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Over the past few years, there has been much adverse press about touring singers suffering vocal fold pathologies; for example, in 2018 the pop icon Pink had to cancel a number of concerts in Australia due to illness. She was confronted with sensationalist media criticism and how can we forget all the negative press and public outcry over Adele’s vocal pathologies. I am embarrassed to say that there has also been many negative claims from the singing voice community regarding these vocal injuries, blaming the singers themselves for voice misuse and lack of training and technique. Aside from this school of thought, there are others in our singing voice community who continue to amplify the misconception that singing popular music styles, or what we call CCM, can be detrimental to a singer’s vocal health and longevity. I have sat on the sidelines, but in this episode, I replay an interview I did recently with Dr Jenevora Williams, where I was a guest on the podcast, The Thinking Voice. I was asked to share my own personal and professional experiences as a lead singer in a touring rock band and how these experiences, many of which were forced upon me, ultimately lead to my demise vocally, financially, physically, emotionally and mentally. I speak candidly about how I was treated as a commodity, the bullying and the shaming I experienced, the unrealistic expectations from managements, the gruelling lifestyle on the road, and sexual harassment.
This was a raw, emotional and difficult conversation with Jenevora, but I am grateful to have the opportunity to finally share this part of my life that I had locked away and never spoken about. These experiences had a deep impact on me but strangely enough these experiences have shaped who I am today, who I am as a voice educator and they influence my every day teaching approaches especially when working with emerging artists. This has made me far more empathetic with aspiring and professional vocalists, given me a great understanding of the workings and demands of the music industry. My message here is to managements to stop treating artists as commodities, and for the voice community to stop shaming singers who experience vocal pathologies. It’s time to be accountable and leave our biases at the door.
The Thinking Voice podcasts are part of Vocal Health Education. A community of over 1200 singers, singing teachers, voice coaches, classroom teachers, GPs, SLT/SLPs, osteopaths, physiotherapists, carers and patients. Learn more on their website! www.vocalhealth.co.uk
In this episode
01:08 - Episode Introduction
04:27 - Jenevora from The Thinking Voice introducing Dr Marisa Lee Naismith
07:41 - My story as a child who discovered a love of music
14:19 - Dealing with the loss of my first husband & my father
17:15 - My fresh start and high profile performance career in Queensland
20:28 - The beginning of my touring nightmare
26:15 - A typical day on the road with a touring rock band
32:23 - The early signs of physical, vocal and emotional fatigue
42:19 - The bullying and unrealistic expectations from management
45:52 - Finally parting with the rock band
53:20 - My return to the industry after my touring nightmare
59:36 - A message to my younger self
For more go to https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/36
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Today's guest is Heidi Moss Erickson.
Heidi is an acclaimed performer, voice educator and scientist, who prefers to describe herself as a seeker. In this episode, we get a rare snapshot into Heidi’s personal and professional life as she opens up about what she defines as her serendipitous life. Heidi holds a double biology degree and a master’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, as well a music degree from Oberlin, and Heidi tells us how she was able to merge her passion for music, with her love of science.
In 2007, she suffered a rare facial paralysis and was told by doctors and singing teachers that she would never be able to sing again. Heidi shares with us the tremendous impact of this devastating injury, but also too how it inspired her deeper exploration into the science of singing and it was through her own investigation, perseverance, resilience, and adhering to a daily self-care regime that she was able to rehabilitate herself and prove everyone wrong. This life changing occurrence has allowed Heidi, to let down her barriers, become more vulnerable, accepting of herself and to continue on her journey of self - discovery.
In this episode, Heidi also discusses the similarities between music and science, the importance of neuroscience and voice training, how we must learn to accept mistakes when they occur in singing, in the same way that we do in a science experiment, the importance of playfulness in the singing lesson, the difference between the mind and the brain, the positives outcome adhering to a self-care regime and there is much more that you will learn from Heidi in this episode. You are going to love Heidi Moss Erickson.
In this episode
01:08 - Introduction
15:42 - Directing her science background towards singing
17:05 - Heidi Moss’s facial paralysis injury
22:14 - Coping from a physical, mental & emotional perspective
24:14 - Returning to singing again
33:15 - Heidi’s monster for negative self talk
37:32 - Obstacles during rehab and recovery
47:56 - Is there a difference between the mind & the brain
1:09:09 - Heidi’s view on historical pedagogical text
1:16:55 - Final closing questions for Heidi
For more go to https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/35
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Stress is a word we throw around rather loosely in our everyday lives. We use it to describe those moments when we’re busy, overwhelmed, dealing with a new situation or just simply dealing with day-to-day life. But, what does it truly mean to be stressed?
Life is full of unexpected situations or scenarios that create an unexpected setback and stress is a normal human reaction that happens to everyone. In this episode, we’re going to unpack stress, and how you can manage stress in your everyday life. Firstly, it’s important to accept that you can’t control everything in life and COVID-19 is a perfect example of this. Stress isn’t always a negative response, stress can be positive, as it keeps us alert, motivated and ready to avoid danger. It can be a short-term issue or a long-term problem, depending on what changes in your life. However, when it’s all becomes too overwhelming, there are some coping mechanisms that can help you in those moments of feeling stressed.
Today we discuss ways you can manage your stress levels by reframing your thoughts, sleeping soundly, exercising to shift your mindset, meditating to calm the mind and prioritising what is most important and discarding what isn’t. You can learn to live with stress and live your best life!
Check out 'The Stress Solution: The 4 Steps to a Calmer, Happier, Healthier You' by Rangan Chatterjee https://amzn.to/3m5BkYe
In this episode
00:58 - Introduction to stress
03:36 - What happens to the body
06:42 - Reframing how we think about stress
12:39 - Learning to prioritise our time
18:05 - The benefits of meditation
24:15 - The power of exercise
30:57 - Lack of sleep
36:35 - Conclusion
For more go to https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/34
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Today's guest is Sarah Marshall
Performance anxiety has been described as fear about one's ability to perform a specific task, usually in front of a group for people. Sarah Marshall describes performance anxiety as those random intrusive thoughts that flood our brain prior to and during a performance.
Sarah Marshallis a singing teacher, examiner and adjudicator with degrees in music performance, psychology and counselling. She uses her performance experience and psychology training to work with performers and educators to assist with managing performance anxiety and helping them to learn cognitive skills they can pass on to others.
Sarah reveals that she herself was crippled with performance anxiety, and this along with a family illness inspired her to enter into her private counselling practice, and to develop a performing artists’ educator’s course which helps teachers create an environment that can reduce performance anxiety.
Performance anxiety can be a result of many things such as past trauma or perfectionism. However, what she has found is that everyone is unique and their experiences, symptoms and methods for overcoming performance anxiety are also different.
Sarah draws together strategies from a range of fields including performance psychology research and performance practice of elite athletes and performers, that allows them to successfully maintain peak performance. She shares with us how we as voice teachers can help our students navigate stressful circumstances to manage performance anxiety. There is so much information packed into this interview with Sarah Marshall.
In this episode
01:08 - Introduction
09:16 - Getting to know Sarah Marshall
21:06 - What is Performance Anxiety?
26:14 - Main factors triggering Performance Anxiety
36:07 - Main reasons clients approach Sarah for help
44:40 - A role play performer scenario for perspective
57:39 - A Performance Anxiety story from Dr Marisa Lee Naismith
1:06:29 - Supporting students suffering from performance anxiety
For more go to https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/33
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Today's guest is Dr Dann Mitton.
Dann is a classical bass singer, voice teacher and voice researcher and for many of us, we know Dann as founder and one of the moderators for the Facebook group, The New Forum for Professional Voice Teachers, where he inspires conversations, arouses our curiosity and creates a safe space for voice professionals to express themselves, share their thoughts and their knowledge.
In this episode, we really get to know and learn more about Dann, his professional and academic background, as well as his achievements and how these have informed his teaching approaches. Dann is also a keen consumer of voice pedagogy literature and is passionate about connecting low male voice singers with the information they need to excel. He shares his thoughts on historical traditions in voice education, and how these traditions alongside the current voice science inform the way we think about how the voice works today.
Dann discusses the reason for actively continuing his education and expanding his knowledge across all styles, the role of the singing teacher, his teaching philosophy, how students learn more effectively, his legacy and there is so much more. You are going to love getting to know Dann Mitton.
In this episode
01:08 - Introduction
05:26 - The New Forum for Professional Singers
07:25 - Who is Dr Dann Mitton?
24:41 - Dann’s performance career
46:34 - Teaching online v’s in the studio
1:00:25 - Dann and his love for books
1:17:29 - True or False rapid-fire questions
For more go to https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/32
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Are you the CEO of your life?
The chief executive officer (CEO) is the top position in any organisation and they are ultimately responsible for its success or failure. This needs to be you in your life. Most people want to improve their lives but don’t know where to start, so in this episode we are going to look at FIVE building blocks of achievement, and how you can develop a CEO mindset. You can learn to successfully manage your life, your goals, your actions and how you turn up each and every day. We will address the behaviours that are holding you back from living the life you want for yourself, your family, your business and your future.
Discover how to take charge of your own destiny, become the person of your dreams and truly improve the quality of your happiness, achievement, personal mastery and success. Don’t leave your fate in the hands of others, it’s time to become the CEO of your life.
In this episode
00:58 - Introduction
02:00 - What is a CEO?
06:21 - First Key Step - The Desire
12:32 - Second Key Step - The Direction
18:05 - Third Key Step - The Discipline
23:22 - Fourth Key Step - The Distraction Detachment
30:44 - Fifth Key Step - The Destructive Self Talk
38:03 - Conclusion
For more go to https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/31
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Today's guest is Dr Nidhi Krishnan.
Over the past many, many months, we have been inundated with news, views, perceptions, misconceptions and conspiracy theories around COVID -19. To be honest, I am just as tired of it as most of you are. Much of what we read is based on hearsay and what the media wants us to know and not being drawn from rigorous research. Let me say first and foremost, I stand for freedom of speech and freedom of choice. However, the unfortunate thing about this misinformation is that it is creating a great divide between friends, families and communities.
For this reason, we held an Ask Me Anything event some weeks ago where we invited Dr. Nidhi Krishnan to join us to respond to all your questions. Dr. Nidhi Krishnan is the registrar in the Pediatric Ward at Logan Hospital in Queensland, Australia and an adjunct lecturer at James Cook University. In this AMA, it was my clear intention to seek answers to the more common, & pertinent questions from a healthcare professional with a science background, who has derived her knowledge around COVID 19 from working on the frontline, as well as receiving daily updates from the appropriate official sources.
Questions were asked around the very existence of COVID-19 , what it is, how it’s spread, the variants, vaccinations, testing protocols, preventative measures we can take, the effectiveness of lockdowns, and the long term health impacts of having had COVID-19 survivor. All the information offered by Dr. Krishnan was explained in a very clear and concise manner that made absolute sense.
Based on the overwhelming number of requests to replay this AMA, we have decided to release the replay as an episode, so here it is. This episode is not about changing people’s opinions, it is about education and it is our hope that it may help to dispel some of the myths and conspiracy theories that are circulating in our communities creating so much angst and chaos. This is not to be missed information on COVID-19.
In this episode
01:09 - Introduction
05:16 - The aim of the Ask Me Anything event
06:31 - Introducing Dr Nidhi Krishnan
10:11 - What is Covid-19?
12:05 - What are the variants?
13:18 - How do we detect the virus?
16:53 - Who is at most risk of contracting Covid-19?
21:10 - The differences between the vaccines
27:10 - Why do we have to have two does of the vaccine?
29:30 - Ways to protect ourselves
31:17 - How effective are masks?
44:21 - The risk V’s benefit with vaccination
For more go to https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/30
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Today's guest is Duncan Rock.
Duncan is a nutritionist who specialises in promoting good health for performing artists, a registered exercise professional, a member of the Royal Society for Public Health and a professional baritone who has been touring internationally with numerous opera companies for many years. After a life-changing event, Duncan decided to transition into the health and well-being field.
In this episode, Duncan shares his depth of knowledge as well as his inspiration for wanting to help others improve their overall health and wellbeing. He explains the significant physical and mental health benefits of exercise and describes the perfect exercise regime as a balance between cardio, core strength and weight training. He stresses that an exercise regime accompanied with an appropriate nutrition plan not only promotes a healthy lifestyle that can enrich our lives, but it is the best way to defy all-cause mortality.
Duncan states that we are currently living in an obesogenic environment in the western world and that the impact of over nutrition in our society have surpassed the impact of malnutrition, and this epidemic of obesity is directly linked to mortality rates. There are many other pearls of wisdom as well as some myth-busting regarding exercise and nutrition for the singer and beyond. You cannot miss what Duncan has to share with us in this interview and we invite your questions around any of the key concepts relating to health and wellbeing for Duncan to respond to in the next few weeks during our live AMA (ask me anything).
In this episode
01:08 - Introduction
17:30 - Duncan’s transition from performing to nutrition
31:42 - The benefits of physical exercise
37:36 - Is it important to have a balanced exercise regime?
46:09 - Where to start if you’re a beginner?
59:58 - Are there exercises singers should avoid?
1:23:26 - Duncan’s three pieces of advice
For more go to https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/29
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Like this episode? Please leave a review here - even one sentence helps! ...
At present, not only are we in the midst of a global pandemic, but we are also in the midst of a mental health crisis and a social revolution that is affecting everyone globally, including those in our singing voice studios, the music industry and beyond. As a voice community I know we can do so much better.
This episode is dedicated to all those who are being silenced and to ensure that we as a voice community are honouring all voices and creating safe spaces for everyone to be heard irrespective of race, gender, mental health concerns and professional standing within the music industry. I revisit interview rounds with Nancy Bos, Nadine Manion, Ashlie Amber, Chris Johnson, Dr Elizabeth Benson, and Donna Hughes who offer their pearls of wisdom as to how we, as voice teachers and other music industry personnel can improve our working and studio environments, and ensure that policies are being created to allow for freedom of voice, expressivity and authenticity.
It is our hope, that these perspectives, stories and experiences will help to inspire change and encourage others to embark on their own journey of reflecting on their own biases and looking at how they can improve the industry culture your new normal. Let’s say goodbye to mental fatigue and hello to a super-charged brain!
In this episode
01:08 - Introduction
03:01 - Nancy Bos
14:42 - Nadine Manion
29:22 - Ashlie Amber
42:41 - Chris Johnson
52:20 - Dr Elizabeth Benson
1:00:52 - Donna Cameron
For more go to https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/28
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At present, not only are we in the midst of a global pandemic, but we are also in the midst of a mental health crisis that is affecting people of all ages, including children from all around the world. The RUOK organisation, is a non for profit harm prevention organisation that encourages people to stay connected and have meaningful conversations with others who are going through the most difficult times in their lives before they reach crisis point.
September 9th is RUOK Day which is a day this organisation seeks to raise awareness on the importance of creating a culture around support, connection and caring in the workplace environment. As we launch into RUOK week, we revisit some of the interview rounds, where the guests speak candidly about their own self-care regimes. In this episode, Dr Elizabeth Blades, Dr Wendy LeBorgne, Dr Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher, Lisa Popeil, Jenevora Williams and Ashlie Amber share their personal stories, experiences, and philosophies on the importance of self-care from a physical, mental and emotional health perspective and how their regimes of self-care have made a positive impact to their lives.
It is our hope, that these stories will help to inspire change and encourage others to embark on their own journey of self-care as well as to raise awareness for the RUOK organisation.
In this episode
01:08 - Introduction
03:17 - Self Care with Dr Elizabeth Blades
18:34 - Self Care with Dr Wendy LeBorgne
31:27 - Self Care with Dr Gillyanne Kayes & Jeremy Fisher
40:37 - Self Care with Lisa Popeil
52:34 - Self Care with Dr Jenevora Williams
1:04:19 - Self Care with Ashlie Amber
For more go to https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/27
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From the publisher's feed
A Voice and Beyond isn’t just a podcast—it’s a movement. It’s a celebration of every voice. It’s a space where authenticity thrives, personal transformation happens, and the beauty of individuality…
Each episode is a tribute to the challenges, and triumphs that make us who we are. Through heartfelt conversations and inspiring stories, we take you, our listener, on an incredible journey of connection, growth, and empowerment.
Whether you’re a performing artist, a creative, or someone who is simply searching for
a place where your voice is heard, we invite you to tune in and become part of our global family.
Let your journey of inspiration begin here and now!

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