Help! I'm Losing My Voice!
The Situation:

Any singer knows the drill. It's two days 'til performance time (or one, or none, or 5 minutes 'til curtain) and you have suddenly lost your precious ability to create sound of any kind, short of banging your head on the nearest wall. Yes, laryngitis (or one of it's relatives) has reared it's ugly head, and you've gotta do something fast.

The Cause:

The most common reasons that singers lose their voice are (or the combination of) the attack of a virus, misuse or overuse, and stress. The last two are most likely to occur close to performance time for the obvious reasons that you are probably putting in a lot of extra rehearsals, and/or may be very nervous about the upcoming show.

The Cure:

If its a common cold, there may be not much a doctor can do for you, but gargling can help to kill the germs in the back of your throat and lessen the severity of the virus. Mouthwash is great, but if you don't have it luke-warm salt water will do in a pinch. If you're one for cough drops, stay away from Halls. Many find them to have an effect similar to that of citrus products, adding to mucus build-up, even if it does take the pain away. Experts recommend Ricola and Fisherman's Friends, although Cherry-Mint Ricola seems to have some added benefit because of the mint. Also, make sure you are getting plenty of vitamin C. If you've already got a cold, it will help to lesson the severity, and if you don't already have a cold it will help to prevent one.

If your vocal cords are suffering from overuse, rest is the only thing that will help it to heal. As soon as your voice begins to show symptoms of overuse, stop. Stop singing, stop talking, no noise from between your lips for at least twenty four hours, or until you have to warm up for the show. Then, warm up very slowly and gradually, taking the time to really ease your voice up to performance level.

The toughest (but perhaps most important) thing to do is relax. A positive attitude is essential to your recovery. As soon as you panic, you're done for. Just keep telling yourself, "No. I will get my voice back. I refuse to succumb to the evilness of the voice-snatcher."

Seriously.