How to nip a cold in the bud, and cut it to 1-3 days!

Voice lessons are an investment, and so often parents send their kids to lessons even though they have a cold or a sore throat. In the USA we have a very strong work culture—a “tough it out,” “walk it off” mentality. This mindset only intensifies on the Wasatch Front and in Utah’s Beehive culture. We are an industrious lot. While those traits serve us well in many areas, they completely backfire when it comes to vocal health, singing with a cold, or attending voice lessons while sick.

My hope is that this post convinces you to take a page from my European upbringing: when it comes to healthy singing habits, rest wins. Trying to “push through” a virus will only guarantee your cold lasts longer and increases your risk of vocal damage.

I’m not a medical professional. So why listen to me, a voice teacher? Because for singers and vocal coaches, a cold is an occupational hazard. A sore throat or viral infection can be the difference between paying the mortgage or not. In most jobs, you can push through and rest later. (I'm not necessarily recommending this.) If I get sick, I can infect every single one of my students before I even know I have it. And singing when sick can lead to real vocal fold injury, strain, or swelling that can take weeks to undo.

There is perhaps no demographic more motivated than singers, voice teachers, and vocal coaches to understand what actually helps a cold resolve faster. Our livelihood depends on it.

So yes, legally, I have to say: consult your doctor for high fever, white spots in the throat, or anything severe. But the reality is simple: doctors cannot treat viral colds. Western medicine has no pharmaceutical that works on viruses. They'll charge you, tell you to go home, take some Tylenol, rest, hydrate, and wait it out.

A singer, however, cannot “just wait it out” when they need their voice functioning—and intact.

A Bit of Science (The Singer-Friendly Version)

Viruses slip inside your cells, hijack your DNA machinery, replicate like mad, burst the cell, and move on to the next. Your cell membranes are protected by an oily layer. Most medications, including antibiotics, are water-based—they cannot get inside the cell.

Bacteria live on the outside of cells, which is why antibiotics work for bacterial infections but are useless—and inappropriate—for viral infections.

When you understand this, a lot about vocal health and illness suddenly makes sense.

Why Is It Bad to Sing With a Cold or Sore Throat?

I immediately send singers home when they show up to their voice lesson sick. Here’s why:

1. It is extremely contagious.

If I get sick, I pass it to multiple students before I even know I’m symptomatic. A voice teacher is a hub. We must protect the community.

2. Singing requires energy you don’t have.

Your body is reallocating resources to fight a virus. You will not have normal breath support or coordination. Overcompensation leads to tension, pushing, and potential strain.

3. Sound quality and resonance are altered.

If your nose is stuffy and your sinuses are inflamed, your resonators are compromised. Singing with blocked resonance is like trying to play a violin dipped in glue. You will instinctively “force” things to compensate, which is exactly how vocal damage begins.

If you are a performing artist with a contract—fine, sometimes you have no choice but to use every ounce of technique to get through. But as I have told all of my voice students before when they showed up sick: Unless you are getting paid and your mortgage depends on it, do not sing when sick. Critics do not grade on a curve.

“It’s Just a Stuffy Nose… Can’t I Still Sing?”

A little stuffiness can be cleared with a nasal rinse and proper hydration.

But very stuffy = no singing.

Your nasal cavities are part of your resonating system. When they’re blocked, your vocal tone is altered, your breath coordination shifts, and you will work harder than you realize. That’s where trouble starts.

What Should Singers Do Instead?

Here is the three point defense plan every singer should know—the same ones I use in my studio and recommend to all singers, pre-professionals, and voice students everywhere.

1. REST (The Magic Pill for Vocal Recovery)

I call it aggressive rest taking. It is the only scientifically sound strategy.

Your immune signals you in a subtle way: You feel “Off… tired… achy.”

That is the moment you cancel everything non-essential—including voice lessons, rehearsals, choirs, and practice.

Imagine your body as a castle. The royal guard (your immune system) notices stealthy intruders (viruses). No sane monarch says, “Stop being dramatic, go plow the fields to prove you’re not lazy.”

And yet that is exactly how Americans treat colds. Keep in mind, I've lived outside of Switzerland for the majority of my life now, but my upbringing is still Swiss. And in Europe in general, resting when sick is the norm. Most companies don't even have "sick days." So in this I will stand by my roots.

If you push through, the invaders multiply until the guard is overwhelmed and stages a full shutdown (that moment when you suddenly “can’t function”). Rest early instead!

2. Reduce All Extra Demands on Your Energy

Your immune system needs resources.

That means:

• Simple, easy-to-digest meals (bone broth, chicken soup)

• Avoiding stimulating drinks (skip black and green tea temporarily, and caffeinated beverages)

• Hydrating with herbal teas you actually enjoy (or warm water with lemon)

• Removing all non-essential exertion, including singing practice

• Digestion takes energy. Singing takes energy. Healing takes energy.

• Simplify so your body can prioritize recovery.

3. Use Essential Oils Strategically (Especially Tea Tree)

Apply dōTERRA Tea Tree (Melaleuca) oil to your throat at the first tickle. For those who take voice lessons with me, you know I've taught you that the only time your body activates sensory receptors on your soft palate is when you're stretching too far, choking, or sick. Diffuse Breathe or Eucalyptus at night to support breathing and rest.

Why do singers rely on essential oils?

Because essential oils—being lipid-soluble—can get inside the cell membrane where viruses replicate. That is precisely why singers and voice teachers use them: they’re one of the few tools that seem to shorten the viral cycle, based on years of observation in the vocal community.

And before the skeptics jump in (looking at you Dr. Mike) —Johns Hopkins researchers working on superbug resistance do, in fact, use essential oils (exclusively dōTERRA because theirs are the only ones that are consistent enough for actual research) in their labs. This is not fringe in the microbiology world.

The first time oils started working for me, I called every singer I knew. When something finally helps a vocalist heal faster and sing safer, it is big news. Since then I have only had to cancel voice lessons for two viral infections: both of them were COVID. When I catch a virus these days, I'm usually better in 1-3 days, and I haven't had a sore throat for more than 12 hrs since discovering Tea Tree Oil.

The Bottom Line for Singers

The earlier you respond, the faster you recover.

The more you rest, the less likely you are to lose weeks of practice time.

The more you protect your voice, the longer your singing life will be.

Healthy singing starts with knowing when not to sing.

Your voice—and your teacher—will thank you. Below are links to some products I use on Amazon, as well as a link to Singer's Essential Oil Recovery Kit I've put a singer kit together. If you end up purchasing one, send me a message. If my schedule allows, I'll get on facetime with you personally to show you how to use them, and if the schedule is too full, I'll send you a guide.

Singer's Health Support Items with Amazon Links

Singer's Essential Oil Recovery Kit

Disclaimer, both of these contain affiliate links. I get a small commission if you purchase through the link. That said, they are simply provided for your convenience, because this is how I shop. And I don't recommend anything that I don't personally use.