Coming home. Empty handed? Not quite.

I've been in L.A. for just over 2 weeks. Unfortunately, I didn't get to do what I came here to do, and that was a very big let down, but I may be leaving with something much bigger.

Shortly after arriving in L.A., pressures from multiple sources combined with past injuries and bad habits led to serious muscle strain in my throat. It was so bad that I had to see an ENT specialist. After prodding from Peisha and another newly discovered friend, I made an appointment to see Dr Nasseri.

Dr Nasseri is not cheap, but when you find the right person, when you find the person with the answers, the cost doesn't matter. Major muscle tension dysphonia was the diagnosis, and the doc promptly informed Peisha over the phone what I needed to correct my problem.

Muscle memory is a stick in the mud, a problem that is very difficult to eradicate, but it is possible and necessary in my case. For the last week or so, and for the coming months, I won't be taking normal voice training. Instead, I'll be concentrating on muscle relaxation exercises, exercises that gradually teach me to relax as I sing and eventually forget the strain that was once part of my singing technique.

In classes with Peisha, we've already seen improvement, and we've seen glimpses of my voice's potential. Every breakthrough is an exciting moment, and there are more to come.

Patience is the key. Muscle memory is a pain in the neck (literally in my case). If progress is rushed, or if I try to sing something tough or beyond the middle of my vocal range, the muscles will remember the strain and reconfirm it. I cannot allow that to happen, not now that I have the chance to eradicate this problem once and for all. It may take weeks. It may take months. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that the problem is solved.

So, Project S continues but now at a slower pace. Only time will tell when Project S can finally be revealed to the world. Until then, we will all have to wait. Believe me when I say there is no one more impatient to see Project S become a reality than me.

But the prospects are good :-)

Stay well people.

(listening to Sara Bareilles' Gravity. Wow. This girl can sing!)