Prepare Your Voice for Summer Festivals and Gigs
Your voice needs a summer survival plan just as much as your wardrobe does. Between travel, hot outdoor festival gigs with variable sound teams, unfamiliar food, and erratic sleep schedules, summer is one of the most demanding seasons for vocal health.
Here’s how to prepare your voice so it doesn’t just survive—but thrives—through the busy season.
1. Fly Smart: Protect Your Voice in Transit
Airplanes are dehydrating. The cabin humidity is often below 20%, which dries out your entire body—especially your vocal folds, which depend on surface-level hydration to function efficiently.
Before you fly:
Pre-hydrate the day before: our favorite saying is "pee pale" - meaning you should drink enough that your urine is pale yellow.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine: Both are diuretics that can dehydrate you even more.
During the flight:
Keep talking to a minimum: the loud ambient noise in the plane means your talking even louder than normal, adding strain to your voice.
Use a mask if you’re feeling congested or run-down; illness while traveling is common and can derail your vocal health for weeks.
2. Beat the Heat Without Burning Out
High temps, smoky bar patios, and dry air from air conditioning lead to inflammation and vocal fatigue.
Tips for hot climates and summer venues:
Hydrate strategically: Small, frequent sips are better than chugging water once you're already parched.
Warm up: Never go into a full performance straight from the car or heat; start your vocal warmup before heading to the venue.
Protect your instrument: Scarves and light masks help protect against rapid temp changes (hot outdoor > cold greenroom).
3. Schedule Like a Vocal Athlete
Just because you can do back-to-back shows doesn’t mean you should. Vocal fatigue is cumulative—and it’s much harder to bounce back mid-tour than to pace yourself from the start.
When booking gigs:
Build in rest days or low-demand vocal days.
Treat soundcheck seriously—it’s a chance to gauge your voice and reach out for medical help if you need it.
Limit loud environments (parties, meet-and-greets) before performances.
4. Pack Like a Pro
Your vocal health gear should travel with the same priority as your microphone or wardrobe.
What to bring:
Portable humidifier (especially for hotels with dry air)
Reusable water bottle
Nasal saline spray
Electrolytes or vocal hydration drinks
5. Listen to Your Voice—Literally
The most important preparation is knowing your baseline. If your voice feels “off,” don’t wait for it to get worse.
Know the early warning signs:
Increased effort to speak or sing
Loss of upper range
Dryness that water doesn’t fix
Throat clearing or hoarseness
If symptoms persist—even if you’re mid-tour—it’s worth contacting your laryngologist or voice therapist. Early intervention is always more effective.
With the right prep, your voice can stay strong through festivals, residencies, teaching intensives, and late-night shows. Make hydration, recovery, and pacing part of your routine—not just your reaction—and your voice will thank you long after the summer ends.
At the Center for Vocal Health, we approach voice care holistically—because vocal strain isn’t always just overuse. Sometimes, it’s emotional overload, stress, or burnout. Whatever the cause, your voice—and the person behind it—deserves thoughtful, expert care.
