Can't Wait to Hear You

Leadership often involves inspiring people around you, but changing the way you use your voice takes a lot of determined, compassionate leadership of your self. In this episode, I explain A brilliant lesson in leadership from the world of professional baseball. The difference between the self that wants to do things the way you always have, and the self who wants bigger, better, more for you. Why...

While I’m helping you on your singing journey, I’m on a journey of my own. Singing high notes is a part of the path I’m always retreading. In this episode, I explain Why the sound of your own high notes can be jarring, and how to manage that stress. The surprising, liberating experience I had making peace with the racket of an MRI machine. How I notice when I’m trying so hard that it actually make...

The next session of The Self-Sustaining Singer is about to launch. I want to make sure you know why you should join us. In this episode, I explain The one-sided voice instruction I experienced as a new singer, and how it stifled my progress. The question I always ask my students (and myself) that opens up the possibilities of learning to use your voice. How a group singing practice can build confi...

Let's check in with Michèle from June of 2023, and the very first advice I gave on Can't Wait to Hear You . I think it holds up. In this episode, I explain that: Your lungs are not in your shoulders. Using your voice is a physical activity. The floor isn’t going anywhere. If you'd like to join the waitlist for my group class, The Self-Sustaining Singer , email me at letters@mvmusik.com with GROUP...

This episode is adapted from an online workshop I gave on September 2, 2026. To learn more, visit https://www.mvmusik.com/conductor-says-were-flat/ . In this episode, I explain Why a note that’s technically in tune can sound flat when it gets to the conductor’s ears. The practice of listening consciously, so you know for sure if you’re singing the right notes. How to work with your whole body to s...

Join me in looking back at lessons learned and impacts made in three plus years of making Can’t Wait to Hear You . In this episode, I explain Why I chose podcasting to showcase my approach to voice teaching. What I focus on when I’m setting (and adjusting) my goals for the show. Where I want to go next with Can’t Wait to Hear You , and how you can be a part of it! Sign up for my free workshop Your...

It's been more than three years since we published the first episode of Can't Wait to Hear You . As I think about what I've learned on this journey, I wanted to revisit this episode, looking back at my first year of podcasting. If you'd like to join the waitlist for my group class, The Self-Sustaining Singer , email me at letters@mvmusik.com with GROUP in the subject line. I'll make sure you recei...

If your warmup practice is dialed in for your body and its unique sound, your warmup can prepare you to sing just about anything. In this episode, I explain Why the intuition about different musical styles needing different warmups isn’t right. How to build a warmup routine that works with your body, and also adapts to your changing needs and desires. The importance of checking in with your physic...

The “pretty” singing you've been praised for might not be the only kind of singing you're capable of. It might not even be the best singing you're capable of. In this episode, I explain What’s appealing about the breathy sound of pop recordings, and why we want to emulate it. Why that sound isn’t sustainable long term (and what it’s doing to your body). Why you shouldn’t be intimidated when you ma...

A bedrock goal of singing is to make sure all the right notes are coming out of your mouth. But apps that claim to tell you whether you’re “in tune” can actually do more harm than good. In this episode, I explain What a voice-tuning app is actually measuring (spoiler alert: it’s not really your voice). How trying to match pitch with an app can introduce counter-productive tension into your body. T...

For most of us, using our voices to speak feels effortless. But performing demands that we slow down and really understand what we’re doing and why. In this episode, I explain Why the deliberate process of singing has to be so different from the instinctive behavior of everyday conversation. How to practice noticing and adjusting your vocal production to make performing as stress-free as possible....

Our desire to give a perfect performance will always be derailed by forces beyond our control. What if we choose instead to practice as perfectly as possible so that good performances become inevitable? In this episode, I explain Why practicing perfectly is within our reach, and delivering a perfect performance isn’t. How practicing perfectly makes performing less stressful and our voice more reli...

When you’re preparing to practice singing or speaking, it’s great to have goals. But if you let those goals dominate your focus, you could miss other kinds of progress. In this episode, I explain Why - and how - to pause and reflect before you dive into a practice session. How stress and time pressure interfere with the process of learning. Why it’s important to invite all of yourself to participa...

I and my students often get "stuck" because we're afraid of "doing it wrong." The "it" could be anything. In this episode, I explain The difference between the fear of technical, physical wrongness and the fear of being embarrassed by the way you sound. How very young children model a fearlessly playful response to failure. Warmup practices that can help you explore and expand the capabilities of...

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has predicted that Artificial Intelligence could automate as many as 40% of tasks currently performed by humans in our current economy. Teaching voice will not be one of them. Let me tell you why. In this episode, I explain How singing and speaking are body-to-body and heart-to-heart ways of communicating. Our physicality matters as much as our words. How singing is fundament...

Like singing, being a leader is both a mental and physical practice. This makes it possible (and vital) to practice and prepare just by using your imagination. In this episode, I explain How to think about expanding yourself - physically and energetically - to the bounds of a larger space Why imagining yourself in the shoes of the person in charge can help you get comfortable leading from the side...

Conflict is scary. In relationship, at work, or when you’re singing in a group, it can be tempting to sit in discomfort rather than speak up. How can you give yourself permission to advocate for positive change? In this episode, I explain The very simple - but very big - place to start grounding your ability to change things. Ways to develop the sense of belonging that will empower you to advocate...

More this time on how to be a leader when you aren’t in charge, by tapping into what you really love about singing and using it to set an example. In this episode, I explain How to identify - and model - what brings you the most joy when you’re singing in a group. Ways to think about setting an example that others will want to emulate, without being overbearing. How to channel the irritation you m...

Singing in a choir can be a chaotic experience, and the conductor can’t be everywhere (or hear everything) all at once. How can you guide and inspire the people around you when you’re not the final authority? I find the Colbert Questionnert to be incredibly helpful when it comes to deciding how I want to move through the world. If you haven't yet explored this self-development tool, listen to toda...

You’ve probably heard someone say that singing is “all about the breath.” It’s a simple saying that belies a surprisingly multifaceted practice. In this episode, I explain How breathing precedes every sound we make with the voice (and why we often don’t notice). What’s going on anatomically as your brain, breath, and body collaborate to produce sound. Exercises you can use to understand and direct...

Your voice is a core part of your identity, so it’s natural to feel conflicted about changing it, even if the change is ultimately for the better. In this episode, I explain Why we often have emotional discomfort around changing our voices, even when using our body differently feels physically better. How our instinctive need for safety can complicate the process of learning to use the body differ...

We all feel nervous when we’re doing Big Things, and singing in front of others is definitely a Big Thing. What would it help to be thinking when you’re doing something Big? In this episode, I explain The mental and physical benefits that accompany the work of building your voice. Why feeling vulnerable is an important part of singing and speaking. How to reframe that vulnerability so that perform...

Happy New Year! Here are two resolutions that will help you improve your relationship with your voice in 2026 and in all the years to come: Practice in the shoes you’re going to wear on the day you do the thing. Try not to judge your out-of-tune singing. Tune in to find out why, and in the case of judging yourself, what to do instead. To Register for A Singer's Advent: https://mvmusik.mvsite.app/p...

When things aren’t going well, we can let music carry us through. In this episode, I talk about The profound connections music builds between people from all walks of life. How the experience of a group of people singing together can transform your day, even when you’re just watching. An example of the joy and community created when we share our singing with each other. The Leo Choir Boys performi...

It might sound like wishful thinking, but I truly believe that everyone who wants to should experience the joy of feeling comfortable with and appreciated for their singing. In this episode, I explain Why I believe that singing is for anyone and everyone. The themes and lessons that the Advent season holds for experienced and aspiring singers alike. The benefits of singing for your physical and me...