As a distinguished singing legend, this voice thing could prove to be an issue

This past weekend I went to Valencia with Sarah and Carly. I have been sick for over a week now, but if you want to call that sick, you probably could say I have been a constant sick since I got to Spain.

But starting last weekend, my throat really hurt, so I went to the doctor and he prescribed me some antihistamines and ibuprofen. I was only to take them for 5 days or so.

Randomly on Friday, my throat hurt and I decided to rest it by whispering to my friends for the rest of the night, or using sign language. That provided at least some entertainment.

On Saturday morning, Sarah nudged me to wake up in the hostel, whispering good morning. After Carly came back from washing her face and we were whispering in our room, Sarah pointed out that there was no need to whisper; we were all awake. Yet, I realized that had I tried to speak normally, it came out as cracks and gurgles beyond recognition.

I whisper-gurgled through the afternoon and evening, when I just flat-out attempted to talk. I forced myself to formulate words and sentences with the crackling soundbox I called a voice. Saturday my throat didn't hurt at all, only my confidence in speaking did.

After chatting with a couple cool Manchester blokes that night, my voice warmed up a bit and heavily improved from the morning. No longer was my laugh a hissing gasping noise, but there were actual inflections at the "HAs."

Sunday my voice was back but raspy. When I got home that evening, my host parents noticed immediately and said that I just sounded more Spanish. It's true, the young chicas over here all have raspy smoke voices.

This morning it really was no different. The pitch in my voice is very different, more in the lower range. Usually it is in a low range to begin with, but it's even lower, since I am unable to make my "omg that child is adorable" squealing noise when I see a stroller, since it comes out as a screeching hiss that could deter any and every parent from allowing me near their kin.

Tomorrow or wednesday I will record my radio program, and I am sure it will sound JUST LOVELY. If it hasn't changed, I will have a radio recording of my "spanish voice" for me to cherish the rest of my life.

As a way to un-swell my vocal chords, I have been trying to hum songs, usually to no avail. Right now no one is home and I just try to cough or scream, and a raspy HHHHHHH noise comes out.

Since I know my singing voice is probably in the terrible to horrible range when I have all of my pitch, imagine how it must be now. Even slow, jazzy songs like "Old Fashioned Morphine" that require little to no singing effort on my part (when I sing to myself around the house) have become like Christina Aguilera songs now.



I can't even hit the note of the "sister don't get worried" lyric without it coming out as a screeching HHHH. So sad.



I hope this doesn't last forever.