The Singer’s Guide

This is the show for ambitious singers who want more than just scales and song practice. We’ll talk about the things your regular lessons don’t always cover — like ways to practice without waking the neighbours, the best tools for finding the perfect backing track, and how to turn warming up from a chore into something you actually look forward to. Because being a singer is about more than just your voice — it’s about confidence, preparation, and all the little skills that make performing effortless.

The Singer’s Guide is a arts podcast hosted by Tessa Smith, with 17 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Tessa Smith hosts The Singer’s Guide, a arts show with 17 episodes published.

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  Episode #4

  It’s Never Too Late to Sing: Chelsea Wilson on Returning to Your Artistry

  Aug 18, 202623 minS2

  Host Tessa welcomes U.S. singing teacher and podcaster Chelsea Wilson (Broadway Vocal Coach), whom she met through the Institute for Vocal Advancement, to answer one question: what she wishes singers knew. Chelsea focuses her answer on women in their 30s–50s who have put singing or performing aside due to marriage, children, careers, or caretaking and now fear their voice has changed or it’s too late to return. She shares a story from an IVA conference group sing of “You Will Be Found” where a student was moved to tears while reconnecting with singing in community. Chelsea relates this to her own decade-long break from performing while coaching and raising two daughters, and describes returning to the stage in Raleigh, including Come From Away and a new musical workshop, emphasising that performing, teaching, and motherhood can coexist and that artistry can start with small, local opportunities. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 00:57 Meet Chelsea Wilson 02:21 The Big Question 03:11 It’s Never Too Late 04:04 IVACON Group Sing Story 05:50 Why Women Step Away 07:37 Chelsea Returns to Stage 11:37 All or Nothing Mindset 16:18 Find Community and Sing 19:29 Better With Age 21:29 Now Is the Perfect Time 21:51 Where to Find Chelsea 22:36 Final Thanks and Goodbye FIND CHELSEA: Chelsea Wilson is a Broadway vocal coach and voice teacher known for helping singers — and the teachers who train them — build healthy, sustainable contemporary musical theatre voices. Since 2017, Chelsea has served on the music teams as the associate vocal coach for major productions including School of Rock (Broadway & National Tour), The Phantom of the Opera (Broadway and Int’l Tour), Jesus Christ Superstar (National Tour), and Rock of Ages (Off-Broadway). She is currently the associate vocal coach for Masquerade, the new immersive Phantom production Off-Broadway in New York City. A graduate of the University of Michigan Musical Theatre BFA program, Chelsea is also a certified instructor and teacher trainer with the Institute for Vocal Advancement, where she now mentors and trains other voice teachers around the world in contemporary vocal pedagogy. In 2021, she co-founded Broadway Vocal Coach, an online education platform and podcast serving professional and aspiring musical theatre performers worldwide. In 2026, Chelsea returned to performing in Theatre Raleigh’s production of Come From Away — a reminder that she still loves being onstage just as much as helping other performers thrive there. Chelsea now lives in Raleigh with her husband and two young daughters, where she balances coaching, performing, and family life — usually with a Diet Coke in hand and strict instructions from her kids “not to sing along!” https://www.tiktok.com/@singwithchelsea https://www.instagram.com/chwils/ chelseawilsonvocalstudio.com BVC Podcast The Singer's Guide is hosted by Tessa Smith. www.tessasmith.com ---- THE QUIET PRACTICE TOOLKIT: 3 step-by-step exercises to improve your singing without making a sound https://subscribepage.io/quiet-practice-toolkit ---- Tap here to learn more about the Singer's Practice Hub: www.singerspracticehub.com Tap here to work with Tessa: www.thesingersguide.com Music by Tessa Smith Hosted by Tessa Smith, creator of The Self-Validated Voice and The Singer's Practice Hub.

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  Episode #3

  Start at the Song: Jeremy Ryan Mossman on Context-First, Body-Based Voice Lessons

  Aug 4, 202619 minS2

  Host Tessa welcomes Jeremy Ryan Mossman to the Singer’s Guide podcast and asks what he wishes singers knew. Jeremy says singers can “start at the end” by beginning lessons with the song and its specific challenges, then using exercises only as needed to serve that context, repeatedly checking changes in the repertoire. He describes using acting-style given-circumstance games to clarify who the singer is addressing and why, noting that increased specificity often dissolves technical issues and reveals what truly needs technical attention. He critiques traditional lesson structures and training sequences that delay students singing what they love, arguing for honouring the artist’s goals and building from where they already feel successful. He encourages singers to count everyday singing as practice if they pay attention and get curious, and explains how simple body-based prompts can “hook” clients into experiential learning. Jeremy shares where to find him online: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok (Body Based Voice with J Moss) and bodybasedvoice.com. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:33 The Big Question 02:22 Start With the Song 04:23 Storytelling Fixes Technique 07:13 Why Lessons Get Backwards 08:47 Honour the Artist First 11:36 Real World Singing Practice 13:37 Flexible Lesson Structures 16:12 Hooking Clients Fast 17:43 Where to Find Jeremy 18:58 Final Thanks and Wrap Reel mentioned at 17:46: HERE! FIND JEREMY: Jeremy Ryan Mossman is a teacher of voice, movement, and wholistic expression. Jeremy has recently moved on from academic teaching after 15+ years in order to focus on teaching in more creative and integrative ways while sharing his passion for wholly embodied singing. Jeremy has a unique way of reconciling long-held beliefs with new understandings about the body and singing which he teaches to performers on Broadway, on their way to Broadway, and to teachers around the world. You can learn more about him at www.bodybasedvoice.com Find Jeremy on Instagram: @bodybasedvoicewithjmoss Facebook: @bodybasedvoicewithjmoss and TikTok: @bodybasedvoicewithjmoss The Singer's Guide is hosted by Tessa Smith. www.tessasmith.com ---- THE QUIET PRACTICE TOOLKIT: 3 step-by-step exercises to improve your singing without making a sound https://subscribepage.io/quiet-practice-toolkit ---- Tap here to learn more about the Singer's Practice Hub: www.singerspracticehub.com Tap here to work with Tessa: www.thesingersguide.com Music by Tessa Smith Hosted by Tessa Smith, creator of The Self-Validated Voice and The Singer's Practice Hub.

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  Episode #2

  Slow and Steady: Molly Marie Walsh on Small Wins, Discernment, and Too Much Choice

  Jul 21, 202620 minS2

  Host Tessa welcomes singing teacher and performer Molly Marie Walsh, a California-born UK-based musical theatre artist, close-harmony singer (The Honeybirds), Urdang faculty member, and BAST mentor. Asked what she wishes singers knew, Molly emphasises that “slow and steady wins the race”: vocal growth and mindset change come from little-and-often practice rather than quick fixes promoted by ever-present technology and online “magic” solutions. She describes reducing overwhelm by setting small, achievable tasks (e.g., in theatre history, the first assignment is simply to get and bring a book) and in voice lessons focusing on one demonstrable, repeatable concept, then integrating it into warm-ups and songs over time. They discuss the need for teacher confidence in repetition, the value of discernment on social media, and how too many choices can stop practice altogether. Molly has left social media and is reachable via https://mollymariewalsh.co.uk/ 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:04 The Big Question 02:30 Slow and Steady Growth 04:27 Teaching Small Wins 07:53 Repeating What Works 09:11 Social Media Quick Fixes 10:29 Good Content and Discernment 14:03 Too Much Choice to Practice 18:09 Finding Molly and Wrap Up FIND MOLLY: Born and raised in California, lived and worked in New York and Philadelphia, and now over 12 years a resident and raising a family in the UK, Molly has worn many hats. As a professional Musical Theatre Performer in the US: the National Tour of DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, and productions of WHITE CHRISTMAS, 42nd STREET, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, OKLAHOMA! and INTO THE WOODS, and in the UK: Alan Menken's A CHRISTMAS CAROL, JEWISH LEGENDS, and THE MIKADO. She has been a Vocalist with a classical crossover group, ANCORA, and close-harmony Andrews Sisters trios THE MANHATTAN DOLLS (US), and THE HONEYBIRDS (UK). She has also been a creative consultant with writing team KANSLEY & LIDERT on their original musicals, CONFESSIONS and AUTUMN RHYTHM. Molly currently teaches Voice, Musical Theatre and Drama across Buckinghamshire where she lives with her fellow musician-husband, and her two children, as well as teaching Voice, vocal technique, and the History of dance and musical theatre at Urdang Academy in London. She has also just completed her final module for the BAST Level 5 Extended Diploma in Singing Teaching Skills, for whom she is now a Mentor. https://mollymariewalsh.co.uk/ The Singer's Guide is hosted by Tessa Smith. www.tessasmith.com ---- THE QUIET PRACTICE TOOLKIT: 3 step-by-step exercises to improve your singing without making a sound https://subscribepage.io/quiet-practice-toolkit ---- Tap here to learn more about the Singer's Practice Hub: www.singerspracticehub.com Tap here to work with Tessa: www.thesingersguide.com Music by Tessa Smith Hosted by Tessa Smith, creator of The Self-Validated Voice and The Singer's Practice Hub.

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  Episode #1

  Why Singers Should Play with Vowels: Heather Baker on Vocal Tract Shaping

  Jul 7, 202616 minS2

  In this Singer’s Guide podcast episode, Tessa interviews vocal coach Heather Baker (@thesingingteacher), founder member of the Institute of Vocal Advancement and a master’s-trained vocal pedagogy specialist, about the one thing she wishes singers knew. Heather emphasises experimenting with vocal tract shaping - playing with vowels and adjustable elements like the tongue, larynx, pharynx, jaw and lips - to find the unique configurations that help each individual voice resonate best. She explains that different shapes can make singing easier or harder and influence style choices. Tessa and Heather discuss using recordings and teacher feedback to counter inaccurate self-perception, building trust between internal sensations and external sound, and how willingness to be vulnerable and try new coordinations speeds vocal progress. 00:00 Welcome to Season Two 00:58 Meet Heather Baker 02:40 The Big Question 03:36 Vocal Tract Shaping Basics 05:58 Playful Experiments With Vowels 07:04 Style Choices Classical vs Belt 08:31 Recordings and Feedback Loops 10:35 Familiar vs Comfortable Sounds 11:35 Confidence Vulnerability and Growth 14:06 Where to Find Heather 14:55 Final Thanks and Goodbye FIND HEATHER: Heather is a world-renowned singing teacher and vocal coach with over 25 years of experience working with contemporary singers. Her clients range from Award Winning Recording Artists to West End and Broadway performers to Complete Beginners and everything in-between! She is a Founding Director of The Institute of Vocal Advancement and has amassed over 10,000 followers across her social media platforms. Heather holds a Masters Degree in Vocal Pedagogy and has completed years of ongoing training and study on the voice. She is an expert in her field and has a passion for helping singers develop their true potential and achieve the results they deserve. https://www.thesingingteacher.biz/ TikTok - Instagram - Facebook The Singer's Guide is hosted by Tessa Smith. www.tessasmith.com ---- 🤫 THE QUIET PRACTICE TOOLKIT: 3 step-by-step exercises to improve your singing without making a sound https://subscribepage.io/quiet-practice-toolkit ---- 🤩 Tap here to learn more about the Singer's Practice Hub: www.singerspracticehub.com 🥳 Tap here to work with Tessa: www.thesingersguide.com 🎵 Music by Tessa Smith 🎙 Hosted by Tessa Smith, creator of The Self-Validated Voice and The Singer's Practice Hub.

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  Episode #12

  Reflecting on the good and the not-so-good (Season Finale)

  Feb 3, 202612 minS1

  In this final episode of season one of The Singer's Guide Podcast, host Tessa reflects on the journey so far.   She highlights her favourite episodes, the overall approach to diverse topics such as vocal health and practice techniques, and discusses areas for improvement.   Tessa also shares insightful responses from singers on what they wish they had learned earlier in their singing careers.   Looking ahead to season two, she plans to incorporate feedback and introduce new perspectives by inviting other singing teachers to join the conversation.   Tessa concludes by asking listeners for their favorite episodes and suggestions for future topics.   00:00 Introduction and Re...

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