Helping Jay Find His Voice — Even Through Allergy Season

There’s a moment in every voice teacher’s life that sticks with you — not because it was flashy or perfect, but because it was real. For me, one of those moments happened with a student named Jay.

Jay came into my studio in early spring — lanky, quiet, a little self-conscious — with one heck of a voice buried beneath layers of doubt and, as it turned out, seasonal allergies. He loved singing. Truly loved it. But every April, his voice would start to shut down.

“I feel like my throat is closing up,” he told me during our first lesson. “My nose is stuffed 24/7, and it’s like… the sound just dies in my face before it can even come out.”

His frustration was written all over his posture, his tone, even the way he avoided high notes. And yet — underneath it all — there was this spark.

So we got to work.

Step 1: Listen First, Fix Second

When a student is struggling physically and emotionally with their voice, the first thing I do is listen. Not just to their singing, but to how they talk about their experience.

Jay didn’t need quick fixes. He needed someone to believe this was solvable. So we slowed down. We mapped out what his allergy symptoms looked like — from nasal congestion to post-nasal drip to full-on vocal fatigue. He started journaling his symptoms alongside his vocal practice. This gave us a roadmap — not just for what to avoid, but also for what we could work around.

Step 2: Rewriting the Warmup

When you’re allergic and inflamed, pushing your voice is like trying to sprint with a sprained ankle — counterproductive and painful. So we threw the old warmup out the window and built a new one tailored for Jay’s allergy days.

• Humming through a coffee stirrer straw in water (semi-occluded vocal tract exercises are magic)

• Lip buzzes and tongue trills to bring in vibration without pressure

• Gentle sirens and sighs instead of forceful scales

• Steam sessions before and after practice

It was less about hitting notes and more about reconnecting Jay to the feeling of ease.

And slowly, it worked.

Step 3: Holistic Hacks (That Actually Helped)

Jay was open-minded, so we got creative with lifestyle tweaks. He started treating his voice like an athlete would treat their body:

• Daily neti pot sessions (which he hated at first but eventually admitted helped)

• Cutting back on dairy and experimenting with anti-inflammatory foods

• Staying ultra-hydrated and sipping warm teas during lessons

• Learning how to rest his voice properly — no whispering, no pushing

He even began doing light yoga and stretching before singing. It sounds odd, but once his body was more relaxed, his vocal tension decreased too.

Step 4: The Breakthrough

About six weeks in, Jay came into the studio with this subtle shift in his presence. He stood taller. Breathed deeper. When he sang through a Bruno Mars chorus we’d been working on, I just sat back, wide-eyed.

The clarity was there. The resonance. But more than anything — the confidence.

He paused after the final note and said, “That felt easy. Like, actually easy.”

That was the first time I saw him smile at the sound of his own voice.

Step 5: The Stage (and the Pollen) Don’t Scare Him Anymore

By the time his school’s spring performance rolled around, Jay wasn’t just coping with his allergies — he was singing through them.

He still had tough days. He still carried tissues and Claritin in his bag. But his voice? It was freer. Stronger. More his.

The night of the show, he messaged me:
“Not perfect, but I didn’t freak out. Didn’t choke. Didn’t even think about my allergies on stage. Just... sang.”

That was the win.

What Jay Taught Me

As teachers, we often focus on what we give — guidance, technique, encouragement. But students like Jay remind me how much we receive in return.

He taught me patience. He reminded me of the power of personalization — that every singer’s voice is as unique as their fingerprint, and their path forward has to reflect that.

And most of all, he reminded me why I do what I do. Because helping someone find their voice — even when it’s buried under allergens, fear, or fatigue — is a kind of alchemy I never get tired of.

Final Thought

If you’re a singer struggling through allergy season, know this: you’re not alone, and you’re not broken. You may need to adjust your process, listen more closely to your body, and learn new ways to care for your voice — but you can still sing. And not just survive, but thrive.

Jay’s story is just one example of what’s possible with patience, creativity, and support. If you need help navigating your own vocal journey, I’d love to help you, too.

Your voice deserves to be heard — in every season. 🌼🎤