9 Ways to Protect Your Voice When You Travel
It’s a traveling vocalist’s worst nightmare…
You’ve traveled to another town for a performance. You wake up the morning of your show. Your throat is sore…and your voice is gone.
You start doing damage control in your head; can I push through the pain? Can I change my set list? Is there time to reschedule the show? Or should I…cancel!?
If this scenario has ever haunted your dreams (or visited you in reality), I’ve got a few tips and tricks to keep your voice healthy and happy while traveling to (hopefully) avoid this unpleasant situation altogether.
Stay hydrated. 💦
Travel has a nasty habit of sucking every last bit of moisture from your body, including the parts needed for singing (your throat and sinuses). From dry air on airplanes, buses and trains, to wild fluctuations in temperature and humidity, it’s very easy to become dehydrated or “dried out” while touring. To combat this, drink lots of water when you travel. “But if I drink lots of water, I’ll be getting up every hour to use the bathroom on the plane!” Sorry, not sorry — it’s important! So snag yourself an aisle seat and pound that H2O. You can also travel with a personal humidifier or steam inhaler to help keep your voice and sinuses moisturized.Wear a Mask! 😷 Wearing a mask is a great idea when flying for a few reasons. 1) It will reduce your chances of getting sick from other people’s bacteria or viruses, and 2) a mask retains more humidity around your mouth and nose, keeping your voice from “drying out”.
Use Germ Protection! 🤲🏼 An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While traveling, wash your hands often and properly (20 seconds with soap under warm water), use hand sanitizer when washing isn’t an option, wipe down your armrests and tray table, and avoid touching commonly contaminated surfaces (like door handles).
Get Your Flu Shot. 💉 Unless you have a legitimate medical reason to avoid the flu vaccine, it’s one of the easiest ways to stay healthy when traveling. Plus it’s cheap (free with insurance), widely available, and practically painless. There’s even a nasal spray option for all of the needle-averse among us, so you have no excuse not to! Also, there’s no medical advantage to waiting until “peak season” to get your shot, so get it as soon as it’s available each year for maximum protection.
Go To Bed Already! 💤 One of the biggest ways you can give your immune system a helping hand is by getting good sleep (both quantity & quality). Between red eye flights, crazy scheduling, and uncomfortable hotel beds, this is often easier said then done while traveling. Try to make quality sleep a priority whenever possible — this is an investment that will pay off in the long run. Don’t stay out too late when you’re traveling. Spring for hotel room with the nicer bed, when possible. Travel with whatever sleep aids work for you (medication, Melatonin, essential oils, etc.) Keep your hotel room as dark as possible (use an eye mask if you need to), and set the thermostat on the chillier side — studies show people sleep better in a slightly cooler environment. Aim to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night to keep your immune system in tip-top shape! Also, if you’re traveling internationally, try your best to mitigate jet lag. When I’m traveling, I usually try to sleep on the plane as much as possible to begin to get my circadian rhythms more in sync with my destination. An eye mask, noise-cancelling earbuds/headphones, and a quality travel pillow are all a MUST for me.
Pop Some Pills. 💊 There is evidence that certain supplements can help boost your immunity, particularly probiotics, vitamin D, and zinc. The key is to take these regularly, not just when you feel a cold coming on. Research in this field is mixed, so talk to your doctor before you begin any supplementation regimen.
Dress for the Weather. 🧣
Don’t get caught off guard — just because you’re traveling during the summer doesn’t mean there couldn’t be a cold snap one evening. Throw a light coat and a scarf in your bag, and when in doubt…layer!Proper Technique and Monitoring Onstage. 🎧 One of the biggest causes of vocal loss isn’t the common cold, but vocal fatigue. Improper vocal technique can compound and catch up with you quickly, so invest in quality vocal training that can show you how to sing without tension. Don’t forget to warm up (and cool down) your voice before and after shows, and make sure you can hear yourself well while on stage — this will prevent you from “over singing” and straining your voice. If you perform often, consider investing in in-ear monitors. They will not only help protect your voice, but your hearing as well (gotta love a twofer!)
Rest that Voice. 🤫
Schedule time for vocal rest between shows. This could mean not singing outside of rehearsals and performances, or it could mean not using your voice at all for a day (not even whispering) if you’re really struggling. You can decide how seriously to take your vocal rest based on your level of fatigue.
I know this list makes me look like a no-fun-having old geezer (a not entirely inaccurate assessment), but for many of us this is the price we pay to keep our voices in tip-top shape on the road. At the end of the day, travel (particularly air travel) is basically a perfect storm for losing your voice — dry air on planes, sick passengers, lack of sleep, and dehydration all take a toll on your vocal health. So the more you do to combat and/or mitigate those negatives, the better off your voice will be!