Send a text In this episode of This Is A Voice (S12 Ep6), Jeremy Fisher and Dr Gillyanne Kayes continue the story from “The Secret Singer” (Ep5) and go deeper into what happens when a singer’s path gets interrupted. Gillyanne shares what came after stopping singing in her late 20s, how she rebuilt confidence (slowly and with care), and why her “happy ending” wasn’t about chasing the stage again. We talk identity, grief, agency and the surprisingly liberating idea that loving singing doesn’t require loving performance. Then we zoom out into the bigger picture, how singing skills transfer into teaching, leadership, presenting, training and research. Plus, we unpack the difference between rehearsal and performance as totally different nervous system tasks, and why connection with the audience can change everything. If you’re a singer, teacher, vocal coach, choir leader, or anyone who’s ever felt like you need to “prove” your voice, this one’s for you. Chapters 00:00 “Singer Interrupted” 01:14 The happy ending (and the grief) 02:45 Returning to singing, rebuilding confidence, technique + agility 05:12 Seven years off singing, and why that can still lead somewhere good 06:15 “Performing spoils my day/week”, permission to redefine success 08:22 Singing identity vs public performance 10:45 What would your happy ending be if you didn’t have to prove anything? 12:19 Teaching, training, presenting, research, performance changes shape 16:47 Connection with the audience, social engagement, polyvagal lens 18:24 Transferable skills singers forget they have 20:04 Rehearsal vs performance, what the audience changes 24:09 Starting from your real emotion, plus “it’s OK to be crap for 10 minutes” 28:37 Nervous system expectations in performance, what helps Mentioned: Melissa Forbes, Stop Chasing Perfection, Start Singing for Connection (This Is A Voice Season 11, Ep13 https://youtu.be/r5-Lq4ithDc Safe Space 2 - Polyvagal Theory for Performance - our new online course with Franka van Essen https://vocal-process-hub.teachable.com/p/safe-space-2-polyvagal-theory-for-performance-with-franka-van-essen The Master-Apprentice survey - please fill in this survey (10-20 mins) https://www.cognitoforms.com/VocalProcess1/Master-Apprentice-Model-In-Singing-Teaching If this episode resonates, drop a comment, what part hit home for you? And tell us, where do you “perform” even when you’re not on a stage? Remember to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon for more insightful episodes. Leave a comment below on what inspired you the most! 👇 You can find out about our Teacher Accreditation for singing teachers, vocal coaches and choir leaders and start your own journey here https://vocalprocess.co.uk/teacher-accreditation/ We've also got this ↓ For the best self-guided learning, check out the Vocal Process Learning Lounge - 22 years of vocal coaching resources (over 600 videos) for less than the price of one private singing lesson. Click on the link https://vocalprocess.co.uk/learning-lounge/learning-lounge-level-2-deep-dive/ If you want to discover if our singing teacher training programme works for YOU, message us - we can share the process for joining Cohort26. https://www.cognitoforms.com/VocalProcess1/TheAccreditationProgramme Get the One Minute Voice Warmup app here, it's got a 4.9star rating Appstore https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/one-minute-voice-warmup/id1212802251 Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.speechtools.warmup&hl=en_GB Check out our Voice Journal, written with Rayvox's Oren Boder https://www.rayvox.co.uk/products/voice-journal?ref=VOCALPROCESS Find us - follow us on the socials!
