As singing teachers, we want our students to be comfortable with their voices and willing to explore their range. But what happens when we instruct non-binary and transgender students who experience voice dysphoria, or discomfort from the feeling that their voice does not match their gender identity?

This episode’s guest, vocal coach, songwriter, and music lecturer Ajay Henry, has been exploring ways to help non-binary and transgender students feel more empowered and comfortable with their voices. Having taught many non-binary and transgender singers, Ajay encourages vocal teachers to focus on what each individual student wants to achieve and let them help guide their lessons.

It’s an approach that requires teachers to rethink common beliefs about music, such as gendered roles in singing. Yet it also helps build trust between student and teacher — and can create a massive impact in a transgender or non-binary singer’s identity that goes beyond their singing.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. (17:57) How early vocal injuries and an experience with a vocal therapist led Ajay to do his Masters study on vocal anatomy and breathing
2. (12:00) How Ajay built on the work of voice educator Liz Jackson Hearns to better help his transgender students
3. (16:07) Why it’s so important to view each singer as an individual when making voice lessons more inclusive and choosing what language to use
4. (18:09) How Ajay deals with voice dysphoria by focusing on each singer’s comfort level and goals for their voice
5. (21:56) How steering away from gendered roles in singing can help students discover the ranges where they feel their voices best fit
6. (29:01) How teachers can prepare to teach transgender or non-binary students — and what type of support network they should have to provide needed help
7. (32:38) The practice of “binding,” how it can affect a student’s ability to do breathwork, and what adjustments a teacher can make to sensitively work with the student
8. (36:45) How helping students become more comfortable with their voices can positively impact them outside of singing lessons
9. (41:34) The difficulties of adapting current singing curriculums to the needs and challenges of non-binary and transgender singers
10. (44:24) How to find more resources to help teach non-binary and transgender singers

Keep up with Ajay’s activities on his Instagram and his website. The singing teacher Ajay references is Liz Jackson Hearns, co-founder of The Voice Lab, an inclusive voice studio dedicated to cultivating transformative relationships through voice and music education.

Ajay Henry is just one of the many talented performers and educators we’ll be interviewing this season. Make sure you hear from them all by following us on the Vocal Advancement Podcast.

The Institute of Vocal Advancement (IVA) was created to provide voice teachers with a support network to provide you with the best teaching tools and strategies to advance your career. Our trainers teach from an empathic mindset, showing you how to improve your own teaching style. Learn how our Teacher Training Programs can help advance your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

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Think back to your time singing in your favorite choir or band. What did you love most about the experience?

You likely enjoyed the sense of belonging that comes from being part of a group that shares your love of music. Ideally, you found good friends and formed close bonds.

But did you know this feeling of community offers mental, physical, and emotional benefits that go beyond socializing?

This episode’s guest, Lisa Strong, does. An occupational therapist, professional singer, and leader of the Walton Feel Good Choir, Lisa started her singing group to raise community spirit in the Tendring area of Essex, England. As community members, which included retirees, dementia patients, and the socially isolated, joined, Lisa saw improvements in their cognition, multi-tasking abilities, and communication as they sang together and supported each other.

The group even became motivated to raise money for local charities through their performances, further nurturing their sense of belonging and interconnectedness.

These experiences motivated Lisa to conduct formal research on health and singing to show health professionals the holistic benefits of singing and how inclusive choirs can improve the health of an entire community. She shares some of her findings with Heather and Tom, revealing how choir leaders can create a greater sense of belonging in their groups by adopting a more inclusive policy.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. (8:46) How Lisa started the Walton Feel Good Choir to deal with the social isolation in her town
2. (12:07) Why Lisa is building an evidence-based model to show health professionals the holistic benefits of group singing
3. (16:20) What people need to have to enjoy the mental and emotional benefits of group singing
4. (17:47) How group singing helps improve memory, attention, focus, and other cognitive abilities
5. (21:21) Why certain choirs do not foster a sense of belonging
6. (25:47) How to build a sense of belonging in your choir by welcoming and accommodating choir members of all backgrounds
7. (30:17) Why different styles of choir leadership may attract different types of singers
8. (34:32) How to effectively promote the mental and emotional health benefits of group singing to the mental health community
9. (39:28) The business benefits of creating a space for group singing
10. (42:12) The mental and emotional benefits singing instructors gain from leading a choir

Visit the Walton Feel Good Choir website and its Facebook page to learn more about its mission and Lisa’s work.

You can hear valuable insights from talented performers and educators right now by listening to the Vocal Advancement Podcast. Follow us and subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss an episode!

The Institute for Vocal Advancement (IVA) was created to provide both veteran vocal coaches and teachers-in-training with a community that provides teaching tools for your classrooms. And our conferences are fun events where guests can socialize, teach, and learn from each other. Want to see what we can do for you? Learn how our Teacher Training Programs can help your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

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Welcome to Season Two of the Vocal Advancement Podcast! Whether you’re a longtime listener or tuning in for the first time, we invite you to delve into all the fun and useful resources we have for you.

Join Tom and Heather as they share the exciting lineup of voice coaches, researchers, and professional singers they’ll be interviewing this season. You’ll also get the inside scoop on IVACON 2024, the first IVA conference open to all voice teachers (not just IVA students and teachers) and all the amazing opportunities you’ll have to practice and level up your teaching skills with veteran vocal coaches.

If you’re just getting started in voice teaching and wondering how to gain the skills and confidence to manage your classes, you’ll love this episode. Heather and Tom reflect on their early teaching days and explain how they turned teaching theory into practice.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. 4:57: Who Tom and Heather will be interviewing about singing and teaching this season
2. (7:13) How to attend this year’s Vocal Advancement conference in June 2024 — even if you’re not affiliated with IVA!
3. (13:00) How Heather got her start as a voice teacher and gained the skills and confidence to build a full-time career offering private vocal lessons
4. (15:34) How Tom’s singing teacher helped him build his career as a voice coach
5. (18:10) Why new teachers have a high turnover of students in their first year — and why this can be a good thing
6. (20:07) The transformation singing teachers go through in their first year as they learn to shift focus from their lessons to their students’ needs
7. (21:40) Why improving your own singing technique can make you a better voice teacher
8. (22:50) How attending conferences and observing other teachers can improve your teaching
9. (24:42) The challenges that come with teaching an advanced singer — and what you as a voice coach can offer them
10. (29:32) Why it’s important to go off-book and try unconventional teaching methods
11. (32:11) The importance of taking advantage of every teaching opportunity when you’re starting out — and where you can find those opportunities
12. (39:15) The business side of voice teaching — what realities do you have to be prepared for when you become self-employed?
13. (45:34) The importance of constantly investing in your own education as you grow as a teacher

Ready for our upcoming IVACON 2024 in Edinburgh from June 17-21? Then visit the IVACON 2024 event page to learn all about our event speakers, programming, and accommodations. Be sure to register today to take advantage of all our sessions, resources, goodies — and karaoke night!

Are you excited to hear from all the talented performers and educators we’ll be interviewing this season? Make sure you don’t miss a single episode by following us on the Vocal Advancement Podcast.

This year’s IVA conference may be months away, but you can start enjoying the teaching resources IVA provides you with right now by checking out how our Teacher Training Programs can help advance your career. Use the code “iva20percent” to get 20% off your first year’s course membership fee!

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