Broadway Vocal Coach

What happens when a longtime belter has to get back into legit singing shape?

This week Chelsea sits down with her dear friend and student, the incredible Emily Kristen Morris! To talk all about vocal cross-training, rebuilding legit technique after years of contemporary singing, and what it actually takes to move fluidly between vocal styles in today’s musical theatre industry.

We recorded this episode over a month ago while Chelsea was still in Come From Away rehearsals and before Emily officially started her new gig as Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls… and she just opened last week!

In this episode:

• Vocal cross-training for musical theatre performers
• Rebuilding legit technique after years of belting
• Why “use it or lose it” applies to vocal styles too
• The mindset shifts required when revisiting classical/legit singing
• Balancing vocal health, stamina, and versatility in a modern MT career

🗣 Check out Emily's new Vocal Health Course

❤️ Connect with Emily on Instagram and Tiktok

📱Connect with @bwayvocalcoach and @chwils
👩‍💻Submit for Office Hours here
💌 Get Chelsea's free Friday Newsletter

Chelsea sits down with stage director Tim Seib to talk about what happens on the other side of the table... and we think we may have solved the "too much material for a self tape" problem once and for all!!!

Tim is a longtime director at Theatre Raleigh, where he has helmed productions including The Prom, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Fun Home, Once, and The Secret Garden, among many others. He also directed the national tour of Million Dollar Quartet.

He has worked with companies across the country including The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, Casa Mañana, La Mirada Theatre, and Arrow Rock Lyceum, and has been deeply involved in the development of new shows.

Chelsea and Tim recorded this conversation just before rehearsals began for Come From Away at Theatre Raleigh, where Tim is directing and Chelsea is onstage as Diane (and others!).

They discuss what directors are actually watching for in the room — and why the smallest interactions can sometimes say the most.

📱Connect with @bwayvocalcoach and @chwils
👩‍💻Submit for Office Hours here
💌 Get Chelsea's free Friday Newsletter

Ever notice that your voice feels solid in the practice room… but suddenly falls apart in auditions, rehearsals, or performances?

In this episode, Chelsea breaks down a frustrating experience many singers know well: when your technique seems to disappear the moment the stakes get higher. You’ll learn why this happens and how to build a vocal technique that actually translates from lessons → practice → performance.

Plus, as we start season five (!) we’re launching a brand new segment on the podcast: Office Hours!

In this first listener submission, Chelsea coaches singer Lisa La Colla through a challenging passage from Christine’s “Think of Me” from The Phantom of the Opera. 

If you’ve ever wondered why your voice behaves differently when the pressure is on, this episode will give you tools to troubleshoot what’s really going on.

And if you’d like to be featured in a future Office Hours segment, you can submit your own singing question or voice memo here: https://chelseawilsonvocalstudio.com/officehours

📱Connect with @bwayvocalcoach and @chwils
👩‍💻Submit for Office Hours here
💌 Get Chelsea's free Friday Newsletter

Can you believe we've made it to 100 episodes?! Neither can we!!

Today we're celebrating, but we're also sharing an important update about what’s next.

As Broadway Vocal Coach evolves, we’re closing this chapter of the podcast as you’ve known it. We're each moving on to new creative projects and our BVC live classes are coming to an end.

But the podcast isn’t going away! Instead, it’s entering a new era. ✨

Moving forward, Chelsea will continue the show as a solo host, expanding the conversations, bringing in new voices, and continuing the mission that started this whole project in the first place: helping musical theatre performers build strong voices, sustainable careers, and fulfilling artistic lives.

This episode is a celebration, a thank you, and a turning of the page!

And if you’ve been with us for one episode or all one hundred — we’re so glad you’re here.

💙 Connect with Chelsea directly @chwils

❤️ Connect with Cynthia directly @cynthkw

📱Connect with @bwayvocalcoach and @chwils
👩‍💻Submit for Office Hours here
💌 Get Chelsea's free Friday Newsletter

What do you do when your voice just… doesn’t feel right?

In this episode, we walk through exactly how to troubleshoot those frustrating days when your voice feels fuzzy, crunchy, tired, or unreliable — and how to know when it’s time to rest, adjust your technique, or call in professional help.

We cover:

• How to go on a “fact-finding mission” instead of catastrophizing
• The difference between a singing issue and a speaking fatigue issue
• The usual suspects: sleep, hydration, hormones, stress, reflux, weather, and more
• When to rest — and when to gently work through it
• Why whispering is actually harder on your voice
• The difference between steaming and nebulizing (and when to use each)
• The “2-week rule” for seeing a laryngologist
• The rare but important red flags
• Why every serious singer should build a voice team before they’re in crisis

If you’re a performer, teacher, or professional voice user, this episode is your calm, practical roadmap for handling vocal uncertainty without spiraling!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

🎧 Episode 52: SOVT Exercises: What, Why, and How can singers use them?

🎤 Voice Team Locator : find a laryngologist or SLP near you

📱Connect with @bwayvocalcoach and @chwils
👩‍💻Submit for Office Hours here
💌 Get Chelsea's free Friday Newsletter

Self-tape takes aren’t rehearsal. They’re the performance!

In this episode, we're letting you in on our Self-Tape Survival Guide — from setup basics (lighting, sound, framing, eye line) to performance choices and the mindset shift that will save you hours of frustration.

You’ll learn:

• How to condense physicality without shrinking intention
• Why your takes get worse after take three (!)
• How to declare your preparation complete
• And how to send it in and let it go

Referenced episodes:

• Episode 83 "Choreographing Attention" with Tom Lipinski
• Episode 89 with Kate Lumpkin
• Episode 73: Eight Dumb Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Self-Tapes

If you’ve ever spiraled into 27 takes, questioned your entire career after watching yourself back, or tried to “find it” while filming… This episode is for you.

📱Connect with @bwayvocalcoach and @chwils
👩‍💻Submit for Office Hours here
💌 Get Chelsea's free Friday Newsletter

Frigid winter weather, germs abound, and someone decided THIS is audition season?! 

Whether you’re a high school senior heading into college auditions or a professional preparing for a busy season of tapes and callbacks, this conversation is packed with practical, real-world vocal health strategies you can use any time your voice is under pressure. 

Aspire Program Director Julie Kavanagh sits down with BVC co-founder Chelsea Wilson to talk nerves, stamina, sickness, travel, warmups, and how to sing well even when conditions aren’t ideal.

You’ll hear us dive into:

• How nerves physically affect your voice—and tools to manage them
• Building vocal stamina in the weeks leading up to auditions
• What to pack in your vocal health kit 
• How to warm up on long or early travel days
• What to do when you wake up congested or “not at your best”

Plus: Chelsea’s go-to grounding ritual, myths to ignore, and the mindset shift that helps singers perform with confidence—even on a 60% voice day.

Julie hosts more college audition-related conversations over on the NEW Aspire Youtube Channel! Support the show by hitting subscribe!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Vocal Health for College MT Auditions: Staying Strong in Not-So-Ideal ConditionsChelsea Wilson Vocal Studio Warm-Up Series - A set of 10-minute warmups for mix, legit, and belt—perfect for audition days. On sale thru Dec 31st.

FREE 10-Minute Mix Voice Mini-Lesson  - Chelsea’s guided warmup to help you activate your mix before auditions.

SOVT / Straw Work Resources - Listen to episode 54 the BVC Podcast for a deep dive! Use code "CHELSEA10" to get 10% off your Singing / Straw order: http://lddy.no/qfc8

📱Connect with @bwayvocalcoach and @chwils
👩‍💻Submit for Office Hours here
💌 Get Chelsea's free Friday Newsletter

Is clearing my throat bad for my voice? Will dairy make my voice crack? Is belting going to give me nodes? If you’re a singer I’m sure you’ve heard some of these before and wonder, is there any truth to that? In today's replay episode (one of our most popular ever!) we’re dispelling vocal health myths and sharing what voice care practices actually makes a difference in your voice and your overall wellness. 

If today’s episode reminded you how much your voice matters, come get real support inside BVC Masterclass. Join us monthly to build healthier habits, stronger technique, and a voice you can rely on.

Chelsea's Warm-Up Series: use code "BVC20" and save 20% on everything.

Video: Vocal Cord Swelling Checks - A Simple Way to Detect the Early Signs of Vocal Injury

Sarah K Brown @VocalHealthSKB: Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) and Singing Teacher with science-based singing and vocal health tips

Elle Nichelle @VocaLabAU: SLP and Singing Teacher. Prevention > Treatment! 

📱Connect with @bwayvocalcoach and @chwils
👩‍💻Submit for Office Hours here
💌 Get Chelsea's free Friday Newsletter

What if the life you’re living right now… is the one you used to dream about?

Today we're taking a brief step away from vocal technique and auditions to talk about something equally essential for performers: gratitude, perspective, and the surprising power of taking stock of what’s already good.

Whether you're prepping for holiday travel, a weekend of shows, or finally taking a breath before the winter rush, this episode is your gentle reminder that you’re doing better than you think.

In this episode, we unpack:

• The Reverse To-Do List: Why looking back at what you have done matters more than obsessing about what’s next.
• Gratitude as a Creative Tool: How noticing tiny joys can motivate you through the hardest stretches of a performing career.
• The Gift of Aging (Really!): What getting older teaches us about joy, wrinkles, and perspective.
• Life Seasons & Artistic Seasons: You can’t do everything at once, and why that’s okay.
• Why You Keep Raising the Bar: The human tendency to move goal posts…and how to reclaim awe for what you already have.

If you’re craving a mindset reset before the holidays and want to feel more grounded, grateful, and present in your creative life, this one’s for you. ❤️

📱Connect with @bwayvocalcoach and @chwils
👩‍💻Submit for Office Hours here
💌 Get Chelsea's free Friday Newsletter

What does it really take to perform one of the most iconic soprano roles in theatre history? (Hint: it’s more than high notes and pretty gowns!)

In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Haile Ferrier and Francesca Mehrotra, two of the six extraordinary women starring as Christine in Masquerade, the new off-Broadway immersive Phantom of the Opera experience directed by Diane Paulus.

They open up about:

• What it’s like to share one of musical theatre’s most iconic soprano roles with five other women.
• The vocal stamina and ritual it takes to perform this demanding score night after night.
• The power of representation — and what it means to see a new generation of Christines take the stage.
• The “Christine Sisterhood” that’s formed behind the scenes, and how collaboration fuels creativity.

Whether you’re a singer, a Phantom phan, or an artist hoping for longevity in a demanding career, this conversation is a masterclass in grace, grit, and vocal artistry.

📱Connect with @bwayvocalcoach and @chwils
👩‍💻Submit for Office Hours here
💌 Get Chelsea's free Friday Newsletter