Side effects of corona, we know a lot: sneezing, coughing, fatigue, sore throat. Singing out of tune was not yet in that list. Until yesterday when singer Tino Martin gave corona as an explanation for his false notes during the liberation concert.
The folk singer has since apologized for his performance. But will you indeed sing worse – and maybe even more out of tune after a corona infection?
Singing out of tune
“Sure, you see that a lot,” says vocal coach at Vocal Center Marcel Swerissen. “It really takes a while to pick up your technique again and let your muscles do what they should do. And if you have complaints, with corona they are very often airway-related, you will notice that you can apply less force and that your stamina is therefore less. “
Does a reduced condition potentially cause you to sing out of tune? That differs per person, says Swerissen. “If you sing around the height of your talking voice and you make a small mistake, you often don’t hear that with pros. But if you watch singers who sing higher, you also have to give more energy to reach those heights. And you will have to contract more muscles. If you cannot, then it is quite difficult. ” Since Tino Martin sang quite high last night, that may be an explanation.
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Ringing in the ears due to corona
The folk singer also said that the coronavirus caused him to suffer from tinnitus, better known as ringing in the ears. That is a complaint that occurs more often, says Bart Vinck, founder of the first tinnitus clinic in Flanders UN-HEARD. “In the past few months I have seen at least 32 patients who have developed tinnitus as a result of corona tinnitus or who have a marked increase in their tinnitus complaint.”
There are two explanations for this, says Vinck. One of them is due to the treatment of corona met chloroquine. That is a controversial malaria drug, which former president Trump also used. Chloroquine was used in the first wave in hospitals to treat patients. It was also used in the Netherlands.
Malaria drug
“It is a classic drug for the treatment of malaria, but at the same time that drug is also damaging to the hearing. As a result, you see quite a few patients who have hearing loss after this drug, and therefore sometimes the development of tinnitus,” says Vinck.
In addition, there is another group that already had hearing damage and / or tinnitus before the infection, but whose complaints have worsened. Tinnitus is psychosomatic and physical and mental complaints that you get from corona can make ringing in the ears worse.
‘We are not perfect’
Because of corona you can not only suffer from loss of smell and taste, your ears and singing voice sometimes have to believe it. Still, according to singing coach Swerissen, it is important that you keep singing, especially as an artist. “They have to maintain their singing condition. If you stand still for a year and think that you are getting back to your old level, then it is of course asking for trouble.”
Still, Swerissen thinks that artists can sometimes make mistakes. “When I see this happening I think, ‘Cheer up!’ Show the world that we are not perfect, because we certainly are not. “
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