Vocal degeneration from vacations

Hi Ms Camille

I am aware that I will lose my vocal stamina if I don't practice often, but how long will that take? Sure, my question is very vague as I didn't specify the extent of degeneration or other factors such as how much I use my voice for other things, but in this scenario, let's assume that I stopped practicing completely and I only talk for an hour every day. 

1. How long will it take for my voice to lose considerable stamina in your standard? 

2. In order to prevent vocal degeneration, I do part 2 of warmup-essentials every day and practice some songs (20 minutes) Is that enough? In fact, will I be making progress? (i.e will I be having net gains or 0 net gain/loss)

3. Will 5-10 minutes of warm-ups prevent vocal degeneration?

4. Will it be easier to retrain my voice to where it was before after vocal degradation? For example, in muscle training, I will have an easier time gaining back the lost muscles even if I stop working out. Does that apply to singing as well?

In my experience, you might feel a bit "rusty" after taking longer than a week off of singing - but I don't think it would take you long at all to get back into the swing of things! I wouldn't personally worry about taking as much as 2 weeks off, but I've had students tell me they feel a difference after 1 week away from singing. 

5-10 minutes of daily vocalization is great for maintenance. Longer sessions with song work should put you on a path to improvement, in my experience!

Yes, I think that applies to any skill. You'll never be a complete beginner again, even if you're out of practice. 

Thank you!

You're welcome, Kang!