On the road, singers have to contend with jetlag, seedy hotels, sleep deprivation – and more. Here are some touring tips to help you survive.

Instrumentalist and singer Korel Tunador has experienced the highs and lows of life as a touring musician.

He’s played packed stadiums and intimate unplugged sessions with Katie Perry, Jada Pinkett Smith, Rob Thomas and the Goo Goo Dolls.

And he’s stayed in plenty of hotels “you wouldn’t send your worst enemy to”.

Here are his top touring tips.

Develop centring mechanisms

Spending months on a tour bus with big personalities and sensitive egos can be tough.

“Keeping your centre of gravity when the people around you aren’t being positive can be challenging,” Korel says.

“It’s useful at times to have a shield personality-wise that you can put up.”

He cites a musician friend who took up mindfulness after his touring environment triggered a panic attack.

“Later, he was able to be in the most toxic situations and not get caught up in them. His mantra was ‘It’s water off a duck’s back, it’s water off a duck’s back’.”

Find what works for you

There is a wealth of advice out there on maintaining good health on the road. But not all of it will work for every singer.

“Everyone is different, so it’s about knowing what you need,” Korel says. “I tend to be very sensitive to hydration and smoke – those two things negatively affect me. But for other people it might be coffee or dairy.

“You need to figure out your pressure points and what works for you.”

Get as much sleep as you can

Sleep is one of the most precious commodities on the road, as late nights and early mornings can wreak havoc with your body clock.

Korel’s advice is to get your head down when you can. “There are so many moving parts out of your control, so when you get the chance to sleep, take it.”

Many performers also find it difficult to fall asleep after a successful gig.

“Everyone has their methods [for dealing with this]. For me, it’s reading a book; it just physically tires my eyes out.”

A warm-up routine

Don’t leave your warm-up routine to chance; build it into your performance schedule.

“If showtime is at nine o’clock, 45 minutes beforehand, at 8:15, warm up for 20 minutes. Then everyone has 15 minutes to do other things, but you’re still in the zone.”

Think about life after touring

“A sage piece of advice for anyone early in their career who wants to go on the road is to ask: what’s your exit strategy?” Korel says.

“When you start out, you want to see the whole world. But you may want more balance between home and work life as you get older.”

The problem is that it’s hard to establish roots in your local music community when you’re away most of the time.

“All of your momentum in the town where you live is gone,” he says. So, plan ahead, and if you need to get more training under your belt, start sooner rather than later.

And finally

Don’t forget the basics. “Being nice and on time are probably the two most important job prerequisites,” he says.

Learn more

Find out more about Korel’s career and how he moved into singing teaching by listening to this episode of the Singing Teachers Talk podcast.

Develop your skillset

Add another string to your bow by studying to become a singing teacher. Sign up to study with BAST Training.