how is the pigmentation of this? is it comparable to MAC eyeshadows?
the soft palet is the tongue, phlem can be due to allergies, an on coming cold, dry mouth--if you sleep with a fan, alot of things; try hot lemon tea. NO DAIRY-dairy makes it worse. if you want more air in your voice to make it more powerul, pretend there is a grapefruit in your throat--and your thraot should feel that big, and breath in, you will FEEL the difference, because there is SOOO much air; that should help if not email me. I know alot about singing.
When you're practicing your singing alone, do it in front of a mirror so you can physically see if you are raising your soft pallet. (My voice teacher had a mirror in the lessons room, and it was really helpful for checking on that and for making sure I didn't make weird faces when I sang.) If you can't see it lifting up, work at making it raise up while you're looking at it, and make a note of how it feels to you when it does happen. (It should feel very similiar to yawning.) Try to incorporate that feeling whenever you're singing, whether in private or not. I know it's hard when you're nervous, but you have to just let go. The sound will not be good when it's strained from a closed throat. If you're singing in a group, I'm sure everyone else is fighting the same nerves, so don't worry about it. Relax and enjoy it. As for the phlegm issues, as another answerer said, it could be allergies, a cold coming on, sleeping by a fan, etc. If you think it's allergies, try taking an over-the-counter allergy medicine like Claritin or Zyrtec in the morning, or see if your doctor can diagnose what's causing the allergies. If you can pinpoint the allergy, you may be able to eliminate the cause of it. If you can't eliminate the cause of it (say it's from a pet that you don't want to give up), the doctor may be able to give you a prescription like Allegra to take daily to help you with it. If you think it might be a cold coming on, take something with zinc like Cold-Eeze, Airborne, or Zicam to try to prevent it from becoming a full-blown cold. My voice teacher always swore by Cold-Eeze when I was taking lessons. Also avoid dairy, as another answerer said. It tends to gunk up your throat. I would recommend decaffeinated or herbal tea with honey and lemon. (Caffeine tends to dry out your throat.) My high school choral teacher always recommended warm water, so that might help as well. I hope that helps! Good luck, and keep on singing! :-)
