Practice 4/28/16

So, starting last night, I got a strange burning/tickling in my soft palate (very isolated sensation), and it feels like the sensation you get when you're pre-sinus infection. The burning/swelling of my soft palate is pretty uncomfortable--it feels like a burning sensation, in which my soft palate is a little bag and it's full of mucus or something because it's all swollen. Even so, my sinuses are dry, and if anything, whenever I breathe in, I can feel the air in an abrasive way on my palate--on the "underside" of my nasopharynx. If that makes sense. It kept me up all last night. When I swallow, I can feel it. I've had this sensation before, so it's not unfamiliar.

That being said, it has little to no affect on my actual voice or singing. The swelling is isolated, but it's also away from my larynx. There's some swelling in my voice, but it's not outrageous--it's maybe just a little more than usual, but it's not full on sick yet. My roommates have had colds this last week, so that may have something to do with it. But besides my soft palate swelling, I feel fine.

I sang in Russian this morning with no warm up, and I feel fine. Like I've said in previous logs, when I'm "sick" or not feeling as well, I tend to have better technique because I'm more aware of unwanted sensation.

Even so, I'm going to take things easy today. I don't want to push anything. I've been gargling salt water and stuff to see if that'll help.

• on back vowels [a o u] be really conscious of what you're singing, and that you're not pushing down in the back of the tongue--you can use tactile feedback by placing fingers under jaw and feeling any tug there. 
• Follow Lesson 4/22/16 
• "Like this"!!! Especially with onsets from above. 

Warm up ~30 minutes.