Living A Vocal Life: A Podcast For Singers

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! Hello, this is Valerie Day from Living A Vocal Life. During my break from producing new interviews, I'm revisiting some of the insightful conversations I've had with singers in the past five years. This encore episode delves into the crossroads of creativity and motherhood. In these conversations, you'll discover how artist mot...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! On this episode of Living A Vocal Life, we’re diving into the world of microphones, exploring how the right mic can amplify your artistry and protect your vocal health. You’ll also get a peek at the latest module of my course, Becoming A Singer, where we take a look at the art of rehearsing and the power of body language. And finally, I share...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! In this episode of 'Living a Vocal Life,' my guest is Jessica Baldwin, a multi-talented popular music voice specialist, creativity coach, and indie singer-songwriter. Jess's early exposure to a music-rich environment nurtured her journey across various musical genres, leading to her distinctive soul, jazz, and chamber pop sound...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! In this episode, you’ll hear the inspiring journey of Rosi Amador, a bilingual singer, percussionist, and voiceover talent. Her relationship with music has been life-long, profoundly influenced by her parents, who themselves were performers. Rosi takes us from her roots in Puerto Rico through a life-changing trip to Nicaragua, the story of he...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! In this episode, you'll hear the voice of Whitney Jones, a remarkable musician, songwriter, and singer. Her journey began with singing gospel call and response with her mother during bath time and blossomed into a passion for music and songwriting. Despite facing challenges and adversity, including becoming a single mother at 16, Whitney...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! Welcome to Episode Two of this special series of Living a Vocal Life, all about balancing motherhood and creativity. In this two-part series, you'll hear from 11 singers who generously agreed to answer three questions about how they navigate creativity and motherhood. In Part One, you heard how these singers structure their lives, includ...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! Welcome to Episode One of this special series of Living a Vocal Life, all about balancing motherhood and creativity. In this two-part series, you'll hear from 11 singers who generously agreed to answer three questions about how they navigate creativity and motherhood. In Part One, you'll hear how these singers structure their lives,...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! In this episode of Living A Vocal Life, we dive deep into the remarkable musical journey of Danielle Tucker.  Danielle's passion for performance began when she auditioned and won a spot on Ed McMahon's Star Search in the early 90s. She didn't win, but what she learned from the singer she competed against ignited her desire to b...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! In this episode, I had the opportunity to speak with the extraordinary singer and performer N'Kenge. Her vocal range spans five octaves and 11 different languages. She can sing any style of music, from Broadway to pop, soul, and opera. Her impressive resume includes leading roles in various Broadway musicals and performances at major ven...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! This season, the Living a Vocal Life podcast offers a special edition of interviews with successful vocalists who have turned to teaching the next generation of singers. In today's episode, host Valerie Day, an accomplished singer and voice teacher, talks passionately about how underrated and essential teaching is and how it goes beyond...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! This month’s guest is China Forbes, whose voice is heard around the world. She’s the lead vocalist for the globe-trotting band Pink Martini. You might have seen her on Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show, or over 70 different symphonies. You can hear her voice on duets with people like Michael Feinstein, Carol Channing,...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! My guest this month has been called a poet of the vocal cords and "the Queen of Cabarets." Karen Mason originated the role of Tanya in the Broadway production of Mamma Mia and has had starring roles in Wonderland, Hairspray, Sunset Boulevard, and the first U.S. tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies. She's shared co...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! My guest this month is a singer and songwriter who’s led an extraordinary vocal life, Tabitha Fair.  Tabitha was born and raised in Oklahoma, the daughter of a preacher and a mother who ministered through music. By the time she was five years old, Tabitha knew she wanted to be a singer and have a career in music. And that she has, eventually...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! This month’s guest on Living A Vocal Life is singer-songwriter, Stephanie Schneiderman. Blending elements of folk, indie pop music, Americana, and electronic music, Stephanie’s songwriting is often compared to artists like Imogen Heap, Regina Spektor, and Jem. As a singer-songwriter, her solo career began with a coveted spot in the Lilith Fai...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! My guest today is Lachi. She is a force of nature — a whirling Diva with non-stop energy who sings, writes, produces, acts, and is visually impaired. As she says in her YouTube series, Off Beat: "I'm a black girl, going blind, just trying to stay fabulous. I'm here to motivate. I'm here to educate." And that she does....

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! Josh Breckinridge is a triple threat, a singer, dancer, and actor, and he excels at all three. He's best known for his standout roles on Broadway and appearances on hit TV shows the Blacklist, Bluebloods, and FBI. Currently, he's a part of the Apple Original Films live filming of the award-winning Broadway hit, Come From Away, and w...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! After a year of practicing alone, making music again with others is a joy. Yet, for many of us, rehearsal is a means to an end—a necessary chore to get to the main event — performing. What if rehearsals were something you looked forward to? What if they gave you energy rather than depleting it? What if they had the same potential as performan...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! My guest in this episode is Ara Lee James. Ara has a voice that can sing anything and a way with words that is truly transcendent. Her voice is powerful — in its strength and its tenderness. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Music Presenter, Sue Svendsen, wrote, “Ara Lee is the best singer I’ve ever heard. Period. But what she does is m...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! The guest on this month’s episode of the podcast is Jeanette Jurado — one of the members of the multiplatinum-selling group Exposé.  From 1985 to 1995, Jeanette, Gioia, and Ann ruled the Top 40, R&B, and Adult Contemporary charts in the US and throughout the world. Their albums garnered seven back-to-back Top 10 hits on Billboard’s US Hot...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! How a short 10-minute talk by Elizabeth Gilbert finally clarified my troubled relationship with music and the music business and why what I learned might be helpful to you too. Elizabeth Gilbert’s talk helped me to see that career and vocation are not the same things. A career is not the beating heart of the true self I already possess. It’s...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! As a songwriter, Los Battey’s career has been extraordinary; he and his brother Steven have penned hits for artists like Madonna, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown and Bruno Mars. They’ve been nominated for a Grammy Award four times, winning in 2010 for their contribution to Madonna’s “Revolver” remix. The Battey brothers, or Jackie’s Boyz , the nam...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! Singers love to sing. But sometimes, listening gets neglected. If you want to be a good listener (and a better singer), it’s essential to practice listening.  In this solo podcast episode, you’ll discover how you can learn to listen more deeply to other singers, the world around you, and your own voice as a part of your vocal practice. Links:...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! My dear friend Duffy Bishop is my guest on Episode #14 of Living A Vocal Life. Duffy and I have known each other for a long time — 20 years, or maybe even more. Offstage Duffy’s a bit of a homebody, a creative maker who’s always drawing, painting, and sewing. You notice her when she walks into a room not because she tries to draw attention to...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! My relationship with practicing is a love/hate kind of thing. I’ve tried a gazillion strategies over the years and tested some of them with my students.  Here’s what I’ve learned about staying connected to why I practice in the first place and some strategies for finding the time to do it. Links: You can find me on: Facebook , Instagram , or...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! This month’s guest on the podcast is Haley Johnsen. Haley first stepped into the spotlight in 2012 when she made it into the top 24 contestants on American Idol. Since then, she’s worked hard to make her way as an independent musician. She’s written hundreds of songs, released three albums and numerous singles, and traveled thousands of miles...