Musician Luke Chiang is relearning how to sing after throat disease diagnosis

Luke Chiang, a singer-songwriter from Arizona with over one million monthly Spotify listeners, has spent the past three years relearning how to speak after two diagnoses that affected his throat and vocal cords. Photos by JOSH MANDELL, features & entertainment staff writer

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is a disease where acid travels up through the esophagus and affects the throat and vocal box. One might call it a singer’s worst nightmare.

Musician Luke Chiang was diagnosed with LPR shortly after the release of his fifth song, “Paragraphs.” The diagnosis left him incapable of doing what he had been doing practically his entire life, singing. Then came diagnosis number two. He learned he had muscle tension dysphonia, a change in the sound and feeling of the voice due to excessive muscle tension near the voice box.

“At the time I wasn’t too concerned — the doctors told me I could heal it within a few months of medicine,” Chiang said.

But that wasn’t the case. He lost the ability to speak without pain and difficulties still persist years later. Not only was he living a singer’s worst nightmare, but the two diagnoses came at the same time as his popularity began to skyrocket.

Chiang started singing at 9 years old in the Phoenix Boys Choir, where he would truly find his love for music and it quickly would become second nature for him. About 10 years later, he released his first single “May I Ask” in April 2019.

Luke Chiang, a singer-songwriter from Arizona with over one million monthly Spotify listeners, has spent the past three years relearning how to speak after two diagnoses that affected his throat and vocal cords.

“Music is everything to me,” Chiang said. “For a lot of us, there’s a certain something that just tugs at your chest and makes you feel emotion unlike anything else, and for me it’s sound. Whether it’s lush choral harmonies, violin or pounding rhythm, there’s nothing like it.”

“May I Ask” gained major traction and surpassed 100,000 streams within the first couple weeks of its release. Following that success, Chiang released what would be his biggest song, “Shouldn’t Be,” a month later in May 2019.

“Shouldn’t Be” would surpass one million streams by early December, less than a year after its release. Chiang then released three more singles, “Used To Me,” “Home” and finally “Paragraphs” in October 2019.

After all of this major success came the diagnoses. He thought something had felt off for a while, but this made it all too real. Chiang couldn’t talk without pain for about a year and a half, meaning singing was completely shelved for the time being. Not only was Chiang grieving this major loss, but he was unsure he would ever get the ability back at all.

“It was crushing. In a lot of ways, because I grew up basing my self worth around my musical ability and I felt like I lost a big part of my identity,” Chiang said. “But in the end, it’s helped me to value myself in healthier ways.”

While he was already feeling isolated, the world shut down just months later. In a lot of ways the COVID-19 pandemic happening was very beneficial for Chiang’s blooming music career, but it was also detrimental to his mental health. Chiang went to many different doctors and specialists, but no treatment ever worked, leaving his chances of living with this disease permanently pretty high.

Through all of this, Chiang found a way to keep his creative outlets flowing with other forms of creative expression. He started drawing and drew a character which would become his streetwear brand’s logo, Club Kubo. Club Kubo started as a way to ease his mind and quickly became a passion project equally as successful as music.

“Kubo remains a great outlet for me,” Chiang said. “Whenever my symptoms are bad, having something else creative outside of music that I can focus on has helped me a ton.”

Chiang has designed different t-shirts, hoodies and tote bags, with stickers on the way. For every drop, Chiang donates 50% of all profits to mental health organizations.

Three years later, Chiang is still struggling with his diseases, but he remains optimistic and an inspiration to many. Chiang has started talking without pain and is slowly easing his way back into singing. With all of the failed treatments and lonely days, Chiang has managed to stay strong and learn how to live with this effectively while still chasing his dream.

In the meantime, his music has blown up. He has over one million monthly listeners on Spotify. His song “Shouldn’t Be” has 90 million streams. Every one of his songs has over 10 million streams.

Chiang continues to improve every day, and he hopes that one day he will get rid of this disease and will live his dream like he always intended.

“I used to dream of touring and making albums with musicians I love,” Chiang said. “I still do. But while I’m still recovering my voice, I’m happy with just getting one song done as soon as I can. And in the meantime, I’m learning to just be content with everything I’m already blessed with — my family and my friends.”