The Joyful Singer

Have you ever finished singing, someone tells you how beautiful you sounded, and your immediate response is:

“Really? I thought I sounded awful.”

Do you launch into a detailed explanation of everything that went wrong?

Yep. I’ve done this more times than I can count.

In this episode, we’re talking about why it can be surprisingly hard for singers to receive a compliment and why learning to do so can actually be part of learning to let yourself be seen.

In this episode, we explore:

Website: https://www.erinstewart.net/

Joyful Singing Starter Kit:
My free Starter Kit includes a workbook, a 2-minute guided centering exercise, and a 12-minute vocal warmup.
https://www.erinstewart.net/starterkit

Step Into the Spotlight Workshop
My free, live workshop about performance anxiety and the “shrinking reflex”—the automatic tendency to pull back when being fully seen feels vulnerable or scary. Check the page for the next workshop date and registration.
https://www.erinstewart.net/step-into-the-spotlight

Come find me on Instagram:
@joyfulsingingwitherin
https://www.instagram.com/joyfulsingingwitherin

Have you ever gotten the role, the opportunity, or the compliment you’ve been hoping for… only to start wondering if someone made a mistake?

Or walked into an audition thinking, “Who am I to be doing this?” 

We can have years of training, professional credits, successful performances, and plenty of evidence that we belong… and still hear that little voice saying, “Yeah, but…” 

In this episode, we’re looking at imposter syndrome as another kind of mind trap and learning how to separate fact from the stories our brains create.

In this episode, we talk about:

Create your “Evidence” file

Open the notes app on your phone and create a note called Evidence.

 Add things like:

 Don’t just include the glamorous stuff.

Your courage and resilience are evidence, too. 

QUESTIONS to sit with:

🌎 Website: https://www.erinstewart.net/

🎁 Joyful Singing Starter Kit
My free Starter Kit includes a workbook, a 2-minute guided centering exercise, and a 12-minute vocal warmup.
https://www.erinstewart.net/starterkit

✨ Step Into the Spotlight
My free live workshop about performance anxiety and the “shrinking reflex”—the automatic tendency to pull back when being fully seen feels vulnerable or scary. Check the page for the next workshop date and registration.
https://www.erinstewart.net/step-into-the-spotlight

📱 Come find me on Instagram:
@joyfulsingingwitherin
https://www.instagram.com/joyfulsingingwitherin

And if something in this episode hits home, send me a DM or even a voice memo. I genuinely want to hear from you!!

Have you ever had someone say something about your voice that you just can’t seem to shake? 

A teacher. A director. A parent. A colleague. A reviewer. Maybe even someone you love.

Sometimes it’s useful feedback that landed badly. Sometimes it was an offhand comment. And sometimes it was just plain unhelpful.

But years later, you’re still carrying it.

And sometimes someone else’s opinion becomes your inner voice. 

In this episode, we’re talking about how to become more discerning about the feedback you receive so you can take what’s useful without taking on the shame, fear, or story that came along with it.

We’ll explore:

Want a little support?

My free Joyful Singing Starter Kit includes a 2-minute guided At Ease Break to help you step out of mental chatter, reconnect with yourself, and practice choosing where you put your attention.

GET THE FREE JOYFUL SINGING STARTER KIT 

Follow me on Instagram: @joyfulsingingwitherin 

Find me on Facebook: Erin Stewart Voice Studio 

Visit my website: erinstewart.net 

And if you have a question you'd like me to answer on the podcast, send me a DM on Instagram! I genuinely love hearing from you and finding out what you're struggling with and what you'd like to hear me talk about.

And if this episode resonated with you, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a singer friend. It helps the podcast so much!

Do you find that you’re listening to yourself sing while you're singing way too much? 

Did that note sound good?
Am I in tune?
Do I sound okay?
Do they like me?
Ugh. That was terrible. 

Like you’re overly focused on your sound and not actually enjoying the act of doing it.

I talked about this during my recent Step into the Spotlight workshop, and two questions that came up during the Q&A really stuck with me because they're things so many singers struggle with.

One of them we're talking about today (the other next week!) and it's about what happens in the moment we're singing—when our attention gets hijacked by our own thoughts and we start monitoring and judging ourselves instead of actually experiencing the music.

That's what we're tackling in this episode.

In this episode, we'll talk about:

And we're going to talk about how you can start training your mind now, so that when you're on stage, you have more ability to choose where your attention goes.

The goal isn't to never think about your voice. 

It's to stop letting monitoring take over the experience.

A resource I mention:

Peak Mind: Achieve Peak Mindfulness and Unlock Your Full Potential by Dr. Amishi Jha 

Dr. Jha is a leading researcher in the science of attention, and her work explores how mindfulness practices can help us train our ability to focus and redirect our attention.

Get my free Joyful Singing Starter Kit

Want to try one of my 2-minute At Ease Breaks?

I've created a free Joyful Singing Starter Kit that includes a guided At Ease Break, plus a 12-minute vocal warmup and other tools to help you reconnect with your voice.

👉 Get the free Joyful Singing Starter Kit 

Stay connected

Follow me on Instagram: @joyfulsingingwitherin 

Find me on Facebook: Erin Stewart Voice Studio 

Visit my website: erinstewart.net 

And if you have a question you'd like me to answer on the podcast, send me a DM on Instagram! I genuinely love hearing from you and finding out what you're struggling with and what you'd like to hear me talk about.

And if this episode resonated with you, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a singer friend. It helps the podcast so much!

What happens when the audition doesn't go your way?

When you lose your voice?

When the gigs dry up?

When your confidence takes a hit, or you simply find yourself wondering, “What now?”

If you're a singer or performer, you already know that the highs can be HIGH… but the ride can also be pretty bumpy.

Because being a singer isn't just about what happens when everything is going well. It's about how you navigate the inevitable rejection, setbacks, uncertainty, changes, and challenges that come with being a performer.

In this episode, I'm sharing 6 ways to build resilience as a singer so you can bounce back from challenges, keep moving toward your dreams, and stay connected to the reason you sing in the first place.

🎤 Handling rejection and criticism without allowing it to define your self-worth

🎤 Overcoming vocal blocks and setbacks while taking care of your voice and knowing when to rest or get help

🎤 Staying motivated during dry spells and finding ways to reconnect with inspiration

🎤 Dealing with performance anxiety so fear doesn't keep you from moving forward

🎤 Adapting to changes in the performing industry while still staying true to yourself and your creativity

🎤 Maintaining consistency and finding ways to make singing something that feeds and nurtures you—not just something you have to do to get the next gig

And throughout the episode, we come back to one of my favorite tools: your good inner coach—the part of you that can meet challenges with curiosity, compassion, perspective, and wisdom instead of letting your inner critic take over.

Because resilience doesn't mean you never get discouraged.

It doesn't mean rejection doesn't hurt.

It doesn't mean you're never afraid.

Resilience means learning how to meet those moments and keep going.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
The book I mentioned that got me thinking about resilience and what it means to keep moving forward when life gets hard.

Episode 7: 12 Tips for Dealing with Performance Anxiety
If performance anxiety is one of the things that keeps you from fully showing up when you sing, go back and listen to this episode for practical tools you can use.

Episode 22: Meet Your Good Inner Coach.                                                                                                       Connect to the wisest part of yourself to access the resilience you desire. The part that will help you find the gifts from challenges, who will turn setbacks into opportunities. 

If you've been listening to The Joyful Singer and thinking, “Okay, Erin. I get it—but how do I actually DO all of this?”

That's exactly why I created A Course in Joyful Singing.

Joyful Singing is my whole-person approach to helping singers become more free, confident, expressive, and fully themselves when they sing.

Inside the program, we work on the voice—but we also work on the mindset, nervous system, body, creativity, confidence, performance anxiety, inner critic, and all the other things that affect how you show up as a singer.

You'll get:

Enrollment is currently open!

The launch offer ends Friday, September 18th, but I'm giving listeners of The Joyful Singer a special extension.

You can join at the special launch price through Wednesday, September 23rd at the end of the day.

👉 Learn more about A Course in Joyful Singing & join  HERE

FREE RESOURCES:

The Joyful Singing Starter Kit (FREE):
https://www.erinstewart.net/starterkit 

Website:
https://www.erinstewart.net 

Instagram: @joyfulsingingwitherin
Facebook: Erin Stewart - Voice Teacher and Mindset Coach for Singers

If this episode resonated with you, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes.

And if you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review is one of the most powerful ways you can help more singers find this work.

I appreciate you so much for being here!!

While we talk about mental, physical, and vocal wellbeing here, this podcast is not a substitute for medical, vocal, or therapeutic care. Please seek guidance from a licensed professional for personalized support.

Feeling frustrated that you can sound completely different when you're singing by yourself than when someone is watching?

In this episode, I’m exploring what happens when the attention turns toward us.

I'll introduce you to a concept I've been calling the Shrinking Reflex: that automatic impulse to make yourself a little smaller when you're being seen.

You want to sing.
You want to perform.

And simultaneously, another part of you is saying:

Please don't look at me.
Please don't judge me.
Please don't let me mess this up. 

When You Want to Sing… But Don't Want to Be Seen

📅 September 14, 2026
🎤 FREE + LIVE
⏰ 90-minute workshop

Inside this workshop, we'll explore what's underneath that conflict between wanting to be seen and wanting to hide.

I'll introduce you to the Shrinking Reflex, coach you through a process for beginning to shift out of that automatic tendency to pull back, and help you explore what it means to Claim Your Spotlight while staying connected to yourself.

We'll also explore how to bring more of YOU into your singing.

If you can come live, come live! We'll actually experience this work together, not just talk about it. A replay will also be available to registered attendees.  

👉 Register here: erinstewart.net/step-into-the-spotlight

Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! New episodes released every Wednesday.

@joyfulsingingwitherin - Chat with me on Instagram!

The Joyful Singing Starter Kit - Grab your FREE kit.

www.erinstewart.net - See what I’m up to!

If you’re enjoying the podcast it would mean the world to me if you’d SUBSCRIBE + leave a REVIEW!

I appreciate you and your support!

Have you ever wondered if you’ve actually found your voice?

Maybe you’ve spent years taking lessons, practicing, studying, listening to other singers, and trying to improve, but somewhere along the way, you started wondering:

What does MY voice actually sound like when I’m not trying to sound like someone else?

In this episode, I’m talking about my own journey of finding my voice—and what I wish I had understood much earlier.

In this episode, we explore:

PLUS!!

⬇️

Try this journaling exercise whenever you’re feeling discouraged, stuck, or unsure about your voice.

1. What do I genuinely like about my voice?
What do I feel proud of?

2. What positive comments have I received about my voice that have stayed with me?

3. What negative feedback about my voice has stayed with me?

4. Which of those comments actually feel true to me? Which ones feel imposed?

5. What qualities of my voice feel most “me” when I’m relaxed and unguarded?

Think beyond technique. Consider tone, emotional expression, phrasing, presence, texture, color, etc.

6. What have I labeled as flaws?

For each one, ask:

How might this actually be a strength?
What does this quality allow me to express that someone else might not be able to?

7. If I stopped trying to sound like anyone else, what do I imagine my voice would sound like?

And:

How would it feel in my body?
How would it change my relationship to singing?

AND.....⬇️

1. Dabble in other art forms.

2. Don’t learn songs by listening to recordings of other artists.


3. Don't compare.

4. Spend time being quiet.

5. Spend time in safe spaces for exploration.

Making Play a Part of Practice — Heidi Moss Erickson
This article explores the role of play, experimentation, curiosity, and discovery in a singer’s practice—and why creating space for exploration can help us become more expressive, connected artists.

Read “Making Play a Part of Practice” by Heidi Moss Erickson

Want to feel more relaxed and more fully YOU on stage?

Join me for my free, live 90-minute workshop, Step Into the Spotlight.

We’ll explore a new approach to performance anxiety, including the shrinking reflex, and I’ll walk you through my 3-step process for owning your voice so you can bring your whole self to the stage.

There will also be a live Q&A and 2 free gifts for those who stay until the end.

Save your spot for Step Into the Spotlight

Grab my FREE Joyful Singing Starter Kit with a guided centering exercise, 12-minute vocal warmup, and workbook.

Get the Joyful Singing Starter Kit

Website:
https://www.erinstewart.net

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/joyfulsingingwitherin/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/erinstewartvoicestudio

Your good inner coach is that centered, wise part of you that can say:

“Let's see what happens.”

“What does my voice need today?”

“What feels freer?”

“Let's try it another way.”

It isn't the voice telling you that you're terrible.

It isn't the perfectionist demanding that you get everything right.

And it isn't the people-pleaser worrying about whether everyone else approves.

Your good inner coach is curious. Compassionate. Encouraging. Grounded.

And most importantly, it helps you grow without speaking harshly to yourself in the process.

Grab my FREE Joyful Singing Starter Kit.

Inside you'll get:

🎵 A guided vocal warmup
📝 A workbook with reflection prompts and action steps
🧘‍♀️ A guided centering exercise designed to help you connect with your good inner coach
✨ A habit tracker and strategies for creating lasting singing habits

It's a great place to begin if you want to reconnect with yourself and start approaching your singing with more curiosity and joy.  

Get the FREE Joyful Singing Starter Kit →

My FREE Joyful Singing Masterclass explores my whole-person approach to singing and the three steps I use to help singers free their voices, build confidence, and reconnect with joy.  

Join the FREE Joyful Singing Masterclass →

In my early 30s, after more than 15 years of regular voice study, I stopped taking voice lessons.

Not permanently.... I just needed a break.

At the time, I knew I needed a break. But looking back, I can see that I needed something much deeper: I needed to learn how to trust myself.

I had become overly reliant on outside input. I was filtering my singing through other people’s eyes—worrying about whether I was doing things “right,” whether my teacher was pleased with me, and whether I was performing well for them.

I needed to learn how to hear my own voice, trust what I noticed, and ultimately become my own teacher.

And that experience completely changed my relationship with singing.

1. Learn to HEAR your own voice.
Not just whether you sound “good” or “bad,” but what you are actually experiencing. What feels freer? What feels more coordinated? What is working today—and what isn’t?

2. Learn to TRUST what you notice.
Your intuition isn't the same thing as your inner critic. It’s the quieter voice underneath the noise that can notice, This feels freer. I think I need to try this another way.

3. Become your own teacher.
This doesn't mean you stop taking lessons or stop seeking guidance. It means you stop outsourcing your knowing.

A good teacher brings expertise you don't have—but you are the expert on your own experience.

The goal isn't to stop listening to other people.

It's to stop outsourcing your knowing.

You don't have to figure everything out on your own. You need another set of ears, another perspective, or the guidance of a trusted teacher.

But you can learn to bring your own wisdom into the room, too.

Want to start developing a stronger connection with your voice and your own inner wisdom?

My Joyful Singing Starter Kit includes:

DOWNLOAD HERE

Website:
https://www.erinstewart.net

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/joyfulsingingwitherin/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/erinstewartvoicestudio

Is tension getting in the way of your singing?

You're not alone—and it doesn't mean you're failing as a singer!

In this episode of The Joyful Singer Podcast, we're exploring one of the most common frustrations singers experience: tension.

If you've ever felt like your voice gets "stuck," like you're working harder than you should, or like your body just won't let go no matter how hard you try, this episode is for you.

Erin shares why tension happens in the first place, why trying harder often makes it worse, and practical ways to create more freedom and ease in your singing.

You'll also learn the difference between helpful support and unnecessary tension, and why your body may simply be trying to protect you—not sabotage you.

By the end of this episode, you'll walk away with 11 practical strategies to help you sing with more freedom, trust, and joy.

Free Joyful Singing Starter Kit
Download your free Starter Kit featuring a guided "At Ease" meditation, a 12-minute vocal warm-up, and a workbook to help you begin singing with more ease and confidence.

Download here:
https://www.erinstewart.net/starterkit

Free Joyful Singing Masterclass
Ready to experience a whole-person approach to singing? Join Erin's free Joyful Singing Masterclass and discover how to sing with more freedom, confidence, and trust.

Watch the free masterclass:
https://www.erinstewart.net/joyfulsingingworkshop

🎙️ Episode 5: Vocal Warm-Ups That Actually Work
Want to learn more about SOVT exercises? This episode explains why they're one of the gentlest and most effective ways to warm up your voice and reduce unnecessary tension.

Listen HERE

Website: https://www.erinstewart.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyfulsingingwitherin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinstewartvoicestudio