VO Remedies.

Most voice talent I know have remedies for things that normal people probably don’t even think of. Clicks and pops (the dreaded mouth noise). Raspy throat. Nasal sound (like during & after a cold). Stomach grumbles during a long narration. Noisy clothes (if you’re a normal person you probably just said “. . .noisy clothes?”) Yes, VOs need soft clothes that don’t make noise . . . microphones are really sensitive. Likewise squeaky shoes.

But back to remedies. I’ve heard of lots of things for mouth noise. Stay hydrated all the time, because it takes at least 2 hours before your tissues absorb the water, or something like that. Listerine (sounds drastic). Tums. Salivert, an artificial saliva. Sounds gross, but it works. Honey for a raspy throat. A friend of mine swears by Bengal Spice tea with honey and apple cider vinegar for throat phlem. There was a whole discussion on VO BB once about what folks use when they sound nasal. Now I have Breathe Right strips in my medicine cabinet. And protein water works great in a long session around lunchtime. Luckily I mostly work at home, so I can keep all this stuff around. But I carry a big bag of tricks when I have to do a session in Portland!

Another whole category of remedy would be around how to avoid getting sick, and how to get rid of colds ASAP. But that’s another topic, or several.