Singer Songwriter | How to Write a Song, Make Music, Song Lyrics, Music Theory, Singing Lessons

Feeling tired, stiff, or disconnected from your singing voice? In this episode, I'm sharing a simple 10-minute singing practice I used after a long holiday weekend to reconnect with my voice—without forcing it, judging it, or trying to sound "better." Instead of focusing on vocal technique or performance, this practice begins with noticing how your voice feels today, meeting it where it is, and al...

Have you ever had a song that stayed with you for years—but never seemed ready to be written? In this episode, I'm sharing a personal reflection on a song I've wanted to write for a long time and what it's teaching me about the songwriting process, creative timing, and learning to trust inspiration instead of forcing it. As America celebrates its 250th birthday, I've found myself returning to a cr...

Trying to force your creativity to happen? There may be another way. As artists, we often feel pressure to know exactly where we’re going. We want the finished vision, the clear plan, the perfect idea — and when we don’t have those things, we may assume we’re stuck. But the creative process doesn’t always unfold in a straight line. Sometimes the work is in the unknown. In this episode, I’m explori...

Have you ever felt disconnected from your singing voice—even though you still love to sing? In this episode, we're exploring a different way of thinking about singing. One that goes beyond practice, performance, technique, improvement, and achievement. I share reflections from my own creative life lately, including singing while doing dishes, gardening, playing with my children, and following litt...

Have you ever had a great song idea disappear before you had the chance to develop it? In this episode, we're exploring an often-overlooked part of the songwriting process: capturing inspiration while it's still alive. Building on last week's conversation about The Work Before the Work, we're talking about what happens when the first spark of a song finally appears. How do songwriters capture idea...

How do you find inspiration when you don't know what to create next? As singer-songwriters, we often assume we need a clear idea, a finished vision, or a specific project before we can begin creating. But what if inspiration doesn't come from thinking harder about what to make? What if it comes from paying attention? In this episode, we're exploring the work before the work — the often overlooked...

Feeling stuck with your singing voice lately? In this episode, we’re exploring a creative approach to reconnecting with your voice through curiosity, experimentation, vocal harmonies, and creative freedom — instead of overthinking, perfectionism, or trying to sound “perfect.” I share some behind-the-scenes reflections from my own creative process lately, including experimenting with vocal layering...

Feeling stuck creatively? Struggling with songwriter’s block, creative burnout, or feeling disconnected from your music? In this episode, we’re talking about how to begin again creatively — not through pressure, perfectionism, or forcing inspiration, but through play, curiosity, experimentation, and reconnecting with the desire to create. I share some honest reflections about my own creative proce...

What do you do when the way you’ve been creating no longer feels alive? In this episode, I’m sharing an honest reflection on creativity, artistic growth, and what happens when your creative process starts feeling stale — even when you still love what you do. Lately, I’ve realized I’ve been spending so much time creating about music that I’ve started craving more space for my own songs, artistry, a...

Have you ever felt like you’re trying too hard when you sing — forcing your voice, chasing a certain sound, or overthinking every note? If so, you’re not alone. In this episode, we talk about how to find your natural singing voice — not by shaping or controlling it, but by learning how to let it emerge. Because your voice isn’t something you have to create. It’s something that’s already there. You...

Do you have unfinished songs, scattered lyrics, or too many song ideas living in your notes app? In this episode, we talk about how to move inspiration through the songwriting process — so your ideas stop getting lost and start becoming songs. You’ll learn how to capture ideas, create one creative “home,” and move songs through different stages of development without feeling overwhelmed. Because s...

If you’ve been struggling to find time for your creativity — or feeling stuck in an all-or-nothing cycle with your singing or songwriting — this episode will give you a simple, realistic way to stay consistent. Because creativity doesn’t require hours of free time. It requires a way to stay connected. In this episode, I share a flexible 20-minute creative practice designed for singer-songwriters w...

If you’ve ever started a song and didn’t finish it… or felt stuck somewhere in the middle of the songwriting process, unsure what to do next — this episode will give you a clearer path forward. Songwriting isn’t just about inspiration — it’s about understanding the phases of writing a song. When you understand these phases, it becomes much easier to move from a simple idea… to a finished piece of...

If warming up your voice has ever felt confusing, rigid, or overly technical… you’re not alone. In this episode, we simplify the process. Instead of focusing on the “perfect” vocal warm-up routine, you’ll learn how to approach warming up your voice in a way that’s intuitive, flexible, and actually supportive of your singing. We’ll walk through a simple 4-part framework to help you: • gently awaken...

100 episodes. What started as Reawaken Your Voice has grown into something clearer, more focused, and more aligned — a space for singer-songwriters navigating the creative process, finding their voice, and learning how to trust it. In this episode, I’m reflecting on the journey so far — what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and what I’ve learned from you along the way. We talk about: • the evolu...

How do you actually find your songwriting voice? Is it something you discover… or something that develops over time? Many songwriters feel stuck here — overthinking their ideas, comparing themselves to others, and wondering if what they’re creating is original or “good enough.” But your voice isn’t something you find by thinking. It’s something that emerges through the act of writing. In this epis...

Many singers hold themselves back because they’re trying to sound perfect. They control their tone, their breath, their phrasing — carefully managing every detail so nothing falls apart. But sometimes that control is exactly what keeps the voice from expressing something real. In this episode, we explore the balance between vocal technique and emotional honesty, and why perfectionism can quietly b...

At what point are you “allowed” to call yourself a singer-songwriter? Is it after you finish your first song? Release music publicly? Perform for other people? Many artists carry a quiet belief that they’re not a real singer-songwriter yet — that they need to be better, more confident, or further along before claiming that identity. In this episode, we explore the journey of becoming an artist and...

You start songs all the time. But finishing them? That’s where things fall apart. If your voice memos are full of half-written lyrics and abandoned ideas, you’re not lazy — and you’re not untalented. In this episode, we explore three common reasons singer-songwriters struggle to finish their songs: perfectionism, lack of creative systems, and hitting a skill edge. Because sometimes the problem isn...

You say you want to be a singer-songwriter. You want to share your voice, write your own songs, and be heard. So why are you still hiding? In this episode, we’re talking about the quiet fear that keeps so many aspiring singer-songwriters small — the fear of being seen, of sharing unfinished work, of letting your real voice be heard. If you struggle with vocal confidence, hesitate to share your mus...

You think you need more confidence. More training. More certainty. But what if beginning is what creates those things? In You Don’t Have to Feel Ready: Begin Where You Are as a Singer-Songwriter, I’m sharing honest stories from my own path — recording before I felt prepared, stepping into rooms that scared me, saying yes before I knew how. We’ll talk about why waiting keeps artists stuck, how read...

Singing can feel incredibly vulnerable. Your voice isn’t just an instrument — it’s part of your body, your history, and your identity. So when you share it, of course you can feel exposed. In this episode, we explore why singers and songwriters struggle with fear, self-doubt, and perfectionism, especially after criticism or difficult experiences. And we talk about how confidence is really built: n...

Have you ever noticed yourself pulling away from your creativity — even though making music is something you love? In this episode, we explore why singers and songwriters disconnect from their creativity, voice, or songwriting practice — and why this distance is often a form of self-protection, not failure. We’ll talk about the vulnerability of making music, the pressure to “do it right,” and the...

Do song lyrics come first — or does the melody lead the way? The truth is, songs don’t begin in just one way. In this episode, I walk you through five common “doorways” into songwriting — simple, human starting points that can help you move past the frozen feeling of “Where do I start?” We explore how songs can begin through lyrics, melody, rhythm, harmony, or listening to what’s already stirring...

Songwriting isn’t about coming up with ideas — it’s about learning how to listen. In this episode, I’m sharing a different kind of ear training for singer-songwriters: one that helps you recognize song beginnings as they’re already forming — where listening becomes the skill that guides everything else. We’ll talk about the subtle ways songs often arrive: a line that won’t leave you alone, a sound...