The Joyful Singer

  EP 32: Singing Is Self-Care: A New Way to Think About Your Voice What if, instead of constantly asking your voice to do more for you, you started asking what you could do for your voice? In this episode, I’m exploring the connection between singing and self-care—and how changing the way we treat our voices can change our entire singing experience. We’ll talk about how singing can nourish us...

  EP 31: How to Find Your Next Step as a Singer Feeling stuck? Not sure what your next step is? In this episode, I’m exploring the power of curiosity and how approaching our challenges with a beginner’s mind can help us move past overthinking, quiet our inner critic, and discover a clearer path forward. Find those  answers you're looking for! You’ll learn how to become a “fascinated anth...

  EP 30: Saying No to Protect Your Creative Energy For the singer who is taking on too much What if your voice could reach even more people—but you’re so busy saying yes to everyone else that you have very little energy left for your own dreams? In this episode, we’re talking about protecting your creative energy, letting go of the pressure to do it all, and learning to say no without feeling...

How to Receive a Compliment as a Singer Have you ever finished singing, someone tells you how beautiful you sounded, and your immediate response is: “Really? I thought I sounded awful.” Do you launch into a detailed explanation of everything that went wrong? Yep. I’ve done this more times than I can count. In this episode, we’re talking about why it can be surprisingly hard for singers to receive...

Ep. 28: The Truth About Imposter Syndrome for Singers Have you ever gotten the role, the opportunity, or the compliment you’ve been hoping for… only to start wondering if someone made a mistake? Or walked into an audition thinking, “Who am I to be doing this?”  We can have years of training, professional credits, successful performances, and plenty of evidence that we belong… and still hear t...

Ep. 27: Letting Go of Other People’s Not-So-Helpful Feedback Have you ever had someone say something about your voice that you just can’t seem to shake?  A teacher. A director. A parent. A colleague. A reviewer. Maybe even someone you love. Sometimes it’s useful feedback that landed badly. Sometimes it was an offhand comment. And sometimes it was just plain unhelpful. But years later, you’re...

Ep. 26: Stop Focusing So Much on Your Voice Do you find that you’re listening to yourself sing while you're singing way too much?  Did that note sound good? Am I in tune? Do I sound okay? Do they like me? Ugh. That was terrible.  Like you’re overly focused on your sound and not actually enjoying the act of doing it. I talked about this during my recent Step into the Spotlight workshop, a...

  Keep Going: 6 Ways to Build Resilience as a Singer What happens when the audition doesn't go your way? When you lose your voice? When the gigs dry up? When your confidence takes a hit, or you simply find yourself wondering, “What now?” If you're a singer or performer, you already know that the highs can be HIGH… but the ride can also be pretty bumpy.   Because being a singer isn't just...

 When You Sing Better Alone (And What to Do About It)   Feeling frustrated that you can sound completely different when you're singing by yourself than when someone is watching? In this episode, I’m exploring what happens when the attention turns toward us. I'll introduce you to a concept I've been calling the Shrinking Reflex : that automatic impulse to make yourself a little small...

 EP 23: How to Find YOUR Voice   (And Stop Trying to Sound Like Everyone Else) Have you ever wondered if you’ve actually found your voice? Maybe you’ve spent years taking lessons, practicing, studying, listening to other singers, and trying to improve, but somewhere along the way, you started wondering: What does MY voice actually sound like when I’m not trying to sound like someone else...

EP 22: Meet Your Good Inner Coach   How to Grow Your Voice Without Losing Yourself in the Process   In this episode, we explore: Why becoming your own teacher doesn't mean knowing everything How to become the expert on your own experience How to distinguish your intuition from your inner critic Why your “good inner coach” motivates through curiosity, encouragement, passion, and joy—not s...

  Episode 21: Why I Stopped Taking Voice Lessons In my early 30s, after more than 15 years of regular voice study, I stopped taking voice lessons. Not permanently.... I just needed a break. At the time, I knew I needed a break. But looking back, I can see that I needed something much deeper: I needed to learn how to trust myself. I had become overly reliant on outside input. I was filtering m...

  Episode 20: How to Release Tension When Singing (11 Tips for a Freer Voice)   Is tension getting in the way of your singing? You're not alone—and it doesn't mean you're failing as a singer! In this episode of The Joyful Singer Podcast , we're exploring one of the most common frustrations singers experience: tension. If you've ever felt like your voice gets "stuck," like you're wor...

    The Performance Hangover: What to Do When the Show Ends   What happens after the curtain falls?   You've spent weeks—or months—doing the thing you love. You've found your rhythm, built incredible friendships, grown as an artist, and finally started feeling comfortable on stage... and then suddenly it's over. If you've ever felt sad, lost, unmotivated, or even panicked after...

  Episode 18: 5 Ways to Bring More Joy to Your Singing   What if the thing standing between you and a freer, more confident voice isn't your technique... but what you've been feeding your mind? If your singing has started to feel heavy, stressful, or full of "shoulds," this episode is for you. In this episode of The Joyful Singer Podcast , Erin Stewart explores why joy isn't something yo...

Have you been missing singing? Maybe life got busy. Maybe grief, work, family, burnout, or self-doubt pulled you away. Or maybe you simply lost touch with the part of yourself that used to love making music. If you've been longing to reconnect with your voice but don't know where to begin, this episode is for you. After receiving countless messages from singers saying things like "I miss singing,"...

  Have you reached the point where singing just for yourself isn't enough anymore?   Maybe you've been rebuilding your voice. Maybe you've fallen back in love with singing after years away. And now there's a little voice inside saying... "I think I'm ready for more." But then the fear shows up. What if I'm not good enough? What if people judge me? What if I fail? What if it's too late? I...

  Episode 15: Is Singing Just for Yourself Enough? What if you love singing... but have absolutely no desire to perform? Would it still be worth it? In this episode of The Joyful Singer Podcast, we're exploring a question that so many singers wrestle with but rarely say out loud: Is singing just for yourself enough? Whether you've taken a break from singing, are curious about reconnecting wit...

  Episode 14: How to Quiet Your Inner Critic and Build Confidence: A Conversation with Jenny Smith This week I'm sharing something a little different. Recently, I had the pleasure of joining Jenny Smith on her podcast, You're Not Crazy! It's Perimenopause , for a conversation about confidence, self-doubt, the inner critic, and what it means to truly find your voice in midlife. If you've ever...

  Episode 13: My Pre-Show Ritual: How I Calm Nerves and Prepare to Sing What should you do on the day of a performance? How long should you warmup for? Drink gallons of water? Hide under a blanket until it's time to go on stage? In this episode of The Joyful Singer Podcast, Erin shares her personal performance day ritual—a routine she developed over more than 30 years of performing on Broadwa...

Episode 12: Joyful Singing vs. Traditional Voice Work — A Different Way to Grow as a Singer What if becoming a better singer wasn't about fixing yourself? In this episode of The Joyful Singer Podcast, Erin explores the key differences between traditional voice training and the Joyful Singing approach—and why so many singers feel stuck, frustrated, or disconnected despite years of lessons, practice...

  EP 11: What to Do When Auditions Aren't Going Your Way   If you've ever wondered whether you'll ever book another gig, questioned your talent after a string of "no's," or found yourself stuck in a discouraging quiet season, this episode is for you. In this episode of The Joyful Singer Podcast , we're talking about one of the hardest parts of being a performer: dealing with rejection. W...

How do you speak to yourself after a bad audition? After a mistake? After a performance that didn’t go the way you hoped? Most of us would never speak to a friend the way we sometimes speak to ourselves. And yet, there’s this kind of conversation happening 👇 "You should have done better." "You messed up." "You’re not enough." In this episode of The Joyful Singer Podcast, we’re exploring something...

Do you ever feel like your singing has slowly become something you do for everyone else? For the audience. For the teacher. For approval Somewhere along the way, maybe you began to lose touch with what you actually want. In this episode of The Joyful Singer Podcast, we're talking about creating a singing practice that belongs to you first and foremost—one rooted in joy, curiosity, creativity,...

Have you started noticing changes in your voice as you move through midlife? Maybe your voice feels less flexible. Maybe warming up takes longer than it used to. Maybe your range, stamina, breath support, or vocal ease feel different. Or maybe you’ve been feeling disconnected from your voice entirely and you’re wondering how to find your way back. In this episode of The Joyful Singer Podcast, we’r...