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Sore Throat Giving You The Voice Over Blues?

Let me start by saying 'I'm sorry and I promise to do better.' That is me apologizing to my Mom, who reads this blog, for not blogging more often. I have learned a thing or two in my years as a voice over artist and I plan to starting a stream of blogs, some helpful and others just for fun, but each one with a tidbit worth extracting for your own voice over success.

I have a sore throat! I also have four sessions this week. Thank you God! I'm not bragging, well maybe just a little, but I felt it appropriate to convey the fact that I am actually working this week and my job isn't the type that allows me to just call in sick. If I do that I lose the gig! I'm not in a position where I feel good about losing gigs. Nor do I feel good physically.

Enough rambling and on to the point; I'm three sessions in to my four session week and so far, no complaints from clients and I'm still talking! How? Ahhhh, now we're getting somewhere. Yes, this blog isn't just a bragging board and there is an actual point if you can stand sifting through my ego. The picture attached to this blog is the first clue, but here are the specifics of my regiment when I feel a sore throat coming on and I must work:

• I gargle salt water AT LEAST three times a day! It really works voice over friends! It makes me feel better and I do it right before a session and it clears out any nasty mucus and warms the pipes up to sound like the high pitched squeaky guy that I get hired to voice all the time.

• I drink lots of hot tea, the non-caffeinated kind, and I "spike it" with honey or agave and I NEVER put lemon or citrus of any kind in it. Citrus is acidic and acid dries out the throat and actually counteracts what the honey does to coat and soothe your throat.

• I overdose on vitamin C. Well, actually, I don't overdose and you CAN overdose on vitamin C so those who pound the chewable kind should go to this link and read about how dangerous that can be. BUT, I do drink at least one packet of EmergenC a day, whether I'm sick or not.

• I stop drinking alcohol and coffee immediately -- because I drink both at random times throughout the day -- no I don't have a problem -- well, I have problems, but not that kind -- thank God again!

Why? Well, alcohol is proven to lower your immunity and I need all the immunity I've got when I'm starting to get sick. Coffee is packed with my drug of choice, caffeine, and this is what smart people say about caffeine: A 2006 study published in "Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior" found that men and women given large amounts of caffeine--three 250mg doses--experienced the release of higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in response to physical and mental stress. Elevated cortisol levels are known to decrease the ability of your immune system to fight infections.

I hope this entry has been helpful to you. I hope you have many successful voice over sessions. I hope you are able to work through those sore throats. AND I hope that you comment, friend me on facebook, follow me on twitter, or do something to communicate to me that someone actually read this blog! Thanks for taking the time and all the best to you!

Joshua