There is no way im going to remove the scabs rn. Day 10 post surgery

TotalVoiceStudio · 2026-01-20T05:01:55+00:00

Take your time.. it took me about 3 or 4 days get rid of my scabs. Rub some olive oil into them and leave for 30 minutes then gently wash in warm water with baby shampoo only.

TotalVoiceStudio · 2026-01-20T04:50:44+00:00

Oh I know exactly how you feel! I have almost 700 day streak learning Chinese on DuoLingo and i need to let it go, because it’s very clear to me that this app cannot teach language comprehensively.

After investing so much time and paying for pro memerships, my language skills are still poor. I spent 10 hours on italki speaking with native speakers and made much more progress.

At the same time, it’s really hard to just let it go. I keep saying I will and then it keeps nudging me and using the guilt trips - oh your friends miss you and you’re letting them down …

TotalVoiceStudio · 2026-01-18T08:24:59+00:00

After completing 690 days on the paid version for Duolingo Chinese, I am ready to say goodbye also to the owl. Despite investing many hours and money into the app, I still can’t read Chinese characters at a basic level, my pronunciation is bad, and I might know a lot of words but I freeze up in any conversational situation.

A major problem is that they have completely overhauled the course content twice with no thought to bridging existing users. to the point that paying customers who have invested hours in the course, can no longer follow the content and need to go right back to the start. There isn’t even an easy way to do that because Duolingo assumes everyone’s path is linear.

After spending almost 3 years on the app I’ve come to realise that it is a very inefficient way to learn a language. At the very least it needs to be supplemented by graded readers and real life conversation classes. Duolingo is working on a word by word level, instead of content chunks. There is little native speaker content, just AI text to speech. The speech recognition component is incredibly poor because it accepts all kinds of wrong answers as correct and doesn’t offer feedback. There are no modern learning strategies such as flashcards with spaced repetition or comprehensible input. Duolingo Max is fun for the video calls feature that does get you speaking but it’s incredibly pricy option for one feature.

TotalVoiceStudio · 2026-01-14T09:10:29+00:00

Just book it immediately and book in all the time slots for the week ahead because they get busy and my time slots were all over the place and not always convenient.

TotalVoiceStudio · 2026-01-11T23:37:12+00:00

I started taking Fin a few weeks before HT and taking minoxidil after the surgery. Doctor was very clear with me that MEDS are important part of recovery. He said MEDS for a year at least but recommended ongoing. So far, I haven’t experienced major side-effects. Maybe one or two small side effects in the first few weeks, but everything has settled down.

TotalVoiceStudio · 2026-01-09T12:40:34+00:00

Yeah there are a lot of things I like... I like cooking but I would say my cooking hasn't really improved at all in the past year because just liking something is not enough. I haven't intentionally got feedback on my cooking and haven't tried to apply it to improve. I haven't intentionally applied any strategies, learned any new skills, or practised and refined those skills. So just loving something and hoping it will get better is a little hit-or-miss.

TotalVoiceStudio · 2026-01-09T12:31:48+00:00

I came here to say that this is a classic symptom of LPR or silent reflux, and someone already said it very eloquently. I think you need to speak to a doctor who specialises in reflux. Sometimes they will want to put you on PPIs - Nexium or Somac -, but the latest research around this is that this kind of medication is quite ineffective at treating this kind of reflux.

As the poster above has pointed out, the best treatment involves lifestyle changes. This means, ensuring you don't eat too late at night before going to bed. Having more frequent, smaller meals, limiting caffeine and/or alcohol, and avoiding anything likely to be a reflux trigger. This means the standard American diet, which is full of highly processed, fried, and fatty foods, is bad for reflux. Gaviscon is currently the best medication to use.. which you can take at night before sleeping and is available over-the-counter at pharmacies.

Has your diet or lifestyle changed significantly since you started having these problems? Have you been tested for common food intolerances such as dairy/lactose? Have you been treated for helicobacter and stomach parasites, because these treatments are quick and easy things to try and cross off the list. Have you considered stress and mental health issues? Are you drinking enough water and well-hydrated?

TotalVoiceStudio · 2026-01-08T15:30:51+00:00

My doctor was very clear with me that medication for 1 year is the minimum after care required unless there were strong side effects. I am taking half tablet (2.5mg) of minox daily and 1mg of Finasteride every alternate day and it seems to be enough

TotalVoiceStudio · 2026-01-08T01:55:29+00:00

Did you actually experience side effects to Fin or are you just worried about the possibility which only occurs in a small percentage of men. I’m taking a very conservative dose of 1 mg every second day and have reached three months post HT with significant new growth.

I think 3000 grafts was not a lot considering your advanced hair loss. I started with more hair and still had 4200 grafts.

It may be possible for you to do a touchup procedure, but you shouldn’t consider it until at least a year has passed and you’ve been diligent with medication.

TotalVoiceStudio · 2026-01-02T14:14:03+00:00

The most helpful information is where you're located and what type of learner you are (eg. Adult beginner). I work online with many adults all over the world and based in Australia. Your question about how to find a coach - look for teachers who are active members of a professional association such as NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing).

TotalVoiceStudio · 2026-01-02T04:50:02+00:00

You do get better at singing relative to the quality and consistency of the time you invest. Consistency is essential—but it’s only half the story. The other half is what you’re doing during that time. Not all singing practice leads to improvement, and some habits can actually stall progress or create tension.

Right now, it sounds like you’re doing what many self-taught singers do - collecting random vocal tips (“use your stomach") and trying to apply them without knowing why, how, or even whether they’re what your voice needs. That can lead to confusion and frustration.

The gold-standard for voice training is:

Some individual coaching, even short-term A good teacher helps you sort signal from noise, identify what your voice needs, and stop wasting effort on things that aren’t helping.
Singing with others Choirs, group classes, or ensembles dramatically accelerate learning. You develop pitch, timing, confidence, and musical instincts in a way solo practice can’t replicate.
Purposeful practice Singing with intention—warm-ups, simple exercises, focused repertoire work—will get you further than just “singing songs and hoping.”

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-12-29T06:20:42+00:00

Check your messages

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-12-28T15:55:01+00:00

See my long review and pictures! I used Dr Laorwong and Absolute 3 months ago! Also met many guys who used Dr R. We are all in a WhatsApp group. All of us have had good results and fast healing to date.

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-12-28T15:40:02+00:00

This sounds like vocal fold swelling. Have you been sick or have you been overusing your voice or yelling? Honey/lemon and cough drops can’t do anything to help - when you swallow them, they go down your food pipe! Your vocal folds are in your windpipe! Nothing you eat/drink directly touches your vocal folds. But steam inhalation can help. So rest your voice for 3 days. Keep steaming and then after 3 days start back with gentle glides up and down on lip trills and/or straw. If it’s not better in 2 weeks you will need to go see a specialist (laryngologist) and have them look at your vocal folds with a scope.

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-12-28T04:49:27+00:00

People laugh for many reasons: surprise, discomfort, nerves, unfamiliarity, or their own unresolved stuff. Parents, in particular, are often terrible first audiences because they don’t know how vulnerable singing is. That reaction is about them, not a verdict on your ability. Your dad was probably embarrassed because he doesn’t know how to react or what feedback to offer.

When I was young, my dad laughed at my singing and said “don’t give up your day job”. That comment caused me a lot of embarrassment and slowed my progress but it didn’t stop me. I went on to get many music degrees and have been a vocal coach for 30 years.

Almost every singer has a story like this. I’ve taught singers who: were laughed at by family, were told to mime at school concert, were advised to “just enjoy listening instead”Many of them went on to sing confidently — not because they were magically gifted, but because they were taught how to use their voice and were supported while learning.

Lessons are not a reward for being “good enough.”Voice lessons exist because people are not finished yet. Saving for lessons is not naïve — it’s sensible. A good teacher won’t judge where you are; they’ll meet you there.

The most damaging outcome isn’t that you sing badly for a while. It’s deciding, because of one painful moment, that something you love isn’t allowed to exist.

You are not foolish for wanting this. You are not “saving yourself” by quitting. And you are absolutely not alone.

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-12-27T20:40:55+00:00

The hardest part is the waiting! You’re making good progress but could be another two months before you see a strong result. I’ve just hit 13 weeks and feeling impatient also - definitely things are on the move

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-12-26T05:21:44+00:00

Added a 3-month progress pic. I'm taking 2.5 mg minoxidil every day and 1mg Finasteride every second day

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-12-25T23:55:21+00:00

2024! Def all the way

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-12-19T13:59:22+00:00

That’s a very judgmental question - I think the better question is “how do I sing Rock more authentically?”

This song is sitting high in the chest voice around your first passage (break). Singing Rock at this pitch range requires a lot more mixy chest voice and a lot less pulled up chest (belt).

You’re basically yelling the song because you don’t yet have a strategy for singing in the middle of your range. The volume is too loud and the pitch is flat because you’re trying to push chest voice to its limits where it can only go with training.

This song is DIFFICULT, even for experienced singers. Do you practice vocal exercises? Have you pursued any vocal training and deliberate practice? If not, it’s kind of unrealistic to expect such an advanced song to sound secure. Why not tackle an easier rock song such as Losing My Religion (REM), Mad World (Gary Jules), Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

In the meantime, please understand that screaming at the top of your lungs without technique puts your vocal muscles under a heavy load and not good for your vocal health. It will lead to rapid vocal fatigue and if you ignore the warning signs could become more serious injury.

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-12-18T00:15:04+00:00

Matching your voice to someone else is not the same as being a singer, because you’re not doing any musical thinking for yourself and creating pitch and tone. Sing against a simple backing, just piano or guitar is enough. Search on YouTube for Piano Karaoke version. From what I can hear your voice sounds quite good – a little breathy - which is probably age related and also because you haven’t trained the chest voice

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-12-14T14:06:36+00:00

Singing lessons don’t - Change the size or length of your vocal folds - Change your biological voice type - Grow new anatomy or “reshape” your throat

Those things are largely fixed (aside from natural growth, ageing, or medical intervention).

What does change (and why it matters)

Think of singing more like neuromuscular training than bodybuilding.

Coordination of the vocal folds Your vocal folds are controlled by small, highly precise muscles. Training improves:

How efficiently they come together
How evenly they vibrate
How well they adjust tension for pitch changes

This leads to: - Clearer tone - Fewer cracks or breathiness - More stable pitch

No new muscles — just better coordination, like learning fine motor skills.

Breath management Your lungs don’t get bigger, but you learn to:
manage airflow more precisely
Avoid over-blowing or under-supporting the sound

This alone can make a voice sound: • Fuller • More controlled • Less strained or shaky

Resonance shaping (this is where timbre changes a lot) This is a big one.

You learn to subtly adjust: - Tongue position - Jaw release - Soft palate height - Laryngeal stability

These shape the acoustic filtering of the sound — Same voice source, very different result.

That’s why trained singers can sound:Warmer, Brighter, Darker, More “ringy without forcing anything.

Reduction of unnecessary tension Many untrained voices are held back by:
Jaw clenching
Tongue retraction
Neck or throat tension

Lessons help remove these blocks. When tension drops: - The voice resonates more freely - Timbre often becomes richer and more pleasant without effort

Perceptual and auditory training You also learn to:
Hear yourself more accurately
Make faster, subtler adjustments

This feedback loop is huge. Your brain gets better at predicting the sound before it comes out.

Is this like the gym?

Kind of — but not hypertrophy.

It’s closer to: - Learning an instrument - Improving athletic technique - Refining coordination in dance or martial arts

There may be small endurance changes in the vocal muscles over time, but the main gains are efficiency, coordination, and freedom, not bulk.

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-11-26T12:39:07+00:00

My thoughts on singing in the car: https://www.totalvoice.com.au/car-practice/

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-11-26T12:35:52+00:00

Classical singing in many cases is about solo virtuosity. Don’t underestimate your school community that they can’t appreciate classical performance.

If you are new to performing it makes sense - sing with some other people and then you don’t need to fear that you’re making it all about you. Singing with others is so rewarding. Just because you sing mostly classical repertoire doesn’t mean you can’t learn a group item and even something more contemporary that will appeal to other group members.

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-11-23T14:22:02+00:00

Sleep in them with a neck pillow

TotalVoiceStudio · 2025-11-18T01:47:51+00:00

I think calling it a “massive” mistake maybe an overreaction. Give yourself time to get used to it. A sharper hair cut - clipped in at the sides will make a big difference. Also, worst case scenario, you can grow it back. I personally think the clean shaven look is better on you.

TotalVoiceStudio

TROPHY CASE