Why do performers experience stage fright, even when they love being on stage? In this episode, voice coach and breathwork teacher Laura Dumbleton joins Alexa to unpack performance anxiety, fight-or-flight responses, and practical tools to manage nerves before, during and after singing or public speaking. Expect honest stories, functional techniques, confidence strategies, and advice for singers, performers and vocal coaches navigating stage fright. 

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  

2:39 What is stage fright?  

4:17 Why might a singer experience stage fright?  

5:55 Why has performing not evolved to become less stress-provoking?  

9:40 Symptoms of stage fright to look out for  

12:59 Is it true that ‘some nerves can be helpful?’  

15:25 The Boiling Pot Analogy  

19:20 Stage fright myth busting  

21:39 Strategies for stage fright 

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.155 Part One: Building Neurodiversity-Inclusive Voice Studios 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.156 Part Two: Building Neurodiversity-Inclusive Voice Studios 

Dave Cottrell: @mindsetbydave 

Stress Less: Breath More - Simple Breathing Exercises for Stress Relief 

Sarah Joyce: @sarahjoycesings 

Jessie J - Watch Me Work Through a Panic on Stage  

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.80 Understanding Music Performance Anxiety 

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Laura Dumbleton is a Stage Fright Coach, Voice Coach and Breathwork Teacher with over fourteen years of experience working with singers and voice teachers. She specialises in why technically prepared singers still struggle under pressure, and what can be done about it. She is passionate about getting rid of “just practice more!” as a solution and instead replacing it with actual tools to address the underlying problem. 

Laura works from her studio in Lincolnshire and online with clients worldwide, offering 1:1 coaching, group workshops, and courses covering musical theatre voice, stage fright, and performance confidence. Her Stage Fright workshops bring together the science of performance anxiety, vocal technique, and nervous system regulation, giving singers and teachers practical tools for building genuine confidence that holds up under pressure. Breathwork runs through everything she does, from coherence breathing to conscious connected breathwork, whether as a standalone session or woven into performance coaching. 

She holds a Masters of Research from the University of Edinburgh specialising in performance anxiety in singers, alongside being an IVA Advanced Instructor and qualified Breathwork Facilitator and Teacher with Breathing Space. 

Website 

Instagram 

🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE

At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.

“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK

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What happens when singing teachers step away from screens and come together in one room? In this episode, Line Hilton shares why BAST is bringing back live, in-person singing teacher training with a special intensive weekend in Manchester, exploring the power of community, CPD, vocal pedagogy, networking, and hands-on learning. Discover who the event is for, what topics will be covered, and why investing in your development as a singing teacher could transform both your confidence and your teaching. Plus, find out how to get your tickets, access an exclusive podcast discount, and join us on 20–21 June. 

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST? 

1:36 What happens in a room full of singing teachers that can’t happen online?  

3:00 What has BAST been cooking up?  

7:11 How to get a ticket 

8:37 The BAST Intensive schedule  

11:17 What might I take away from a weekend intensive event?  

14:32 What if I don’t know anyone?  

17:15 What is Line the most excited about?  

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS   

Line Hilton  

Focus On Events 

Manchester College 

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THE BAST MANCHESTER INTENSIVE 2026 HERE 

YOUR SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODE: STTINTENSIVESPECIAL 

🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE

At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.

“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK

Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW

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How important is it that the singing teacher can actually demonstrate the sound they are asking of the singer? This week, Line and Alexa are unpacking the hidden realities behind vocal demonstration, and why giving a demo isn’t always that simple. From physiology and hormones to stamina preservation, this conversation might just make you rethink the expectations we place on ourselves as singing teachers, whilst also recognising the very real importance of keeping our own voices ready.  

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST? 

2:33 How important is it for a singing teacher to demonstrate?  

4:32 When should a singing teacher demonstrate?  

6:33 Demonstration and physiology 

10:49 Demonstration and the opposite sex 

15:48 Demonstration and illness  

20:55 Demonstration and injury 

25:54 Demonstration and the working singer    

31:00 Demonstrating and hormones 

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS   

Line Hilton  

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.254 Lessons Learned in the First Year of Teaching Singing with Mark Lowman 

Vocalzone 

Vocalzone, Saviours or Destroyers? Article   

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.257 Inside the Voice Clinic: Common Vocal Problems & What Happens Next with ENT Mr Nicholas Gibbins 

Ejae  

Renée Fleming 

Singing and The Premenstrual Voice Article  

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.102 Understanding Singing and Menopause with Joanna Bozeman 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.201 Working with Hypermobile Singers with Sarah Algoet 

🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE

At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.

“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK

Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW

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In this episode, Alexa dives into the often-misunderstood world of legit musical theatre singing, unpacking what the style really means, why so many performers feel lost when approaching it, and how teachers can guide singers through the journey with confidence. From Golden Age roots to contemporary legit crossovers, she explores key vocal characteristics, common challenges, and practical repertoire suggestions to help singers build versatility without overwhelm. 

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST 

0:42 Defining ‘legit’ 

4:16 Common technical challenges  

5:44 10+ ‘legit’ song ideas 

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 

musicnotes.com 

So You Want To Sing Musical Theatre by Amanda Flynn  

NATS 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.133 Mastering Belt in Musical Theatre 

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Alexa runs a singing tuition practice in the South of England, and is a singing tutor at one of the UK’s leading performing arts schools – Italia Conti, where she also regularly panels auditions and assessments. Alexa is the host of the BAST Training Singing Teachers Talk podcast, mentors for the BAST Training Level 5 qualification, and has presented on topics of Musical Theatre repertoire, authentic Musical Theatre performance, and imposter syndrome for Vocology in Practise and The Sing Space.  

SEE FULL BIO HERE

Website 

Instagram: @AlexaTerryVocalCoaching  

🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE

At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.

“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK

Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW

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What are the most common vocal issues singers actually face, and how can we prevent them without falling into the trap of overthinking every tiny symptom? In this engaging and refreshingly honest chat, ENT voice specialist Nick Gibbins breaks down the patterns he sees in clinic, alongside practical insights on building vocal stamina and injury prevention. The conversation tackles what can actually be detected via laryngostroboscopy, reflux, hypermobility, rehabilitation, and Nick also tackles some questions from you, the listeners. Expect expert knowledge, myth-busting, and plenty of down-to-earth, relatable discussion that every singer and teacher will benefit from hearing.

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?

5:21 What singers does Nick see in clinic?

8:16 Patterns of challenge and injury in singers

13:06 Reflux

17:38 Preparing for vocal load increase

24:10 What can you actually tell about a singer via laryngostroboscopy?

26:46 Hypermobility

36:25 Surgery and recovery

41:08 Singing teachers and rehabilitation

47:52 Can you feel your vocal folds?

54:22 Vocal hygiene without the hype

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

Declan Costello

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.87 87 How to Manage Allergies and Upper Respiratory Infections

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.201 Working with Hypermobile Singers

British Laryngological Association

CEORL-HNS Congress

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Mr Nicholas Gibbins is a Consultant Laryngologist and Head & Neck Surgeon at the University Hospital Lewisham. Trained in London and the South-East of England, Nick has built a reputation as an excellent surgeon, teacher and lecturer. Patient outcomes are a key focus for Nick and, along with the whole of the renowned voice team at Lewisham, has built the largest Voice Database in Europe to analyse outcomes.

His key interests in the voice are the diagnosis and treatment of vocal fold scars and sulci, and the care and treatment of the professional voice. More recently he has been sought after to lecture on musculoskeletal problems that can either originate in the larynx causing muscle tension imbalance or that arising distally and effect the biomechanics of the voice. He has built a team that can address all these issues that includes speech therapists, osteopaths, vocal rehabilitation coaches, kinetic chain specialists, gastroenterologists, neurologists and more.

He writes and publishes regularly and is the current Editor of the Chapter on the Larynx for Gray’s Anatomy (43rd Ed). His term of office as President of the British Laryngological Association began in 2025.

🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE

At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.

“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK

Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW

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A fascinating deep dive into what really happens inside the singer’s brain, this episode explores the surprising intersection of neuroscience, pedagogy, and creativity. Joined by renowned voice expert Heidi Moss Erickson, the conversation unpacks how singing is both incredibly complex and beautifully instinctive revealing why play, imagination, and even a bit of “crazy” can unlock better vocal performance. This episode challenges singers and teachers alike to embrace a more brain-friendly, joyful approach to vocal training.

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?

4:19 Is singing really that complex?

7:58 Nature Vs. Nuture

10:19 Brain data for singing

12:03 The order of things: The Holy Grail P1

23:10 Integral parts to the brain’s prediction for singing

29:42 Neurodiversity inclusivity

34:02 The role of intention

39:12 The order of things: The Holy Grail P2

46:26 The brain and learning expectations

54:29 Who needs to understand ‘singing in the brain?’

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

The work of Richard Miller

Erich Jarvis

Heidi’s Singing in the Brain Series

The work of Ingo Titze

Voce Vista

Singing With Your Whole Self by Samuel H Nelson & Elizabeth L Blades

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.63 Developing a Singer’s Self Awareness And Clarifying Intention

Edward Chang UCSF

Journal of Singing 

ABOUT THE GUEST

Heidi Moss Erickson is an acclaimed soprano, educator, and scientist who has performed on major national and international stages and with leading regional opera companies. A strong advocate for contemporary music, she has premiered works by renowned composers and collaborated with artists such as Jake Heggie and Tarik O’Regan.

She has earned top honors in prestigious vocal competitions, including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Her academic background in voice, biology, and neuroscience has also led to contributions to significant scientific publications.

After a rare nerve injury, Erickson developed an innovative, neuroscience-based approach to vocal pedagogy, now applied across multiple musical genres. She teaches and lectures internationally and shares her work through publications, courses, and her “Singing in the Brain” series.

Committed to accessibility, she founded a non-profit providing voice lessons to underserved communities and continues to connect science and singing through her research and writing.

SEE FULL BIO HERE

Website

🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE

At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.

“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK

Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW

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Get the honest lowdown before you buy in this fun, insightful review episode of Stop Faking It! Sound. Alexa breaks down whether this book really delivers for singing teachers and vocal coaches, without the usual dry, sleep-inducing science. Along the way, Alexa unpacks key concepts in a way that actually sticks, complete with stories and real-world examples. If you’ve ever felt intimidated by sound science or wondered which resources are truly worth your time and money, this episode will help you decide with confidence. 

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 

(NSTA) National Science Teaching Association  

Evolve by Chris Johnson 

Brian Diskin 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.248 Thyroid Tilt Under the Microscope: Perception vs Physiology 

Ken Bozeman 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.146 How to Understand and Apply Vocal Acoustic Pedagogy 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.172 Understanding Acoustic Registers  

Chadley Ballantyne 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.52 Getting to Grips with Vocal Acoustics  

Ian Howell 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.237 Beyond the Vocal Tract: How the Brain Shapes What We Hear  

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Alexa runs a singing tuition practice in the South of England, and is a singing tutor at one of the UK’s leading performing arts schools – Italia Conti, where she also regularly panels auditions and assessments. Alexa is the host of the BAST Training Singing Teachers Talk podcast, acts as mentor and unit tutor for the BAST Training Level 5 qualification, and has presented on topics of Musical Theatre repertoire, authentic Musical Theatre performance, and imposter syndrome for Vocology in Practice and The Sing Space.  

SEE FULL BIO HERE

Website 

Instagram: @AlexaTerryVocalCoaching  

🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE

At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.

“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK

Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW

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Ever wondered what really happens in that all-important first year of teaching? The leap from passion to profession, from ‘maybe one day’ to ‘this is it’ - it’s rarely a straight line. In today’s episode, we’re diving into the journey of Mark Lowman - from a career in hospitality and travel to stepping into life as a vocal coach. What does it take to start from scratch, build a studio, and back yourself when imposter syndrome creeps in? This is an honest look at that first year: the turning points, the practical steps, and the mindset shifts that make it all possible. It’s about more than technique - it’s about courage, reinvention, and finding your voice not just as a singer, but as a teacher. Let’s get into it.

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?

0:50 A bit about Mark

9:05 Putting ‘transferable skills’ to use

11:26 Choirs: Managing different personalities, needs and abilities

16:50 Demonstration: The challenge as a male presenting singing teacher

21:20 The first steps to becoming a singing teacher

27:38 Managing imposter syndrome

35:04 What has changed Mark’s mind on?

39:03 Mark’s mission

47:32 What keeps Mark excited about teaching?

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

Vocalize Choirs

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.102 - Understanding Singing and Menopause

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.247 - The 5-Day Challenge: Clarity, Confidence and Getting Started as a Singing Teacher

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.154 - Managing Imposter Syndrome, Low Confidence and Overwhelm as Singing Teachers

Chris Johnson Vocal Coach

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.195 How Unlocking Your True Values Can Transform Your Teaching and Life

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.227 Following Your Bliss: How to Align Your Life and Business

Teach Voice

ABOUT THE GUEST

Mark Lowman is a vocal coach and performer with over 15 years of international experience across the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. After a successful career in the travel industry leading events, sales, and marketing teams, he moved into coaching and personal development.

His passion for music began as a hobby, later performing with choirs and bands, and he started vocal coaching in 2018 with Vocalize Choir, which has since grown into a thriving, successful community. After training with leading vocal coaches and completing the BAST 20-Hour Course, he transitioned to full-time teaching.

In 2025, he founded Mark Lowman Vocals, now supporting over 50 students across Dorset in its first year.

Website

Instagram

Facebook

🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE

At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.

“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK

Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW

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Line Hilton hosts the Singing Teachers Talk podcast and challenges the continued, vague use of “support” and appoggio in breath management teaching, arguing that research shows no single correct breathing strategy among elite singers and that singers often misidentify what their respiratory muscles are doing. She explains how singing uses much larger lung-volume ranges than speech, often requiring controlled braking against passive recoil rather than pushing more air, and notes that trained singers don’t have bigger lungs—just better coordination. Drawing on sources including Miller, McCoy, Titze, Sundberg, and EMG research, she reframes “support” as task-specific breath management shaped by genre, physiology, and performance demands, and offers practical studio strategies such as audiation, mental rehearsal, the Underwood method, SPLAT, physiological sigh, sustained S/counting, straw phonation, gestural calibration, score marking, CO2 tolerance work, and respiratory hygiene. 

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST? 

00:19 Why the term support bothers me 

01:47 What the research says 

04:23 Why breath is complex 

08:42 The problem with support 

14:55 Reframing as Breath Management 

15:32 Studio tools and exercises 

23:43 Bigger picture  and hygiene 

24:42 Key takeaways and language shift 

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS   

SEE WEBSITE FOR FULL LIST OF RESOURCES HERE

🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE

At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.

“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK

Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW

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This week, Alexa is joined by Dr Luciano Simões to explore cross-training as a modern vocal pedagogy through a Latin American lens, unpacking how singers can develop flexibility, resilience, and stylistic authenticity across different genres. Drawing on the rich hybridity of Latin American music Luciano shares how cross-training equips singers to navigate diverse vocal demands with both technical freedom and cultural awareness. This conversation challenges the idea of fixed vocal identities, inviting teachers and singers alike to embrace versatility, curiosity, and the vibrant diversity of global vocal styles. 

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  

2:10 Who is Dr Luciano Simões?  

6:42 Understanding Latin American music  

21:13 What functional technique is included in cross-training?  

27:57 What does a cross-training singing lesson look like?  

37:41 Technical conflicts in cross-training  

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 

Jeanie LoVetri 

Alexander Technique 

Feldenkrais 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.245 Technique Meets Artistry: Working with Contemporary Singers 

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Dr. Luciano Simões is a baritone, voice pedagogue, conductor, and researcher with over 30 years of teaching experience. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Michigan State University, alongside advanced degrees in choral conducting and musicology, and has undertaken postdoctoral research on Fado and musical theatre belting. He previously taught at institutions including the Latin American Integration University, where he developed a pioneering cross-training voice programme based on Latin American styles. 

Now based in Germany, he runs an independent voice studio and lectures internationally on cross-training and hybrid vocal technique. His work has been presented at major global conferences and published in leading voice journals. As a performer, he has sung across genres from opera to Brazilian jazz and maintains an active profile in both solo and choral music. 

SEE FULL BIO HERE

Instagram: @lucianosimoes_dma 

🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE

At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.

“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK

Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW

basttraining.com | Stay Updated