up, hear me siren and then siren in her room too as a joke.
Now, if ever i'm feeling not vocally great I voice rest for a few days. It is AMAZING! I also dont EVER go to loud parties. Ill go to gigs and concerts but i'm supee aware of not singing loud over the music/talking over the noise. PLUS i don't drink alcohol ever as it completely dries out my voice and makes me speak loud when i get drunk ha. Ive changed so much of my life to accomodate my voice. I don't have anywhere NEAR your vocal talents or awareness but i care so much about my voice its such a trigger of happiness for me that if i couldnt sing i would be devastated!!! Thank you for this video, it can be really hard talking about it cause there seems to be some stigma attached. But like you said, its no diffferent to an athlete getting tendonitis or spraining an ankle. We are vocal athletes and have to look after our instrument and admit defeat or risk it getting worse! Also, hello Julie Andrews people, the purest most beautiful voice ever had issues. Be kinder to yourself, you're not a machine!
Cant wait for you to come to the UK again i have put in a request to have a lesson with you. #CannotRiffToSaveMyLife.
Thank you for sharing that with us. It's very important to take care of our instrument. And I am soooo happy that you're better!
Glad you were able to recover, me and my wife would totally miss your singing and training, Love your videos.
I’m honestly really proud of you and how you stayed strong during such a hard time ❤️
Thank you so much for sharing, Natalie. Your vulnerability and advice are appreciated
wowwwww, loved this video. so glad you're feeling better. I can't imagine how scary that must be. Our vocals are literally our identity
thank God you recovered. thank you for sharing your story.
That was so sensitive and humble... Is really brave to talk about this topic as a singer.
Insane that you went through that!!! I'd absolutely die if it happened to me. I'm so glad you were able to heal in time for the premier.
Thank you for sharing all these processes! I am really impressed 🙏🏻♥️♥️
Thank you for this. We need more of this honestly and vulnerability.
Thank you for sharing, you are a true professional and teacher ❤️
Appreciate you Natalie! Thank you for opening up about this. Knowing how hard vocal injuries are, not only physically but almost more so mentally, it's nice to be reminded sometimes that we are not the only person in the world who has dealt with them, and that there can be a light at the end injury of the tunnel
You are literally such an inspiration! Been a fan for a really long time! Glad you’re better! Rock on.
Thank you for sharing your storie, Natalie, and helping to end the stigma around vocal injuries! You are a champion.
I’m so glad you recovered!
You’re in an inspiration! Thank God you’re fully recovered! The world 🌎 needs your voice! Be well always! Blessings 🙏
Thank you for sharing your story! Very impactful and really relatable when it comes to the feeling of not being able to sing at your best. I have vasovagal too and I feel a lot better knowing I have this in common with one of the best singers out there!
Ugh thank you so much for talking about this Natalie! I have the exact same fear...literally anything shifts and I'm worried I'll never sing again. It sounds so intense that you had to go through this, it must have been so stressful but I'm glad you came out stronger the other side. Sending you so much love X
Thank you for your sincerity on this subject! Means a lot to us fellow singers. Good luck 🍀
thanks for sharing, your vulnerability is strength! 💜💜
love it love ur advice👍🏻
I'm literally SO HARD ON MYSELF when I'm not at 100%, so hearing you say this was really reassuring as a performer! Thank you for that
thank you so much for sharing! I can relate. By sharing your story, you help others and that is why we are here. You are just fabulous.
Thank you for sharing. This is so important! I'll never forget ""We are athletes as singers."
Truth!
Thank you for sharing and I'm so glad you healed in a relatively short period of time. I had vocal nodules years ago that took months to heal. I cried when I could finally sing at my highest register again. Love your videos!
Thank you for sharing! We all completely understand your freak out and near melt down. I panic sometimes when my allergies are flaring that I'll never sing again and I'm not even a pro.
I'm so glad that you've recovered! You have an incredible voice and I've learned SO much from your videos. Vocal injuries are super scary and I hope you never have to go through anything like that again!
Natalie: thank you for sharing this. It is really REALLY helpful and necessary to talk about this subject. Thank you
Thank You sooooo much for sharing this. I wish more singers shared stories like this. I also had some similar vocal issues and it all came to a head 2 years ago when i found out i had to have surgery and was scared that i would never sing again or that my voice would be completely different. I had the surgery Jan 2019 and even though everything went great I completely lost my confidence with my voice and I didn't sing again until March of this year. Hearing you talk about how your voice is literally everything is how a lot of us singers feel, i unfortunately couldn't get over my fears quick enough but I tell all my friends that sing to take care of their instruments and to always trust their body, if something feels off get checked. Thank You again!! ❤️
Amazingly i stayed and finished your video. Such a great talker.
Thank you soooo much for sharing this!
This was such a beneficial story to hear. You are absolutely incredible and such an inspiration to me. I am more than happy to have heard your story. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this. Very insightful. Much love from the UK 🇬🇧
Thank you so much for sharing Natalie, I admire you now even more than ever and I'll always look up to you as a singer and a teacher, one of the very few great ones...love from Argentina!
natalie!!! Brava to you for sharing this!!! It will be so helpful for so many singers. Glad to hear you are well now...thank you for sharing!!!!!
Thank you for sharing. Vocal teachers talk about being careful and taking care of the voice but no one ever explains what actually happens if you don't. Thank you for the description. I've heard singers being called vocal athletes but now have an appreciation for what that means from your description and how to better rest the voice. So glad you got through that ok.
Thank you for this! It's so scary to get vocal injuries. I just finished my final year in a music theatre performance program and right before our auditions for our final shows AND our showcase for agents I got bronchitis and could barely speak. I even sprained a rib coughing! Recovery time sucks so much, but if you give it your full attention and take it seriously, you can get back to normal, and it felt so good when I did ❤️ I'm so glad you caught it and recovered so quickly too. Love listening to you sing! 😊
This is the MOST HELPFUL VIDEO EVER. Thank you so much for sharing. Being that you are a voice teacher, it’s so so important that you tell us these things and expose us to this kind of information about all vocal possibilities, and it was very brave of you to do so. Thank you, I’m glad you’re doing well now :)
Sooooooooo thankful you're shared this
This is the most relateable video I've ever watched on UA-cam. Nobody really truly understands the emotional attachment us Singers have to our voices and how scary it is to experience something like this!
I can tell this wasn’t easy to talk about. I commend your vulnerability with us. Thank you for making this video, Natalie 💗