The Aligned Singer

Sarah Hawkey
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The Aligned Singer is a podcast for singers who know there is something more inside them and are ready to bring it fully to life. Hosted by classical soprano and voice teacher Sarah Hawkey, an expert in vocal technique, this show helps you connect the dots from where you are to where you want to be in your voice, your performance opportunities, and your singing career. Each episode explores the inner and outer work required for true embodied artistry to help you clear vocal and mindset blocks so you can do what you came here to do.

  1. 29 jun

    Ep. 15 - Your Voice Believes What You Tell It (How Your Thoughts Shape Your Singing)

    Have you ever caught yourself saying something about your voice that actually ends up limiting you? Like I can't sing high notes. I'm not good at belting. My mix has always been weak. This part is always hard for me. What if those thoughts aren't just describing your singing, what if they're actually influencing it? If you've ever felt stuck in the same vocal technique problem, doubted your ability to reach the next level in your goals for your sound, or found yourself thinking: This is just the way my voice is...then this episode is for you. In this episode of The Aligned Singer, you and I are exploring one of the most overlooked aspects of vocal development: the connection between your mindset and your vocal technique.  And here's the thing, I am not a froo froo voice teacher.  I'm a serious technical teacher, but I had to admit after seeing students walk into my studio and say something like, "Oh, I can't sing that high" and literally 10 minutes later we've unlocked it, that those stories you might be telling yourself (and not even realizing it!) are just plain wrong, are rooted in limited thinking, and have gottta go if you want to accelorate your progress and reach your dreams & goals.   In this episode, I share why the stories you tell yourself about your voice can shape the way you approach difficult notes, challenging repertoire, and even your overall growth as a singer. This conversation brings together two of the core ideas behind The Aligned Singer that I'm crazy passionate about: the inner work and the outer work. The outer work is the technical training, practice, and skill development that every singer needs. The inner work is everything happening behind the scenes in your mind: your beliefs, self-talk, expectations (especially about what'll be hard for you), and the stories you've built from your past experiences. In this episode, I show you how the inner work & outer work link up, especially in what we're talking about today. Drawing from my own experience rebuilding my voice after years of technical struggles, along with countless lessons helping singers overcome limiting beliefs in real time, I explain how fixed mindsets can keep us stuck, even when we're practicing consistently. I also share practical ways to recognize these thought patterns, replace them with more empowering ones, and create the mental space for real vocal breakthroughs to happen. Your thoughts won't replace great vocal technique, but they can either support your progress or stand in its way. Learning the difference can completely change the way you practice, grow, and experience your voice. In this episode you'll learn: • Why your thoughts about your voice directly influence the way you sing • The difference between the inner work and the outer work of becoming a great singer • How limiting beliefs create physical tension in your voice • Why saying "I can't" keeps your singing progress stuck • The difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset in singing • How past vocal struggles can become stories that continue affecting your technique • Why removing judgment during practice can accelerate your progress • A simple mindset shift you can use the next time you practice Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:34 The Inner Work vs. the Outer Work, Explained 08:08 How Your Thoughts Shape Your Singing 13:55 "I Can't Sing That High" (a true story from my studio!) 22:12 Limiting Stories We Tell Ourselves About Our Singing 31:09 Your Voice Is Your Body 39:53 How Negative Experiences Become Technique Patterns 49:20 Practical Ways to Change Your Mindset While Practicing Links & Resources Voice Lessons:https://www.sarahhawkeystudio.com Performing Website:https://www.sarahhawkey.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sarah.hawkey TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceteachersarah Subscribe for more episodes of The Aligned Singer on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts!

  2. 22 jun

    Ep. 14 - Your Cure for Stage Fright, Part 1: The First Tool That Helped Me Heal Performance Anxiety (A Guided EFT Tapping Session for Singers)

    Performance anxiety, audition anxiety, stage fright, whatever name you give it, is one of the most frustrating things a singer can experience. You work so hard on your voice. You prepare. You practice. You learn the music. You show up ready. And then the moment arrives. You get to your audition or performance, and suddenly your heart is racing, your thoughts are spiraling, and your body feels like it's doing things you can't control. If you've experienced that, you're not alone. Several years into my professional singing career, I found myself struggling with severe performance anxiety. I had already spent years rebuilding my voice, developing my technique, and working toward my dream of making a living as a singer. I was finally doing the thing I'd worked so hard to do. And yet I was having panic attacks on stage. I reached a point where I knew something had to change. I wasn't willing to let fear take away something I had sacrificed so much for. I had two choices: stop performing, or learn how to work with what was happening in my nervous system. Thankfully, I chose the second option. In this episode, I'm sharing one of the very first tools I learned when I finally reached out for help. It's called EFT Tapping, or Emotional Freedom Technique, and we're actually going to do it together. This isn't just a conversation about stage fright. It's a guided tapping meditation that you can follow along with in real time. Whether you're preparing for an audition, getting ready for a performance, or simply trying to build a healthier relationship with singing, my hope is that this gives you a practical tool you can return to whenever fear starts taking over. I also want you to know something. I am completely free of the stage fright that once felt impossible to overcome. Today, I genuinely love performing. I feel calm, grounded, present, and connected to my artistry when I step on stage. I never thought that would be possible when I was in the middle of struggling with panic attacks. That's why I wanted to make this episode. Because if you're dealing with performance anxiety right now, I want you to know that improvement is possible. You do not have to stay stuck where you are today. And if you've never tried tapping before, this is a wonderful place to start. In this episode you'll learn: • Why performance anxiety and stage fright happen to so many singers • My personal story of struggling with panic attacks on stage • What EFT Tapping is and how it works • A guided tapping meditation you can follow along with in real time • Why fear and excitement often feel surprisingly similar in the body • How repetition helps create new neural pathways around confidence while performing Chapters 0:00 My struggle with performance anxiety and stage fright 11:50 What EFT Tapping is and how it works 17:45 Guided EFT Tapping Meditation for Performance or Audition Anxiety 32:18 Why fear and excitement feel so similar 39:07 Creating new neural pathways around performing 41:30 My complete recovery from stage fright and performance anxiety Get in Touch Voice Studio Website https://www.sarahhawkeystudio.com Performing Website https://www.sarahhawkey.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/voiceteachersarah TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceteachersarah YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@voiceteachersarah

  3. 15 jun

    Ep. 13 - Why Your High Notes Feel Strained, Stuck, or Impossible (and What’s Actually Causing It)

    If your high notes feel strained, pushed, stuck, screamy, or like they’ve completely disappeared lately, this episode is going to help you understand what may actually be going on in your voice. Because most of the time, the high notes themselves are not actually the problem. And I know that may sound surprising, especially if the top part of your range is currently making you want to throw yourself dramatically onto the floor after singing. But in almost every case I’ve seen as a voice teacher, issues with high notes are usually coming from something happening somewhere else in the voice. That’s what we’re unpacking today. This conversation came directly out of patterns I’ve been seeing lately in my studio, in my online communities, and in singers who feel frustrated because high notes that used to feel easy suddenly feel hard, or singers who have started believing they “just don’t have high notes anymore.” And I really want you to hear this: Losing access to part of your range is not permanent. Your voice can be retrained. In this episode, we talk about what’s actually happening behind the scenes when singers start straining, pushing, yelling, over-singing, or pressing in other parts of the voice and how those habits can throw your entire instrument out of balance. We also get into bel canto, what that word actually means, and why bel canto technique applies to every style of singing, not just opera or classical music. And honestly, this episode became more emotional than I expected while recording it. Because I know what it feels like to struggle with your voice. I know what it feels like to avoid high notes, to feel disconnected from your instrument, to wonder what’s wrong, and to worry that maybe your voice just won’t do what you want it to do anymore. My own voice was in really rough shape when I moved to New York City for my singing career. And now, after years of retraining and studying vocal technique, I genuinely have the voice I used to dream about having. Because vocal technique is trainable. And there is always a way through. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why high notes are often not the real source of the problem• How over-singing and pushing in middle voice can affect your entire range• The difference between chest voice, middle voice, head voice, and whistle tone• Why singers can temporarily lose access to their high extension• What “pressing” the voice actually means and how it affects vocal balance• Why drilling difficult high notes repeatedly can actually make them worse• How bel canto technique helps rebalance the voice from the inside out• Why middle voice is the most important part of your instrument• How I retrained my own voice after major vocal struggles Chapters 2:52 What bel canto actually means10:18 My own journey retraining my high extension18:08 Why singers lose access to high notes22:31 The real reason high notes become strained or stuck27:44 Chest voice, head voice, and middle voice explained simply34:16 Why middle voice is the most important part of your voice42:05 How over-singing throws the whole instrument out of balance49:11 Why practicing the high note itself often makes things worse57:22 How bel canto technique helps rebalance the voice1:04:18 My emotional story about rebuilding my own voice Get in Touch Voice Studio Websitehttps://www.sarahhawkeystudio.com Performing Websitehttps://www.sarahhawkey.com Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/voiceteachersarah TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@voiceteachersarah YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@voiceteachersarah

  4. 8 jun

    Ep. 12 - Manifesting for Singers: How to Start Attracting More Aligned Opportunities (A Practical Intro to Law of Attraction for Singers)

    Do you ever wonder why some singers seem to keep attracting great opportunities (maybe even the ones YOU want) while other singers seem stuck in the same frustrating cycles no matter how hard they work? That’s what we’re talking about today: Manifesting. Manifesting isn't waaay out there. At The Aligned Singer we're approaching this conversation in an extremely grounded and practical way. At its core, manifesting is about understanding how your inner world affects what you continue to create, notice, allow, expect, and attract in your outer world. And as singers, this matters so much more than most of us realize. Most singers spend years focused almost entirely on the outer work of their career: vocal technique, auditions, applications, networking, repertoire, performance skills, time management, building resumes, trying to get better, trying to get noticed, trying to make opportunities happen. But many singers never stop to examine what’s happening underneath all of it. I call this the inner work. The subconscious beliefs you carry about yourself. The emotional patterns you’ve been living inside for years. The expectations your nervous system has about what is possible for you. The stories you absorbed growing up about success, visibility, worthiness, creativity, money, rejection, artistry, and being seen. Once I started understanding that the inner work mattered, and figured out how to do it, I finally started attracting my dream singing opportunities. That's what I want for you! In this episode, I talk about the connection between the inner work and the outer work of building a singing career, and why changing your life often requires more than simply working harder. We talk about patterns, subconscious beliefs, neuroplasticity, the reticular activating system, nervous system conditioning, and the ways singers can unintentionally recreate the same painful experiences over and over again without realizing it. I also share personal stories from my own journey, including rebuilding my voice after major vocal struggles, moving to New York City without support or connections, and realizing that some of the opportunities I wanted most required internal transformation, not just more effort. Because the good news is this: Your brain can change. Your patterns can change. Your expectations can change. And when those internal shifts begin to happen, the opportunities you notice, pursue, allow, and create can start changing too. In this episode, you’ll learn: • What manifesting actually means in grounded, practical language• The difference between the inner work and outer work of a singing career• How subconscious beliefs can shape the opportunities you continue attracting• Why painful patterns can repeat in singers’ lives and careers• What the reticular activating system is and how it affects your perception• How neuroplasticity allows your brain and patterns to change• Why childhood experiences can still affect your confidence and opportunities as an adult singer• The inner work tools I personally use, including meditation, visualization, journaling, EFT tapping, hypnosis, and EMDR Chapters 2:18 What manifesting actually means for singers6:44 The inner work vs. the outer work of your singing career15:04 Looking at the patterns in your life and career26:22 Examples of two singers: one with high self-worth and one who struggled43:08 The reticular activating system explained simply49:47 Neuroplasticity and neuropathways: the magic of your brain explained simply56:22 The tools I personally use for inner work and manifestation Get in Touch Voice Studio Websitehttps://www.sarahhawkeystudio.com Performing Websitehttps://www.sarahhawkey.com Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/voiceteachersarah TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@voiceteachersarah YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@voiceteachersarah

  5. 1 jun

    Ep. 11 - What to Do When Rejection Starts Affecting Your Confidence as a Singer

    Rejection is one of the hardest parts of being a singer. It comes with the territory of pursuing your career as a performer, but me saying that does not make it easier on your emotions when you’re the one living through it. You know the drill: auditions that you prepared like crazy for, even paid to have coached, self tapes that took hours of preparation only to hear silence after submitting, callbacks where you know you're headed to the next round just to see the cast list come out without your name on it, applications, grants, programs, and opportunities you hoped would work out that you poured your time and energy into preparing for. It hurts. And we're gonna talk about it today, because learning how to navigate the emotional sting, or even grief, of rejection is incredibly important if you want a sustainable way to pursue your dreams. But what hurts even more is when rejection starts meaning something about you. Maybe you start questioning your talent. Maybe you start wondering if you’re behind. Maybe you start wondering if you’re actually cut out for this after all. So let’s talk about it. Because rejection is innate to pursuing your craft. If you’re putting yourself out there as a singer, you’re going to hear no. A lot. In this episode, we’re going to do something about how that feels. I may not be able to change the no for you or lessen the amount of rejection you face, but I am here to help you navigate it in a way that allows you to stay connected to the joy and delight of pursuing what you love to do. This episode is about learning to take the emotional charge out of rejection so it stops meaning something about you. We talk about how to reframe no, how to track and find patterns in your own audition data, how to build a personal toolbox for the hard days, and how to keep your well so full that rejection doesn’t have the same power to knock you down. I also share a story about an interview I heard years ago that completely changed the way I think about rejection. We also talk about: the danger of internalizing rejection as meaning something inherently about your worth or ability to succeed completing the stress cycle around rejection instead of suppressing or avoiding it building a rich life outside of performing so rejection doesn’t become emotionally devastating and creating your own work so you can keep moving forward even while hearing no in other parts of your singing life Because your voice has to be out in the world. And you can’t let a mountain of no stop you from getting there. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why hearing no is a normal part of putting yourself out there as a singer• How to stop transferring rejection into a story about your identity and your ability• The story that completely reframed rejection for me• How to use the “track it and tweak it” method to find patterns and get strategic• Why completing the stress cycle around rejection matters for singers• The personal toolbox I use to stay grounded, refill my well, and keep going• How creating your own work can keep you inspired and moving forward, even while hearing no elsewhere Chapters: 2:39 The inner and outer work of handling rejection5:33 The danger of internalizing rejection as meaning something about your worth or ability to succeed9:30 My favorite reframe: no means you put yourself out there17:54 The “track it and tweak it” method22:53 Completing the stress cycle around rejection instead of suppressing it28:49 Refilling your well so rejection doesn’t drain your creativity and confidence31:32 Reconnecting with inspiration through art, theater, and creativity outside your own field36:08 Why creating your own work can keep you moving forward while you’re hearing no elsewhere Get in Touch: Voice Studio Websitehttps://www.sarahhawkeystudio.com Performing Websitehttps://www.sarahhawkey.com Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/voiceteachersarah TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@voiceteachersarah

  6. 25 mei

    Ep. 10 - If You Walk Off Stage and Immediately Start Tearing Yourself Apart, This Episode Is for You

    Have you ever walked off stage after a performance or audition and immediately started tearing yourself apart? Fixating on the one note you didn’t like? Replaying every tiny mistake? Convincing yourself the whole thing was terrible, even when everyone else loved it? This episode is about that spiral. And if you’ve experienced it, you are SO not alone. Today we’re talking about something singers are especially prone to after performances, auditions, juries, competitions, or really any moment where we stand up in front of people and share our voice. The funhouse mirror effect. We (meaning singers) are especially prone to this because, as singers, we never have a true feedback loop with our instrument. We can’t hear our voices the way other people hear them. And when vulnerability, perfectionism, insecurity, or emotion enter the picture, our perception can become completely distorted. In this episode, I share what (shockingly, TBH) happened to me immediately after my most recent solo recital, when I found myself fixating on two tiny mistakes in a two-hour performance and started spiraling into ridiculously harsh self-talk that honestly had no connection to reality. We’ve gotta talk about it because I see this happen to singers constantly. It comes up in my studio all the time, and I’d honestly lost touch with just how awful it feels to experience. I also share the exact practical exercises I used to pull myself out of it and get back into a grounded growth mindset instead of staying trapped in the spiral. Including: the somatic “star shape” exercise I use with my students who struggle with thisa simple way to name positive things about your performance without deflectingthe journaling exercise that immediately shrunk my mistakes back down to their actual size and helped me get back into a growth mindsetReal Talk: If you stay stuck in that funhouse mirror mental spiral, it can slowly erode your confidence, your joy, your growth, and even your relationship with singing itself. This is serious stuff. And as your bel canto bestie, I’m not gonna let that happen to you if I can help it. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why singers are especially vulnerable to funhouse mirror-like self-perception after performing • Why singers never have a true feedback loop with their own instrument • What the “funhouse mirror effect” actually is and how it distorts your thinking • The body-based star shape exercise to interrupt the spiral in the moment • How to name positive things about your performance without deflecting or minimizing • The simple list-making journaling exercise that helps shrink mistakes back down to their actual size • How to flip post-performance spiraling into grounded growth for the future • Why staying stuck in negative self-talk can slowly damage your relationship with singing Chapters 1:01 Why singers are especially vulnerable to post-performance negative spirals and self-criticism 3:08 The funhouse mirror effect: the negative spiral that erases everything you did well 6:52 My shocking reconnection with this terrible feeling after a recent solo recital 13:49 Practical tools: what to do when the spiral starts 19:21 The star shape exercise: naming three positive things about your performance 21:29 Taking it deeper with this simple list-making journaling exercise 26:00 How to use the negative spiral and flip it for growth in your future 31:21 Real talk about the danger of staying stuck in the spiral Get in Touch Voice Studio Website https://www.sarahhawkeystudio.com Performing Website https://www.sarahhawkey.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/voiceteachersarah TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceteachersarah YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@voiceteachersarah

  7. 18 mei

    Ep. 9 - Unlock Your Dream Voice From the Inside Out With a Vocal Technique Secret That's Hundreds of Years Old

    Have you ever felt like you were stuck in one gear in your singing? Pushing. Pressing. Forcing the sound out. And wondering why it’s not working? Today I’m sharing a concept I’ve been waiting to teach on this podcast. It comes from bel canto, a vocal tradition that goes back to the 1800s, and it applies to every genre of singing, not just classical. My greatest bel canto teacher gave it to me in one sentence: Great oak trees from little acorns do come. When I moved to New York City with a voice that was wrecked, I had exactly one gear. Loud. I was pushing and forcing every sound out, and the harder I pushed, the further back my technique moved. What I didn’t understand then is this. The tiniest sounds in your voice are the seed of your biggest sounds. Not the quietest. The smallest. The most connected. The most free. When you learn to access them, they begin to move through your entire range and unlock a fullness and richness that forcing your sound can never create. I also want to speak directly to something I’ve been hearing from singers. There is a troubling amount of voice teaching right now that encourages singers to push out more, sing bigger, project harder. If something doesn’t feel right about what you’re being told, please listen to this episode. Strong does not mean loud. And pushing your sound out is not the path forward. In this episode, you’ll learn: • What bel canto is and why its principles apply to every genre of singing• Why pushing and forcing your sound moves your technique backwards• What “great oak trees from little acorns do come” means for your voice in practice• Two practical ways to start connecting to smaller, more efficient sound• What to do if you feel like you’re stuck in one gear Chapters: 0:00 Welcome to The Aligned Singer1:35 What bel canto is and why it matters for all singers3:30 The problem with over-singing, pushing, and forcing5:42 My greatest bel canto teacher and the phrase that changed everything7:01 Great oak trees from little acorns do come8:24 My story: moving to New York with a wrecked voice9:44 One gear: what over-singing actually feels like12:39 The tiniest sounds create the biggest sounds13:39 Two ways to find your “acorn” sound15:54 A lesson that changed how I understood sound16:50 Working with your softest dynamic levels20:25 The acorn visual22:53 A message from a singer that made me speak up25:36 If your voice teacher is asking you to push and force27:37 Closing: great oak trees from little acorns do come Get in Touch Voice Studio Website⁠⁠https://www.sarahhawkeystudio.com⁠⁠ Performing Website⁠⁠https://www.sarahhawkey.com⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/voiceteachersarah⁠⁠ TikTok⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceteachersarah⁠⁠

  8. 11 mei

    Ep. 8 - When You're Ready to Uplevel Your Singing and Fear Takes the Wheel: The One Tool That Proves You Can Do It

    Have you ever reached for something bigger in your singing life and found yourself flooded with voices saying “I’ve never done anything like that before”? That feeling like it’s over your head? That might actually be your sign that you are ready. You are having a surprising but completely normal reaction to growth. And in this episode, we’re going to do something about it. I’m sharing one of the most powerful inner work tools I use in my own singing life. It’s called the evidence file. An evidence file is a collection of proof from every area of your life that you are capable of growth. Not just your singing credits. Everything. The hard seasons you walked through. The things you’ve healed from. The projects you finished. The life you’ve built. All of it counts. Your brain is wired to treat creative risk the same way it treats physical danger. So when you reach for something bigger, your nervous system sounds the alarm. The evidence file is what you hand that part of your brain to calm it down. And when you look at what’s in it, the overwhelming answer to “are you capable of this?” is YES. I’ll walk you through the prompts to help you build yours right here, right now, together so you can use it the moment that fear shows up. In this episode, you’ll learn: • What an evidence file is and how to start building yours today• Why your brain treats creative risk like physical danger• How to gather evidence from every area of your life, not just your singing• The prompts to build your evidence file quickly and thoroughly• How to use your evidence file when big dreams feel out of reach Chapters: 0:00 Welcome to The Aligned Singer2:24 Introducing the evidence file4:46 Why we need extra support when going for big dreams7:11 Using your evidence file when things feel out of reach9:46 Why fear shows up when you dream big14:50 Why your brain can’t tell the difference between creative risk and real danger16:20 Let’s build your evidence file right now, together19:51 Where to pull your evidence from30:06 The overwhelming evidence that you are capable34:31 Let fear ride in the back seat34:49 Closing: your voice matters Get in Touch Voice Studio Website⁠⁠https://www.sarahhawkeystudio.com⁠⁠ Performing Website⁠⁠https://www.sarahhawkey.com⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/voiceteachersarah⁠⁠ TikTok⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceteachersarah⁠⁠

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Info

The Aligned Singer is a podcast for singers who know there is something more inside them and are ready to bring it fully to life. Hosted by classical soprano and voice teacher Sarah Hawkey, an expert in vocal technique, this show helps you connect the dots from where you are to where you want to be in your voice, your performance opportunities, and your singing career. Each episode explores the inner and outer work required for true embodied artistry to help you clear vocal and mindset blocks so you can do what you came here to do.

Informatie

  • Maker
    Sarah Hawkey
  • Jaren actief
    2026
  • Afleveringen
    15
  • Beoordeling
    Veilig
  • Copyright
    © Sarah Hawkey
  • Website van aflevering
    The Aligned Singer