This Is A Voice

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In this episode of our This Is A Voice podcast, we do something we've never done before.

We have a “special guest”, not in the studio but on a recording, one that hasn't been played for more than 40 years. You'll have to listen to the first few minutes to discover who the special guest is!

This conversation goes straight into the stuff singers quietly carry:
The feeling that “good enough” is a place you never reach.
How training can install a deficit narrative.
Why the master-apprentice model can turn learning into permission-seeking.
How confidence regresses when the teacher-student dynamic isn’t handled with care.

There’s also a very practical tangent Gillyanne and I both care about.
If you never sing music with scales written in them, stop treating scales like the goal. Build exercises from the repertoire you actually perform. Stop singing scales, start practising riffs!

We close the episode with a second archival excerpt. Same “special guest”. Same question underneath it all.
What would change if you stopped auditioning for permission, and started making music from ownership?

***Apologies for the slightly variable sound quality, our microphones weren't working properly***

Credits
Archival excerpt 1, Handel (German aria excerpt “Meine Seele hört im Sehen”)

Archival excerpt 2, Mozart (Concert Aria K490, "Non temer, amato bene")

Special guest singer: ???
Violin: Penelope Wayne Shapiro
Piano: Jamie Clarke
Recorded 1983

Master-Apprentice Survey link: https://www.cognitoforms.com/VocalProcess1/Master-Apprentice-Model-In-Singing-Teaching

The Birmingham Vocal Coach blog on Rethinking Vocal Coaching https://www.thebirminghamvocalcoach.co.uk/blog

Remember to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon for more insightful episodes. Leave a comment below on what inspired you the most! 👇

You can find out about our Teacher Accreditation for singing teachers, vocal coaches and choir leaders and start your own journey here 
https://vocalprocess.co.uk/teacher-accreditation/

We've also got this ↓ 

For the best self-guided learning, check out the Vocal Process Learning Lounge - 22 years of vocal coaching resources (over 600 videos) for less than the price of one private singing lesson. 
Click on the link https://vocalprocess.co.uk/learning-lounge/learning-lounge-level-2-deep-dive/
 
If you want to discover if our singing teacher training programme works for YOU, message us - we can share the process for joining Cohort26. https://www.cognitoforms.com/VocalProcess1/TheAccreditationProgramme 

Get the One Minute Voice Warmup app here, it's got a 4.9star rating 
Appstore https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/one-minute-voice-warmup/id1212802251 
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.speechtools.warmup&hl=en_GB  
 
Check out our Voice Journal, written with Rayvox's Oren Boder https://www.rayvox.co.uk/products/voice-journal?ref=VOCALPROCESS 
 
Find us - follow us on the socials! 
🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/Vocalprocess   
📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vocalprocess  
📖 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/vocalprocess

 #vocalprocess #teacheraccreditation #voicetraining

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Most singers can learn the notes and the words. That isn’t the part that gets in the way. The real block sits under the surface. It’s the moment where the song should land and somehow doesn’t. You can feel it. The audience can feel it. Something is missing.

In this episode, we dig into that missing piece
How singers learn songs too fast
How the ear follows the recording but not the key
How interpretation can be lovely but still empty
And how inhabiting a song changes everything

We talk through the internal logic sitting inside every piece of music
The logic of the harmony
The logic of the text
The tiny decision points singers often sail past without noticing
The moments of energy change, tempo change, key change, and emotional shift that carry the story

There are real examples from our masterclasses, including:
A classical song that suddenly locked into tune once the chords were stripped back.
A singer who delivered a perfect interpretation but didn’t sound like himself until we dug for his version of the truth.
A musical theatre song that revealed its turning point in the silence between phrases.

00:00 Why your song isn't landing
01:24 A shift in vocal technique
03:32 Being honest about your background
05:17 Helping a singer with tuning
08:39 Learning the song but not the key
10:15 Change points help you map the song
11:23 Do you memorise too quickly?
12:23 The Speed Run and other techniques
13:40 Acting without acting training
16:14 Green Finch and Linnet Bird
19:23 Not For The Life Of Me - Hidden in the text
21:47 Gimme Gimme - When ARE decisions made?
24:03 I Remember Sondheim
25:54 I Don't Sound Like Me!
30:30 Interpretation versus Inhabitation
35:06 The "studio-perfect" voice myth
37:44 This is our context, what's yours?

If you teach singers, this episode gives you tools to diagnose why a performance isn’t landing.
If you’re a singer, it shows you how to slow down, listen differently, and find the place where your voice actually sits inside the song.

Tell us how you approach learning or teaching songs.
What do you notice, break down, strip back, or question?
We’d love to hear it.

I Cain't Say No (Oklahoma) analysed by FlyNorthTheatricals https://www.tiktok.com/@flynorththeatricals/video/7566630322780081439

Remember to like and subscribe for more insightful episodes. Leave a comment below on what inspired you the most! 👇

You can find out about our Teacher Accreditation for singing teachers, vocal coaches and choir leaders and start your own journey here 
https://vocalprocess.co.uk/teacher-accreditation/

We've also got this ↓ 

For the best self-guided learning, check out the Vocal Process Learning Lounge - 22 years of vocal coaching resources (over 600 videos) for less than the price of one private singing lesson. 
Click on the link https://vocalprocess.co.uk/learning-lounge/learning-lounge-level-2-deep-dive/
 
If you want to discover if our singing teacher training programme works for YOU, message us - we can share the process for joining Cohort26. https://www.cognitoforms.com/VocalProcess1/TheAccreditationProgramme 

Get the One Minute Voice Warmup app here, it's got a 4.9star rating 
Appstore https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/one-minute-voice-warmup/id1212802251 
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.speechtools.warmup&hl=en_GB  
 
Check out our Voice Journal, written with Rayvox's Oren Boder https://www.rayvox.co.uk/products/voice-journal?ref=VOCALPROCESS 
 
Find us - follow us on the socials! 
🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/Vocalprocess   
📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vocalprocess  
📖 Facebook - h

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Burnout can creep up quietly - until one day you realise you’ve got nothing left to give.

In this honest, wide-ranging conversation, Dr Gillyanne Kayes, Jeremy Fisher and guest Dr Marisa Lee Naismith (host of A Voice and Beyond) talk about burnout in the performing arts: how it happens, what it feels like, and what recovery really takes.

We explore:

The link between trauma, stress, and burnout

Boundaries and learning to say “I don’t have the capacity”

Why people-pleasing drives exhaustion

The real brain changes in burnout and how to reset

What it means to honour yourself as a creative

This episode includes insights from Stress Burnout Reset by Kerry Norton, reflections on somatic recovery, and practical tools for singers and teachers finding their way back to balance.

00:00 Intro and Phlegm Alert
02:10 When Burnout Creeps Up On You
03:23 Losing Everything and Working Harder
05:39 Adversity vs Trauma
07:53 Burnout in the Performing Arts
08:41 Self-Worth and People-Pleasing
11:11 Learning To Say No And Setting Boundaries
15:19 The 24-7 Access Problem
19:28 The Power Of Saying "I Don't Have The Capacity"
22:07 What Burnout Does To The Brain
25:25 Recovery Tools and Somatic Practices
33:45 Maria's Final Reflections - Honouring Yourself

Watch, reflect, and share your experience of burnout in the comments.

Remember to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon for more insightful episodes. Leave a comment below on what inspired you the most! 👇

You can find out about our Teacher Accreditation for singing teachers, vocal coaches and choir leaders and start your own journey here 
https://vocalprocess.co.uk/teacher-accreditation/

We've also got this ↓ 

For the best self-guided learning, check out the Vocal Process Learning Lounge - 22 years of vocal coaching resources (over 600 videos) for less than the price of one private singing lesson. 
Click on the link https://vocalprocess.co.uk/learning-lounge/learning-lounge-level-2-deep-dive/
 
If you want to discover if our singing teacher training programme works for YOU, message us - we can share the process for joining Cohort26. https://www.cognitoforms.com/VocalProcess1/TheAccreditationProgramme 

Get the One Minute Voice Warmup app here, it's got a 4.9star rating 
Appstore https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/one-minute-voice-warmup/id1212802251 
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.speechtools.warmup&hl=en_GB  
 
Check out our Voice Journal, written with Rayvox's Oren Boder https://www.rayvox.co.uk/products/voice-journal?ref=VOCALPROCESS 
 
Find us - follow us on the socials! 
🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/Vocalprocess   
📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vocalprocess  
📖 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/vocalprocess

 #vocalprocess #teacheraccreditation #voicetraining

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If you’ve ever felt exhausted, cynical or “not good enough,” this episode will help you spot the signs, set boundaries and start recovering - without guilt.
What really causes burnout in musicians, singers, teachers, and students?
In this second episode of This Is A Voice on burnout, Dr. Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher discuss the physical, emotional, and systemic roots of burnout - with two special guests offering different perspectives.

Dr Ayan Panja (NHS GP, Saving Lives In Slow Motion podcast) explains why burnout isn’t just “being tired” - and what really happens when empathy and perfectionism collide.

Richard Delaney (Programme Leader, BA Hons Acting: Contemporary and Devised at Royal Central School of Speech & Drama) reveals how time poverty and constant assessment are burning out a generation of creative students.

Plus, Gillyanne and Jeremy share their own stories of freelance burnout, people-pleasing and finding balance as performers and coaches.

Listen now and share it with a friend who might need it.
Featuring clips from Saving Lives In Slow Motion (used with permission).

You can find out about Ayan's work and join his podcast on https://drayan.co.uk/

You can find out about Richard's work on https://www.richardddelaney.com/

Remember to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon for more insightful episodes. Leave a comment below on what inspired you the most! 👇

You can find out about our Teacher Accreditation for singing teachers, vocal coaches and choir leaders and start your own journey here 
https://vocalprocess.co.uk/teacher-accreditation/

We've also got this ↓ 

For the best self-guided learning, check out the Vocal Process Learning Lounge - 22 years of vocal coaching resources (over 600 videos) for less than the price of one private singing lesson. 
Click on the link https://vocalprocess.co.uk/learning-lounge/learning-lounge-level-2-deep-dive/
 
If you want to discover if our singing teacher training programme works for YOU, message us - we can share the process for joining Cohort26. https://www.cognitoforms.com/VocalProcess1/TheAccreditationProgramme 

Get the One Minute Voice Warmup app here, it's got a 4.9star rating 
Appstore https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/one-minute-voice-warmup/id1212802251 
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.speechtools.warmup&hl=en_GB  
 
Check out our Voice Journal, written with Rayvox's Oren Boder https://www.rayvox.co.uk/products/voice-journal?ref=VOCALPROCESS 
 
Find us - follow us on the socials! 
🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/Vocalprocess   
📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vocalprocess  
📖 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/vocalprocess

#vocalprocess #teacheraccreditation #voicetraining

Send us a text
Burnout isn’t just “being tired.” For many musicians, singers, and creatives, it creeps in quietly until suddenly you can’t think clearly, you can’t create, and you feel stuck in cycles of exhaustion.

In Season 12 Episode 1 of This Is A Voice, Jeremy Fisher and Dr. Gillyanne Kayes open up about their own experience with burnout, how it affected their work and creativity, and what they did to recover. 

They’re joined by singer and coach Franka van Essen, who explains burnout through the lens of Polyvagal Theory - and why creatives often toggle between burnout, boredom and overdrive.

We talk about:

The real signs of burnout (that you might be ignoring)

Why freelancing makes burnout more likely

How Polyvagal Theory can help you recognise the “zones” you live in

Practical ways to step back into rest, creativity, and connection

If you’ve ever felt exhausted, disconnected, or wondered “is this burnout?”, this episode will help you recognise it - and give you hope that you can recover.
#burnout #singerburnout #polyvagaltheory  #musicianmentalhealth #vocalcoach  #singingteacher 
 
00:00 Mood swings and despair
01:19 What burnout looks like
02:56 Measuring burnout
05:21 Jeremy’s change of behaviour
07:12 Franka on how burnout can start
09:19 Singing teachers and burnout
12:16 Musicians and task switching
13:49 Polyvagal theory and the zones
17:10 Toggling between the zones
19:01 Compassion fatigue
22:25 Household boundaries
25:08 A plate of raspberry puddings
25:44 Getting back in the green zone
28:44 Learning to say no
You can contact Franka van Essen on 
http://www.voice2blossom.nl/
Instagram and Facebook voice2blossom
LinkedIn Franka van Essen

And Franka’s short course on Polyvagal Theory for singers, teachers and coaches is included in our monthly Learning Lounge membership here 
https://vocalprocess.co.uk/learning-lounge/learning-lounge-level-2-deep-dive/

Remember to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon for more insightful episodes. Leave a comment below on what inspired you the most! 👇

You can find out about our Teacher Accreditation for singing teachers, vocal coaches and choir leaders and start your own journey here 
https://vocalprocess.co.uk/teacher-accreditation/

We've also got this ↓ 

For the best self-guided learning, check out the Vocal Process Learning Lounge - 22 years of vocal coaching resources (over 600 videos) for less than the price of one private singing lesson. 
Click on the link https://vocalprocess.co.uk/learning-lounge/learning-lounge-level-2-deep-dive/
 
If you want to discover if our singing teacher training programme works for YOU, message us - we can share the process for joining Cohort26. https://www.cognitoforms.com/VocalProcess1/TheAccreditationProgramme 

Get the One Minute Voice Warmup app here, it's got a 4.9star rating 
Appstore https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/one-minute-voice-warmup/id1212802251 
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.speechtools.warmup&hl=en_GB  
 
Check out our Voice Journal, written with Rayvox's Oren Boder https://www.rayvox.co.uk/products/voice-journal?ref=VOCALPROCESS 
 
Find us - follow us on the socials! 
🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/Vocalprocess   
📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vocalprocess  
📖 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/vocalprocess

 #vocalprocess #teacheraccreditation #voicetraining