How old should your voice students be before they start taking singing lessons? For many instructors, the idea that only prodigies with natural singing talent should start training as children continues to influence which students they choose to work with. But for child singer expert and voice teacher mentor Dana Lentini, teaching kids how to sing doesn’t mean giving college-level instruction to children. Instead, Lentini, whose online classes include teenagers she started training at the age of...
Jun 25, 2023•1 hr 8 min
As voice teachers, we regularly help our students with multiple vocal challenges — but few of us probably deal with the range of clients this week’s guest has. As a speech language pathologist and clinical singing voice specialist, Marci Rosenberg works with anyone who uses their voice professionally in front of an audience — from singers to preachers to lawyers to sports announcers — at the University of Michigan Vocal Health Center. Specializing in repairing injured voices, Rosenberg’s work in...
Jun 08, 2023•59 min
Imagine a job where you’re asked to sing backup vocal for Lady Gaga, record songs for Disney, or perform as a singing penguin — sometimes the day before recording begins. This week’s guest Gerald White has done all of this and so much more. As a session singer, Gerald is on call regularly by recording studios and production companies who need him to perform in recording sessions and live performances. This has allowed him to provide vocals for films ranging from “Happy Feet” to “Avatar” to “Dead...
May 12, 2023•55 min
Happy Birthday! Can you believe it’s been ten years since we began the Institute of Vocal Advancement? In that time, we’ve had the opportunity to connect with teachers, performers, and voice scientists from around the world. We’ve built global communities of music teachers who have been very generous with their knowledge and expertise. And we’ve had the pleasure of hosting conferences where educators get to sharpen their teaching skills — and show off their prowess at the karaoke machine. As we ...
May 04, 2023•52 min
Sometimes, all you need to take your life in an innovative direction is the right questions. This week’s guest, Dr. Jenevora Williams, became a specialist in the field of singer vocal health by teaching boy choristers at Westminster Abbey. Realizing no one had done a lot of research into how vocal training was affecting children’s health, Dr. Williams took it upon herself to studying the groups of singers she was working with. What she found made her understand how important it is to have someon...
Apr 27, 2023•1 hr 1 min
When you’re preparing your students for a career in the performance arts, technical knowledge isn’t enough. Sometimes, even the most gifted students experience performance anxiety, preventing them from fully expressing themselves on stage or participating in lessons. Unfortunately, not every performer is willing or able to turn to a therapist, making it difficult for them to reach their goals. This week’s guest Dr. David Juncos is looking to change that. A clinical psychologist and musician, Dav...
Apr 13, 2023•48 min
There’s nothing like someone saying, “You’re never going to do that again” to make you want to find a way to beat the odds. For years, Heidi Moss Erickson worked as a professional singer in the U.S. and abroad. Then a cranial nerve injury left her with a nearly career-ending case of facial paralysis. Told she’d never sing again, Heidi turned to her background in neuroscience to study how the brain signals motor skills so she could rewire herself to sing and speak clearly again. What she discover...
Mar 23, 2023•45 min
Being a good singing teacher is an art. You need to explain voice science to your students in a way that lets them understand how their voices work. At the same time, you want to make sure they don’t get so caught up in vocal theory that they can’t use their knowledge to perform. Our guest this week knows the challenges of balancing theory and skill. Ken Bozeman is a naturally gifted singer who began his career as a performer and then spent years studying voice science. After developing his own ...
Mar 09, 2023•46 min
How well does your classical singing training prepare you to teach music students today? With the market demanding different skillsets from singers who want to build careers in music theatre, CCM, and other fields, teachers must be familiar with multiple methodologies to prepare their students. Dr. Elizabeth Ann Benson realizes this. As an Associate Professor of Music Theatre Voice at Auburn University, Elizabeth saw the need for a teaching resource that shares the core values and systems differ...
Feb 23, 2023•45 min
Being aware of your body and how it affects the way you can use your voice is a skill every performer needs. That’s why Chris Johnson, vocal coach and co-host of the popular podcast “The Naked Vocalist”, emphasizes the use of Feldenkrais, an exercise therapy that improves motor performance through body movement exercises. By incorporating movement exercises into his voice lessons, Johnson helps his students become more aware of how certain positions affect their breathing and voice. This not onl...
Feb 09, 2023•46 min
With 2022 ending, now’s the perfect time to look back on everything you’ve accomplished and look forward toward everything you’ll achieve in the coming year. In this podcast, we do just that by discussing how setting goals and coming up with ways to measure your achievements is important to being a successful voice teacher. We’ll examine the importance of setting achievable goals while also remaining adaptive to unexpected changes. We’ll look at the goals we’ve set for ourselves and discuss how ...
Jan 05, 2023•40 min
In our latest episode, Tom and Heather dive into the world of TikTok, trying to unpick why a video went viral on Heather's TikTok Channel. You can watch the viral video here: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.singingteacher/video/7153160111509245189 About the Institute for Vocal Advancement Interested in attending professional development webinars with leading voice experts and becoming a more effective instructor? The Institute for Vocal Advancement grants you access to a thriving global community of...
Dec 22, 2022•37 min
Sometimes, getting your voice to do what you want it to means more than just practicing the right vocal exercises. That’s what professional voice coach Line Hilton discovered after working with thousands of talented performers who found their progress hindered by anxiety, self-doubt, and a lack of motivation. Combining her background as a performer and a nurse, Line developed a unique tool kit that utilizes Rapid Transformational Therapy to identify a performer’s limiting beliefs. From there, sh...
Dec 01, 2022•45 min
In this episode, we talk to the author of The Singing Athlete, Andrew Byrne, about the body and the voice connection. Andrew shares his extensive knowledge with us, and Heather tells us her tea-making routine that helps her voice :-) Find out more about Andrew Byrne: https://www.andrewmbyrne.com . Get Andrew's book: https://geni.us/andrewbyrne About IVA Interested in training to teach singing or attend Professional development webinars with leading voice experts through the Institute for Vocal A...
Nov 17, 2022•42 min
In this episode, Heather and Tom interview the incomparable John Henny - voice teacher, podcaster, author, teacher trainer and all round funny bloke! John shares his advice for voice teachers who want to build their businesses, and we debate the pros and cons of social media! Plus.. we answer the question, “what IS pudding?!!” Find out more about John Henny: www.johnhenny.com. To listen to John’s podcast “The intelligent vocalist”: www. intelligentvocalist.com . About IVA Interested in training ...
Oct 13, 2022•39 min
Welcome to the Vocal Advancement Podcast! In this episode Heather and Tom interview performance anxiety specialist Melissa Toy who shares her advice on helping singers who have gone beyond stage fright into performance anxiety and her experience using brain stimulation in her research! Meanwhile, Heather and Tom continue their debate on what the best biscuit is around the world! Find out more about Melissa Toy: www.meltoymusic.com . About IVA Interested in training to teach singing or attend Pro...
Sep 29, 2022•46 min
Welcome to the Vocal Advancement Podcast! In our first full episode, Heather and Tom interview the phenomenal Kerrie Obert (Speech Language Pathologist and Voice researcher) and find out all about her disastrous first experience in an operating theatre, her reasons for focusing her research on the role of the tongue in singing as well as her top tips for voice teachers and singers! Find out more about Kerrie Obert on her website www.obertvoicestudios.com and her training resources at www.getvoca...
Sep 15, 2022•46 min
In this first episode, you'll get to know all about Heather and Tom as they have a good old chinwag and attempt to make a podcast trailer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 08, 2022•19 min
Get a small taster of what's to come on the Vocal Advancement Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 02, 2022•1 min
