What if the secret to better singing practice isn’t doing more, but understanding why we avoid it in the first place? Voice educator Tessa Smith Whicker joins Alexa to explore how her master’s research reshaped her view of practice — from battling guilt and distraction to embracing curiosity and compassion.

Discover how to get singers excited about their own practice, how teachers can reframe “you need to practice” into empowering questions, and why small, playful tasks can make all the difference.

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?

3:16 What do you believe practice actually is?

8:10 Common barriers to practice

10:02 Options to manage the barriers

18:31 Playing devil’s advocate

22:18 Holes in the research

25:18 How to effectively set practice

39:18 The role of the singing teacher and rapport

46:23 Measuring progress

53:00 Tessa’s practice hub and podcast

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.164 Music and the Brain: The Science of Learning and Practice with Dr Molly Gebrian Part One

Jacob Collier

Singing for the Self Conscious by Becky Gilhespie

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.166 Overcoming Self-consciousness in Singing with Becky Gilhespie

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.131 Mastering Research Papers: How to Read with Ease and Extract Knowledge with Kate Cubley

Cheryl Porter

Kim Chandler

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.70 Coaching Contemporary Commercial Music with Kim Chandler

The Singer’s Guide podcast by Tessa Smith

ABOUT THE GUEST

Tessa Smith Whicker holds a BA in Jazz Studies, an MA in Vocal Pedagogy, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research explores the likes of performance assessment, stylistic awareness, and the decolonisation of Popular Music singing education. She teaches across Higher Education institutions in the North of England and leads choirs and community singing groups. Passionate about developing self-sufficient, self-compassionate singers, Tessa shares tools for effective and enjoyable practice through her social media, podcast The Singer’s Guide, and membership platform The Singer’s Practice Hub.

SEE FULL BIO HERE

Websites: tessasmith.com & thesingersguide.com

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