Like it or not, the voice is affected by our moods. Whether we’re feeling confident, excited, schlumpy, or sad, our emotional truth can easily come out in how we sound. A lot of the time, this isn’t a problem at all. But sometimes, feeling a feeling, or suppressing a feeling generates muscle tension that makes it hard for the voice to work well. Finding a new way to think about our situation can often get us vocally back on track. 

We often worry about 

• Whether it’s “okay” to sing
• Notes that are hard to hit
• Feeling shy  
• Singing out of tune
• What other people think

Today I’m sharing some thoughts to try on when you feel like you’re getting in your own way and I’d love to know what you think! 

Don’t hesitate to reach out via email to [email protected]. 

Michèle Voillequé is a singer and a voice teacher living in Berkeley, California. 

Yes, you can sound better! Opt-in for a free video training on my website: https://mvmusik.com

A transcript of this episode is available at mvmusik.com/blog/cant-wait-to-hear-you-episode-58. You can subscribe to Can’t Wait to Hear You wherever you get podcasts. If you have a question about your voice or how you’re using it, please email [email protected]. To learn more about Michèle or to subscribe to her newsletter, visit mvmusik.com.

Our music is thanks to Katya and Ada.

The show is edited by K.O. Myers at Particulate Media.

Two complaints I often hear are, “I sound flat” and “my voice sounds nasal!” These very common problems are totally fixable, and they often happen together. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What people mean by “flat” and “nasal”
• Why “flat” and “nasal” often happen together
• What you can do to make a more vibrant, ringing tone instead. 

Was this episode helpful? Do you have more questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out via email to [email protected].Michèle Voillequé is a singer and a voice teacher living in Berkeley, California. 

Yes, you can sound better! Opt-in for a free video training on my website: https://mvmusik.com

A transcript of this episode is available at mvmusik.com/blog/cant-wait-to-hear-you-episode-57. You can subscribe to Can’t Wait to Hear You wherever you get podcasts. If you have a question about your voice or how you’re using it, please email [email protected]. To learn more about Michèle or to subscribe to her newsletter, visit mvmusik.com.

Our music is thanks to Katya and Ada.

The show is edited by K.O. Myers at Particulate Media.

Do you have more than one voice? Most of us do. Often, the voice we use when we’re performing for an audience or practicing with a teacher is different from the voice we unleash when we’re alone. Whether you’re singing in the shower, in the car, or while you’re doing dishes, that effortless freedom can feel like your own special magic. What if you could capture some of that carefree confidence and bring it with you to your lessons?

This episode, we’re talking about your “real” voice, how it’s different from your performance voice, and what you can do to bring the two closer together, including:

• Why most people have a voice they only use when they’re alone, and the (very understandable) reasons why you might keep your “alone voice” private. 
• How physical environments shape the sounds we make, and where we’re comfortable sharing them.
• Developing the vocabulary to describe your voice, and make useful comparisons between that voice and the one you bring to your voice lessons.
• Ways to think about learning that can help you feel less nervous.

I’d love to hear about your “real” voice. How is it different from the voice you share with the world? After listening to this episode, do you think any of that will change? Don’t hesitate to reach out via email to [email protected]. 

Michèle Voillequé is a singer and a voice teacher living in Berkeley, California. 

Yes, you can sound better! Opt-in for a free video training on my website: https://mvmusik.com

A transcript of this episode is available at mvmusik.com/blog/cant-wait-to-hear-you-episode-56. You can subscribe to Can’t Wait to Hear You wherever you get podcasts. If you have a question about your voice or how you’re using it, please email [email protected]. To learn more about Michèle or to subscribe to her newsletter, visit mvmusik.com.

Many of my students report being embarrassed about singing in front of an audience, whether it’s around the house or on stage. Yet some people can get up at karaoke and murder a popular tune without feeling a flicker of shame.

Why do so many of us feel self-conscious about the way we sound when we sing? And what can we do to get past that inner cringe? This time, we’re digging into:

• The developmental roots of self-consciousness about our voice.
• What embarrassment is trying to signal about safety, and why it’s misleading.
• The differences between speaking and singing that can make singing feel awkward.
• Choosing to reject the impulse toward embarrassment, and practice tips to help you get into that mindset. 

I’d love to know how you’ve experienced embarrassment, and if these suggestions feel helpful. Don’t hesitate to reach out via email! [email protected]. Michèle Voillequé is a singer and a voice teacher living in Berkeley, California. 

Yes, you can sound better! Opt-in for a free video training on my website: https://mvmusik.com

A transcript of this episode is available at mvmusik.com/blog/cant-wait-to-hear-you-episode-55. You can subscribe to Can’t Wait to Hear You wherever you get podcasts. If you have a question about your voice or how you’re using it, please email [email protected]. To learn more about Michèle or to subscribe to her newsletter, visit mvmusik.com.

Our music is thanks to Katya and Ada.

The show is edited by K.O. Myers at Particulate Media.

How we sound is so connected to who we imagine ourselves to be that it’s natural and expected to find ourselves full of doubt, fear or resistance when we try to change our singing or speaking voice. 

Managing these emotional hurdles is essential if we’re going to make vocal progress. In fact, when we tackle the physical and the emotional work together, we usually sound better so much faster. 

Over the years, I’ve uncovered many beliefs that make the process of vocal change easier when we can embrace them. I share a few of them in this episode:

• It’s safe to experiment
• Sounds are morally neutral
• I have the resources I need to get started
• I'm the expert on my own body and there is a lot that I've never considered before
• What I'm going to learn is only going to make me a deeper person
• I’ve made it through other ugly duckling periods before and it’s turned out okay
• Small changes make a big difference

I’d love to know how these ideas land with you, and what’s made change easier for you in your own life. Don’t hesitate to reach out via email! [email protected]. 

Michèle Voillequé is a singer and a voice teacher living in Berkeley, California. 

Yes, you can sound better! Opt-in for a free video training on my website: https://mvmusik.com

A transcript of this episode is available at mvmusik.com/blog/cant-wait-to-hear-you-episode-54. You can subscribe to Can’t Wait to Hear You wherever you get podcasts. If you have a question about your voice or how you’re using it, please email [email protected]. To learn more about Michèle or to subscribe to her newsletter, visit mvmusik.com.

Our music is thanks to Katya and Ada.

The show is edited by K.O. Myers at Particulate Media.

Practice makes perfect. It’s the mantra invoked by parents and teachers to encourage us to keep at it when we’re grinding through the discouragement of learning how to do a new thing. It’s meant to remind us that improvement is a matter of hard work and perseverance, and of what we can achieve if we stick with it.

It’s also a trap.

I’ve heard countless students, who should have been proud of how far they’ve come, express frustration and disappointment because they hadn’t reached “perfection.” Their attention is so captured by tiny flaws and flubs that they can’t hear all the progress they’ve made. 

I struggle with perfectionism, too, so I understand what they (and you) are going through. But there is hope. This time, I want to help you wriggle out of the perfectionist trap. I have five questions you can use to measure your impact, identify areas where you can improve, and appreciate how far you’ve come. 

Michèle Voillequé is a singer and a voice teacher living in Berkeley, California. 

Yes, you can sound better! Opt-in for a free video training on my website: https://mvmusik.com

A transcript of this episode is available at mvmusik.com/blog/cant-wait-to-hear-you-episode-53. You can subscribe to Can’t Wait to Hear You wherever you get podcasts. If you have a question about your voice or how you’re using it, please email [email protected]. To learn more about Michèle or to subscribe to her newsletter, visit mvmusik.com.

Our music is thanks to Katya and Ada.

The show is edited by K.O. Myers at Particulate Media. 

When you’re nervous or stressed out and you can’t calm yourself down, taking a deep breath is maybe the most common advice you’ll get (maybe even from yourself!). And it can make a difference. But the experiences of my students make me think that it’s not always as effective as we think it is.

Why is that? Often it’s because the image of a deep breath we have in our minds makes a lot of noise and tightens a lot of muscles, but doesn’t actually move that much air into our lungs. The actual softening and opening of the airway, lungs, and torso that go into a deep inhalation can be very counter-intuitive. I want to straighten out some misconceptions about how to take a deep breath, and share some techniques to help your body AND your mind let go of tension so you can use your breathing to its full potential.

Michèle Voillequé is a singer and a voice teacher living in Berkeley, California. 

Yes, you can sound better! Opt-in for a free video training on my website: https://mvmusik.com

A transcript of this episode is available at mvmusik.com/blog/cant-wait-to-hear-you-episode-52. You can subscribe to Can’t Wait to Hear You wherever you get podcasts. If you have a question about your voice or how you’re using it, please email [email protected]. To learn more about Michèle or to subscribe to her newsletter, visit mvmusik.com.

Our music is thanks to Katya and Ada.

The show is edited by K.O. Myers at Particulate Media.

Last episode, I shared about how I’ve been dealing with something called Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion. It’s one of a whole class of functional disorders that can affect the body. We call them functional disorders because the actual body parts (the throat and vocal cords in my case) are perfectly fine. But for some reason, my brain and body are reacting to my environment in a way that keeps them from working the way they should.

I’m fortunate that I’ve had a lot of amazing helpers as I learn how to manage my functional disorder. One of them was my good friend and repeat guest, speech language pathologist Matthew Brown. Though Matthew wasn’t treating me clinically, he’s been a knowledgeable and sympathetic resource.

Talking with Matthew about the potential triggers and how to respond has been so rewarding, and I wanted you to experience a bit of his wisdom. Matthew joins me to demystify functional disorders, what triggers and treatment can look like, and why kindness to ourselves is a vital part of the process.

Michèle Voillequé is a singer and a voice teacher living in Berkeley, California. 

This episode is a follow-up to Episode 50, Is Change Possible?

https://www.mvmusik.com/cant-wait-to-hear-you-episode-50 

Yes, you can sound better! Opt-in for a free video training on my website: https://mvmusik.com

A transcript of this episode is available at mvmusik.com/blog/cant-wait-to-hear-you-episode-51. You can subscribe to Can’t Wait to Hear You wherever you get podcasts. If you have a question about your voice or how you’re using it, please email [email protected]. To learn more about Michèle or to subscribe to her newsletter, visit mvmusik.com.

Our music is thanks to Katya and Ada.

The show is edited by K.O. Myers at Particulate Media.

The question of whether change is possible is fascinating. On one level, the answer is an obvious yes. Things change around us all the time. But when we’re asking about intentional change, change within ourselves and our abilities, suddenly the answer can seem a lot less certain. What I know from experience – my own and my students’ – is that there is a simple, doable process for changing your voice. If you’d like to sound different than you do today, I absolutely believe that’s within your reach. Tune in to learn more!

Michèle Voillequé is a singer and a voice teacher living in Berkeley, California. 

Episode 44, Waking Up With A Sore Throat: https://www.mvmusik.com/cant-wait-to-hear-you-episode-44 

Yes, you can sound better! Opt-in for a free video training on my website: https://mvmusik.com

A transcript of this episode is available at mvmusik.com/blog/cant-wait-to-hear-you-episode-50. You can subscribe to Can’t Wait to Hear You wherever you get podcasts. If you have a question about your voice or how you’re using it, please email [email protected]. To learn more about Michèle or to subscribe to her newsletter, visit mvmusik.com.

Our music is thanks to Katya and Ada.

The show is edited by K.O. Myers at Particulate Media.

The way the world feels now, we could all benefit from more joy, more comfort, more solace and sanity. In fact, to take effective action in the world, we need to be as strong, calm and grounded as we can possibly be. Even ten minutes of listening to music can restore you to a better state. Not just having it on in the background, but really sitting and listening will allow your mind to rest, your heart to calm and your body to breathe a bit easier. It’s a habit worth practicing. 

Michèle Voillequé is a singer and a voice teacher living in Berkeley, California. 

Yes, you can sound better! Opt-in for a free video training on my website: https://mvmusik.com

A transcript of this episode is available at mvmusik.com/blog/cant-wait-to-hear-you-episode-49. You can subscribe to Can’t Wait to Hear You wherever you get podcasts. If you have a question about your voice or how you’re using it, please email [email protected]. To learn more about Michèle or to subscribe to her newsletter, visit mvmusik.com.

Our music is thanks to Katya and Ada.

The show is edited by K.O. Myers at Particulate Media.