08/27/2026
Closer to the Heart by Rush -- The respitory systems of the Pacific Northwest are fighting for our lives within this smoke. I keep telling myself to stop singing in this unsealed barn because of the smoke. But then there's the argument for singing in the warm outdoor humidity this farm has in this low part of the property versus within an air conditioned cold room. The conditions of where you sing matter. Here I am writing this two days after this video and still haven't gotten my voice back to the standard I like it. Alas there's a learning moment here. Listening to my voice, the timbre, or the quality compiled of the traits that describe the sound of an instrument, my voice, is inflamed thanks to the impurities I'm inhaling that are scraping against my vocal tract and causing everything to swell up and give the sound of my voice less room to resonate within. I don't have as much flexibility or accuracy either because of the inflammation. Not a terrible sound, many vocalists take on this sound from the impurities they consume on purpose and many listeners prefer the familiarity. I just know what a healthy sound sounds like, thats less flesh-y and mucus-y, and how I am capable of and prefer sounding. I wanted to give an example to acknowledge what we're going through thanks to our environment and maybe use the song's subject matter to tap on the shoulder of the men who hold high places. The birds will stop singing eventually if we continue under these conditions.
A great remedy is warm water, preferably with something mixed in, non caffeinated tea or high mineral salt, or most beneficially something spicy. I love ginger for this purpose. Soups too. The warmth in the water and spices raise our blood pressure and heartrate accelerating the process of getting the impurities out of our system, renewing our voice and reducing inflammation throughout. A glob of raw honey from your own personal bottle that you squeeze directly in your mouth really seals the deal providing relief.
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