What if the secret to better singing practice isn’t doing more, but understanding why we avoid it in the first place? Voice educator Tessa Smith Whicker joins Alexa to explore how her master’s research reshaped her view of practice — from battling guilt and distraction to embracing curiosity and compassion. 

Discover how to get singers excited about their own practice, how teachers can reframe “you need to practice” into empowering questions, and why small, playful tasks can make all the difference. 

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  

3:16 What do you believe practice actually is?  

8:10 Common barriers to practice  

10:02 Options to manage the barriers  

18:31 Playing devil’s advocate  

22:18 Holes in the research 

25:18 How to effectively set practice   

39:18 The role of the singing teacher and rapport 

46:23 Measuring progress  

53:00 Tessa’s practice hub and podcast  

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.164 Music and the Brain: The Science of Learning and Practice with Dr Molly Gebrian Part One 

Jacob Collier  

Singing for the Self Conscious by Becky Gilhespie  

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.166 Overcoming Self-consciousness in Singing with Becky Gilhespie 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.131 Mastering Research Papers: How to Read with Ease and Extract Knowledge with Kate Cubley  

Cheryl Porter 

Kim Chandler 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.70 Coaching Contemporary Commercial Music with Kim Chandler 

The Singer’s Guide podcast by Tessa Smith  

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Tessa Smith Whicker holds a BA in Jazz Studies, an MA in Vocal Pedagogy, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research explores the likes of performance assessment, stylistic awareness, and the decolonisation of Popular Music singing education. She teaches across Higher Education institutions in the North of England and leads choirs and community singing groups. Passionate about developing self-sufficient, self-compassionate singers, Tessa shares tools for effective and enjoyable practice through her social media, podcast The Singer’s Guide, and membership platform The Singer’s Practice Hub. 

SEE FULL BIO HERE

Websites: tessasmith.com & thesingersguide.com 

Instagram: @tessasmithmusic 

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