Nicki Kennedy Voicecast: Conversations around voice, stories, sound and identity

Nicki Kennedy
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How does voice shape who we are and how we’re heard? In this podcast, executive coach, voice coach and classical singer Nicki Kennedy explores the power of voice in all its dimensions: spoken and sung, personal and professional, fragile and fierce. With guests ranging from artists to business leaders and politicians, survivors to advocates, each conversation uncovers the ways voice carries our identity, our stories, and our place in the world.   Blending science, psychology, and the arts, this is a space for listening deeply, questioning assumptions, and rediscovering the human voice, and what it means to have a voice that counts in the world.

  1. 1d ago

    Crossing Cultures and Exploring a Musical Voice, with Composer Shruthi Rajasekar

    Send us a message A rich conversation with composer Shruthi Rajasekar.  We explore Shruthi's own musical upbringing and the development of her own voice as a performer and composer.  We talk about what it means to give a voice to different communities, and how to approach this when the story may not be yours to tell.  We also look at what it means to give a voice to the people who perform your work, and of course, where Shruthi's own voice fits in all of this.   We are a talking podcast, but of course, we play very short extracts of performances of Shruthi's work, and there's a particularly wonderful treat at the end, so do listen all the way through!   And I encourage listeners to go and find her website to explore further.   https://www.shruthirajasekar.com/ Here are the YouTube links to the extracts we play in the podcast.   Nevertheless was performed by the Seraphim Singers https://youtu.be/uUDv72fxOCs?si=T6h_L1MyQYqUSiX6 Gaanam was performed by Princeton University Glee Club https://youtu.be/ST5jmIbFlco?si=66tEstfA8UY6xiaT Numbers was performed by University of York Music Department Choir https://youtu.be/AfpBpQCKtfc?si=QAQQwCQtIvMD1oRS Support the show Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/ LinkedIn  https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks

  2. Oct 2

    Turning 60 With Purpose, and a Look at the Evidence Around Longevity

    Send us a message Turning 60 becomes my prompt to question old stories, choose change with purpose, and rethink what leadership looks like in an age of longevity. I blend research on cognitive ageing with Taoist ideas like wu wei and the Zen notion of the 'beginner’s mind', then land on a practical commitment to keep learning and keep leading.  • using milestones as punctuation for reflection and intention  • asking better change questions: for me or for others, towards or away, story or truth  • linking Taoism, ACT, mindful self-compassion, supervision, and meditation practice  • separating fluid intelligence from crystallised intelligence and what that means for later-life work  • exploring evidence that beliefs about ageing shape health and longevity outcomes  • challenging the steady climb then wind-down model with “no retirement” leadership  • choosing reworking over reinvention by redeploying transferable skills  • applying beginner’s mind through learning to swim and learning to sew  • using wu wei, “be water”, and the uncarved block idea as guides for easier change • practising quiet leadership, listening, and owning specific competence without hiding So drop us a line, be in touch Support the show Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/ LinkedIn  https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks

  3. Aug 17

    Who Decides What Sounds Authentic? Voice, Identity, and The Art of Listening

    Send us a message This is a rich conversation with Speech and Language Pathologist and Voice Teacher Maurice Goodwin.  We really delve deep into what it is to bring all of your attention to a client, whether that be in a coaching, a therapy or a teaching space.  We touch on the deep business of congruence, authenticity and voice for leaders, for singers and voice-users and also in the space of gender affirming voice work,  This is one where the podcast host has a cold and the podcast dog forces a pause in proceedings, but it's almost entirely raw and unedited.  I wanted to keep the space that was there in the conversation for the listener to appreciate, and not change a thing.   I hope this conversation is heard by many, as I think it has much to offer in different spaces, not only in the voice pedagogy community.  For speech therapists, for voice teachers, but also for leaders and coaches of leaders there are some glorious bread crumb trails throughout the episode.   Support the show Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/ LinkedIn  https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks

  4. Aug 9

    How Hormones Can Change Women's Voices In Midlife, And What You Need to Know.

    Send us a message We talk with Joanne Bozeman, co-author of 'Singing Through Change: Women's Voices in Midlife, Menopause and Beyond' with Nancy Bos and Cate Frazier-Neely, about how hormones can change the voice across the lifespan, and why perimenopause and menopause can feel like a sudden loss of reliability rather than a slow ageing process. We share what helped her find answers, what research and lived stories reveal, and how teachers and voice users can respond with more knowledge and less fear.   This is a conversation primarily focused on the singing voice, however we touch also on women leaders in menopause.  Many women are stepping into their most powerful positions of leadership right at the moment they are in permenopause and menopause, right at the moment, in fact, when they most need their voice to be strong and to have gravitas and congruence and reflect their confidence and capability.  It can be a deeply unsettling time if your voice is changing in unexpected ways, especially in a world where voice does not form part of the conversation, and is rarely mentioned as a significant symptom in the literature.   Enjoy this conversation with Joanne, where we talk about:  • gaps in research on women’s voices in perimenopause and menopause • Joanne’s personal story of sudden vocal change, pitch instability and “devil notes” • the role of a specialist laryngologist and what stroboscopy can rule out • why menopause transition is not the same as the ageing voice • how HRT can help some people and why responses vary • dryness, speaking voice shifts and the impact on leaders and professional voice users • hormone suppression treatments for cancer and potential voice effects • why the topic has been sidelined and what is changing culturally • expanding the conversation for teachers across genders and hormone situations • hypermobility and POTS in singers and what support can look like So drop us a line, be in touch Support the show Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/ LinkedIn  https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks

  5. Apr 26

    The Inner World of Ballet: Three Dancers Talk About Art, Expression, Courage and Laughter

    Send us a message Ballet can look like weightless beauty, but the lived reality is a daily blend of artistry, athletic demand, nerves, and identity. We sit down with three working ballet dancers to get under the surface of what audiences don’t see: the inner world behind the roles, the discipline behind the ease, and the emotional truth that movement can carry when words fall short.  We start with who they are as artists and how that changes over time, especially when you move from freelancing to a longer contract in a company. Their stories range from growing up in a dance family to finding ballet through a childhood love of classical art, to a life shaped by migration and the search for belonging. Along the way, we explore why theatre can feel like escapism and why it can also feel like the most honest place you’ve ever been.  From there we go into the hard stuff: injury, pain thresholds, and the blurred line between “normal sore” and “I need to stop”. We talk stigma, access to physiotherapy and rehab, and how coming back from injury often requires emotional rehabilitation as much as physical healing. We also dig into performance anxiety and stage presence, sharing practical strategies drawn from breathwork, values-based focus, reframing thoughts, and sports psychology style mental training that helps performers stay present under pressure.  If are interested in the performance mindset, or simply in learning how creative people manage fear and feedback, you’ll take something useful from this conversation. Subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find VoiceCast. Support the show Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/ LinkedIn  https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks

  6. Apr 19

    Jazz, Storytelling and Voice, with Adria Godfrey

    Send us a message Support the show Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/ LinkedIn  https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks

  7. Jan 22

    Voice, and the Problems of Self Protection: with Jenevora Williams PART 2

    Send us a message We continue the conversation we started in Part 1, and go on to talk about how fear, safety, and habit can shut down a healthy-looking voice and how to restore freedom with calm breath, gentle exposure, and compassion. Functional voice loss, hypersensitivity, and clear boundaries between coaching and therapy shape a humane approach to vocal change. • the guarded larynx and fear avoidance loop  • resilience as faster return to baseline  • hypersensitivity, globus and the close-cough cycle  • desensitising with calm breath and small wins  • functional neurological voice loss and conflict over speaking out  • a case of lost high range resolved through joyful sound  • ethics, scope of practice and supervision  • teamwork across clinic, coaching and therapy  • kindness over public shaming to unlock authentic sound Drop us a line, be in touch, and until we meet again, I hope that your voice finds the space it needs to be really heard Support the show Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/ LinkedIn  https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks

  8. Jan 21

    Voice, and the Problems of Self Protection: with Jenevora Williams PART 1

    Send us a message We explore, in Part 1 of this fascinating conversation, the hidden voice difficulties when scopes are clear but a voice isn't working, and how guarding, fear, and judgement can lock a healthy system. Dr Jenevora Williams shares the 'guarded larynx concept', playful strategies to reset tension, and why deep listening often reveals the real story. • Muscle Tension Dysphonia as a limited descriptor • whole-person view of voice beyond folds and breath • ruling out neurological causes and red flags • guarding as a protective pattern applied to voice • triggers from criticism, stress and life events • compensations hardening into habits over time • playful sound-making to reduce judgement • variability for motor learning and expressive range • fear-avoidance model and building safety • boundaries and scope for non-clinical coaches • teasers for part two on hypersensitivity and psychogenic loss So drop us a line, be in touch, and until we meet again, I hope that your voice finds the space it needs to be really heard Support the show Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/ LinkedIn  https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks

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About

How does voice shape who we are and how we’re heard? In this podcast, executive coach, voice coach and classical singer Nicki Kennedy explores the power of voice in all its dimensions: spoken and sung, personal and professional, fragile and fierce. With guests ranging from artists to business leaders and politicians, survivors to advocates, each conversation uncovers the ways voice carries our identity, our stories, and our place in the world.   Blending science, psychology, and the arts, this is a space for listening deeply, questioning assumptions, and rediscovering the human voice, and what it means to have a voice that counts in the world.

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