Shows
A Voice and Beyond#179. Mastering Stress and Unlocking Resilience with Matt SouleIn this powerful episode of A Voice and Beyond, we sit down with Matt Soule—survival self-defence expert, breathwork leader, one of the first certified Wim Hof Method instructors in the U.S., and now creator of his own unique training system, "The Cold Club."Matt takes us on an extraordinary journey through the science of stress mastery. From teaching self-defence and martial arts to leading breathwork retreats around the world, Matt's mission is to empower people to take control of their stress response and unlock their highest potential.Together, we explore:The healing po...2025-07-271h 15A Voice and Beyond#178. The Voice Within: Owning Your Personal Superpower with Sally ProsserIn this dynamic and inspiring episode of A Voice and Beyond, Marisa Lee is joined by Sally Prosser, a powerhouse voice coach and confidence expert who helps people unlock their authentic voice and speak like they mean it.We dive deep into:The surprising blocks that keep us from speaking with confidenceHow your voice is connected to your identity and purposeThe power of the throat chakra and what it means to be energetically alignedWhy confidence isn’t about being loud—it’s about being alignedHow to overcome self-doubt, perfectionism, and imposter syndromeTips for presenting, perfor...2025-07-131h 14A Voice and Beyond#177. Beyond Burnout: Reclaiming My Voice, My Purpose & My PassionIn this deeply personal solo episode, host Dr. Marisa Lee Naismith shares the story behind her recent time away from the podcast — a journey marked by burnout, reflection, and ultimately, renewal.Marisa opens up about the emotional and physical toll that burnout can take, even on the most passionate and purpose-driven individuals. She takes you behind the curtain, sharing candid moments of vulnerability, loss of identity, and the quiet power of rediscovery.With honesty and heart, Marisa reflects on the pivotal role singing played in helping her find her voice — not just as a performer, but...2025-06-2923 min
That Voice Podcast248. A voice and beyond with Dr. Marisa Lee NaismithIn this heartfelt episode, I'm in the podcast hotseat.
World-renowned singing teacher and voice researcher Dr. Marisa Lee Naismith interviewed me for her podcast and I have repurposed that conversation here just for you.
Together, we unpack:
Why so many people feel their voice doesn’t matter
The power of mirror work and affirmations to rewrite limiting beliefs
Emotional techniques to connect with your authentic voice, including imagining the opposite — what if you weren’t allowed to speak?
Why self-doubt is a privilege, and how that perspective can fue...2025-06-2957 min
Wholehearted Voice PedagogyEp. 3 - Teacher- vs. Student-Centered Learning" with Dr. Marisa Lee Naismith & Dr. Travis SherwoodIn this episode, David highlights the differences between teacher-centered and student-centered learning—a natural off-shoot of his conversation with special guest Justin Petersen in Episode 2. This week, David speaks with Dr. Marisa Lee Naismith (Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University) and Dr. Travis Sherwood (San Diego State University). Together, they explore how to bring student-centered practices to the voice studio. Contact Information for Dr. Marisa Lee Naismithhttps://drmarisaleenaismith.comhttps://drmarisaleenaismith.com/podcast/https://www.instagram.com/drmarisaleenaismith/Contact Information for Dr. Travis Sherwoodhttps://travissherwoodbaritone.comhttps://www.instagram.com/doc...2025-02-1245 minA Voice and Beyond#150. How to Develop Your Winning Edge in 2024According to research, 80% of people are not practicing their New Year's resolutions by the end of January. Chances are you may be one of those people, but my intention through this episode is to check in with you and help you become one of the 20% who have that winning edge in 2024. I am going to give you four ways you can move the needle forward and stick to the commitment you made to yourself on January 1st.If you’ve hit a wall, don’t beat yourself up; there is still time to turn this around, and you...2024-02-1147 minA Voice and Beyond#145. A Creative's Journey: My Interview with Miriam SchulmanEarlier this year, I was interviewed by Miriam Schulman, host of The Inspiration Place, a podcast where Miriam offers education and inspiration to others who are on their creative journeys. Miriam believes that the creative journey is a thrilling adventure, and it's filled with ups and downs. It's about taking risks, stepping out of your comfort zone, and embracing your unique artistic voice, and this is a replay of my interview, where Miriam asks me to share my own creative career adventures. I also share my thoughts on perfectionism and how it can hold us back from...2023-12-1030 min
The Inspiration PlaceShine Like a Diamond ft Marisa Lee NaismithWe're joined by Marisa Lee Naismith, a powerhouse in the performing arts industry. With decades of experience, she's excelled as a vocalist, singing teacher, voice researcher, industry mentor, and international presenter. We dive into pivotal moments of her music career, and explore her insights on conquering perfectionism. Marisa also shares invaluable advice on the importance of self-care for artists. Let's talk about how your creativity deserves to shine like a diamond. “As artists, we know that the creative journey is a thrilling adventure, and it's filled with ups and downs. It's about taking risks, stepping out of yo...2023-10-1731 min
Small Business Answer ManThe Danger Of Being Seduced By Your Business │Ep: 271 Marisa Lee NaismithDoctor Marisa Lee Naismith has had a highly successful career within the performing arts industry as an award-winning vocalist, voice teacher, researcher, author, music industry mentor and hosts her own popular podcast A Voice and Beyond. A few years ago, she found herself in a love triangle as her husband of thirty years was slowly being seduced by his business and she had to navigate the road to redemption beyond this love triangle. What problem do you solve? Solving the problem of how to successfully manage your relationship with your business so that your personal relationship isn’t d...2023-03-2734 min
This Is A VoiceAuthenticity in singing & teaching CCM singers - with Dr Marisa Lee NaismithSend us a textDr Marisa Lee Naismith is back talking to Gillyanne & Jeremy, and we get a bit heated!How to work with authenticity in singing and finding a student's "mode" (1.00). Our own reactions to witnessing authenticity in our classes (we're all different - 4.50)Marisa takes us step by step through a lesson with a CCM (contemporary commercial music) singer plus what to listen for and what to ignore (9.25)Why Jeremy thinks there's an expert on the song in the room (and it's not us - 13.20)The thing that singing teachers may do in a C...2022-12-0532 min
This Is A VoiceThe reality of PhDs and vocal pedagogy with Dr Marisa Lee NaismithSend us a textEver wondered what it's like to do a PhD in vocal pedagogy? Or how that PhD might translate into teaching singing?Want to know exactly why we think classical vocal training doesn't work for contemporary commercial music singers?We go deep with Dr Marisa Lee Naismith, author of Singing Contemporary Commercial Music Styles, a pedagogical framework:How difficult is it to juggle the work of a PhD, family life and a full-time business? Marisa and Gillyanne compare notes (3.00)Why is CCM pedagogy still not thought of as legitimate? Marisa...2022-11-2836 minA Voice and Beyond#89. Diet: A Four Letter Word with Risa GrouxOur guest in this week’s episode is Risa Groux, a functional nutritionist, certified autoimmune coach and author of the new book, FOODFRAME: Diet is a Four-Letter Word. In her practice, Risa deals with a number of diseases which include autoimmune diseases, diabetes, cancer, digestion issues, thyroid problems, and hormone imbalances, just to name a few. She believes that education is key to improved health and the more educated we are about health and nutrition, the more improved life quality we can all lead. One of the problems we face is misconceptions about the various diets that are...2022-11-1355 minA Voice and Beyond#88. My Interview with Vocal Intuition: Advocating for CCM Singing Voice PedagogyRecently, I was invited to be a guest on a Facebook Live event with Anne Leatherland, who is a voice educator, business coach and the founder of Vocal Intuition based in the United Kingdom. During this interview, I was asked to speak about the process of researching and writing my book “Singing Contemporary Commercial Music Styles: A Pedagogical Framework”, as well as my own professional CCM journey which led me to an academic career path. In this episode, I decided to share this interview as I believe it is time for CCM to be respected and valued equally to clas...2022-11-0647 minA Voice and Beyond#87. 3 Coping Strategies that will Transform Your LifeHow are you coping in your life at present? Are you constantly in a state of overwhelm and feel as though you have too much going on? You’re spending every day simply treading water and you feel that it's not possible to catch up. This is the time that it’s most important to reset and recalibrate in order to get back to neutral, so you can manage your day, your week and your life in general. But, how do we get back that vibrancy when we’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed? In this episode, I’m going to talk...2022-10-3023 minA Voice and Beyond#86. Let Your Inner Voice be Your Guide with Joyce AnastasiaThis week's guest is Joyce Anastasia. This week on A Voice and Beyond, I share a most inspiring interview with our special guest, Joyce Anastasia. Joyce is a transformational leadership consultant, with over 20 years of experience in multidisciplinary psychology, creative arts, business and leadership. In this episode, Joyce discusses some of her other roles as an educator, writer and visionary activist with a lifelong passion to inspire new ways to lead by wisdom and congruence. Joyce travels internationally alongside contemporary Western businesses, and their leaders, Indigenous Cultures and their wisdom keepers working with them to b...2022-10-231h 09A Voice and Beyond#85. My Career as a Rebel Traditionalist with Cate Frazier-NeelyThis week's guest is Cate Frazier-Neely. Cate Frazier-Neely is a Singing Voice Specialist, a voice teacher with specialisation across many styles, a musician, an author, a visual artist and Somatic Educator. She is also involved in the Arts for Physical and Emotional Health. Cate candidly calls herself a traditionalist who is a rebel and in this episode, she reveals why. Cate explains that her own voice training was based on a traditional Western European Classical model, but has since stepped out to explore, perform and teach across other styles. Cate explains that as voice teachers, w...2022-10-161h 12A Voice and Beyond#84. Being Kind to Others Must Start with SelfIf someone asked you to recall the last time you were kind to yourself, would you struggle to bring up that memory? What does it mean for you to be kind to yourself? Do you practise self-kindness? Perhaps you find the word “self” off-putting – it seems selfish or self-centred somehow. In this episode, we discuss the importance of being kind to ourselves first, because being kind to others must start with self. It is not selfish and the truth is, self-kindness is also an essential component of good mental health. Research shows that when we carry out an act of kin...2022-10-0923 minA Voice and Beyond#83. Holding Space for Vulnerability, Curiosity & Exploration in the Voice Studio with David Sisco Part IIThis week's guest is David Sisco. This week we have part two of our two-part brilliant interview with David Sisco, a New York based freelance voice teacher, and multi-hyphenate artist, whose work life also encompasses being a published author, performer, music director, and commissioned composer. In this episode, David delves deeper into many important topics relating to our singing voice community, as well as his own teaching philosophies.David discusses his intention to create a safer space in his teaching studio, by holding space for his students to foster curiosity, joy, and passion a...2022-10-0242 minA Voice and Beyond#82. Holding Space for Vulnerability, Curiosity & Exploration in the Voice Studio with David Sisco Part IThis week's guest is David Sisco.This is part one of a two-part interview with David Sisco, a New York-based voice teacher, who regularly lectures nationally and internationally on all things relating to singing voice pedagogy. David describes himself as a multi-hyphenate artist whose life work centres around exploring music, drama, writing, and teaching, finding great inspiration and commonalities in each. During this interview, David speaks candidly about his own personal and professional journey, which led him to an enduring career in the performing arts. He discusses how he developed his teaching skills, and that...2022-09-2549 minA Voice and Beyond#81. Giving a Voice to Parkinson's Disease Patients with Valeria GaryThis week's guest is Valeria Gary.Have you ever wondered about the impacts on phonation for those who suffer from Parkinson’s Disease (PD)? In this episode, we speak with Valeria Gary who is a Health Coach and a Speech Language pathologist working within the healthcare industry. In 2015, Valeria transitioned her career as an SLP, to providing therapy to patients with PD, and works as a volunteer for Parkinson’s Foundation in Georgia and as the owner of Total Body Cognition and Southeast Parkinson’s Speech Services.Currently, there are approximately 10 million people worldw...2022-09-1850 minA Voice and Beyond#80. 3 Simple Ways to Step Up Your Self-CareHow often do you start your day feeling tired, stressed and dreading having to turn up because you don’t feel ready to face the day? Do you find that you are feeling burnt out and maxed out even before you walk out the door in the mornings? Could it be that you are someone who is always looking after everyone else’s needs and you have been neglecting your own? If this is the case, as I’m sure it is for many of us especially those of us who are educators, the problem is that you can’t take c...2022-09-1123 minA Voice and Beyond#79. How to Eat your Way to Good Health and Longevity with Duncan RockThis week on A Voice and Beyond, we welcome back Duncan Rock, one of our all-time favourite guests, from episode number 29, to discuss the very important topic of nutrition. For those of you who haven’t been introduced to Duncan, he is a professional baritone who has had an enduring career touring internationally with numerous opera companies for many years. After a life-changing event, Duncan decided to transition into the health and well-being field and is now a qualified nutritionist with a specialisation in promoting good health for performing artists, a registered exercise professional, and a member of the Ro...2022-09-041h 10A Voice and Beyond#78. Life as a Cruise Industry Production Cast Vocalist with Kayla Saunders and Dominique Petit FrereThis week’s guests are Kayla Saunders & Dominique Petit Frere.In July, A Voice and Beyond embarked on a “Beyond” adventure on a cruise ship sailing around the Mediterranean, but it wasn’t all play for me, as I had the pleasure of doing something that I hadn’t done before and that was to interview two guests simultaneously, in an in-person situation. Kayla Saunders and Dominque Petite Frere were two of the production cast singers performing onboard the ship, Celebrity Beyond, and they sat down and shared their own personal experiences as singers working within the...2022-08-281h 40A Voice and Beyond#77. Harnessing Nature as my Guide with Elisa Stancil LevineThis week’s guest is Elisa Stancil Levine.Elisa Stancil Levine is a world-class decorative artist and author of the book ‘This or Something Better’. Elisa describes herself as a writer, a maker, a nature lover, as well as, a little woo woo. In this week’s episode, Elisa shares her most inspiring life story, describing how she overcame adversity and the terrible trauma she faced from a young age, to how she became a very highly successful businesswoman, and the founder of Stancil Studios, an award-winning nationwide company. Elisa tells us that she was silenced...2022-08-211h 16A Voice and Beyond#76. My Life, My Music Career and My Legacy with Alfred JacksonThis week’s guest is Alfred Jackson.Alfred is a pop and R&B recording artist from LA. Just recently, I had the great pleasure of meeting Alfred on a cruise ship, where he was a guest entertainer performing with the boyband, Uptown. I was captivated by Alfred’s talent, energy, charisma and charm on stage and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview him in person on the ship. This was a fascinating conversation with Alfred who shared his professional journey, throughout the entertainment industry, which began at the age of nine and...2022-08-141h 00A Voice and Beyond#75. The Benefits of Manual Therapies for the Vocal Athlete with Walt FritzThis week’s guest is Walt Fritz.As a voice teaching community, it is vital to keep an open mind to the various kinds of modalities that can be of assistance for a singer who may need help. This week’s guest is Walt Fritz, a licensed physical therapist who has taught Myofascial Release continuing education since 1995 and set up his training program, Foundations in Myofascial Release Seminars™. In 2020, Walt rebranded his work and launched Manual Therapies Seminars, a new training program that he continues to teach all types of therapists including massage therapists, speech-language pathol...2022-08-071h 07A Voice and Beyond#74. 5 Steps to Finding HappinessIs your life needing an injection of happiness and positivity? Maybe it’s time to give your attitude to life a spring clean? Perhaps your thoughts and behaviours need a massive sprucing up. You may be someone who blames life, blames others, your job, the pandemic, anything and everything, but have you ever considered that it could be you that’s the problem? Your lack of happiness could be a result of some negative behaviours and your current circumstance is a manifestation of these. You may not realise that your happiness and success in all parts of your life is y...2022-07-3125 minA Voice and Beyond#73. Making Voice Pedagogy Accessible For All with Dr Shannon Coates Part IIThis week's guest is Shannon Coates.This is part II of my interview with Dr Shannon Coates, who is an educator, international presenter on Voice Pedagogy, creator of The Vocal Instrument 101 Online Course and in more recent times creator of the VoicePed UnDegree. In this episode, we continue with Shannon’s candid interview as she delves deeper into some of her teaching philosophies, and her beliefs regarding the current state of academic systems that are presently not delivering the training required to equip CCM singers for a professional career. Some of the topics Shannon shares he...2022-07-2455 minA Voice and Beyond#72. Making Voice Pedagogy Accessible For All with Dr Shannon Coates Part IThis week’s guest is Shannon Coates.This is part I of my interview with Dr Shannon Coates, who is an acclaimed voice teacher, international presenter and creator of The Vocal Instrument 101 Online Course. This is a candid interview with Shannon as she begins by sharing her earliest memories of how she discovered the joy of singing as part of a musical family and the journey that led her to a highly successful teaching career. Shannon tells us that she began her teaching career, as an independent studio voice teacher where she worked with a br...2022-07-1750 minA Voice and Beyond#71. 3 Steps to Elevate your Morning and Transform your DayHow often do you start your day feeling tired, and you find that you’re stressed out, burnt out and maxed out even before your work day has commenced? We all want to feel more alive, full of joy and energized, but some of us don’t know how to make this happen. If you’re lacking the mental focus and the energy you need to deliver the best of yourself, you can begin by customising and carving out a morning routine that will help you set the tone for your whole day. In today’s show, I am going to...2022-07-1023 minA Voice and Beyond#70. Listen to What Your Body is Trying to Tell You with Serena SterlingThis week’s guest is Serena Sterling.When someone feels as though they are being silenced, this can have tremendous physical, and psychological consequences for that person as they feel ignored or not heard. This week’s guest is Serena Sterling, who is a certified Life Coach and author of the book ‘Pain: A Love Story'. In this episode, Serena shares her story regarding the chronic physical and emotional pain that she endured as a result of feeling ignored at various times in her life. Serena tells us that in her childhood, she began to complain about “imaginar...2022-07-0357 minA Voice and Beyond#69. The Five Stage of Grief and Loss with Donna CameronThis week’s guest is Donna Cameron.As a result of Covid 19, it’s undeniable that over the past couple of years, almost all of us have been impacted in some way by the pandemic and have experienced a form of grief or loss. This week, we welcome back to the show, Donna Cameron who is a qualified psychologist with over 20 years of experience in private practice and in this episode Donna discusses both these very topics. Donna shares with us how loss has been felt globally and some continue to grieve the loss of their jobs, thei...2022-06-261h 05A Voice and Beyond#68. How to Break a Habit in 66 DaysDo you have some kind of limiting behaviour or habit that is holding you back and it’s preventing you from moving forward in your life? There’s no denying that we all are, indeed, creatures of habit. Our minds and bodies are dependent on stimulants, actions and patterns that come to define who we are. Usually, these habits are sneaky behaviours that develop subconsciously and quietly creep up on us. So whether it’s trying to quit smoking, cutting out junk food, or having that glass of wine, habits can be hard to control, but even harder to break...2022-06-1920 minA Voice and Beyond#67. Facing the Music: My Triumphs and Tribulations with Jeannette LoVetri Part IIThis week’s guest is Jeannette LoVetri.In today’s episode, I am delighted to share part two of my conversation with our guest, Jeannette LoVetri who is one of the most recognized and highly acclaimed voice teachers from around the world. We learn more about Jeanie and the journey she embarked on as a voice teacher, the sacrifices she had to endure to create change and the reaction she received from the greater voice community when she coined the term Contemporary Commercial Music in 2000. Jeanie tells us that until that time, all music outside of classical musi...2022-06-1254 minA Voice and Beyond#66. Facing the Music: My Triumphs and Tribulations with Jeannette LoVetri Part IThis week’s guest is Jeannette LoVetri.Jeannette LoVetri is one of the most recognized and highly acclaimed voice teachers around the world. This is part one of a two-part interview round with Jeanie. In this episode, we have the honour of learning more about Jeanie and the journey which led her to a remarkable performance and teaching career, but most importantly, what inspired her to create the term Contemporary Commercial Music in 2000. CCM as we know it is now widely used in academia, science and research. Jeanie talks about those who inspired and influenced her learning of...2022-06-0557 min