The Power of Community: My Recent Journey with Health and Choir

June, 2024

Imagine losing the very tool that defines your passion and career overnight. This past few weeks have been a testing time for some of our choir members and myself, revealing the immense power of our choir community and its role in ensuring support during tough times.

My health has been a significant concern recently. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been making frequent trips to my GP, undergoing various tests and specialist consultations. Viral infections have taken a toll on my body, most notably impacting my most valuable asset—my voice.

Everything came to a head in the last four weeks when I contracted laryngitis, followed by whooping cough. These illnesses have had a massive impact on my voice. A recent ENT scope revealed scarring on my vocal folds, necessitating voice therapy. There is a risk that my voice may never be the same again. Currently, I’ve lost all my top register (head voice), with the vocal folds not connecting efficiently.

As you can imagine, this is an especially worrying situation for a singer. But it’s more than that—I’m a vocal coach and music teacher. I need my voice to succeed. Therefore, this news is devastating; I love my job, and the thought of not being able to do it is the most terrifying experience I can think of.

After the examination, I left feeling completely deflated. I essentially thought my career was over. That evening, I went to choir rehearsal—not to teach or direct, but just to be there and feel some normality in an otherwise tumultuous day. Fortunately, I work alongside a co-director, so he could take over the rehearsal.

Despite my ongoing fear and worry about my voice, the love and support shown to me when our members discovered the news filled me with hope. Their empathy and concern were overwhelming and reminded me how powerful a supportive community can be in aiding any kind of recovery.

To be honest, I initially thought no one would understand or appreciate the severity of my situation. For most people, losing the ability to sing might not seem like a big deal—they might think, "You can still talk." I feared no one would empathise with my health concerns. How wrong I was.

I’ll write a longer blog post about my vocal injury at a later date, once I’ve hopefully recovered. From there, I hope to use my newfound recovery and knowledge to better inform my singers when they’re struggling with their own vocal health.

In the meantime, I remain grateful to my choir community for showing me so much love and support. It’s a reminder of how vital it is to have people around who care, especially during the most challenging times.

Have you ever faced a moment where your passion was at risk? How did your community support you?