In this episode, Alexa shares 10 brilliant songs that sit in the A4–D5 low-belt zone for female singers — a range full of character, energy, and storytelling potential.

From Standard Broadway favourites, 90s pop-rock anthems and modern hits this episode is packed with fresh repertoire ideas, stylistic insight, and creative inspiration for singers and teachers alike.

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST

0:38 Why might these songs be helpful?

2:07 10 ‘low belt’ songs for female singers

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.205 10 Songs to Inspire Your Singing Lessons

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.210 10 Songs to Celebrate Pride in Your Studio

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.212 10 Songs to Find Your Pop Style

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.219 10 Songs for Male Contemporary Musical Theatre Singers

Amanda Flynn

ABOUT THE GUEST

Alexa runs a singing tuition practice in the South of England, and is a singing tutor at one of the UK’s leading performing arts schools – Italia Conti, where she also regularly panels auditions and assessments. Alexa is the host of the BAST Training Singing Teachers Talk podcast, mentors for the BAST Training Level 5 qualification, and has presented on topics of Musical Theatre repertoire, authentic Musical Theatre performance, and imposter syndrome for Vocology in Practise and The Sing Space.

SEE FULL BIO HERE

Website

Instagram: @AlexaTerryVocalCoaching

Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice. Download >>> HERE

At BAST Training, we help singers like you turn passion into purpose — building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach successfully without feeling like an imposter. You don’t have to figure it out alone.

“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK

Join other singers becoming confident teachers at basttraining.com

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What if the secret to better singing practice isn’t doing more, but understanding why we avoid it in the first place? Voice educator Tessa Smith Whicker joins Alexa to explore how her master’s research reshaped her view of practice — from battling guilt and distraction to embracing curiosity and compassion.

Discover how to get singers excited about their own practice, how teachers can reframe “you need to practice” into empowering questions, and why small, playful tasks can make all the difference.

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?

3:16 What do you believe practice actually is?

8:10 Common barriers to practice

10:02 Options to manage the barriers

18:31 Playing devil’s advocate

22:18 Holes in the research

25:18 How to effectively set practice

39:18 The role of the singing teacher and rapport

46:23 Measuring progress

53:00 Tessa’s practice hub and podcast

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.164 Music and the Brain: The Science of Learning and Practice with Dr Molly Gebrian Part One

Jacob Collier

Singing for the Self Conscious by Becky Gilhespie

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.166 Overcoming Self-consciousness in Singing with Becky Gilhespie

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.131 Mastering Research Papers: How to Read with Ease and Extract Knowledge with Kate Cubley

Cheryl Porter

Kim Chandler

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.70 Coaching Contemporary Commercial Music with Kim Chandler

The Singer’s Guide podcast by Tessa Smith

ABOUT THE GUEST

Tessa Smith Whicker holds a BA in Jazz Studies, an MA in Vocal Pedagogy, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research explores the likes of performance assessment, stylistic awareness, and the decolonisation of Popular Music singing education. She teaches across Higher Education institutions in the North of England and leads choirs and community singing groups. Passionate about developing self-sufficient, self-compassionate singers, Tessa shares tools for effective and enjoyable practice through her social media, podcast The Singer’s Guide, and membership platform The Singer’s Practice Hub.

SEE FULL BIO HERE

Websites: tessasmith.com & thesingersguide.com

Instagram: @tessasmithmusic

BAST Training helps singers gain the confidence, knowledge, skills & understanding required to be a successful singing teacher.

"The course was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. It's an investment with so much return. I would recommend this course to any teacher wanting to up-skill, refresh or start up." Kelly Taylor, NZ ...more

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In this insightful episode, Alexa chats with Sami Wong, a speech and language pathologist who helps clients navigate communication challenges such as aphasia. Sami shares her personal journey into speech therapy, inspired by her late father’s recovery from a stroke, and explains what aphasia really is, and the role music and singing can play in therapy. We also dive into Sami’s creative side hustle—her successful Etsy shop where she sells educational anatomy prints for SLPs and voice professionals.

Whether you’re a singing teacher, therapist, or simply curious about language, the brain, and communication, this episode will leave you inspired and informed.

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?

2:36 What is aphasia?

5:18 What is neuroplasticity?

7:46 Can you recover from aphasia?

9:53 Compensatory communication activities for aphasia

11:10 Music & aphasia

13:46 What should singing teachers know about the work of an SLP?

15:06 Setting up a side hustle

21:07 Advice on creating an Etsy shop

23:46 Sami’s gift to you

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

Melodic Intonation Therapy

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.211 Learning Vocal Anatomy through Mindful Colouring with Eimear McCarthy Luddy

GET SAMI’S PRINT WITH THIS BAST DISCOUNT CODE: BAST10

ABOUT THE GUEST

Sami Wong is a speech-language pathologist based in the Pacific Northwest, specialising in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and helping clients build confidence, independence, and connection. She recently completed a Ph.D. in Education and Leadership, focusing on return-to-work research for individuals with communication challenges.

Inspired by her father’s experience with aphasia after a stroke, Sami is dedicated to advancing awareness and rehabilitation for communication disorders. Alongside her full-time role, she runs Speech+Language, a small business offering free resources, study aids, and digital prints for SLPs and care partners.

With a background spanning media, fashion, finance, and education, Sami blends creativity with clinical expertise to empower others and advocate for people with aphasia.

SEE FULL BIO HERE

Website

Instagram: @samiwong_

Etsy

BAST Training helps singers gain the confidence, knowledge, skills & understanding required to be a successful singing teacher.

"The course was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. It's an investment with so much return. I would recommend this course to any teacher wanting to up-skill, refresh or start up." Kelly Taylor, NZ ...more

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Ever wondered how world-class singers keep their voices strong night after night on global tours? In this episode, we go behind the curtain with Mindy Pack — elite vocal coach to stars like Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas X, Sabrina Carpenter, and Justin Timberlake — to explore the science, strategy, and stamina behind life on the road. Discover how artists build vocal endurance, plus the secrets behind Mindy’s legendary 'Vocal 911 Kit' From vocal warm-ups and bodywork to tour prep and mental resilience, this conversation is packed with tips for singers, teachers, and music lovers alike.

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?

2:22 Creating a blueprint for a touring artists

11:35 Teacher-Artist rapport

14:38 Giving demonstration

15:58 Choosing keys and set lists

19:00 Treadmill training

21:57 Working with vocal injury

26:21 Mindy’s ‘Vocal 911’ kit

29:30 The Vocalzone debate

31:20 When is the best time for massage, stretch and warm-up?

33:49 What is it like being a vocal coach on tour?

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.40 Integrated Skills: Teaching Singing to Dancers

Bemer System

BAST Article - Vocalzone, Saviours or Destroyers?

ABOUT THE GUEST

Mindy Pack is a globally respected vocologist, vocal coach, and voice specialist known for her innovative, science-based approach to vocal performance and health. Blending decades of stage experience with deep expertise in voice science and physiology, she helps singers, actors, and speakers achieve peak performance while protecting their vocal longevity.

As co-founder and director of the SVARA Project with Dr. Reena Gupta, Mindy collaborates with leading ENTs, laryngologists, and speech-language pathologists to provide advanced vocal rehabilitation and manual therapy. She works with clients worldwide from her studios in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, offering one-on-one coaching, biofeedback sessions, and bodywork focused on vocal endurance and optimization.

Her clients include some of the biggest names in entertainment—Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas X, Noah Kahan, Brandi Carlile, and The Lumineers—as well as Broadway performers, voice-over artists, and emerging talent. Many credit her signature Vocal Tract Reconditioning method as essential to their success on tours, award shows, and global stages.

Mindy is also the creator of The Voice Straw, a groundbreaking vocal training tool used by performers worldwide. Beyond coaching, she is a passionate educator, frequent conference presenter, and humanitarian dedicated to empowering future leaders.

Driven by a lifelong love of voice and performance, Mindy’s mission is simple: to help every artist unlock their full vocal potential.

Website

BAST Training helps singers gain the confidence, knowledge, skills & understanding required to be a successful singing teacher.

"The course was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. It's an investment with so much return. I would recommend this course to any teacher wanting to up-skill, refresh or start up." Kelly Taylor, NZ ...more

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Who decides what’s in when it comes to singing styles — how do voice teachers keep up? In this fun and insightful episode, Alexa chats with April Young about how changing trends in pop, musical theatre, and CCM are reshaping vocal training. From falsetto and belt to the science of registers and resonance, we explore how singers can stay healthy, expressive, and ahead of the curve. Perfect for voice teachers, performers, and anyone curious about the ever-evolving art of singing.

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?

2:25 What are the current trends in 2025?

6:20 How does one laryngeal register impact the other?

10:46 Visible, audible and sensory clues of TA dominance

12:43 Does imitation have limitation?

15:05 Visible, audible and sensory clues of CT dominance

16:33 The best time to train vocal registers

20:45 Acoustic register shifts and choosing the best vowel

25:58 Training registers alongside trends

45:16 Changing trends in CCM and impacts on the studio

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

Journal of Singing

‘Mixed Up and Upside Down - Underdeveloped Registers in Men and Women Due to Vocal Trends in Popular Music: Turning Two Pedagogic Challenges into Opportunities in Today's Voice Studio’ by April Young

William Venard

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.152 ‘Tomato, Tomahto’: Understanding Singing Terminology

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.133 Mastering Belt in Musical Theatre

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.200 The Secret to Powerful Belting and Seamless Mixing

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.146 How to Understand and Apply Vocal Acoustic Pedagogy

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.172 Understanding Acoustic Registers

Shenandoah University

The Systematic Approach to Voice Dr Kari Ragan

The Structure of Singing Richard Miller

Hoberman Sphere

Mary Saunders Barton

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.151 How to Sing with Twang

ABOUT THE GUEST

April Young runs a voice studio in Spokane, WA, where she specializes in classical, music theater and CCM techniques and repertoire. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music (Voice Performance), an MVP (Master of Voice Pedagogy), and has served on the faculty of three area schools. In addition to her teaching, April is a soloist and choral conductor.

Her performance experience spans recital, oratorio, and music theater and her session work includes vocals for a title in the Myst computer game series. A published writer, she has contributed to the Journal of Singing through the National Association of Teachers of Singing, authoring an article on vocal trends in popular music and the evolving opportunities these present for voice teachers.

A lifelong learner, April is currently interested in the role voice teachers play in recovery from injuries that impact the singing voice, and she believes that the best teachers never stop being students themselves.

Website

BAST Training helps singers gain the confidence, knowledge, skills & understanding required to be a successful singing teacher.

"The course was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. It's an investment with so much return. I would recommend this course to any teacher wanting to up-skill, refresh or start up." Kelly Taylor, NZ ...more

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Drama school auditions can feel like a mix of excitement, nerves and big dreams. In this episode, Alexa shares her top strategies for surviving and thriving in drama school auditions. From preparation to presence, discover how to bring your best self into the room and make the most of every opportunity. Whether you’re auditioning for the first time or guiding others through the process, this episode will leave you feeling ready to go.

About the presenter, click HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

Singing Teachers Talk Ep.214 The Secret to a Portfolio Career: Singing, Teaching and Creating with Rosie Williamson

musicnotes.com

Sheet Music Direct

Scribd

Ep.219 10 Songs for Male Contemporary Musical Theatre Singers with Conor O Hara

ABOUT THE GUEST

Alexa runs a singing tuition practice in the South of England, and is a singing tutor at one of the UK’s leading performing arts schools – Italia Conti, where she also regularly panels auditions and assessments. Alexa is the host of the BAST Training Singing Teachers Talk podcast, mentors for the BAST Training Level 5 qualification, and has presented on topics of Musical Theatre repertoire, authentic Musical Theatre performance, and imposter syndrome for Vocology in Practise and The Sing Space.

SEE FULL BIO HERE (Add link to the podcast website page)

Website

Instagram: @AlexaTerryVocalCoaching

BAST Training helps singers gain the confidence, knowledge, skills & understanding required to be a successful singing teacher.

"The course was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. It's an investment with so much return. I would recommend this course to any teacher wanting to up-skill, refresh or start up." Kelly Taylor, NZ ...more

basttraining.com | Subscribe | Email Us | FB Group

In this episode of the Singing Teachers Talk Podcast, vocal coach and business mentor Zoe Stibi shares how she turned a career crisis into thriving studios, a booming YouTube channel, and multiple income streams. From raising your rates with confidence to building an online presence that attracts students worldwide, Zoe breaks down practical strategies to help you earn more while working less.

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?

1:14 What would you if you won the lottery?

3:44 Turning a crisis into a transformation

16:00 Setting your prices

25:15 Youtube Vs Instagram

39:47 Standing out in the crow

41:33 Monetising Youtube

50:35 Making the first step

55:33 Zoe’s Vocal Coach Accelerator Programme

About the presenter, click HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

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

Singers Having Coffee Podcast Ep.6 Mistakes, Myths & the importance of vowels with Gemma Sugrue

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.79 How to Price Your Business in a Cost of Living Crisis with Mark Peacock

Thomann Shure Microphone

MyMusicStaff

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.93 How to Organise Your Singing Studio Business with My Music Staff

Zoom

Singers Having Coffee Podcast

ABOUT THE GUEST

Zoe Stibi is a business coach and vocal pedagogue with 18+ years’ experience teaching singers across four countries. After rebuilding her music studio five times—and reinventing her entire business during 2020—she discovered that success requires not just talent, but structure. Today, she’s turned a 7-day grind into a sustainable 4-day workweek with creative time, balance, and six-figure revenue, and now helps other music teachers do the same.

As a Certified Estill Master Trainer with a Master’s in Musical Theatre from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Zoe makes vocal technique accessible and empowering. She has guided students into top programs including BRITS School and RADA, and teaches across classical, musical theatre, pop, and CCM. Having overcome her own vocal injuries, she brings both technical expertise and empathy to her work—showing singers and teachers what’s possible when artistry meets the right systems.

SEE FULL BIO HERE

Website

Youtube

Instagram: @zoestibivocalcoach

BAST Training helps singers gain the confidence, knowledge, skills & understanding required to be a successful singing teacher.

"The course was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. It's an investment with so much return. I would recommend this course to any teacher wanting to up-skill, refresh or start up." Kelly Taylor, NZ ...more

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As singing teachers, we might often wonder: are my students actually having fun? Fun doesn’t have to mean over-the-top excitement—it’s about creating moments of joy, curiosity, and connection. In this episode, Alexa shares 10 practical ways to make singing lessons more enjoyable for students of all ages. From playful games and tongue twisters to using props, humour, and mindful moments, these ideas keep lessons fresh and engaging.

Discover how to balance progress with play, while building a safe space where singers feel supported and confident. You’ll come away with strategies that make lessons more memorable, effective, and truly enjoyable.

About the presenter, click HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

Scales and Arpeggios from The Aristocats

Example: My Mind by Yebba

Jenevora Williams

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.155 Part One: Building Neurodiversity-Inclusive Voice Studios

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.156 Part Two: Building Neurodiversity-Inclusive Voice Studios

Guns and Ships from Hamilton

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep. 159 How Toys and Props can Create Dynamic Singing Lessons

ABOUT THE GUEST

Alexa runs a singing tuition practice in the South of England, and is a singing tutor at one of the UK’s leading performing arts schools – Italia Conti, where she also regularly panels auditions and assessments. Alexa is the host of the BAST Training Singing Teachers Talk podcast, mentors for the BAST Training Level 5 qualification, and has presented on topics of Musical Theatre repertoire, authentic Musical Theatre performance, and imposter syndrome for Vocology in Practise and The Sing Space.

SEE FULL BIO HERE

Website

Instagram: @AlexaTerryVocalCoaching

BAST Training helps singers gain the confidence, knowledge, skills & understanding required to be a successful singing teacher.

"The course was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. It's an investment with so much return. I would recommend this course to any teacher wanting to up-skill, refresh or start up." Kelly Taylor, NZ ...more

basttraining.com | Subscribe | Email Us | FB Group