Singing Teachers Talk

This week, Alexa is joined by Dr Luciano Simões to explore cross-training as a modern vocal pedagogy through a Latin American lens, unpacking how singers can develop flexibility, resilience, and stylistic authenticity across different genres. Drawing on the rich hybridity of Latin American music Luciano shares how cross-training equips singers to navigate diverse vocal demands with both technical freedom and cultural awareness. This conversation challenges the idea of fixed vocal identities, inviting teachers and singers alike to embrace versatility, curiosity, and the vibrant diversity of global vocal styles. 
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  
2:10 Who is Dr Luciano Simões?  
6:42 Understanding Latin American music  
21:13 What functional technique is included in cross-training?  
27:57 What does a cross-training singing lesson look like?  
37:41 Technical conflicts in cross-training  
 
About the presenter HERE
 
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 
Jeanie LoVetri 
Alexander Technique 
Feldenkrais 
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.245 Technique Meets Artistry: Working with Contemporary Singers 
 
ABOUT THE GUEST 
Dr. Luciano Simões is a baritone, voice pedagogue, conductor, and researcher with over 30 years of teaching experience. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Michigan State University, alongside advanced degrees in choral conducting and musicology, and has undertaken postdoctoral research on Fado and musical theatre belting. He previously taught at institutions including the Latin American Integration University, where he developed a pioneering cross-training voice programme based on Latin American styles. 
Now based in Germany, he runs an independent voice studio and lectures internationally on cross-training and hybrid vocal technique. His work has been presented at major global conferences and published in leading voice journals. As a performer, he has sung across genres from opera to Brazilian jazz and maintains an active profile in both solo and choral music. 
SEE FULL BIO HERE
Instagram: @lucianosimoes_dma 
🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE
At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.
“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK
Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW
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In this episode, Alexa explores how to choose repertoire that sits comfortably within developing ‘tween’ voices while still feeling relevant and exciting for young singers today. From musical theatre gems to contemporary chart hits, the episode offers a thoughtfully curated selection of songs alongside practical considerations around vocal range, lyrical appropriateness, and the ever-evolving cultural world of 9–12 year olds—helping teachers feel a little more in touch (and maybe even a little bit cooler) in the process. 
 
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST 
1:10 Defining ‘tween’ 
2:24 Considerations for the tween girl  
5:35 10+ songs for tween girls  
 
About the presenter HERE
 
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.223 10 Songs for Child Singers 
Vocal Health Education  
Teaching Singing to Children and Young Adults by Jenevora Williams  
Sing Up Foundation 
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.181 The Role of Singing in Mental Wellness 
musicnotes.com 
Sarah Joyce  
War Child UK 
 
ABOUT THE GUEST 
Alexa runs a singing tuition practice in the South of England, and is a singing tutor at one of the UK’s leading performing arts schools – Italia Conti, where she also regularly panels auditions and assessments. Alexa is the host of the BAST Training Singing Teachers Talk podcast, mentors for the BAST Training Level 5 qualification, and has presented on topics of Musical Theatre repertoire, authentic Musical Theatre performance, and imposter syndrome for Vocology in Practise and The Sing Space.  
 
SEE FULL BIO HERE

Website 
Instagram: @AlexaTerryVocalCoaching  
🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE
At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.
“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK
Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW
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In this episode, Alexa is joined by performer and vocal coach Grace Galloway, fresh from her run in Ride the Cyclone in London. Together they dive into one of the biggest questions for musical theatre performers: how to build a rep folder that actually works in the audition room. Grace shares practical advice on choosing songs you can rely on “come rain or shine,” shaping material to fit different auditions, and finding repertoire that highlights your unique selling points as a performer. From audition stages to song cuts and the myth of the “perfect” choice, this episode is packed with honest insights to help performers create a versatile, confident rep book that can adapt to whatever audition comes next. 
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  
1:07 Grace’s best and worst audition experiences 
5:40 The stages of a musical theatre audition  
9:20 How important is song choice?  
16:05 Should you transpose songs for auditions?  
19:25 What is the most common style asked for in an audition at the moment?  
24:20 Mindset in the Musical Theatre industry  
30:54 The current audition ‘buzz’ song 
31:36 What should be in your audition rep folder?  
37:31 Making song cuts   
42:37 A musical theatre rep book case study  
 
About the presenter HERE
 
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 
Danceworks 
Debbie O’Brien 
Aida 
Pineapple 
Grace sings ‘The Ballad of Jane Doe’  
Harry Blumenau  
Dundee Rep Theatre  
 
ABOUT THE GUEST 
Grace is originally from Liverpool and trained at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She will be appearing as the title role of Rita in Educating Rita at Dundee Rep Theatre this Spring. Grace is also a qualified vocal coach and holds an Estill Figure Proficiency certificate with Estill Voice International. She is a lecturer in voice, repertoire coach and audition preparation mentor at Mountview and Italia Conti. She currently coaches professionals, those in training or those wanting to pursue vocational training. 
 
Theatre credits include: Jane Doe in Ride the Cyclone (Southwark Playhouse), Astrid Kirchherr/On stage MD in Shake It Up Baby! (Epstein Theatre, Liverpool), Diva 1 in Priscilla The Party! (West End), Marchesa Zuliani & 1st Cover Azzurra in the world premiere of Stiletto (Charing Cross Theatre), Donna Marie/Miss Jones/Alternate Mrs Lyons in Blood Brothers (UK tour), The Amazing Adventures of Pinocchio (UK tour), Di and Viv and Rose (The Hope Street Theatre), Velma Kelly (emergency cover) in Chicago (Pitlochry Festival Theatre). TV credits include: G'wed (ITV), Greggs-Bag Some Joy (
🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE
At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.
“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK
Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW
basttraining.com | Stay Updated

Do you have a stellar service or a product you truly believe in… but you’re just not attracting the right people? In this episode Meta Ads strategist Danny Young breaks down how advertising really works in 2026 — and why understanding strategy and buyer psychology matters more than simply “running ads.” From navigating today’s trust recession to building a powerful Connect & Convert Ecosystem, he shares how to turn cold audiences into warm, ready-to-buy clients. You’ll hear how a simple shift in messaging helped one coach scale from six to seven figures, why most business owners waste budget on the wrong objectives, and how to make your marketing feel relevant rather than intrusive. If you’re ready to stop hoping and start advertising with intention, this episode is for you. 
 
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  
3:32 Sian’s success story 
7:15 How has online advertising changed over the last 20-years? 
13:25 Facebook in 2026 
15:44 Facebook Vs Instagram marketing  
16:45 Advertising products Vs services  
19:42 Buyer Psychology of 2026  
21:44 Standing out 
25:57 Danny’s Connect And Covert Ecosystem  
39:31 What questions should we be asking ourselves?  
43:34 Working with Danny Young  
 
About the presenter HERE
 
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 
Buyer Psychology  
ChatGPT 
Claude  
The Azaylia Foundation  
Danny’s Academy  
 
ABOUT THE GUEST 
Danny Young is a Meta ads strategist and agency owner who helps infopreneurs and expert-led businesses generate leads, enquiries and sales for their business using simple, low-cost advertising coupled with clear strategy. 
With more than a decade of experience, Danny is known for cutting through the complexity of online marketing and helping business owners understand how ads really work - not as a quick fix, but as a way to amplify strong messaging and reach the right people at the right time. 
He specialises in making paid traffic feel practical and approachable, helping clients build sustainable growth without overcomplicating the process. 

Instagram: @dannyyoungonline 
🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE
At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.
“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK
Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW
basttraining.com | Stay Updated

What’s really happening inside the larynx when we ‘tilt?’ In this episode, Alexa is joined by voice researcher Dr Mathias Aaen to unpack the science behind thyroid tilt - exploring what his latest studies reveal about pitch, vocal fold lengthening, and healthy singing. The pair cut through common misconceptions, translate research into studio-ready language, and ask the big question: are our teaching prompts actually doing what we think they are? If you love practical pedagogy grounded in solid science, this one’s for you. 
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  
2:58 What is tilt? Anatomy & physiology  
6:35 CVT framework 
16:13 Study results  
22:45 Physiology vs the perceptual  
25:36 Teaching prompts  
43:10 Vocal fold length and pitch change  
48:14 Enemies of tilt 
52:37 Common misconceptions about tilt  
About the presenter HERE
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 
Investigating Laryngeal “Tilt” on Same-pitch Phonation—Preliminary Findings of Vocal Mode, Metal and Density Parameters as Alternatives to Cricothyroid-Thyroarytenoid “Mix” by Mathias Aaen et al 
Correlating Degree of Thyroid Tilt Independent of fo Control as a Mechanism for Phonatory Density with EGG and Acoustic Measures across Loudness Conditions by Aaen. M et al 
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.131 Mastering Research Papers: How to Read with Ease and Extract Knowledge  
Complete Vocal Institute  
Dr Ian Howell 
Dr Mark Tempesta 
Kerrie Obert  
Dr Ingo Titze 
Estill 
CVT App 
Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica  
Manuel Garcia  
Praat 
ABOUT THE GUEST 
Mathias Aaen, PhD, is a voice researcher, educator, and certified rehabilitation specialist. He serves as Honorary Researcher at Nottingham University Hospitals and VP of Research & Collaboration at CVI, and was previously a Fulbright Fellow at UC Berkeley. His work focuses on voice physiology, acoustics, auditory-perceptual analysis, and voice habilitation and rehabilitation, with groundbreaking research into the physiology and health of contemporary commercial music styles, including rock and heavy metal. He recently completed a PostDoc investigating the CVT framework as a clinical treatment for dysphonia in MTD and ABI patients. An award-winning researcher and Authorised CVT Teacher, Mathias is also an active performer who has worked with leading opera houses and voice professionals worldwide.  
SEE FULL BIO HERE
🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice.  >>> DOWNLOAD HERE
At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion.
“The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK
Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW
basttraining.com | Stay Updated