As cold and flu season approaches, performers, singers, teachers, and vocal professionals face a double threat: not only do respiratory illnesses affect your body—they directly impact your voice.

For teachers, the start of a new school year often brings more than just lesson plans and name tags—it brings vocal fatigue. Hours of daily speaking, often in loud or dry environments, can strain your voice quickly.

As students head back to school, those involved in music, theater, debate, or any performance-based curriculum are preparing for a busy season of rehearsals, auditions, and classes. While many students check in with their primary care physician or get routine physicals before the school year begins, few take time to check in on their most valuable instrument—their voice.

Whether you’re performing under stage lights or live streaming from your home studio, each setting comes with unique demands. Understanding each environment affect your voice can help you adjust your routine, protect your instrument, and deliver your best performance.

Your vocal folds don’t take a season off. Whether you're navigating the dryness of winter and forced heat, the heat of summer (and drying air conditioning), or the pollen-filled air of spring, your voice feels the effects of the environment.

For singers, speakers, educators, and actors, vocal stamina is about how efficiently your body supports your sound. Endurance training is not simply just warmups, hydration, or more technical work. Your vocal endurance starts in your body, long before a note is sung or a sentence is spoken.