In this episode my guest is Natalia Łastowiecka, an SLP specializing in voice, swallow, and upper airway. Natalia shares her personal journey from being a classical voice performance major to discovering her passion for speech-language pathology after facing vocal challenges herself. We discuss the importance of having a supportive team, including laryngologists and SLPs, especially for professional voice users. Learn about the significance of baseline assessments, the impact of vocal habits lik...
May 05, 2025•27 min•Ep. 30
In this episode, I speak with the inspiring Elise Besler, a somatic voice and boundary coach known for her empowering and compassionate approach as a practitioner. Elise integrates somatic practices and nervous system regulation to help clients overcome barriers to singing, self-expression and communication. She shares her insights on the connection between the nervous system and effective boundary-setting, explains the role of the vagus nerve in singing, and discusses how singing can be a power...
Jan 28, 2025•39 min•Ep. 29
In this episode, I speak with Megan Durham, a singing voice specialist and vocologist from Respire Vocal Wellness. Megan offers valuable insights into vocal rehabilitation, unlearning perfectionism, and the importance of body awareness for singers. She also discusses how we can transform the traditional 'master/apprentice model' in voice education, advocating for a more trauma-informed approach that fosters growth for both educators and students. 00:00:00 - Introduction to Megan Durham 00:00:32 ...
Dec 21, 2024•42 min•Ep. 28
In this episode, I speak with Alison Araya. Alison is a seasoned actress best known for her roles in "Julie and the Phantoms," "Peacemaker," and "Lucky Hank." We dive deep into Alison's journey as a performer and her process of characterization. She discusses the importance of resilience in the performing arts, how to navigate nerves during auditions, and the challenges of self-taping in today's digital age. She offers valuable advice for aspiring actors and performers, emphasizing the need for ...
Nov 06, 2024•28 min•Ep. 27
In this episode, I speak with Greg Enriquez. Greg is an internationally renowned vocal consultant and is regarded by entertainment professionals to be the most effective commercial vocal technique instructor in the industry to date. He has worked with singers, actors and dancers in every aspect of musical performance and is very often a guest lecturer at major voice conferences worldwide. He has been a vocal consultant for pop icons, Broadway stars and continues to train teachers of singing acro...
Jun 19, 2024•38 min•Ep. 26
In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jo Hutton, a senior yoga teacher based in Newcastle. Jo runs a friendly online yoga studio aimed at helping everyday people relax and stretch amidst the hustle and bustle of life. When Jo walked into a yoga class for the first time over 15 years ago, she didn’t know her whole world would change forever. After seeing the transformational results that yoga brought to herself, she decided to dedicate her life to sharing the gift of yoga with other...
Jun 03, 2024•31 min•Ep. 25
In this episode, I speak with Jessica Baldwin. She is the owner of True Colours Creativity and Artist Coaching. Jess is a creativity and productivity coach for singers. Her journey as an artist ran alongside her expansion from a voice and piano teacher into a creativity and productivity coach with trauma and neurodivergence training. True Colors Creativity Coaching provides creativity, voice, and executive function coaching to singers and creatives who want to finish projects that let them shine...
Mar 18, 2024•59 min•Ep. 24
In this episode, I speak with Maurice Goodwin, M.S., CCC-SLP. Maurice is a Speech Language Pathologist, Singing Voice Specialist, voice teacher, and active performer living in Houston, TX. Professionally he specializes in the evaluation and treatment of the singing voice and voice disorders at The Texas Voice Center and also adjunct faculty at Lamar University in the graduate Vocology certificate program. He is a regular lecturer and presenter at national and international conferences focused on...
Feb 21, 2024•26 min•Ep. 23
This episode discusses voice disorders, their impact on singers and voice users, the stigma around having a vocal injury, and how mindfulness can help with healing. Catherine is a singer, adjunct voice instructor, mindfulness teacher and researcher. She holds a graduate certificate in Applied Mindfulness and she offers online meditation courses specifically designed for singers and people with voice disorders. Catherine recently completed a study (which was published in The Journal of Voice) to ...
Jan 21, 2024•48 min•Ep. 22
In this episode I speak with Emilie Leyes. Emilie is a brain training specialist who holds a master’s in Mind-Body Medicine with a focus in self-directed mental practices to change the brain. She is trained and certified in Clinical Hypnosis, Positive Psychology, and Positive Neuroplasticity. Her work includes hypnosis, visualization, laughter yoga, journaling, reframing limiting beliefs and more. With her viral videos on both TikTok and Instagram she is empowering audiences with the tools neede...
Dec 19, 2023•41 min•Ep. 21
My guest for this episode is Will Reynolds. Will is an actor, writer, teaching artist and the creator of the Inspired Actions Method™. He is the composer of the acclaimed Studio Cast Recording of THE VIOLET HOUR which has hit 1 million streams and counting. Will is also the co-founder of This MT Space - a musical theatre songwriting education platform. In this episode, we chat about Will's hilarious viral videos featuring duets with animals and his love of creating. He shares his journey of bein...
Nov 22, 2023•54 min•Ep. 20
In this episode, I speak with with Lachuné Boyd. Lachuné ia a multi-talented performer, recording artist and voice teacher. She shares her remarkable journey from her early days singing in church, to becoming a semifinalist on America's Got Talent, Season 18. Lachuné talks about how her creative process and passion for authenticity have shaped her teaching style and growth as a performer. Her unique musical journey and her passion for connecting with audiences shows up in her heartfelt performan...
Nov 06, 2023•21 min•Ep. 19
In this episode, I speak with Charles Simmons. Charles has dedicated his life to music, performing arts and fitness. He is a singer, musician, performer, vocal coach, and fitness trainer and has spent over 20 years mentoring vocal athletes and athletes. Charles shares with us his exciting journey from being a live performer to recently becoming a musical theatre actor. He talks about his unexpected performance journey which led him to audition and ultimately land the role of George Washington. H...
Nov 01, 2023•39 min•Ep. 18
In this episode, I speak with one of North America’s premier vocal coaches, Spencer Welch. Well known for breaking down complex vocal concepts into easy-to-understand explanations and tips, Spencer is often hired to prepare recording artists and actors for studio, concert, theatre and film work. He is a teacher of teachers, training and certifying singing instructors world-wide. He’s also my long time voice teacher and for over two decades, has been one of my vocal mentors - equipping me, along ...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 17
In this episode, I speak with Duncan Rock. Duncan is a healthcare practitioner and opera singer. As a singer he has spent over a decade singing roles in some of the world’s leading opera houses. As a healthcare practitioner, he holds masters degrees in both physiotherapy and nutritional science. He is a leading expert on nutrition for singers and professional voice users. His platform, called The Vocal Pro Health Hub, specializes in providing the latest nutritional and vocal health information. ...
Aug 20, 2023•48 min•Ep. 16
In this episode, I speak with Abby Halpin. Abby holds her Doctorate in Physical Therapy and specializes in injury prevention, treatment, performance and fitness coaching for musicians, singers and performing artists. She is an avid athlete and her goal is to share the resources that sports fans and athletes have had access to for a long time with singers, musicians, and performers. This episode covers: - Abby's journey to working with musicians and vocal performers - The role of a physical thera...
Aug 14, 2023•34 min•Ep. 15
In this episode, I speak with Ruby Rose Fox. Ruby is a multi-award winning artist, vocal and creative coach and mental health pioneer. She’s the co-founder of Muscle Music, a trauma-informed program for recording and performing artists aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of how our nervous system works. This episode covers: Ruby Rose’s artistic journey to now helping other artists. Nervous system regulation. How leaders and teachers need to show their vulnerability. Un-shame yourself on s...
Jul 28, 2023•32 min•Ep. 14
Wendy Parr, The Holistic Artist Coach + Founder of The Parr Method has spent more than 20 years in the entertainment industry empowering recording artists to develop their authentic voice with consistency across every platform. The Parr Method has been the engine behind GRAMMY and ACADEMY award winning results. With over 20 years coaching top music artists like Melanie Martinez, Sara Bareilles, Marc Bassy AND taking A Great Big World from their very 1st vocal session to a GRAMMY. The Parr Method...
Jul 16, 2023•56 min•Ep. 13
In this episode, I speak with Stephen King. Stephen is the founder of The Voice Care Centre and an Integrative Therapist at the Centre for Mental Wellness. Stephen currently sits as the Director of London’s award-winning, multidisciplinary Voice Care Centre, where he still occasionally gives treatments to people with voice problems seeking biopsychosocial management of their ongoing issues. On the podcast, he shares his expertise covering various topics including different therapeutic practices,...
Jun 19, 2023•46 min•Ep. 12
In this episode, I speak with Mindy Pack. Mindy works directly with some of the biggest names in the industry as their voice coach including Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas X, Brandi Carlile, Justin Timberlake, The Lumineers, Halsey, and many others. These artists have applied Mindy's vocal technique and Vocal Tract Reconditioning to help them achieve optimal performance on long tours. Mindy is also a clinical vocologist, accredited and licensed massage therapist, and founder of The Voice Straw. This episo...
Jun 11, 2023•45 min•Ep. 11
My guest is the inspiring Brenda Earle Stokes who is a singer, musician and music educator specializing in creative and practical training for the 21st Century musician. Based in New York City, Brenda’s performance career has taken her to international stages and she has released 6 critically-acclaimed albums. You can find Brenda on Youtube as well as Instagram Her content empowers singers and music teachers with the piano and musicianship skills needed to book more gigs and attract more student...
May 11, 2023•25 min•Ep. 10
Our guest is Barbara Tanze who has a made it her mission in life to help vocal athletes and olympic athletes breathe more efficiently. She believes each individual deserves a personalized approach and uses different methods to help improve vocal restraints and dysfunctional breathing patterns. This episode covers: Myths around breathing for singers; why we have dysfunctional breathing patterns; how Barbara uses balloons to teach breathing; why a 'one size fits all' approach to training a vocal a...
Apr 25, 2023•29 min•Ep. 9
Our guest is Psychotherapist and Music Therapist, Aksana Kavaliova. Originally from Belarus, Aksana lived and worked in the Kingdom of Bahrain before returning to Canada and settling in Niagara. She grew up in a musical family and studied performing arts and then went on to specialize in the field of mental health for nearly 20 years. This episode covers: What is trauma and the impact trauma can have on vocal performers. What tools can we use to help us with performance anxiety? What is EMDR and...
Apr 17, 2023•30 min•Ep. 8
Our guest in this episode Jenn Linsi. Jenn is a mindset coach who specializes in helping young adults overcome insecurities and improve their confidence so that they can achieve their goals. In this episode, Jenn openly shares her helpful strategies that we can use to overcome the challenges we face not just in performing arts but in life! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JennLinsi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennlinsi Website: https://www.jennlinsi.com...
Mar 07, 2023•28 min•Ep. 7
Let's get some clarity on Mix Voice! This mini episode is just me chatting about what obstacles singer's have to deal with when it comes to technique, and how mixing can help. What exactly is mix voice and how can we get started on developing it? Got questions? Let me know ! @alidavocalstudio
Feb 03, 2023•4 min•Ep. 6
Our guest in this episode is Selina Tannenberg from @voice_physio Selina is a physiotherapist who works primarily with singers and performers helping them to improve their vocal health, mobility, and performance. Selina highlights the importance of having a team and gives us her secrets to better performances through musculoskeletal health.
Jan 30, 2023•24 min•Ep. 5
Fitness and nutrition coach Claudia Hodgson joins us to talk about how fitness can help those in the performing arts lead healthier lifestyles and increase their energy by building a sustainable routine. In this episode we chat about: What should singers/professional voice users/performers do to live a healthy lifestyle? The undeniable benefits of strength training and why singers shouldn’t be afraid of it! How does nutrition affect our performance? How the industry can be so demanding on singer...
Nov 30, 2022•34 min•Ep. 4
In this episode I interview Dr. Inna Husain who is a voice and throat surgeon based in Chicago. Dr. Husain gives us some clarity on: mucus (a singer's worst nightmare, or is it?), hydration, Muscle Tension Dysphonia, the two most common pathologies singers' face, what we can do to look after our instrument better and her viral video on throat clearing. This episode is intended for educational purposes only and is not direct medical advice.
Nov 13, 2022•14 min•Ep. 3
In this episode, I chat with Laura Dumbleton the Stage Fright Coach, who has devoted the last decade to working with performers to help them overcome their stage fright. We discuss: - tools to help overcome music performance anxiety - should singers take beta blockers to help with stage fright? -how are singers more affected by stage fright than any other musicians
Oct 30, 2022•24 min•Ep. 2
In this episode, I chat with my friend and colleague singer and fellow voice teacher Monique Thomas. Monique talks about her journey as an artist and teacher and how she is able to juggle both careers. What it takes to be a resilient vocal athlete and embracing the "woo woo" part of life! How to deal with tour life and how to get back into performing after a pandemic...You don't want to miss her sense of humour and words of wisdom! @alidavocalstudio @moniquebthomas
Oct 19, 2022•37 min•Ep. 1
