Hoarseness is not the same as horse-ness, or even a horse mess, but it can be a mess if you have to sing or talk, but you're hoarse.. What does hoarseness mean? It's a symptom of having swollen vocal cords. A doctor might call it edematous vocal folds, or hoarseness, of course-ness. It's a good idea to not yell, scream, sing loudly or beyond your trained range because you can smash your vocal folds together too hard (hyper-adduction) and cause irritation from friction. If you're dehydrated, it can happen faster or be worse. If swelling is very bad, you lose the ability to make any sound because mushy vocal folds won't make much sound. Wait a minute. What is "trained range"? Properly professionally trained singers usually have a lot more range and flexibility than non-trained or badly trained singers. These same things apply to speaking, so if you use your voice, it's a good idea to take care of it! More on care of the voice here, free PDF, physician reviewed (click).

Use the one voice to express, rather than to impress. Authenticity and honesty are alive and well in minds of artists. When we express, we are likely to be ourselves. Seeking to impress may leave an impression of inauthenticity. Seek truth. Speak truth. Reality beats banality. Okay, make something fun.

Practice does not make perfect. Perfection may be a delusion or a confusion or simply a concept that cannot really be defined. Why do we practice, then? To get good. To get better. What is good and what is better or even best? It's subjective to a large degree. Some things are quantifiable, nevertheless. Rhythm, pitch, timing, dynamics, tone, and timbre can be mathematically analyzed or programmed. Midi and digital audio recording, with all the plugins have proven this to be alterable using mathematics and computers. If we practice from the viewpoint of having an idea of what we wish to hear in ourselves and compare and contrast our ideals with our performance, we may approach the state of practicing with a purpose. What is the purpose? It comes down to the endeavor of an exact duplication of matching the physical performance with the mental concept. In your mind, you can sing flawlessly. Getting your body to duplicate that is not always easy. It can be frustrating. Maybe we practice in pursuit of the pleasure of perfect art versus imperfect art. Will it ever happen? The compromise is made by understanding what professional artistry sounds like. Also, there are levels of artistry in singing. Each can be a bar to reach and to then be consistent and stable, as one advances. Not recognizing improvement or "taking a win" at the new echelon one has reached is a mistake of a perfectionist. It's not good or bad any more than thermometers which only measure freezing or boiling of water with nothing in between. The near infinite gray area must never be ignored as the gradients within it are vital to seeing your progress. Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice doesn't make permanent. Practice makes observation and duplication of concept potentially possible.