On The Voice

In this episode of On The Voice, Etai Benson joins hosts Mackenzie Bykowski, MM, and Jenna Battipaglia, MS, CCC-SLP, PAVA-RV. Etai is an Israeli-American actor who studied musical theater at the University of Michigan and most recently appeared on Broadway as Paul in the five-time Tony Award-winning, gender-bent revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company alongside Patti LuPone. He originated the ro...

In this episode of On The Voice, Sarah Kervin, MS, CCC-SLP, joins hosts Mackenzie Bykowski, MM, and Jenna Battipaglia, MS, CCC-SLP, PAVA-RV. Sarah is a voice-specialized speech-language pathologist at the Sean Parker Institute for the Voice at Weill Cornell Medicine, currently pursuing her PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences at NYU, and remains an active working musician throughout NYC. Her path to the...

In this episode of On The Voice, Stephen Mark Lukas joins hosts Mackenzie Bykowski, MM, and Jenna Battipaglia, MS, CCC-SLP, PAVA-RV, to share his story publicly for the first time - a nearly five-year vocal rehabilitation journey navigated entirely while continuing to perform at the highest level of his profession. Stephen Mark Lukas is a Broadway actor and musical theatre leading man whose career...

Lucian Sulica, MD is the Sean Parker Professor of Laryngology and the Director of the Sean Parker Institute for the Voice at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Past-President of the American Laryngological Association. His practice is limited to voice disorders, with a special interest in the medical and microsurgical treatment of vocal fold injuries from voice use, particularly in performers. He...

In this episode of On The Voice , Natalie Weiss joins hosts Mackenzie Bykowski, MM, and Jenna Battipaglia, MS, CCC-SLP, PAVA-RV, for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolution of her career as both a performer and vocal coach. Natalie reflects on her early musical influences, her path through musical theatre and American Idol , and the development of her now widely recognized “Breaking Down The...

In this episode of On The Voice , Morgan Anita Wood joins hosts Mackenzie Bykowski, MM, and Jenna Battipaglia, MS, CCC-SLP, PAVA-RV. from aspiring performer to Broadway’s Hamilton , where she has spent nearly eight years with the production and made her Broadway debut as Eliza in 2024. Morgan reflects on the full-circle path that brought her from observing Hamilton auditions at Telsey to performin...

In this episode of On The Voice , Christine Schneider, LMT, HMS, joins hosts Mackenzie Bykowski, MM, and Jenna Battipaglia, MS, CCC-SLP, PAVA-RV, for an expansive conversation on the voice as a full-body instrument. Together, they explore how vocal function is influenced far beyond the larynx through movement, pressure management, asymmetry, and the nervous system. Christine Schneider is the found...

In this episode of On The Voice , Erika Henningsen joins hosts Mackenzie Bykowski, MM, and Jenna Battipaglia, MS, CCC-SLP, PAVA-RV, to share her story of discovering a path to healing after experiencing vocal difficulties and the complex relationship between voice, identity, and nervous system regulation. Erika opens up about the physical and emotional realities of performing at a high level - fro...

Aaron Johnson, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a researcher and speech–language pathologist specializing in voice habilitation, vocal rehabilitation, and the neuromuscular science of how the voice adapts to training and injury. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Co-Director of the NYU Langone Voice & Swallowing Center. His NIH-funded resear...

In this episode of On The Voice, Jay joins hosts Mackenzie Bykowski, MM, and Jenna Battipaglia, MS, CCC-SLP, PAVA-RV, to publicly share — for the first time — his experience working through vocal injury and the psychological aftermath of returning to a high-stakes contract and re-learning that he can trust his instrument. Jay speaks candidly about vocal anxiety, identity, full-body connection, and...

Mike Ruckles, MM, SVRS, PAVA-RV, is a New York–based vocal technician and singing voice specialist who maintains one of the city’s premier studios for musical theatre and pop/rock singers. His students include Tony, Grammy, and Oscar winners, with clients appearing on and off-Broadway, the Metropolitan Opera, the West End, and national tours. As a production vocal coach, his work spans some of Bro...

Leo Ash Evens is a performer, educator, and voice professional whose career spans Broadway, the West End, national tours, and regional theatre. His Broadway credits include School of Rock , Shuffle Along , and Jesus Christ Superstar , with extensive work in West Side Story across London’s West End, the 50th Anniversary U.S. Tour, Houston TUTS, Barrington Stage, and North Carolina Theatre. His regi...

Milan R. Amin, MD is a Professor of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery at NYU Langone Health, Chief of the Division of Laryngology, and Founder and Director of the NYU Langone Voice Center. Since establishing the center in 2005, he has transformed it into an internationally recognized hub for cutting-edge voice, swallowing, and airway care — pioneering office-based laser and injection techniqu...

Samantha Joy Pearlman is a New York–based multi-hyphenate: a performer, singer-songwriter, writer, and voice teacher whose career spans original musical theatre, new work development, and contemporary music. She originated the role of Deb in The Art Tour Off-Broadway at Theatre Row, appeared as Mary Jane Gumm in Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz at Paper Mill Playhouse, and wrote and starred in the...

Telly Leung is a Chinese-American, New York–born actor, singer, and educator whose career spans Broadway, television, and international stages. He’s currently starring as The Phantom in Masquerade , the immersive reimagining of The Phantom of the Opera . On Broadway, Telly has appeared in Aladdin , Rent , Godspell , In Transit , Allegiance , Pacific Overtures , and Flower Drum Song , and he origin...

In this episode of On The Voice , Mackenzie and Jenna sit down with George Salazar - a half-Filipino, half-Ecuadorian actor, singer, and musician best known for originating Michael Mell in the Broadway hit Be More Chill , a role that earned him a Lucille Lortel Award , two Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards , and nominations from both the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle . His show-stopping ac...

Ellen Lettrich , M.S, CCC-SLP, is a nationally certified speech-language pathologist, vocal coach, and theatre educator with over three decades of experience across Broadway and educational theatre. She served as Production Vocal Coach for Matilda and Hand to God and has supported performers from Wicked , The Book of Mormon , The Color Purple , Cinderella , The Crucible , and West Side Story , amo...

Tyler Jones is a New York–based voice teacher and performer whose clients span Broadway, television, national tours, and the recording industry. A proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA, he’s performed in productions like The Book of Mormon and Apple TV’s WeCrashed, and has coached for projects including Hulu’s Up Here. Tyler combines his performance career with a deep commitment to vocal health, stren...

Nicole Zuraitis is a 2X GRAMMY-winning and 4X GRAMMY-nominated jazz singer-songwriter, pianist, and arranger, celebrated for her “heart as big as her remarkable voice” (Jazz Police). She’s a New York–based bandleader redefining vocal jazz and what she calls the “modern songbook.” Find her music on all streaming platforms, at www.nicolezmusic.com, and on Instagram at @nicolezmusic. In this episode...

Episode 1: Meet The Hosts - Mackenzie Bykowski and Jenna Battipaglia In their very first episode, hosts Mackenzie Bykowski and Jenna Battipaglia, CCC-SLP open up about their own journeys through vocal injury, surgery, and recovery. Jenna shares how a vocal fold cyst in college led her from being a musical theater singer, and contemporary commerical music songwriter, to speech-language pathologist...