Singing Teachers Talk

Alexa is joined by vocal performance coach Juliet Russell for a rich conversation about identity, artistry, and contemporary vocal training. Juliet shares how she helps singers identify and trust what makes them unique, evolve their voices alongside life and experience, and connect more deeply with audiences — drawing on her work across major TV formats as well as her one-to-one coaching with artists. We explore how to make vocal exercises more musical and stylistically relevant, how voice science can be translated into practical studio tools, and what Juliet sees as key pillars of contemporary vocal training for singing teachers today. The episode also dives into Juliet’s new app Do Your Sing, a contemporary training toolkit designed to support singers with creative, performance-led vocal development. 

About the presenter HERE

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?

2:19 How to help an artist identify what makes them unique

17:54 What do artists tend to overlook about their craft?

20:43 What is ‘talent’ and what can be learned?

24:08 The difference between a singing teacher, vocal coach and performance coach

30:08 Translating voice science in the studio

34:18 Contemporary teaching tools

1:04:10 Parting advice to contemporary singers and singing teachers

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

Joshua Alamu

Jai Ramage

Jono McNeil

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.198 Mastering Singing for Stage, Screen & the Music Industry 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.123 Insights Into TV Vocal Coaching 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.124 Mastering Vocal Style: Licks, Riffs and Runs with 

Emer Tully

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.241 Is Your Pelvic Floor Affecting Your Voice? A Deep Dive with Physiotherapist

Jenevora Williams

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.242 Understanding Motor Learning: How It Can Help Us Give Better Singing Lessons 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.169 How to Use Gesture for Better Singing 

ABOUT THE GUEST

Juliet Russell stands as one of the UK’s leading vocal performance coaches, with an exceptional track record with award-winning artists and groundbreaking shows. As a vocal coach and arranger on Netflix's breakout hit show Building the Band, Juliet helped shape the voices that captivated millions globally. She also coaches on BAFTA winning shows The Voice UK and Michael McIntyre’s Big Show.  

SEE FULL BIO HERE

Do Your Sing App | 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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In this episode, Alexa explores tempo and timekeeping in the voice studio — and why struggling with tempo might not be “just a rhythm problem.” If you find yourself working with a singer who rushes, drags, freezes, or falls apart this episode offers reassurance, perspective, and plenty of practical takeaways — all wrapped up in a very relatable Sunday afternoon analogy.  

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 

Karaoke Version 

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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What if your singing studio could open doors to the industry, too? In this episode, Alexa is joined by talent agent and educator Josephine Lancuba, founder of Studio Talent Collective, to lift the curtain on in-house talent agencies. From creating real audition opportunities for your singers to boosting retention, revenue, and industry credibility, Josephine breaks down how singing teachers can step confidently into talent management. If you’ve ever wondered how to better support your students beyond the studio, this conversation might just have the answer.  

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  

1:50 Who is Josephine Lancuba? 

9:05 What was the catalyst for having an in-house agency?  

10:55 In-house talent agency advantages for teacher and client  

17:01 How does the industry view in-house talent agencies?  

19:59 Getting the contacts  

23:41 Balancing singing teaching and being a talent manager  

26:25 Helping clients manage rejection  

36:55 Integrating an in-house agency  

55:35 Would would Josephine change from her journey?  

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 

Spotlight  

Casting Networks  

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.230 How to Survive Drama School Auditions: 10 Expert Tips 

Studio Talent Collective, The Podcast 

Canva 

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.192 How to Set Better Boundaries as a Singing Teacher 

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Josephine Lancuba is an award-winning performing arts business coach and talent management professional. With over 20 years in the arts industry, she has led and managed studios, entertainment, and production-based businesses, including her own dance and musical theatre studio along with its in-house talent agency service. 

A former performer, Josephine spent over a decade appearing on stage and screen before shifting her focus to business and talent development. Today, she helps performing arts studio owners build profitable, joy-filled businesses and guides aspiring talent managers through her world-first course, Talent Manager Bootcamp, as well as her plug-in talent agency, Studio Talent Collective, which enables Studio Owners to create and run their own in-house talent agencies. 

Passionate about the social, emotional, and the physical benefits of the performing arts, Josephine advocates for inclusive, positive opportunities for talent and the industry alike. 

Website 

Instagram: @studiotalentcollective

🎁 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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To kick off the 2026 season, Alexa and Jenevora Williams dive into the fascinating world of motor learning and what it really means for singing and teaching singing. From walking toddlers and chocolate metaphors to the neuroscience behind skill acquisition, the conversation unpacks why learning to sing is far more complex—and far more human—than we often assume. Together they explore implicit versus explicit learning, internal versus external focus, imagination, metaphor, and the role of trust, play, and mistake-making in vocal development. A thoughtful, wide-ranging discussion that invites singing teachers to simplify their language, deepen their listening, and give both themselves and their students permission to learn messily and creatively. 

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  

1:59 What is motor control and motor learning?

10:41 What are the stages of learning?

15:48 What is the brain and larynx interface?

18:59 Internal Vs External focus in motor learning

33:35 Choosing metaphorical and imagery based instruction

50:53 Impairment to motor skills

55:09 The future of voice pedagogy integrating neuroscience and imagination

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS 

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.75 Vocal Rehabilitation for Singers 

Motor Control, Motor Learning and Brain-Computer Interfaces

Heidi Moss Erickson

Hearing Singing: A Guide to Functional Listening and Voice Perception by Ian Howell

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

Tilting Article

Paul Eckman

PEVoC

Vocal Health Education

ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr Jenevora Williams is an expert in the fields of vocal health and singing teaching. After a successful career in Opera, she turned her attention to investigating healthy and efficient vocal function. The combination of academic study and practical experience has resulted in a unique perception for understanding the human voice. She was the first singing teacher to be awarded a PhD in voice science in the UK, and won the 2010 BVA Van Lawrence Prize for her outstanding contribution to voice research. Her book, Teaching Singing to Children and Young Adults, has been enormously popular with singing teachers throughout the world. 

Jenevora is well-known for her imaginative and rigorous international training courses for singing teachers and voice professionals. She is director of Vocal Health Education and Evolving Voice, training the first generation of Voice Rehabilitation Specialists worldwide. As a teacher of singing, she works with professional singers of all ages in both voice rehabilitation and career mentoring.  W: jenevorawilliams.com

🎁 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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We’re wrapping up 2025 with a conversation that will change the way you think about the voice forever. Physiotherapist Emer Tully from Neuro Tour joins us to unravel the vital — and often underestimated — role of the pelvic floor in singing. From breathing mechanics to alignment, from recognising tightness vs. weakness, to understanding why singers, dancers, teachers and performers of all kinds should care about this powerhouse of stability, this episode is packed with practical insights and surprising - the perfect finale to a year of rich conversations.  

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?

0:38 Thank YOU!

5:20 Why is the pelvic floor so intriguing?

7:59 The 5 diaphragms

12:01 The function of the pelvic floor

13:53 Pregnancy & performance

16:48 Signs of a tight or weak pelvic floor & the impact on singing

21:16 Helping a singer with a tight or weak pelvic floor

30:07 Advice about the gym and methods of ‘support’ in singing

39:32 Pelvic floor & stress

45:25 Recommended resources

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

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

Jennie Morton

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.69 Understanding Pregnancy for the Singer and the Self-Employed with Sarah Joyce & Cat Ogden

Feldenkrais

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.183 How to Fix Your Inhale and Transform Your Singing with Lucinda Allen

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.191How to Set Up the Best Exhale for Singing with Lucinda Allen

Duncan Rock

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.120 Understanding Singing and Fitness with Duncan Rock

Anatomy of Voice by Blandine-Calais-Germain & François Germain

Dr Sara Reardon

Michelle Edminson @mvmt.101

Jane App

ABOUT THE GUEST

Emer is NEURO TOUR’s London Associate Director of Education. She qualified from Manchester University with a BSc Physiotherapy degree, and is HCPC accredited as well as a member of the CSP. She is a Vocal Specialist and a Certified Women’s Health Practitioner. She has an advanced medical acupuncture certification; APPI Matwork & Reformer Pilates training & specialises in vocal/ TMJ physiotherapy. 

Website 

Instagram: @physio.emer 

🎁 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 

Thinking about taking your teaching to the next level, diving deeper into your specialist interests, or even writing a degree of your own? In this episode of Singing Teachers Talk, Alexa is joined by educator, performer, and MA creator Kaya Herstad-Carney, who pulls back the curtain on what a master’s degree in the performing arts really offers. From choosing the right pathway and understanding learning outcomes to balancing study with real life, Kaya shares how her own master’s shaped her career, the unexpected opportunities it opened, and what she’s learned from writing not one but two MA programmes. Whether you’re a singing teacher, performer, or creative professional considering postgraduate study, this conversation is packed with insight, encouragement, and the honest realities behind levelling up your education.

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?

2:27 Why did Kaya do a masters degree?

5:37 What is the advantage of studying for an MA?

10:10 How to choose an MA course

19:19 Juggling a part time MA

21:46 What If I’m not very academic?

26:11 Writing an MA degree

34:22 Marking degree assessments

39:07 Common errors in MA submissions

41:13 Making your MA decision

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

WaterBear The College of Music

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

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.222 The Rise of AI: What It Means for Singers & Teachers with Rachael Drury

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.226 The Rise of AI: Practical Tools and Strategies for the Singing Teacher with Rachael Drury

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.56 Taking the Academic Route with Debbie Winter

Voice Study Centre

Arts Council

ABOUT THE GUEST

 Kaya is a higher education leader, vocal pedagogue, and award-winning artist. From September 2025 she becomes Head of Education (Online) at WaterBear College of Music. With an MA from LIPA/Hope and Fellowship of the HEA, she specialises in student-centred learning and CCM vocal habilitation, and has taught at ACM, LIPA, University of Liverpool, and BAST Training. She sits on the Vocology in Practice Advisory Board, researches voice, wellbeing, and sustainable careers, and performs internationally as a singer-songwriter, including with John Grant and Ringo Starr.

SEE FULL BIO Here

Website

Instagram: @kayamusic

🎁 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 

Thinking about becoming a singing teacher but not sure what’s holding you back? In this episode, Alexa and Line break down the most common barriers aspiring singing teachers face. Learn how to get started with what you already know, build confidence step by step, choose the right training, and grow your teaching practice with clarity and purpose. If you’re ready to take the next step in your singing teaching journey, this conversation will help you move forward with confidence. 

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST? 

0:31 How did Line become a singing teacher?  

4:22 I don’t know enough & imposter syndrome 

11:26 There’s too much choice 

18:26 I don’t have the piano skills 

23:37 I don’t have confidence in my own voice  

28:25 I’m just not qualified  

31:26 What about money?  

36:51 My schedule is already busy  

40:59 I don’t know how to start a business  

46:10 What if I hurt a student’s voice?  

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS   

Line Hilton  

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

Hearing Singing - A Guide to Functional Listening and Voice Perception  

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.111 Essential Piano Skills for Singers and Voice Teachers with Brenda Earle Stokes  

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.158 How Music Theory and Keyboard Skills Can Transform Your Singing Teaching with Amy Walton  

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.88 Pros and Cons of Singing Teacher Qualifications with Line Hilton 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.229 Ways to Make More Money as a Singing Teacher with Zoe Stibi 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.227 Following Your Bliss: How to Align your Life and Business with Gemma Sugrue  

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.220 Time Management: Making Time When There Isn't Any with Line Hilton & Alexa Terry 

Chris Johnson 

🎁 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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Alexa Terry unwraps ten fresh, fun, and fabulously festive Christmas songs to help singing teachers bring new sparkle into their studios, offering a mix of musical theatre treasures, modern pop tunes, heartfelt ballads, and powerful rock renditions that give both students and teachers a welcome break from the usual overplayed holiday hits. With vocal range guidance, technical teaching opportunities, and stylistic notes for each song this episode provides a studio-ready repertoire list designed to keep spirits high and festive performances inspired throughout the busy holiday season. 

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 

ABRSM 

musicnotes.com 

‘A Most Remarkable Fella: Frank Loesser, and the Guys and Dolls in His Life' by Susan Loesser 

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

basttraining.com | Stay Updated 

This week, Alexa chats with the brilliant Ian Howell to explore how we really hear the singers we work with. From psychoacoustics and functional listening to timbre, bias and intention, Ian unpacks the hidden processes behind vocal perception—and how understanding them can transform the way we teach. A deep, fascinating conversation for any singing teacher wanting sharper ears and smarter tools. 

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  

1:53 What is psychoacoustics?

5:28 How is sound perceived by us?

12:38 What impacts the way we perceive sound?

20:46 Separating function from bias

25:48 Belt scenario

35:36 How do singers hear themselves?

40:59 How to listen and observe with skill

1:05:27 The relationship between intent and perception

1:15:15 Using spectrograms

1:19:57 The way Ian teaches

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

Hearing Singing - A Guide to Functional Listening and Voice Perception by Ian Howell

Johan Sundberg

The Acoustics of the Singing Voice by Johan Sundberg

Science of the Singing Voice by Johan Sundberg

Ingo Titze

‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ by Sarah Bareilles

Jeannie LoVetri

Feldenkrais

Singing Teachers Talk Podcast - Ep.63 Developing a Singer’s Self Awareness and Clarifying Intention with Robert Sussuma

Cornelius Reid

Voce Vista

Advice for Young Musicians by Ian Howell

Structure of Singing by Richard Miller

ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr. Ian Howell is the Founder and Chief Educator of the Embodied Music Lab, offering professional development and consulting for musicians and teachers. He is the author of Advice for Young Musicians (2023) and Hearing Singing: A Guide to Functional Listening and Voice Perception (2025). From 2013–2023, Ian served on the voice faculty at the New England Conservatory, directing the graduate voice pedagogy program and leading research in the NEC Voice and Sound Analysis Lab, where he and his students presented widely and contributed vital work during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

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

basttraining.com | Stay Updated 

In this episode, Becky Morton, Principal of Further Education at ACM and Alexa explore what the FE academic route can offer young singers stepping into today’s music industry. Becky shares curriculum structure with project-based training, and how this helps students to build both industry awareness and artist identity. The pair dig into why early professional habits matter, how the diploma pathway compares to traditional A-levels, and what young performers gain from learning to work with producers, bands and music businesses in a real-world environment. Becky also talks about current vocal trends, the technical demands of pop-rock singing, and how ACM is adapting its teaching to industry changes, including the rise of AI. 

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?

03:50 The role of Principle of FE at the Academy of Contemporary Music

5:00 Benefits and challenges of an academic route into music

10:13 A look at technique for pop-rock

12:50 Defining the pop-rock aesthetic

15:14 Artists to study in this genre

18:16 How important is music theory and sight singing?

22:54 2025 vocal and musical trends

30:56 What Becky wishes every singer understood

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

ACM

UAL

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.231 Evolving Vocal Trends: Training Functional Registration in Contemporary Commercial Music

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.222 The Rise of AI: What it Means for Singers & Teachers with Singing Teachers Talk - Ep,226 The Rise of AI: Practical Tools and Strategies for the Singing Teachers

ISM

Suno

Udio

Follow Becky’s Bands: The Likeness; Two’s Up; The Hooch Toots

ABOUT THE GUEST

Rebecca Morton, Principal of FE at ACM, is a professional musician, vocal coach, and musical director with 20+ years of experience. She has collaborated with artists such as Adrian Smith, Imogen Heap, and Alexander O’Neal, and toured as the solo backing vocalist for Hitomi Yaida across major UK and Japanese arenas. Her work includes recordings with Crispian Mills, Mattafix, cast albums, and dance releases with EMI and Hed Kandi. A vocal coach since 2002, she has supported artists like James Toseland and Marlon Roudette. Holding a Masters in Music Psychology, she champions passion, reliability, and excellence at ACM.

SEE FULL BIO HERE

Instagram: @acm_ldn

🎁 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