Keeping Your Voice Healthy on the Road

On top of being a sometimes stressful experience, flying can wreak havoc on our voices. Unfortunately, any singer knows how susceptible our vocal cords can be. Choir performance groups can consider the following tips for keeping their singing voices in tip-top shape for competition day.

Stay hydrated.
Water, water and more water. Drinking enough water isn’t just ideal for vocal health—it’s essential for staying healthy overall. Protecting your vocal cords from irritation and stress is always the goal. Hint: Drinking water that’s at room temperature is actually best!

Shhh!
Encourage students to keep their talking to a minimum and be mindful of volume. Both factors could greatly contribute to side effects such as dryness, hoarseness and, in turn, narrow a normally broad vocal range.

Encourage students to get enough sleep the night before.
Voice quality is at its best when we’re well-rested. Students lacking energy and feeling fatigued because of lack of sleep? Don’t be surprised if their voices are, too.

Avoid certain foods and drinks.
Say goodbye to sugary drinks and foods like dairy and chocolate—at least for the time being. These types of indulgences can create excess mucous that nobody wants.

Turn your hotel bathroom into a steam room.
Hotels can be notoriously dry. If students haven’t brought a portable humidifier with them, running a hot shower and closing the bathroom door can create a mini steam room in a pinch, restoring some much-needed hydration to dry vocal cords.

Be prepared.
Encourage students to have their favorite lozenge of choice on hand as well as hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes—which will help keep everyone happy and healthy.

Happy singing!

Written by Sarah Suydam, Staff Writer for Teach & Travel.