With over 257,000 followers on Instagram and a staggering 1.5 million followers on TikTok, it’s safe to say that this week’s guest — musical stage star and voice coach Emily Kristen Morris — has found a way to make social media work for her. 

And while some of Emily’s social media success can be attributed to her career (she’s played Bea in the Broadway National Tour of “Something’s Rotten”, Elphaba’s standby in the “Wicked” National Tour, and Elsa in Disney’s “Frozen: The Broadway Musical”), it’s worth noting that her TikTok channel started in 2020 when musical theater wasn’t active due to the pandemic. 

So, what does it take to grow such a following and leverage the power of social media? Join us as Emily takes us through her journey and explores the challenges of growing a vocal coaching business online, navigating the ever-changing social media algorithm, and finding a balance between performing and teaching.    

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. (8:43) How Emily built an online presence on Instagram and TikTok — and how she needed to scale up her business as her social media following grew.
2. (13:35) The people Emily turned to for business advice — and the entrepreneurial skills she feels voice teachers must learn.
3. (16:34) How social media has changed the business landscape since the early days of the internet.
4. (17:25) Why there’s no one “right” way to do social media, even for the experts.
5. (18:00) The rewards of occasionally sharing personal stories about your music career — and why setting boundaries is important. 
6. (22:39) How Emily manages the challenges of balancing a performing career with a teaching career.
7. (27:31) The value of running your own teaching business while pursuing a performing career
8. (29:43) Why being a “social media influencer” can make certain producers nervous about hiring you as a performer
9. (32:07) Why producers should be excited about using the power of social media to bring more audiences to live performances.
10. (33:30) How the musical theater industry is currently using social media and influencer marketing to promote itself.
11. (36:12) Tips and tricks for teachers who want to build a strong online presence
12. (41:49) How to handle the “haters” and negative comments that crop up on social media.
13. (44:27) Behind-the-curtain stories about what really happens between scenes in “Wicked” and “Frozen.”
14. (55:04) Why Emily feels she also owes her vocal coaching business to the IVA community, and how its support has changed her life.

Pro tip: Emily might not respond to all her TikTok comments, but you can reach her by contacting her via email at [email protected]. 

Follow Emily’s career by checking out her website and join her Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok channels (if you’re not there already!). 

Here at the Vocal Advancement Podcast, we like to show different approaches to finding success. In Season 3 Episode 7, you met Linda Tomkinson who built a successful career via word-of-mouth. In this episode, we cover the other side of the coin by showing how voice teachers like Emily Kristen Morris can build careers from huge social media followings. 

If there’s a teacher, performer, or researcher who you think would offer a new perspective, be sure to email us at [email protected] so we can feature them on Season 4!

And make sure to follow us on the Vocal Advancement Podcast and subscribe to our YouTube channel! 

About the Institute for Vocal Advancement

The Institute of Vocal Advancement (IVA) was created to provide voice teachers with a support network to provide you with the best teaching tools and strategies to advance your career. Our trainers teach from the empathic mindset, showing you how to improve your own teaching style.

Check out our webinars in our list of upcoming events and learning how our Teacher Training Programs can help advance your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

As voice teachers, we may dream of working with major stars like Taylor Swift or helping young performers prepare for a career on Broadway.

Yet voice students have many needs — and sometimes the best thing you can do as an educator is adapt your lessons to the individual goals of each client and focus on their personal development. While this might sound simple, many voice coaches find it challenging early in their careers to set aside their egos and listen to their students. 

Those who do achieve this mindset, however, gain a reputation for being truly helpful — and enjoy long-lasting careers.

Our guest this week knows the rewards of developing such a reputation. One of the original founders of the Institute for Vocal Advancement, Linda Tomkinson has been teaching professional and non-professional singers for 27 years. While some of her students have enjoyed major success singing with Rihanna’s world concert tours or performing on The Voice, Linda is just as happy helping church singers develop their voice or helping a beginner sing on-key.

Listen in as Linda shares how being willing to constantly re-evaluate and change your beliefs about teaching can help improve your craft. Learn how to place your lesson’s focus on the student and balance their needs with your teaching goals. And discover what to do when students come with you with ambitious — and possibly unrealistic — expectations for their future in singing.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. (9:53) How Linda built a career on word-of-mouth recommendations and not social media. 
2. (15:33) How listening to students helps you find the balance between what they want to learn and what you feel they need to know.
3. (20:50) The dangers of only wanting to work with highly talented performers or established artists.
4. (23:26) How working with an organization like the Institute for Vocal Advancement changes your perceptions of your self-worth and reasons for teaching.
5. (29:03) The importance of taking your ego out of the equation when choosing to teach. 
6. (33:17) The questions you should be asking your students in your first meeting — and all subsequent lessons — to learn about their changing needs. 
7. (39:17) Why it’s so important to meet students where they are and not box them in pre-determined roles.
8. (42:44) What to do when a student comes to you with unrealistic expectations about their singing ability and career goals.

Find Linda at her website and contact her at [email protected]. 

The book Linda describes is Leadership and Self-Deception, published by the Arbinger Institute.

We’ve got many more talented teachers and singers waiting in the wings to share their insights and knowledge for season three of the Vocal Advancement Podcast. Make sure you hear from them all by following us and subscribing to our YouTube channel! 

Is there a teacher, performer, or researcher you think would make a great guest on our show? Email us at [email protected] and let us know!

About the Institute for Vocal Advancement

The Institute of Vocal Advancement (IVA) was created to provide voice teachers with a support network to provide you with the best teaching tools and strategies to advance your career. Our trainers teach from the empathic mindset, showing you how to improve your own teaching style.

Check out our webinars in our list of upcoming events and learning how our Teacher Training Programs can help advance your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

Does acid reflux impact your singing performance?

Perhaps you’ve searched the internet and found multiple articles on “The 10 Foods Singers Should Avoid” or medications promising to cure reflux.

But before you start making radical changes to your diet, you might want to listen to this episode’s guest. Duncan Rock is an acclaimed operatic baritone who’s performed with the Metropolitan Opera, The Royal Opera House, English National Opera, and Glyndebourne Festival Opera for over a decade.

More importantly, he’s a nutritionist and registered exercise professional with a Masters degree in Human Nutrition. He now uses his dual passions for singing and health to help performers maintain their health as they enjoy long, successful careers.

According to Duncan, much of what allows singers and performers stay healthy comes not from a specialized exercise regimen or dietary supplements, but a common-sense approach to diet and personal fitness. His holistic take on healthy living makes his advice easy to follow and highly effective for vocal coaches and their students.  

Listen as Duncan shares his expertise in nutrition and physiotherapy, and learn:

1. (4:32) How a music scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music & Drama jumpstarted Duncan’s decade-long career as a professional opera singer.
2. (5:31) How the 2020 pandemic caused Duncan to switch gears and begin working as a nutritionist for the Voice Care Centre in London.
3. (7:21) How Duncan’s personal experiences with dieticians shaped his common-sense views towards nutrition and healthy diets.  
4. (10:05) Why Duncan initially wasn’t interested in working as a nutritionist for singers — and how this changed. 
5. (15:27) Why good, old fashioned advice on health and nutrition is the most valuable information you can receive in this age of polarized nutritional content.
6. (16:47) Why singers should maintain balanced diets in an industry with performers like Luciano Pavarotti who don’t always follow healthy eating habits. 
7. (20:43) What research says about how our diets affect our body composition, and how this affects our vocal performance. 
8. (23:22) Why being underweight can potentially be more damaging than being overweight or obese.
9. (25:36) How nutritionist advice can help performing singers deal with stress and weakened immune systems.
10. (28:42) The link between eating well and exercising
11. (33:33) The common-sense approach to managing acid reflux.
12. (37:36) The problems caused by myths surrounding singer nutrition
13. (39:55) How the body positivity movement can place negative pressure on singers and performers who change their appearance by adopting healthier habits. 
14. (53:44) How vocal coaches benefit from a basic understanding of vocal nutrition in their classrooms.

Get more nutritional advice from Duncan by visiting his website. Interested in a more in-depth consultation? Connect with him via email at [email protected]. 

You can also download Duncan’s IVA webinar, Nutrition and Exercise for Singers — The Missing Link in Vocal Health and Longevity — from the Institute of Vocal Advancement.

Tom and Heather have a lot of fascinating guests like Duncan lined up for our podcast! Make sure you meet them all by following us on the Vocal Advancement Podcast and see them by subscribing to our YouTube channel! 

Is there a teacher, performer, or researcher you think would make a great guest on our show? Email us at [email protected] and let us know!

About the Institute for Vocal Advancement

The Institute of Vocal Advancement (IVA) was created to provide voice teachers with a support network to provide you with the best teaching tools and strategies to advance your career. Our trainers teach from the empathic mindset, showing you how to improve your own teaching style.

Learn how our Teacher Training Programs can help advance your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

Professional development. Continuing education. Ongoing training. Whatever you choose to call it, regularly assessing and improving your skills as a teacher and performer is something every good voice coach needs to do. 

For some, adding to your skillset is a way to increase your value and charge higher rates. For others, learning how different people understand voice helps you communicate better with multiple audiences. 

Whatever your reasons, at the Institute for Vocal Advancement, we’re committed to supporting our students in their professional development. Join Tom and Heather as they discuss the challenges of continuing your education and the rewards that come from being an eternal student. 

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. (1:49) Why self-employed voice teachers can find professional development more of a challenge than other educators. 
2. (2:52) The challenge of finding reputable sources of information to build your skillset.
3. (6:23) The importance of deciding whether you want to focus on improving your general expertise or becoming an expert in a key niche. 
4. (8:10) The value of understanding your preferred learning method — and when it can be useful to step out of this comfort zone. 
5. (11:15) Why part of your professional development needs to focus on self-marketing. 
6. (12:17) Why “learning how to learn” is often the most valuable skill teachers can develop.
7. (14:20) How investing in your professional development allows you to charge higher rates.
8. (18:00) How learning how to teach a subject lets you learn that subject in greater depth.
9. (21:30) The value of “learning by doing” — and how to learn by observing others.
10. (25:40) Additional ways of approaching professional development when you begin to teach instinctively.
11. (28:30) The importance of learning vocal theory and practical application — and how to build a balance between the two.
12. (33:02) How to better communicate vocal concepts to students, teachers, scientists, and singers by expanding your own understanding of voice.
13. (37:10) How being willing to self-reflect on your own lessons can help you better understand your strengths and weaknesses.
14. (39:43) What to look for when assessing teachers and programs for your continued professional development.

How do you manage your professional development? Do you have a formal way of scheduling continued education into your regular routine? Or do you just squeeze it in where you can?

We want to know! Send us an email at [email protected] and let us know how you hone your skills. Share your learning resources and tell us if you know of a teacher, performer, or researcher we should interview on the show.

And learn more about our teachers and professional connections by following us on the Vocal Advancement Podcast and subscribing to our YouTube channel! 

About the Institute for Vocal Advancement

Are you a professional seeking to build expertise in a specific field or a voice coach who wants to learn more about a particular subject? At the Institute of Vocal Advancement (IVA), we offer resources and support for everyone who’s enthusiastic about music and singing. Our trainers teach from the empathic mindset and provide you with the best teaching tools and strategies to advance your own career.

Check out our webinars in our list of upcoming events and learning how our Teacher Training Programs can help advance your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

In this episode of the Vocal Advancement Podcast, hosts Tom and Heather welcome Abigail Mann-Daraz from 'The Musical Self,' who specializes in working with neurodivergent students and those with special educational needs.

Abby shares her approaches, including the use of tactile tools, singing as a communication method, and understanding individual learning preferences. The discussion also delves into the challenges and rewards of creating an inclusive teaching environment and provides practical tips for voice teachers.

The episode underscores the importance of meeting students where they are and adapting teaching methods to accommodate diverse needs.

In this episode, you’ll discover:00:00 Introduction00:35 Heather's Visa Adventure05:37 Upcoming Asia Teaching Tour07:51 Special Guest: Abby from The Musical Self09:23 Inclusive Teaching for Neurodivergent Students14:03 Strategies for Teaching Autistic Students24:21 Teaching Students with ADHD26:07 Grounding Techniques for Students with ADHD27:23 Using Toys and Fabrics to Channel Nervous Energy28:04 Exploring Stammering as a Form of Neurodiversity30:05 The Impact of Singing on Stammering35:12 Advice for Voice Teachers on Inclusivity38:49 Understanding Your Role as a Singing Teacher39:20 Where to Find More Information About Abby40:27 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Connect with Abigail and learn more about her work by visiting The Musical Self website.

Learn more about our teachers and professional connections by following us on the Vocal Advancement Podcast and subscribing to our YouTube channel! 

About the Institute for Vocal Advancement

Are you a professional seeking to build expertise in a specific field or a voice coach who wants to learn more about a particular subject? At the Institute of Vocal Advancement (IVA), we offer resources and support for everyone who’s enthusiastic about music and singing. Our trainers teach from the empathic mindset and provide you with the best teaching tools and strategies to advance your own career.

Check out our webinars in our list of upcoming events and learning how our Teacher Training Programs can help advance your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

Not many vocal coaches get to have a studio in The London Palladium or help Oscar-winning actors like Javier Bardem discover their singing voice — but then, most vocal coaches aren’t Fiona McDougal.

A singing teacher since the age of 18, Fiona now oversees vocals globally for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production company, the Really Useful Group. When she’s not coaching the stars of Broadway and the West End, you can find her on movie sets working with global superstars like Taylor Swift or in TV studios helping the next generation of X Factor hopefuls wow the judges.

But while getting celebrities to access their full potential is exciting, this work also comes with its share of challenges. From managing demanding schedules to advocating for a singer’s vocal health, Fiona finds building a successful career in the music industry requires as much diplomacy as excellent teaching techniques.

Join Fiona as she shares her experiences with Tom and Heather — letting them (and you) know whatreallyhappens behind the scenes of your favorite movies, musicals, and television shows. Think you’d like to break into this industry? You’re about to learn what it takes to be a vocal coach for the stars.   

In this episode, we’ll discover:

1. (7:35) How natural curiosity and a willingness to teach everyone helped Fiona become a vocal coach in her teens.
2. (10:17) How a job singing backing vocals for Jesus Christ Superstar led her to a career in the music industry.
3. (11:28) The challenges of working in television
4. (14:00) Why vocal coaches often become “vocal arrangers” when working on a TV show like The X Factor.
5. (17:31) The types of networks that exist in theater and television, and how to build relationships in each industry.
6. (19:28) The advantages of coaching performers in film vs. coaching them in television
7. (20:35) How much time you have to coach actors in different types of theater productions  
8. (22:51) How to go about advocating for a singer’s vocal health when asked to “fix” their voice  
9. (27:20) The issues of working with a celebrity unaccustomed to performing in a live theater environment.
10. (33:19) Important advice for singers and vocal coaches interested in working in the music industry
11. (35:35) The role of diplomacy when working with a production team
12. (37:44) When working out scheduling and technical issues is more challenging than working with the performer.
13. (44:30) The challenge of juggling a music industry career with motherhood

You can hear Fiona’s work in major motion pictures like “A Complete Unknown” (2024), “Wonka” (2023), and “Being the Ricardos” (2021). Follow her career onInstagram and get in touch with her through herwebsite.

Want to learn more about the music industry and other exciting opportunities in the voice teaching industry? Follow us on the Vocal Advancement Podcast and subscribe to ourYouTube channel to hear from all our guests! 

Do you know of a teacher, performer, or researcher you think would make a great guest on our show? We’d love to hear about them! Email us at[email protected] and let us know!

About the Institute for Vocal Advancement

The Institute of Vocal Advancement (IVA) was created to provide voice teachers with a support network to provide you with the best teaching tools and strategies to advance your career. Our trainers teach from the empathic mindset, showing you how to improve your own teaching style.

Check out our webinars in our list ofupcoming events and learning how ourTeacher Training Programs can help advance your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

In this episode of the Vocal Advancement Podcast, hosts Tom and Heather are pleased to welcome Natasha Burns to speak on her expertise on managing performance anxiety.

Throughout her career, she confronted the pervasive issue of performance anxiety, both in her students and herself. Inspired by this shared struggle, she delved into research during her MA studies, uncovering the transformative potential of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a pragmatic solution for music educators.

Today, through her coaching practice, Natasha empowers musicians to reclaim confidence, perform authentically under pressure, and reignite their passion for music.

Natasha discusses her research focused on teenagers, introducing techniques from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). She shares practical tools and metaphors to help manage anxiety and emphasizes the importance of understanding why students pursue singing. The conversation also touches upon the unrealistic expectations set by advanced recording technologies and the role of vocal teachers in nurturing a supportive environment for their students.

In this episode we'll cover:

• 00:00 Welcome to the Vocal Advancement Podcast

• 04:20 Singer's Expectations vs. Reality
• 04:59 Introducing Today's Guest: Natasha
• 05:41 Understanding Performance Anxiety in Teenagers
• 10:50 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• 27:29 Exploring the Love for Singing
• 28:36 Setting Goals and Committed Actions
• 31:11 Performance Anxiety and Vocal Technique

• 35:18 The Importance of Unique Voices
• 38:05 Handling Performance Anxiety in Students
• 48:12 Teachers Leading by Example
• 50:28 Comparing Yourself to Technology

Interested in learning more about Natasha's work? Click here to learn more and stay connected.

Want to hear more interesting episodes like this one? Make sure you hear from all of our guests by following us on the Vocal Advancement Podcast and subscribing to our YouTube! 

About the Institute for Vocal Advancement

The Institute of Vocal Advancement (IVA) was created to provide voice teachers with a support network to provide you with the best teaching tools and strategies to advance your career. Our trainers teach from the empathic mindset, showing you how to improve your own teaching style.

Check out our webinars in our list of upcoming events and learning how our Teacher Training Programs can help advance your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

Welcome to the Vocal Advancement Podcast: Season 3!

Tom and Heather delve into a side of being a self-employed voice teacher that we seldom cover — the business side! Because, let’s face it, when you’re running your own business, keeping good records and promoting your services are skills we all need to develop.

Here at the Institute of Vocal Advancement, we’re all about sharing what worked for us when we built our careers. So, join Tom and Heather as they discuss strategies and provide tips for running a successful voice teacher business.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. (5:43) How digital tools and spreadsheets help you keep accurate records and complete your taxes.
2. (9:20) The importance of understanding your country’s tax laws.
3. (9:40) Where to find business advice (for free!) using online and offline resources
4. (11:30) Tips for creating a simple recording system
5. (12:33) How to reduce your tax liability by learning what you can claim as a business expense.
6. (14:08) How grants can help you get your business started.
7. (14:33) What type of equipment you need to start your teaching business (and how to keep your startup costs low!)
8. (15:55) What type of online presence you need to promote your business — and what important information many voice teachers neglect to include! 
9. (18:09) Why continuing to invest in your own education is important (and how this can be a business expense you can write off).
10. (19:19) Why you might need to invest in a professional studio space outside your home.
11. (20:11) How to determine what to charge for your lessons
12. (22:15) When working with other voice teachers in the same studio space makes sense — and the importance of having a waiting area.
13. (25:22) How to increase your income by offering complementary services
14. (27:20) The true cost of teaching in a commercial building
15. (28:15) How to retain and attract more students by offering choirs and workshops
16. (31:07) How offering group classes can build student confidence and help establish teacher-student rapport
17. (32:32) When to start increasing your teaching rates — and what to do when you start pricing yourself out of certain student budgets.
18. (34:32) How to use your growing skillset to justify your higher rates.
19. (36:17) How to create a fair teaching rate by studying your local market.
20. (38:04) How to adjust your rates for inflation — and how offering advance warning can help you retain students.
21. (39:19) When (and how) to offer scholarship opportunities for exceptional students
22. (41:00) Why offering lessons at a lower price point can provide you with valuable teaching experience
23. (42:17) Where to find offline opportunities to promote your business — and how offering free or discounted lessons can build your client list.
24. (44:06) Good online marketing opportunities — from Facebook groups to lead generation companies
25. (48:04) How to test marketing strategies and learn which ones work best for you.
26. (51:00) Strategies for nurturing cold leads into warm leads

We want to hear from you! What business strategies helped you the most when you were building up your teaching career? What questions do you still have about starting out as a vocal coach? Send us your comments and questions to [email protected]. 

We’ve got many more guests coming up this season, including experts in social media marketing and more! Make sure you hear from them all by following us on the Vocal Advancement Podcast and subscribing to our YouTube channel! 

About the Institute for Vocal Advancement

The Institute of Vocal Advancement (IVA) was created to provide voice teachers with a support network to provide you with the best teaching tools and strategies to advance your career. Our trainers teach from an empathic mindset, showing you how to improve your own teaching style.

Check out our webinars in our list of upcoming events and learning how our Teacher Training Programs can help advance your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

And that's a wrap! IVACON 2024 was one for the books, and we already can't wait for the next conference! Learning and growing alongside voice teachers from all over the world is an experience like no other. Join Tom and Heather as they review the past 5 days.

Did you enjoy learning more about our conference? Follow us on the Vocal Advancement Podcast and subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all the latest coverage of IVACON! We'll also be sharing even more footage and photos on our Instagram and Facebook, so make sure to follow along.

About the Institute for Vocal Advancement

The Institute of Vocal Advancement (IVA) was created to provide voice teachers with a support network to provide you with the best teaching tools and strategies to advance your career. Our trainers teach from the empathic mindset, showing you how to improve your own teaching style.

Check out our webinars in our list of upcoming events and learn how our Teacher Training Programs can help advance your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day five is here, can you believe it? We're fresh off a great karaoke night with our attendees, and we're excited to share a recap of our final day of the conference!

Don't miss out on an episode! Follow us on the Vocal Advancement Podcast and subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all the latest coverage of IVACON! 

About the Institute for Vocal Advancement

The Institute of Vocal Advancement (IVA) was created to provide voice teachers with a support network to provide you with the best teaching tools and strategies to advance your career. Our trainers teach from the empathic mindset, showing you how to improve your own teaching style.

Check out our webinars in our list of upcoming events and learn how our Teacher Training Programs can help advance your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to day four of IVACON! Heather and Tom share some reviews of our interactive classes from today! From learning to riff to finding pitch, seeing our attendees get hands-on experience and training is great! We can hardly believe we're already almost at the end, so tune in to hear how our second to last day is going.

Don't miss out on an episode! Follow us on the Vocal Advancement Podcast and subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all the latest coverage of IVACON! 

About the Institute for Vocal Advancement

The Institute of Vocal Advancement (IVA) was created to provide voice teachers with a support network to provide you with the best teaching tools and strategies to advance your career. Our trainers teach from the empathic mindset, showing you how to improve your own teaching style.

Check out our webinars in our list of upcoming events and learn how our Teacher Training Programs can help advance your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.