The Voice Science Podcast

Josh Manuel | VoSci
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The Voice Science Podcast is your go-to resource for singers who want to understand the science behind great vocal technique. Hosted by Josh Manuel, founder of VoSci, this podcast breaks down complex voice topics into clear, actionable insights—so you can sing with more confidence, skill, and artistry. Each short, focused episode explores common myths, key vocal concepts, and research-backed techniques to help you build a stronger, healthier, and more versatile voice. Whether you’re a singer, voice teacher, or just curious about how the voice works, you’ll get practical takeaways to apply in your own singing journey. 🎙️ Tune in, level up your knowledge, and take your voice to the next level—backed by science!

  1. 16h ago

    The 10,000 Hour Rule Is a Myth, Part 2: Does Deliberate Practice Create Experts?

    In Part 2 of our exploration of Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch-Römer’s landmark 1993 paper, we turn to Study 2 and its comparison of expert and amateur pianists. The experts practiced more and performed better on piano-related tasks. But their advantage did not extend to general reaction-time and cognitive-motor tests. That distinction helps us understand what years of practice may develop—and what these studies can actually establish. In this episode, we explore: The 5.2-hour overestimate: Both expert and amateur pianists overestimated their weekly practice compared with their practice diaries. 7,606 versus 1,606 hours: Estimated cumulative practice by age 18 differed substantially between experts and amateurs. These were group averages, not a universal threshold for expertise. Task-specific advantages: The experts’ stronger performance appeared in skills related to piano practice, rather than a general motor advantage. Starting early and catching up: Earlier starts create more time to accumulate practice. Closing that gap becomes difficult when experienced performers continue practicing too. Expertise as something acquired: We examine the authors’ argument that extended deliberate practice can explain abilities often attributed to innate talent, including their discussion of physical adaptation and perfect pitch. The causality caveat: A strong relationship between practice and performance does not establish that practice alone caused the observed differences. Starting later does not put improvement out of reach. The authors’ model allows for substantial gains when deliberate practice begins, while recognizing the demands of closing a large accumulated practice gap. Next, we’ll continue this series with more contemporary research and responses to the original paper. Until next time, Keep Singing Smart. Referenced research Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363–406. Read the paper via its DOI.

  2. Sep 29

    The 10,000 Hour Rule Is a Myth, Part 1: What Ericsson Actually Found

    The Voice Science Podcast is back, and we’re kicking off the new season by dismantling one of the most repeated ideas in learning theory. The 10,000-hour rule is everywhere. And it’s a misreading of the original research. In part one of this two-part series, we go back to the source: the 1993 Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch-Römer paper that started it all. The real finding wasn’t a magic number. It was that the most accomplished violinists had accumulated substantially more highly relevant, effortful practice over the course of their development, and that the quality and structure of that practice mattered as much as the quantity. This episode breaks down what deliberate practice actually is, how three groups of university violinists differed in their practice habits and cumulative hours, and why the 10,000-hour figure has been so thoroughly misunderstood. Part two looks at a wider range of skills and ages through the lens of amateur to expert pianists. Sources: Ericsson, K.A., Krampe, R.T., Tesch-Römer, C., 1993. The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review 100, 363–406. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.100.3.363 Gebrian, M., 2024. Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician’s Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing, 1st ed. Oxford University Press, Incorporated, Oxford. voicescience.org

  3. Jul 21

    Summer Break!

    A quick but important update from the VoSci team — and a preview of what’s coming in September. The Voice Science Podcast is taking a summer break. When we return, expect a more frequent and more focused series with some topics we’re genuinely excited about: how to maximize your practice time, what baritones can learn from trombones, and how a 500-year-old vocal exercise may be the best tool for developing your mixed voice. In the meantime, the full episode archive, the VoSci Lexicon, and all the practice tools are waiting for you at voicescience.org. See you in September.

  4. Jul 7

    Breath Support, Part 2 — Where the Air Goes: Finding and Fixing the Leak

    Last episode, the premise was simple: when it comes to breath, more is almost always the wrong answer. This episode makes good on the promise — finding the leak and fixing it. In part two, Josh Manuel gets diagnostic. The episode traces breath waste back to its most common source — the onset — and explains how the way you start a note largely determines how much air you’re about to burn through. From there it covers the full diagnostic tree for “I keep running out of air,” how to build toward firmer fold closure in singers who need it, why what you feel while singing is often the opposite of what’s actually happening, and a deep look at what breath support actually buys you once the work is done. This one goes deep. It’s built for singers who want to understand the instrument, not just survive the phrase. voicescience.org

  5. Jun 23

    Breath Support, Part 1 — Why "More" Is Almost Always the Wrong Answer

    “More air. More support. Bigger. Push more. Give me more.” If you’ve spent any time in a voice lesson or choir rehearsal, you’ve heard it. And according to Josh Manuel, founder of VoSci — it’s almost always the wrong answer. In part one of this two-part episode, Drew Williams-Orozco walks through Josh’s ground-up breakdown of how breath actually works, why the “more” instinct betrays singers, and what’s really happening when a phrase falls apart. The episode covers the mechanics of inhalation and exhalation, what breath support actually is and which muscles are doing the work, why tension isn’t the enemy, and the subglottal pressure principle that reframes everything singers think they know about air. Part two goes diagnostic — finding the specific leaks that are costing you air and what to do about each one. But first, the foundation. voicescience.org

  6. Jun 9

    Do You Know Your Type? A Model for Understanding Different Types of Students

    Not all students want the same thing — and assuming they do is one of the most common sources of frustration for both teachers and students. In this episode, contributor Timothy Wilds introduces a diagnostic model developed by Juilliard-trained violinist and educator Fedor Ouspensky that helps teachers identify what a student actually wants from lessons. Built around two simple questions about goals and mastery, the model produces four distinct student types — Dedicated, Hobby, Casual, and Experience — each requiring a different teaching approach and a different kind of relationship. Timothy walks through each type in depth, shares how his own teaching assumptions have had to evolve over four decades, and offers practical guidance for the most common scenario teachers face today: the student who wants the result without the skills — and what to do when that student is standing in front of you. Whether you’re a teacher trying to retain students while holding your standards, or a student trying to figure out why lessons haven’t been clicking — this one is for both of you. voicescience.org Ready when you have the link! 🎙️

  7. May 26

    Why Does My Voice Strain? (And How to Fix It)

    Vocal strain is one of the most common complaints singers bring into the studio — and one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, Drew walks through the mechanical cause of most strain, why the advice to “breathe deep and support” can actually make things worse for contemporary singers, and what to do instead. The episode covers the hyperfunction loop, the relationship between breath pressure and vocal fold closure, why singing softly is more physically demanding than it sounds, and how redirecting tension into the torso changes everything. Practical, science-grounded, and immediately applicable. If your throat gets scratchy on certain passages, if high notes feel like a fight, or if you hit a wall somewhere in the middle of your range — this episode is for you.

  8. May 12

    A Case for Voice Teacher/Trainer Licensure

    Anyone can legally teach voice lessons in the United States. No degree. No clinical hours. No exam. No license. In this episode, contributor Timothy Wilds makes a direct and sometimes uncomfortable case for why that should change — and what a more professionalized field could look like. Timothy draws a pointed comparison between the credentialing standards required of speech-language pathologists and those expected of voice teachers, argues that the overlap between the two professions is larger than the industry acknowledges, and challenges the commonly cited reasons for keeping voice teaching unregulated. He also shares how his own teaching was transformed by pursuing deeper training — and why he believes evidence-based tools and voice science have a critical role to play in raising the bar for teachers at every level. Whether you’re a voice teacher, a student, or simply someone who cares about the integrity of the field — this episode is for you. Ready to go deeper? VoSci Academy gives you structured Practice Paths, real-time pitch and interval feedback, and biweekly Q&A calls. Learn more at voicescience.org

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Ratings & Reviews

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About

The Voice Science Podcast is your go-to resource for singers who want to understand the science behind great vocal technique. Hosted by Josh Manuel, founder of VoSci, this podcast breaks down complex voice topics into clear, actionable insights—so you can sing with more confidence, skill, and artistry. Each short, focused episode explores common myths, key vocal concepts, and research-backed techniques to help you build a stronger, healthier, and more versatile voice. Whether you’re a singer, voice teacher, or just curious about how the voice works, you’ll get practical takeaways to apply in your own singing journey. 🎙️ Tune in, level up your knowledge, and take your voice to the next level—backed by science!

Information

  • Creator
    Josh Manuel | VoSci
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Manuel Music Studio, LLC
  • Show Website
    The Voice Science Podcast