The Connected Singer – Details, episodes & analysis

The fascinating chat continued with the classically trained singer, coral conductor, vocal coach and clinical hypnotherapist Julie Bale on how hypnotherapy can help build confidence and reduce anxiety when performing.

00:00  - 08:48  How hypnotherapy can help support beyond vocal technique or support technical break throughs. 08:48 – 14:01 Hypnotherapy to help singers beyond the stage with an exercise. 14:01 – 22:03  Increase in anxiety levels of performers. 22:03 – 25:00 Finding your uniqueness and authentic self through the use of hypnotherapy and open up to exploration. 25:00 – 27:17  Amazing results of hypnotherapy and reduction of pain. 27:17 – End  Upcoming hypnotherapy workshops and programmes.

Resources:

Julie’s Website

https://www.hypnotherapyforperformance.com/

Facebook group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/431079748873045/

National Council for Hypnotherapy

https://www.hypnotherapists.org.uk/about-nch/code-of-ethics/

Have the nerves before a performance felt at times almost too overwhelming that you have almost not gone on to perform or do you regularly suffer from anxiety days before a performance?

You are not alone, we certainly have, together with our guest of this episode’s podcast.  Her passion and curiosity for understanding the challenges she faced, during her own 30 year career as soprano, voice teacher and choral director led her to discover the world of hypnotherapy. So impressed and convinced of its benefits for herself in multiple ways decided to become a fully trained clinical hypnotherapist in order to support other singers with similar challenges. In this episode our guest shares her knowledge, experience on the subject and hypnotherapy tools to support manage anxiety symptoms. A warm welcome to the wonderful Julie Bale!

00:00 – 16:04 Intro – Michael and Julie chat.

16:04 – 25:06 How Julie discovered hypnotherapy and how it has helped her both as a vocalist and a choral conductor.

25:06 – 33:27  What is hypnotherapy exactly? Different modalities. How it is used to enhance performance.

33:27 -43:27  Hypnotherapy benefits in relation to the stress response; Julie shares with us exercises to help cope with this common challenge on and off the stage – we also share our experiences and issues

43:52 - End   A step by step example of a hypnotherapy session with a popular exercise “The control room”.

Resources:

Julie’s Website

https://www.hypnotherapyforperformance.com/

Facebook group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/431079748873045/

National Council for Hypnotherapy

https://www.hypnotherapists.org.uk/about-nch/code-of-ethics/

A very personal account of Charlie's experiences of being a professional musician and singer.

As always, to make it easier for you to revisit your favourite sections, we’ve time-coded some of the key themes Charlie covers. There are so many gems here, we’re sure you’ll want to listen again!

Part 2

00:00 – 31:33    - Vocal health advice and dealing with your inner critic and performance anxiety

31:33 – 51:13    - Studio recording challenges from Auto tune to Bastille Abbey Road Studios

51:13 - End        - Future plans

Links:

Charlie - https://www.charliebarnesmusic.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/CharlieBarnes

Bastille - https://www.bastillebastille.com/

Bastille at Abbey Road 2019 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OLp72eLLc4 

Resources:

Amplifier - https://www.amplifierband.com

Your not Broken by Christopher M Duncan - https://go.yourenotbroken.com/freebook

Chatter by Ethan Kross - https://www.ethankross.com/chatter/

Affect Labelling - https://www.scn.ucla.edu/pdf/Torre(2018)ER.pdf

Sane New World by Ruby Wax - http://www.rubywax.net/sanenewworld.html

Today we a are delighted to welcome a guest who is a talented multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter and since 2015 a touring member of the British band BASTILLE. His passion and infectious enthusiasm for life and music has led him on a very colourful journey, from regularly touring nationally and internationally on a variety of sized stages, to on the side, recording and releasing his own albums the latest being ‘Oceanography’ which was released in 2018. On top of this he fit in a cheeky solo tour in Germany.

As you can imagine this eclectic career path does come with its challenges not least of all time management. Therefore, we are very grateful that he had the time to chat to us and share his experiences on all his various roles whilst throwing in some helpful tips and advice on how to manage a professional career in the music industry both mentally and physically.

To make it easier for you to revisit your favourite sections, we’ve time-coded some of the key themes Charlie covers. There are so many gems here, we’re sure you’ll want to listen again!” 

Part 1

00:00 – 19: 19    - Intro and early life and influences.

19:19 - 35:12     - Learning the craft, humorous gig stories, touring with Amplifier.

35:12 – 45:04     - Physical and mental challenges of Juggling Bastille and being Solo Artist.

Part 2

00:00 – 31:33    - Vocal health advice and dealing with your inner critic and performance anxiety.

31:33 – 51:13    - Studio recording challenges from Auto tune to Bastille Abbey Road Studios.

51:13 - End       - Future plans.

Links:

Charlie - https://www.charliebarnesmusic.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/CharlieBarnes

Bastille - https://www.bastillebastille.com/

Bastille at Abbey Road 2019 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OLp72eLLc4 

Resources:

Amplifier - https://www.amplifierband.com

Your not Broken by Christopher M Duncan - https://go.yourenotbroken.com/freebook

Chatter by Ethan Kross - https://www.ethankross.com/chatter/

Affect Labelling - https://www.scn.ucla.edu/pdf/Torre(2018)ER.pdf

Sane New World by Ruby Wax - http://www.rubywax.net/sanenewworld.html

Today we will be speaking to industry professional Raz Kennedy. A singer with Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra, backing vocalist extraordinaire and vocal coach to the stars, Raz has masses of musical talent, a tonne of industry tales and a plethora of practical advice to share with you, our wonderful listeners!  Covering everything from overcoming stage fright, singing authentically to making it in music business, we leave no stone unturned on our journey with this truly inspiring artist.

To make it easier for you to revisit your favourite sections, we’ve time-coded some of the key themes Raz covers. There are so many gems here, we’re sure you’ll want to listen again”

00:00:00 -  Intro and early life and influences.

14:26:00 -  Learning the craft, music theory vs feel.

22:06:00  - “Pretend you’re singing trapped in a box”! The wonderful world of Bobby Mc Ferrin.

34:39:00 -  Why do we need vocal techniques?

55:10:00 -  What is authentic singing and how do we get there?

01:00:48 -  Music as a positive force for change: Raz’s personal experience in troubled times.

N.B This interview was recorded just after the killing of George Floyd in America and we were humbled that Raz shared his thoughts on social justice in these distressing times, and his experiences of music and social change throughout his career.

Links:

https://www.razkennedy.com/

The Connected Singer on Facebook

The Connected Singer on Instagram

The Connected Singer on Twitter

Resources:

Here are links to the authors, artists and techniques Raz mentioned, to start you off on your research. There are loads more out there, so keep exploring and find what works for you!

Bobby Mc Ferrin - http://bobbymcferrin.com/

The Complete Vocal Technique – Catherine Sadolin Compete Vocal Institute https://completevocal.institute/

Singing for the Stars – Seth Riggs’ Speech Level Singing   https://www.riggsvocalstudio.com

The Voice Teacher’s Cookbook – Brian Winnie

Training Contemporary Commercial Singers – Elizabeth Ann Benson

Ken Templin - https://kentamplinvocalacademy.com/

Jeannette LoVetri - http://thevoiceworkshop.com/

We have been lucky to have the pleasure of talking to a very talented and hardworking singer, songwriter and guitarist, originally from Midlands UK. He is a highly acclaimed instrumentalist, particularly renowned for his English fingerpicking style. He has won awards, such as the BBC folk award, appeared on national radio and TV, including shows such as Later with Jools Holland, toured the world and has had seven releases to date, his most recent being Home Waters and Home Waters Live, which is just beautiful, and is currently touring.

We are delighted to have the pleasure to talk to this incredible talent, about his musical and vocal journey, his unique ways of coping with performance anxiety and the art storytelling through song. Introducing the wonderful Sam Carter.

00:00 – 14:31  Sam’s Experience with Alexander Technique and its effect on the voice.

14:31 – 22:29  The mind body connection – Sam shares his experience of self-doubt and performance anxiety.

22:29 – 28:53 Managing practise as a working musician – realistic expectations.

28: 53 – 39:52 How live and studio environment influence each other.

39:52 – End     What’s next for Sam.

Sam’s Websites:

Solo

Home Waters,

https://samcartermusic.co.uk/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Carter_(musician).

Joolz Holland performance

https://vimeo.com/151704214

Band

http://falselights.co.uk/harmonograph/

Resources:

Alexander Technique

https://alexandertechnique.com/

Books: The Alexander Technique for Musicians by Judith Kleinman and Peter Buckoke.

https://www.cnhc.org.uk/ - The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council

https://www.alexandertechniqueinternational.com/

Future Islands - https://future-islands.com/

We have been lucky to have the pleasure of talking to a very talented and hardworking singer, songwriter and guitarist, originally from Midlands UK. He is a highly acclaimed instrumentalist, particularly renowned for his English fingerpicking style. He has won awards, such as the BBC folk award, appeared on national radio and TV, including shows such as Later with Jools Holland, toured the world and has had seven releases to date, his most recent being Home Waters and Home Waters Live, which is just beautiful, and is currently touring.

We are delighted to have the pleasure to talk to this incredible talent, about his musical and vocal journey, his unique ways of coping with performance anxiety and the art storytelling through song. Introducing the wonderful Sam Carter.

00:00 – 12:10  Intro chat and reflection

12:10 – 23:28  Sam’s musical journey; how his upbringing has influenced his approach to singing and how this lends itself well to the Folk world and ethos.

23:28 – 28.27  Sam shares his ways to deal with Imposter Syndrome.

28.27 - End      How Sam uses traditional Folk themes, musical structures to tell stories and authentically connect with his audience.

Sam’s Websites:

Solo

Home Waters,

https://samcartermusic.co.uk/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Carter_(musician).

Joolz Holland performance

https://vimeo.com/151704214

Band

http://falselights.co.uk/harmonograph/

Resources:

Alexander Technique

https://alexandertechnique.com/

Books: The Alexander Technique for Musicians by Judith Kleinman and Peter Buckoke.

https://www.cnhc.org.uk/ - The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council

https://www.alexandertechniqueinternational.com/

Future Islands - https://future-islands.com/

Today we are delighted to welcome a guest all the way from Vermont USA. A specialist in body work that includes massage, Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT) and nutrigenomics. As a practitioner of over 20yrs experience she will be sharing her extensive knowledge on how we as singers can benefit from the exploration of her fascinating body work in supporting our voice to sore freely. Let’s welcome Sabina Gutsell.

00:00-07:54 - Intro chat

07: 54–18:55 - Massage and Integrative Manual Therapy in relation to the voice, Fascia explained.

18:55–23:26 - Posture and the effects of good and bad posture and fascia unwinding.

23:26–31:17 - Tools to help combat stress or anxiety before a performance.

31:17–37:01 - New research about the body that can help us singers – rhythms of the body and rocking bones!

37:01–45:00 - Getting closer to nature and its benefits for optimal performance.

45:00–49:37 - How Sabina specifically works with singers - muscular relaxation, how the body is connected and intuition with case studies.

49:37–End - practical tools to try out with guidence and release tension and listening to our bodies.

Sabina’s links

https://www.catalysthealing.org/

https://www.facebook.com/sabina.gutsell

https://www.instagram.com/sabinagutsell/?hl=en-gb

Resources

Books:

Moving stretch by Suzanne Wylde

Free you fascia by Daniel Fenster

Websites:

Healing Sounds – Jonathan Goldman – https://www.healingsounds.com

British Academy of Sound Therapy - https://www.britishacademyofsoundtherapy.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwspKUBhCvARIsAB2IYusL-BMdpODpMGyDXZm5r_WkgxUxcYZi8rVC3GtOxAyENOuR03d6SYgaApHnEALw_wcB

Connect with us:

Email: Contact@theconnectedsinger.com

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

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

Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/453524889667411

Twitter: https://twitter.com/connectedsinger

A fully trained dancer and Yogi,  Ella has travelled the world as a performing artist, choreographed festivals created her own dance productions, and offered yoga retreats in exotic locations.  Ella is also the published author of ‘Journal to Joy’, and the director of the prestigious award winning company, Business Yoga. She has been passionately expanding her path series mentoring programme that helps artists and professionals embody creativity and abundance through workshops and retreats. She is also a fellow podcaster hosting the podcast “Power Up”. We welcome the wonderful and sunny Ella Mesma.

00:00 – 6:12 - Intro chat

6:12 - 16:02  -  Ella tell us about her unique vocal journey, and  she has incorporated her voice in her projects. 

16:02 - 18:42 - Ella’s cultural background and how deeper exploration of this has informed her work.

18:42 - 20:26 - Similarities between voice and dance, and how we use our voice tells a lot about ourselves.

20:26  - 22:45 - Finding our true voice from within to help unleash creativity and expression with freedom. Importance of intuition for performances and how to connect to this.

22:45 - 27:30  - Tools to help connect to the creative expression.

27:30 - 33:39  - TRE (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises) - alternative breathing techniques.

33:39 - 38:56  - How movement, Mantras, Moodras can unlock creativity.

38:56 - 43:12   - Importance of pieces of feedback - Meaningful productions such as her Little Amal project.

43:12 -48:38   -  I am all woman lockdown project - in relation to current issues of women’s safety - can Art challenge difficult issues?

48:38 - 51:10   - Advice for artists embarking on their creative journey.

51:10 - End       - Future Projects

Ella’s Links: https://ellamesma.co.uk/ https://www.businessyoga.co.uk/  Ella Mesma Company show trailers –  https://vimeo.com/389736434  https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/powerup/id1551171741 

Power Up! Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5QB790RZ9UT9DajGzAQsDY?si=3460493bc3e042dc  Publications: Journal to Joy  by Maya Gandaia (Ella Mesma) -  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Journal-Joy-Transform-Accompanying-Manuscript/dp/1982282371

Resources:

TRE - Tension Release Exercises   https://traumaprevention.com/ 

Dan Brule - https://breathmastery.com/

Mooji - https://mooji.org/

Exsitential Kink - Book by Carolyn Elliot 

Little Amal - https://www.walkwithamal.org/about-us/little-amal/

The Heroine's Journey - Book by Maureen Murdock  

Hero's Journey Model - Book by Joeseph Camplell

Theodore Zeldin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Zeldin  

Artists mentioned:

Sabio Janiak

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ceNE7KS0LTSImcKvNIAtg

https://www.hagityakira.com/sabio-janiak-details

Akeim Toussaint Buck

https://www.toussainttomove.com/

Connect with us: Email Facebook Facebook community Instagram:

Mixed and mastered by Mario Goetzenberger 

While she's been amused to Frank Zappa toured America with Weird Al Yankovic being an 80s, pop starlet, researched voice with the likes of Dr. Johansen Berg, written books on vocal technique and the music industry and has over 40 years of professional teaching experience, working with everyone from Belters to Jazzers, to classical Sopranos. She also comes from a family of inventors, which seems particularly appropriate for such an innovative teacher.

Part Two:

00:00 – 16:01  Performance anxiety

• Alternative techniques with demonstration of practical tools.

16:01 – 36:22  Vocal  pedagogy

• discussions around belting,  Lisa ‘s head voice styles and support and keeping the magic!

37:24 - End  Lisa Popeil’s Voiceworks method.

Lisa's website  

Resources:

Thought Field Therapy (TFT) - https://tfttapping.com/

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) -  https://eftinternational.org/

Eye Movement Desensitisation and reprocessing) EMDR – https://emdrassociation.org.uk/a-unique-and-powerful-therapy/emdr-the-basics/

https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/types-of-therapy/eye-movement-desensitisation-and-reprocessing-emdr/

Singers sound examples:

Stylisic Head voice:

Audra McDonald - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiN06v5QUMs

Sarah Brightman - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9qLfyLowjg

Julie Andrews - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L4qauTiCY4

Publications:

Sing at the Top of Your Game Book Daily Vocal Workout for Pop Singers CD Sing Anything- Mastering Vocal Styles Book Total Singer - Deluxe Set DVD

Lisa on Facebook