Singing Teachers Talk

In this episode, Alexa is joined by researcher, musician and founder of The F-List, Vick Bain, for an important conversation about gender equality in the UK music industry. Drawing on her PhD research and years of experience, Vick explores the barriers that women and gender-diverse musicians continue to face, from pay gaps and career progression to representation, discrimination and the realities of building a sustainable career in music. It's a thought-provoking discussion that challenges assumptions, shares the evidence behind the headlines, and asks what role we can play in creating a more inclusive future for the artists we teach. Just to let you know some listeners may find some of the topics discussed distressing - take a pause, and we will be right there waiting when you’re ready.  
 
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  
1:28 About Vick’s PhD: Women's Careers in the UK Music Industry 
2:02 What are some of the biggest gender inequality issues currently?  
5:50 Age discrimination and pay gap statistics  
15:55 The ‘what about Adele’ question 
25:06 Where are women missing?  
27:13 What happens when women ‘over-represent’ in a field?  
29:44 Being a freelancer  
32:57 The red flags 
36:11 Political landscapes  
40:15 The F-List 
 
About the presenter HERE
 
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 
The UK Music Diversity Taskforce 
Musicians Union 
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.263 The Creative Juggle: Singer, Songwriter and Teacher 
Musician Census of 2024 
Government pay gap reports  
Intellectual Property Office 
Gov Misogyny in Music 
PRS for music 
Independent Society of Musicians 
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.117 The ISM: What Singers and Singing Teachers Need to Know 
Reform Our Contract With You 
 
ABOUT THE GUEST 
 
Vick Bain is an EDI and Research Consultant with nearly 30 years' experience in the music and creative industries. Formerly CEO of the Ivors Academy and Past President of the Independent Society of Musicians, she now leads a consultancy specialising in strategic research, impact evaluation, and diversity and inclusion. A Henley Business School MBA graduate, Vick is completing a PhD at Queen Mary University of London on women's careers in music. She is the Founder of The F-List for Music CIC, a not-for-profit supporting women and gender diverse musicians across the UK and serves as a board director of the ISM. Her clients include IMPALA, Counterculture, Beggars Group, UK Music, Beatport and Attitude is Everything. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Companion of LIPA - appointed by Sir Paul McCartney - she is included in both the Music Week Women in Music Roll of Honour and the BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Music Industry Powerlist. 
Vick trained as a classical singer in the early 1990s, holding Grade 8 singing, an HND in Classical Music (Voice) and a BA in Performing Arts. She recorded and performed with experimental artist Rapoon, sang for many years with the London Bulgarian Choir – during whose time they were runners-up in the BBC Choir of the Year and performed alongside numerous pop and rock acts. She recently joined a Cornish choir, continuing a lifelong relationship with singing.  
Website 
The F List 
Instagram 
LinkedIn 
🎁 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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This week, Alexa chats with artist, songwriter, choir leader, and vocal coach India Bourne about life beyond the stage. From touring the world with Ben Howard to building a thriving teaching career, India shares how completing the BAST Foundation Course deepened her understanding of the voice, transformed her songwriting, and enriched her work with singers. She also opens up about balancing creativity, teaching, and motherhood, revealing how life as a mum has shaped her artistry, sharpened her instincts, and helped her to continue creating a sustainable, fulfilling career in music. 
 
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  
1:08 What venues are India’s favourite to play? 
3:38 What has India learnt through touring and being a human in the music industry? 
6:06 Does teaching ever feel in tension with being an artist?  
12:37 India’s experience with BAST 
14:50 How has being a classically trained cellist influenced artistry and teaching? 
18:10 Songwriting and creative ideas 
25:07 Singing and training emotion in music 
30:02 Being the creative juggler  
33:26 Protecting your own creativity  
35:35 India’s new music 
 
About the presenter HERE
 
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 
Ben Howard 
Man and Superman by George Bernard Shaw 
Why Doing Nothing Can Change Your Life by Joseph Jebelli 
Heidi Moss Erickson 
Singing in the Brain: Ep.2: The Spaces in Between - Part1 Rest 
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.256 The Neuroscience of Singing: What the Singer’s Brain Needs 
Middle Farm Studios 
Outside venue 
 
ABOUT THE GUEST 
India Bourne is a classically trained musician, songwriter and vocal coach whose voice has travelled the world as a long-time member of Ben Howard's live band. Singing and playing cello, bass and percussion, she has spent years immersed in shared stages and shifting landscapes. Alongside this, she has released music as Tender Central, where electronica and folk intertwine in songs that echo the emotional depth of Massive Attack, Lamb and Joni Mitchell. 
 
Now, India returns to releasing music under her own name. This new collection is shaped by long-standing musical relationships, featuring collaborators Mickey Smith, Nat Wason and Rich Thomas alongside her all-female choir, The Big Skirts. Recorded live to tape at Middle Farm Studios with producer Peter Miles, these are songs of initiation and becoming - of motherhood, grief, nature, and new life - held together by the rare chemistry of old friends playing in the same room.  
 
At the heart of the record is the voice, or rather voices. India writes with her women vocalists in mind, weaving their lines together as a living fabric from which melodies emerge. The result is music that feels both grounded and expansive, rooted in collective breath, resonance and connection. 
 
Website 
Instagram 
The Big Skirts 
🎁 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 happens when arts education becomes truly accessible? In this inspiring episode, Alexa speaks with Georgina from RABBLE Theatre about breaking down barriers to participation, building confidence through performance, and creating meaningful pathways for young people and adults in the arts. From nurturing performers to supporting wellbeing, creativity, and community engagement, this conversation is packed with insights for singing teachers, drama educators, arts leaders, and anyone passionate about the transformative power of creative education. 
 
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  
3:25 What is RABBLE Theatre?  
5:00 The RABBLE mission 
7:27 Education and Youth programmes at RABBLE 
12:07 RABBLE is looking for freelance singing teachers!  
13:31 The wellbeing benefits of the arts  
15:36 Getting financial support from RABBLE 
17:22 Nurturing Performers  
19:53 Fundraising tips 
23:21 Pushback and grants  
25:25 Make a donation 
 
About the presenter HERE
 
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 
Seamus Allen (Improvisation) 
Holiday Activities Fund 
Chris Mitchell  
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.222 The Rise of AI: What it Means for Singers and Singing Teachers   
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.226 The Rise of AI: Practical Tools and Strategies for the Singing Teacher  
Arts Council 
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.162 Voices of the South West: Building Community with the Southwest Voice Hub  
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.224 Your Brain on Art: The Science of Creativity and Healing 
 
ABOUT THE GUEST 
 
RABBLE Theatre is an education charity that tells local stories of national significance. They have a large education department, engaging over 2,000 young people and adults every year, 141 of whom access their work through the RABBLE access fund.  
 
Website 
@rabble_theatre on Instagram 
@rabbletheatre on Tik Tok 
Contact RABBLE to collaborate 
🎁 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

Why do performers experience stage fright, even when they love being on stage? In this episode, voice coach and breathwork teacher Laura Dumbleton joins Alexa to unpack performance anxiety, fight-or-flight responses, and practical tools to manage nerves before, during and after singing or public speaking. Expect honest stories, functional techniques, confidence strategies, and advice for singers, performers and vocal coaches navigating stage fright. 
 
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  
2:39 What is stage fright?  
4:17 Why might a singer experience stage fright?  
5:55 Why has performing not evolved to become less stress-provoking?  
9:40 Symptoms of stage fright to look out for  
12:59 Is it true that ‘some nerves can be helpful?’  
15:25 The Boiling Pot Analogy  
19:20 Stage fright myth busting  
21:39 Strategies for stage fright 
 
About the presenter HERE
 
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.155 Part One: Building Neurodiversity-Inclusive Voice Studios 
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.156 Part Two: Building Neurodiversity-Inclusive Voice Studios 
Dave Cottrell: @mindsetbydave 
Stress Less: Breath More - Simple Breathing Exercises for Stress Relief 
Sarah Joyce: @sarahjoycesings 
Jessie J - Watch Me Work Through a Panic on Stage  
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.80 Understanding Music Performance Anxiety 
 
ABOUT THE GUEST 
Laura Dumbleton is a Stage Fright Coach, Voice Coach and Breathwork Teacher with over fourteen years of experience working with singers and voice teachers. She specialises in why technically prepared singers still struggle under pressure, and what can be done about it. She is passionate about getting rid of “just practice more!” as a solution and instead replacing it with actual tools to address the underlying problem. 
Laura works from her studio in Lincolnshire and online with clients worldwide, offering 1:1 coaching, group workshops, and courses covering musical theatre voice, stage fright, and performance confidence. Her Stage Fright workshops bring together the science of performance anxiety, vocal technique, and nervous system regulation, giving singers and teachers practical tools for building genuine confidence that holds up under pressure. Breathwork runs through everything she does, from coherence breathing to conscious connected breathwork, whether as a standalone session or woven into performance coaching. 
She holds a Masters of Research from the University of Edinburgh specialising in performance anxiety in singers, alongside being an IVA Advanced Instructor and qualified Breathwork Facilitator and Teacher with Breathing Space. 
Website 
Instagram 
🎁 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 happens when singing teachers step away from screens and come together in one room? In this episode, Line Hilton shares why BAST is bringing back live, in-person singing teacher training with a special intensive weekend in Manchester, exploring the power of community, CPD, vocal pedagogy, networking, and hands-on learning. Discover who the event is for, what topics will be covered, and why investing in your development as a singing teacher could transform both your confidence and your teaching. Plus, find out how to get your tickets, access an exclusive podcast discount, and join us on 20–21 June. 
 
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST? 
1:36 What happens in a room full of singing teachers that can’t happen online?  
3:00 What has BAST been cooking up?  
7:11 How to get a ticket 
8:37 The BAST Intensive schedule  
11:17 What might I take away from a weekend intensive event?  
14:32 What if I don’t know anyone?  
17:15 What is Line the most excited about?  
 
About the presenter HERE
 
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS   
Line Hilton  
Focus On Events 
Manchester College 
 
GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THE BAST MANCHESTER INTENSIVE 2026 HERE 
YOUR SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODE: STTINTENSIVESPECIAL 
🎁 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