This Is A Voice

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Dr Melissa Forbes worked in law for 10 years until the firm's partner told a story about a bucket of water. That speech sent her straight to a jazz conservatorium, then to the research lab, and finally into community halls where group singing is healing real-world isolation. 

In this episode of This Is A Voice, Jeremy Fisher & Dr Gillyanne Kayes chat with Melissa on

 -  the “flight-corrections” that reboot a creative life
 -  how positive psychology reframes practice, strength and burnout
 -  why participatory choirs can out-perform stadium shows in hu...

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This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a five-year deep-dive into the voices, lives and lessons of singers, teachers and coaches around the world.

In this special fifth anniversary episode of This Is A Voice, Jeremy and Dr. Gillyanne revisit the most powerful, personal, and punch-in-the-gut moments from over 100 episodes.
From life-changing reflux wake-ups, to the moment a singer’s voice disappeared on stage, to a viral blog on “Success Amnesia”... this is Dealer’s Choice.

Whether you're a singer, coach, SLP, SLT or voice-curious creative, this episode is a...

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"One of the greatest repositories of knowledge for singing and for performance in existence"

What if you had 700 expert voice teaching tools at your fingertips—any time, any day?

In this episode of This Is A Voice, Jeremy and Gillyanne get personal about the Vocal Process Learning Lounge — a powerhouse online resource designed for singing teachers, vocal coaches, choir leaders, and voice users.

You’ll hear how the Learning Lounge came to life, who it’s for, and why it’s become a go-to CPD (continuing...

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🎭 In this powerful episode of This Is A Voice, we welcome back Kevin Michael Cripps, Head of Singing at Guildford School of Acting (GSA), for a deep conversation about the real challenges - and the hidden joys - of training musical theatre performers today.

💬 From breaking down the myth of "giving 100%" to building stamina, challenging beliefs, decoding "mix", and supporting students' mental wellbeing, this is a masterclass in voice education. 
Kevin, Jeremy, and Gillyanne get honest about what it takes to teach sustainably, integrate acting with technique, and prepare students for an...

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In this powerhouse episode, Kevin Michael Cripps, Head of Singing at Guildford School of Acting, joins Jeremy and Gillyanne for a deep dive into the realities of training musical theatre performers in the 21st century.
Kevin shares what it’s really like to work inside one of the UK’s leading drama schools—and how teaching voice has shifted to reflect individuality, neurodiversity, and longevity.

🎭 Individuality vs Industry Expectations
→ How GSA nurtures authentic vocal identities in a results-driven world
→ Why "cookie cutter" training harms the industry—and the performer
<...

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This is the MOST nervous Jeremy's ever been recording a podcast — and for good reason!

In this deep, honest and funny conversation, Jeremy Fisher and Dr. Gillyanne Kayes share how the world of Artificial Intelligence has changed their careers.
And Jeremy shares an intensely personal moment where he broke ChatGPT — and what it taught him about trust, frustration, and human connection.

   What AI REALLY is (and what it isn't!)

   How ChatGPT works — and how it misled us

   Why understanding prompts is now an essential life skill f...

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What actually happens in a top-tier vocal coach's studio? What is "crack sob" and why is it so common in Broadway belting? What's the deal with voice rehab?
In this episode of This Is A Voice, Gillyanne and Jeremy are joined once again by Mike Ruckles - Broadway vocal coach and Singing Voice Specialist - to explore the fine line between SLPs (SLTs in the UK), ENTs and voice teachers in voice rehabilitation.
From navigating professional boundaries in vocal rehab to decoding the latest Journal of Voice research on "register instability"...

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What does it take to keep a Broadway voice strong, expressive, and injury-free through 8 shows a week?

🎤 In this episode, we’re joined by the brilliant Mike Ruckles — vocal coach, pianist, musical director, and the quiet powerhouse behind Tony, Grammy and Oscar-winning singers and actors.

✅ How Mike balances vocal science and artistic nuance
✅ The real challenges of coaching Broadway performers
✅ Tools for building sustainable technique under pressure
✅ Behind-the-scenes stories of vocal breakthroughs
✅ Moving away from voice training "Models"

Whether you’re a singer, vocal coach, or jus...

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Are you constantly chasing the next goal without celebrating your wins? You might have Success Amnesia—and it could be holding you back. 
In this episode of This Is A Voice, Dr. Gillyanne Kayes & Jeremy Fisher dive into why high-achieving singers, teachers, and performers forget their own success, how this mindset can lead to burnout & imposter syndrome, and—most importantly—how to break the cycle.

We also explore: 
🎤 Why singers, voice teachers, and performers are particularly vulnerable to Success Amnesia
🧠 How this relates to ADHD, burnout, and high-performance careers
🚀...

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How do West End lead singers handle vocal demands, perfectionism, and the pressure of 8 shows a week? 🎤 In this episode of This Is A Voice, we welcome back Claire Underwood, West End resident vocal coach, to uncover more behind-the-scenes realities of training musical theatre stars.

🔹 What you'll discover in this episode:
✔️ How lead performers balance storytelling with vocal technique
✔️ The role of a vocal coach in a West End production
✔️ How to manage conflicting notes from directors, MDs, and coaches
✔️ The secret to vocal safety & longevity in high-pressure performa...

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How do actors and singers deal with performing in long-running shows? And what is the role of a vocal coach - is vocal technique only part of the puzzle?

In this episode of This Is A Voice, we sit down with Claire Underwood — the vocal coach behind Hamilton, Les Misérables, Cabaret, Phantom of the Opera and more in London's West End — to explore:
🎭 How top-level singers stay healthy in high-pressure roles
🎶 Why individuality matters more than copy-pasting a “perfect sound”
🧠 How mindset, belief, and identity impact performance
🗣️ The differe...

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Why are humans naturally drawn to sing together? And why do we need this now more than ever?
Join us as we explore this deeply human experience.

In Season 11, Episode 1 of This Is A Voice, Dr. Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher kick off the new season with an inspiring deep dive into the transformative power of group singing.
Explore the often-overlooked role of choir leaders as hidden voice teachers and uncover the profound ways communal singing can strengthen social bonds, combat loneliness, and boost mental well-being.
With contributions...

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Ever wondered how professional vocal coaches, singing teachers, and choir leaders overcome the challenges of their craft? 

In Season 9, Episode 12 of the 'This is a Voice' podcast, Dr. Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher take you inside the transformative experiences of six Registered Teachers from different backgrounds, including Amy Housley (actor and singing teacher), Tim Uffindell (gospel singer & choir leader), and Laura Thomas (SLT and singer), Amy Jenkins ( CCM singer/teacher and NLP practitioner), Naomi Lee Schulke (MT singer/teacher and trans voice trainer) and Hannah Grandy (opera singer and MT coach)

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In this thought-provoking and unusual episode of This Is A Voice, Dr. Gillyanne Kayes & Jeremy Fisher sit down with Naomi Lee Schulke, a passionate singing teacher / researcher at Falmouth University. Naomi shares her journey through Vocal Process's Teacher Accreditation Programme and her fascinating work in supporting gender identity in musical theatre training.

🎭 From overcoming imposter syndrome to finding authentic expression in a world of rigid vocal expectations, Naomi opens up about the importance of collaboration, identity, and creating safe spaces for trans and non-binary performers.

🎙 Listen as we dive into t...

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What's changing in musical theatre, and what needs to change? And what is authenticity in performance anyway? In their 100th episode, Gillyanne and Jeremy chat with singer researcher Guro von Germeten on her research into gender, authenticity and musical theatre.
How does taste influence your vocal training? How is gender identity challenging musical theatre casting? 
Guro shares her passion on flexibility of vocal sounds, the role of recordings in musical theatre education, and the importance of providing a safe space for vocal experimentation
If you're passionate about musical theatre, join t...

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Join Dr Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher in a fascinating and deep episode on the omnivorous voice, featuring Dr. Guro von Germerten. 
Guro shares the highlights from her PhD on musical tastes and vocal techniques. From her emotional childhood experience as a pianist to her groundbreaking research on the omnivorous voice, Guro discusses the complexities of taste, tradition, and cultural expectations in musical performance. From the process of PhD defence in Europe, to the concept of musical omnivorousness, and the hidden problems of musical taste, this episode is a must-listen for anyone i...

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DJ, singer-songwriter, vocal coach and inspiration Ruth Royall joins Gillyanne and Jeremy to share the amazing story behind the #KeepItReal movement and its impact on the drum and bass community.
In this episode:
The importance of self-confidence for artists and the crucial role of supportive networks.
Insights on artist mentoring and establishing your identity and boundaries in the music industry.
Ruth’s personal journey of touring while seven months pregnant and the unique challenges she faced.
The development and success of her new live dance music project, Royall So...

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In this episode of 'This Is A Voice' podcast, Dr. Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher are joined by singer-songwriter Ruth Royall. They discuss Ruth's diverse career journey, her pivot to become a prominent artist in the drum and bass genre during the lockdown, and her personal songwriting process. 
Ruth shares insights on the importance of collaboration in the music industry, particularly within the drum and bass community. We play an excerpt from her song "Help You Stay", created in conjunction with Technimatic, and she shares the story behind the song and its e...

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Jeremy Fisher launches his new book called "Just How Boring Are you? How to be a great podcast guest, captivate your listeners and polish your vocal skills".
In this bonus podcast episode Jeremy is interviewed by Karen Merstik-Michaels - singer, musician, social media manager and podcast host, on why he wrote the book and what potential podcast guests can learn from it

0:00 A bonus podcast episode
01:07 Overcoming crippling shyness
02:49 Applying music skills to spoken voice
03:37 Why podcasting is different from public speaking
05:24 Jeremy's first big radio...

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 This Is A Voice podcast S9 Ep6 focuses on our More Than a Masterclass experience at the Hamburg StimmSymposium last month.
Coaching a singer in the big belt number from the musical Vanara - Prayer To The Moon. How Jeremy changed her style with a single physical instruction. And why she needed less flow, not more to make the belt notes and approaches work.
And we share more highlights from the Symposium including an almost wordless epic warmup class from conductor Craig Anthony Lees, and a truth bomb from osteopath Jacob L...

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In this landmark episode of This Is A Voice (S9 Ep5), Dr. Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher take a stroll down memory lane to celebrate a remarkable 25 years since founding their voice education company VocalProcess. From being the UK's first private company to pioneer online voice webinars to sharing insights from their latest experience at the esteemed Hamburg StimmSymposium, this episode is packed with nostalgia, innovation, and forward-thinking in the world of voice education.

What to expect in this episode:
- A heartfelt look back at our journey and key...

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For the second half of our World Voice Day Special edition, we're talking belief systems and diagnostics with one of the most influential GPs in the UK (Pulse Magazine), Dr Ayan Panja. 

Dr Panja is a GP (family doctor), podcaster, presenter on BBC World News and the bestselling author of "The Health Fix"

00:00 What motivates a working GP?
04:01 Putting health into context
06:25 Different cultures and body psychotherapy
08:13 The first lifestyle medicine course
11:11 Beliefs and diagnosis for singers
13:08 Beliefs and diet
15:55 There isn't a s...

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For this World Voice Day Special edition of our This Is A Voice podcast we're delving into the Vagus Nerve and health diagnostics with one of the most influential GPs in the UK (Pulse Magazine), Dr Ayan Panja. Dr Panja is a GP (family doctor), podcaster, presenter on BBC World News and the bestselling author of "The Health Fix"

Voice experts Dr Gillyanne Kayes & Jeremy Fisher share thoughts, stories and advice with Dr Ayan and bust some of the myths about singing, breathing and the vagus nerve.

00:00 A great...

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Dr Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher on misunderstandings, misconceptions and personal insights about breathing and breath management for singing. Untrue statements, pressed phonation, relentless twang, breathy versus leaky tone, everything is up for discussion. Plus five areas where we can control breathing, and details on using two contrasting airstreams at the same time (introducing the "Granny Kiss"...
With research from Ian Howell and Heidi Moss Erickson on back pressure and brain function (used with permission)

00:00:00 Breathe Out To Sing
Personal insights on the misunderstood aspects of breath in vocal...

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Celebrating 90 episodes of our This Is A Voice Podcast! Dr Gillyanne Kayes & Jeremy Fisher share how they deal with a bad review - and this one's just plain rude.
And they celebrate 20 years of their groundbreaking voice teacher Accreditation Programme.
Welcome to This Is A Voice Season 9 Episode 1, the podcast where we get vocal about voice.
00:00:00 – Stodgy & Humble – the dynamic duo of voice training
00:01:20 – Unpacking a Cringe-worthy Review
00:04:49 – Dealing with Criticism - a Catalyst for Discussion
00:07:16 – Celebrating 20 years of Training Teachers
00:09:59 – Creating the Accreditation + Our Guest Experts
...

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We're rounding off the year with our annual Best Of selection.
We broadcast 20 episodes in 2023, so we divided them into four groups of five and got our listeners (and watchers on YouTube) to vote for their favourite episode in each group.
Then we chose the "WildCard" fifth episode ourselves.

We're introducing excerpts from each of the top five episodes as voted for by you.
If you don't want to know which episodes we chose, look away now...

Top episode from January-March - Season 7 Episode 5 with Kate...

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In This Is A Voice podcast S8 Ep8 Lisa Perks returns to talk about creating a safe space in the vocal studio for singers to discover their voice and individuality. Lisa shares with Dr Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher insights and techniques to nurture each singer on their vocal and emotional journey

00:00 No room for shame
01:32 Discussing the concept of good disagreement
03:39 The power of asking 'Why?'
04:50 Patient empowerment in medical contexts
07:32 Research on the impact of shame on musicians
11:18 Taking charge of what you...

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We're about to record our "Best of 2023" episode and YOU can help us choose.
This mini-bonus episode of our This Is A Voice podcast contains four polls to help you choose your favourite episodes of 2023.
There are 20 episodes to choose from and we've divided them into four groups of 5.

POLL 1, January-April episodes https://forms.gle/7TsTsVcdVJpj5KZZ9

POLL 2, April-June episodes https://forms.gle/TKmgRchZcynFURqm6

POLL 3, June-October episodes https://forms.gle/A6oxVtdqesK4YdDG8

POLL 4, October-December episodes https://forms.gle/XGY3MMFuS33iDaJb7
<...

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In This Is A Voice podcast S8 Ep7 we're diving into the sensitive topic of shame in the singing world. In this wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Gillyanne Kayes, Jeremy Fisher and special guest Lisa Perks, we explore how shame can shape and limit a singer's journey, regardless of their background. 
Whether you're an amateur vocational singer or a seasoned professional performer, you need to know about this crucial hidden aspect of vocal artistry. 

00:00 Shame used as a weapon
01:41 Lisa's journey
03:13 The impact of voice problems
04:21 The role of...

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Join us in an insightful and empowering episode with our Associate Trainer, singing teacher and life coach Anne Leatherland. 
In Season 8 Episode 6 Anne returns to share her unique approach to helping women find their voice, both literally and metaphorically, in professional settings. 

We discuss the challenges women face regarding voice perception in the workplace and explore strategies for communicating with confidence and impact.

Voice is a key component of identity, and we discuss ways to align internal and external voices, and adapt to societal expectations without losing personal au...

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In This Is A Voice podcast S8 Ep5 we dive into the fascinating world of values and beliefs with our special guest, Anne Leatherland of Vocal Intuition. We discuss how understanding your values can transform your teaching and coaching, help you to align with your true self and move your career towards a life that’s more fulfilling and enjoyable.

Anne Leatherland started her professional life as a chemistry teacher. As a recreational singer she had no qualifications and did not go to “music college”. But a sense of her own values...

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Today we're asking the question "What matters to you?" Do you already know, or do you need time to think about it?
As singing teacher and vocal coach we can direct our careers to include doing what we love and what matters to us.
In this episode we share the important things in our lives, what we MUST do for our own peace of mind. The parts of our individual careers that bring us joy.
What brings you joy? Answers on a postcard...

0:00 Aiming your career
1:47 What...

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Social media expert Karen Michaels joins us for a fascinating discussion on the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the world of singing, voice education and singing teacher marketing.

Karen shares her wealth of knowledge on harnessing the power of apps and AI in your socials. We’re chatting about the importance of authenticity in your online presence, avoiding burnout on social media and curating your feeds to create a positive and inspiring online environment for yourself.

Karen’s sharing her real-life experiences (including being our own social medi...

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We've been off the air for two months - so where were we? And where are we going?
In this opening episode for Season 8, we reveal our future plans for singers, singing teachers, choral leaders and theatre MDs

00:00 Our 80th podcast episode!
01:05 Our Teacher Accreditation Programme
02:14 Our discoveries on the Discovery Calls
06:10 SIXTY contact hours
07:32 Changes to our online singing teacher courses
08:45 In-person appearances and masterclasses
12:33 Podcast guest and AI
15:36 The inspiration for our articles
19:50 Getting angry over nothing
22:16 Going for...

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Part 2 of our deep conversation with jazz singer, composer & educator Louise Gibbs.
Has Beyonce been teaching you this week? Moving from imitation to authenticity, finding your "groove" and dealing with bad self-talk.
***Warning! Some swearing, mostly from Gillyanne***

0:00 Dealing with bad self-talk
1:37 Artistry - who is teaching you this week?
3:53 Study practice rehearse perform
7:11 Being in the moment
9:50 Dealing with self-editing singers
12:04 Why Louise is a singer not a pianist
13:43 Jeremy on communication modes
15:07 Know yourself and your outlook
17:03 Louise & Jeremy...

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Our special guest for this week's This Is A Voice #podcast is jazz singer, recording artist, composer, educator and past president of the British Voice Association Louise Gibbs. 
It's a meeting of three practical minds in a deep & fascinating conversation about authenticity (for the singer and for the music), training authentic singers, exploring style envelopes and when to push their boundaries.

00:00 Being yourself to stand out
02:10 Why Gillyanne didn't like "I don't know how to love him"
03:12 Personal authenticity versus style authenticity
06:00 Jeremy on authentic self v a...

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Wonder what we do in our private coaching sessions? It's a secret.

We don't normally reveal what happens (or who we work with) but in this podcast episode we're sharing some of the techniques and "happenings" that make up a great mentoring session.

Jeremy has a particular passion for mentoring other singers, singing teachers, Musical Directors, vocal coaches and choir leaders. He describes why his Career Mentoring sessions are becoming so popular.
Where do you want to be in a year? A small upgrade to your existing career...

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You've probably seen our books, you've listened to the podcasts, but you may not know what we really do in our 1-1 lessons and masterclasses.
We're Dr Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher, and we own and run VocalProcess. We'll be sharing with you some examples of what we do in our 1-1 singing and coaching sessions, and why we do it.

0:00 Building new brain pathways
2:28 Talking about our singing lessons
3:54 Being client led & power imbalance
4:40 The extremes and Guru Gone Mad
8:15 The purpose of vocal mechanics...

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What's the most efficient way to practice? And how can you set up your singing students to practise successfully? Jeremy's been doing it for years but we had it confirmed by Kittie Verdolini Abbott at our latest conference - Jeremy talks Variable Practice!
Gillyanne shares how she collected a multi-disciplinary team for her Round Table conversation at UEP in Turkey on voice problems, boundaries and vocal challenges.
Things you need to tell a surgeon if you're having surgery of any kind.
And why we do CPD AND why we offer...