by Sabrina Boyd (@SabrinaKayaB)
Meghan Trainor had to cancel the remainder of her tour this week due to ongoing vocal injuries.
She had already postponed several dates while on vocal rest, and now she needs surgery.
And she’s certainly not the first singer we’ve seen hurt their vocal chords recently. Sam Smith had to take a break from touring this past winter, and Adele’s vocal polyp was big news back in 2011. EW, NPR, and many other media outlets have picked up on this growing trend.
So why does this happen, and is it happening more now than in the past?
Actually, vocal injury has always been a risk singers take. Julie Andrews famously lost her powerful range to surgery, and other legendary singers like Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Elton John suffered from vocal nodules.
(Smoking and drug use definitely contributed to Whitney Houston’s vocal problems. But what about singers who can’t blame it on drugs? Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images.)
People often jump to the conclusion that pop singers today aren’t as well-trained as they used to be and that they’re somehow using their voices wrong. But vocal injuries are a common issue for professionally trained singers.
Shea Rose is a local singer who graduated from Berklee College of Music and lost her voice while she was studying there. She was in her third year when she developed a polyp, which she describes as “basically a small cyst filled with blood.”
Rose explains how she thinks the injury started: “I think it was a combination of recording…stress, talking and also using my voice for academic courses (ear training, harmony etc.). It all added up to be a tremendous amount of wear and tear on my body ultimately affecting my voice.”
“We have to learn to say ‘no’ to some opportunities to say ‘yes’ to a long life of healthy singing and performance.”
Rose gave a TEDxTalk last winter about losing her voice and how the period of reflection helped her to find her inner voice again.
Some cases, however, don’t have such a positive outcome. Suzie Kerr Wright was in a number of bands in the Boston area in the 80s, but after undergoing therapy for constricted muscles in her neck and throat, she was never able to go back to singing full-time. It took her 10 years to even try to sing again as a hobby. She now works in Nashville as a professional Astrologer and Psychic Medium.
“I feel that singers these days are being pushed so hard to expand and expand their range and power that it’s nearly inhuman,” Wright says.
“Singers are treated like machines now instead of the artists they are. Machines eventually break from abuse/overuse.”
Overworking does seem to be the biggest cause of vocal injuries. Dr. Steven M. Zeitels, the surgeon who treated both Sam Smith and Adele at Mass General Hospital, told EW, “Most of the performers that I care for, they know how to sing. More often than not, the injuries occur because of their unbelievable work ethic.”
😭😭😭 I'm in New York now seeing another doctor. So frustrated but cant make any noise. At least I got my brother @ryan.trainor to make me smile. And my fans supporting me💕thank you for your kind words #loveyoumegatronz "We are going to see another doctor in New York" "I want to cry but I can't cuz it will hurt more" "I hate everything right now" "Ryan you have a booger in your nose" "I'm sorry Megatronz I will make it up to you I promise"
A video posted by Meghan Trainor (@meghan_trainor) on Jul 2, 2015 at 6:04pm PDT
Dr. Zeitels also notes that performing while under the weather is just about the worst thing a singer can do for their voice. Adele’s polyp developed after a bout of laryngitis, Meghan Trainor only needed surgery after going back out on the road, and our own Kennedy developed a granuloma after she had been sick and coughing a lot.
The good news is, doctors are catching these injuries more often, and it’s easier to treat them with modern technology. Dr. Zeitels told the New York Times,
“Is there some epidemic? No. The only thing different happening is the singers know better how to take care of themselves, the doctors know better how to take care of them, and what has been happening always is just getting noticed.”
Perhaps we’re noticing more because these injuries are interrupting bigger and bigger tours. Playing live has become a singer’s (and their record label’s) main source of income, since people aren’t buying music anymore. We love these singers, and we all want to hear their beautiful voices in our hometowns. But if we don’t give them a break, we might not be able to hear those beautiful voices at all.
So just want to keep everyone in the loop; I have been in Boston the last few days to have a check up on my throat, before I embark on my American tour. MY THROAT IS LOOKING BLOODY FANTASTIC. So it's amazing news. So happy. It's going to be a really tough month of shows but I can't wait to see you all, and pray it's going to be a smooth ride. LET'S GO 🙌🏽
A photo posted by Sam Smith (@samsmithworld) on Jul 15, 2015 at 5:16pm PDT
The whole world is overworked these days, but when most of us take a sick day, we don’t have to disappoint a sold-out crowd. Lots of people underestimate the physical toll singing, and even speaking takes. So when your favorite singer cancels a few shows, they probably desperately need that break. Take your time, Meghan Trainor. Take care of yourself so you can sing again in the future.
You only get one body for your whole life, folks. Appreciate it, listen to it, and don’t ever take it for granted.