Best VocalFri LLC Podcasts (2026)

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MRI of Musical Theater Vocal Tract Configurations 52:24

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2d ago52:24

52:24

#VocalFam, Happy 2026! To kick off the new year Prof. Pigott, Alice, and Dr. P hosted Matt Edwards, Aaron Johnson, and Denis Michael Rudisch to discuss their article "Investigating Vocal Tract Configurations Across Different Belting Qualities in Female and Male Musical Theater Singers Using Real-Time Dynamic MRI," which was published in Journal of …

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VocalFri Christmas IX: Winter Wicked Wonderland! 1:34:07

19d ago1:34:07

1:34:07

The 9th annual VocalFri Christmas episode, our sequel to last year's Wicked Part 1 review, our Wicked: For Good review. This was also a special reunion episode. Dr. P and Prof. Pigott were joined again by Dr. P's kids, Charlie and Olivia, but also a surprise visit by original podcast co-host Michael, who joined us for the first time since VocalFri …

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Death Strikes 53:25

1M ago53:25

53:25

#VocalFam, what an incredible conversation to start your December! This week Prof. Pigott and Dr. P were joined by the author Dave Maass and illustrator Patrick Lay of the Graphic Novel Death Strikes, along with CU grad students Alice Del Simone (as a guest), Andrew Konopak. This summer Alice and Andy had the chance to perform the Viktor Ullmann op…

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Michaela Kelly: The Composition of a Voice Lesson 54:37

2M ago54:37

54:37

This week Alice and Dr. P were joined by Dr. Michaela Kelly to discuss her dissertation work and Journal of Singing article "The Composition of a Voice Lesson: How a Motor Learning Classification Framework Affects Teacher Effectiveness." This was a wonderful chat full of ideas of how to freshen up your teaching, continue towards student centerednes…

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Joanna Cazden: Everyday Voice Care 51:46

2M ago51:46

51:46

This week Prof. Pigott and Dr. P were joined by Joanna Cazden, a noted Speech Language Pathologist and voice teacher to share about her new edition of Everyday Voice Care, (Amazon link). The book presents a holistic view for the reader on how to keep their voice healthy, what to look out for in terms of the need to see a doctor, and approaches all …

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Anne Slovin: Disability Informed Pedagogy 54:42

2M ago54:42

54:42

Today Prof. Pigott and Dr. P were joined by Dr. Anne Slovin to discuss her dissertation work on disability informed practices in our teaching. It is vital that we all become more informed about best practices for how to be aware for our students in the classroom and voice studio. Creating an accommodating environment for all should be a goal that e…

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The Bound Breath: Chest Binding and Singing 52:40

3M ago52:40

52:40

#VocalFam, this week Prof. Pigott, Alice, and Dr. P were joined by an esteemed group of colleagues including Devin Dolquist, Victoria Vargas, Shayna Isaacs, and André Chiang to discuss their Journal of Voice article "The Bound Breath: Transmasculine and Gender Nonconforming Singers' Perceived Effects of Chest Binding on Singing." This affirming epi…

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Kayla Gautereaux: Scientific Method Informed Voice Teaching 58:52

3M ago58:52

58:52

Professor Gautereaux joins the 5-timers club. Longtime #VocalFam Kayla Gautereaux joined us for an awesome chat about how she is using the framework of the scientific method in the applied voice studio both for current voice teachers and for training voice teachers. This episode demonstrates Prof. G's wonderful mastery of conceptualizing new models…

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Fall Potpourri 44:59

3M ago44:59

44:59

A Fall VocalFri in house. Dr. P catches us up on his upcoming Faculty Tuesday recital titled "Amok Time," and catches Sarah up on the ongoing tech upgrades and updates for the Berton Coffin Voice Lab at CU. A great chat to enjoy on Fall hike this weekend!By VocalFri LLC

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Mathias Aaen: CVT and Beyond Registers 53:00

3M ago53:00

53:00

#VocalFam this is a must listen for those of you who are either interested in voice registration or who want to know more about Complete Vocal Technique (CVT). Today, Alice, Sarah, and Dr. P were joined by Dr. Mathias Aaen, a certified CVT voice teacher, but also the head of CVT's voice research efforts. Mathias has already put together quite the s…

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Voices of Influence: Brian Manternach 57:19

4M ago57:19

57:19

What a lovely chat with #VocalFam Dr. Brian Manternach discussing his new book Voices of Influence. The new book shares some of the wisdom he learned from one of his mentor's Robert J. Harrison, along with how Brian's teaching has evolved on its own journey. This wonderful new addition to our literature shares Brian's insight into the singer and vo…

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Body Based Voice Ped with Jeremy Ryan Mossman 50:14

4M ago50:14

50:14

#VocalFam, we have admired Jeremy Ryan Mossman's work from a far for many years now. Dr. P loves the way he discusses the integrated body. This is an episode for all practitioners to learn more about how to speak about the body as an wholistic system, learn about fascia, Jeremy's study of Feldenkreis, and how we incorporate these ideas with our stu…

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Cuban Art Song Project: Isabella Lamadriz and Jon Price 52:45

4M ago52:45

52:45

#VocalFam we continue to try to promote diversity in our art song canon with a special guests Isabella Lamadriz and Jon Price from the Cuban Art Song Project. An awesome chat about Isabella's journey into this music, from her classical background. And while these are art songs, as you'll hear in the samples, this music goes way beyond traditional a…

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David Sisco: Whole Hearted Voice Pedagogy 53:12

4M ago53:12

53:12

David Sisco returns to share his new book Whole Hearted Voice Pedagogy. As voice teachers we all need to continue our paths towards student centered learning and empathy. David's book, podcast, and this episode should definitely be a part of your new school year journey! Come join the #VocalFam!By VocalFri LLC

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Season 9 Premiere 56:13

5M ago56:13

56:13

Welcome back #VocalFam! Today we reviewed our summer's that were in lighting rounds. On the docket and in order we covered: Upcoming season 9 guests. Voice Foundation, ICVT, the Renee Fleming escapade Then we wrapped up with summer pop culture lighting rounds: Andor, Daredevil, Fallout, Mission Impossible 9, Doctor Who, and wrapped it up with revie…

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That Hope is You 59:21

8M ago59:21

59:21

Season 8 concludes with a message of hope. During the first 20 minutes we encouraged the #VocalFam to give singers, voice teachers, and our entire community some grace and understanding after last week's Cynthia Erivo video situation. Then, Dr. P encouraged us, despite the times, to work to build student resilience by incorporating more hopefulness…

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Emily Siar: Singer Attitudes of Voice Impairment 52:26

9M ago52:26

52:26

#VocalFam, today we are joined by Dr. Emily Siar to discuss her dissertation research surveying and interviewing singers who have been through voice health issues. Removing the stigma around voice health has been a VocalFri mission for many years now. Please check out Emily's website, linked above, and the BoCo Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop,…

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VocalFri In House 51:03

9M ago51:03

51:03

We had our first in house episode in a few months with Prof. Pigott, Dr. P, and Alice. We finally got a report on Little Women from Sarah. We covered how Sarah and Nick's undergrad practicum are going this semester. Then we had a lively conversation about graduate practicum that led into the difference between knowledge curation and knowledge creat…

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Theresa Brancaccio & Aaron Johnson: The Future of Vocal Dosimetry 47:57

10M ago47:57

47:57

Today Dr. P and Alice were joined by Prof.s Theresa Brancaccio (Northwestern University) and Aaron Johnson (New York University - Langone) to share about their ongoing efforts developing a wearable, wireless vocal dosimeter. Their partnership with Dr. John Rogers has led to the development of a device that could provide active voice use data to a u…

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Ian Howell: Hearing Singing 57:11

11M ago57:11

57:11

Today we were joined by longtime #VocalFam Ian Howell to preview his new book Hearing Singing: A Guide to Functional Listening and Voice Perception. Dr. P has already made a public endorsement of this book, but trust us that this book is both revolutionary and practical. Ian presents a functional framework that can open your ears to listen to all s…

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Joanne Bozeman: Hypermobility in Singers 53:35

11M ago53:35

53:35

This week we are joined by Joanne Bozeman to share about Hypermobility. What it is, how do symptoms present, and what do singers and singing teachers need to know. Hypermobility is a brand new topic for the pod, and we are excited to share this important topic with the #VocalFam!By VocalFri LLC

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Modular Lessons with Chadley Ballantyne 52:58

11M ago52:58

52:58

We are joined by longtime #VocalFam Dr. Chadley Ballantyne to tell us about his work with modular units for voice lessons. We've wanted to do this episode for a long time. Chadley's strategies and approaches could help you with burnout, fatigue, and give your teaching the much needed refresh you've been seeking.…

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Middle Voice Musings 1:00:14

11M ago1:00:14

1:00:14

It's a deep dive into everyone's favorite range: middle voice! C4-C5 can be a wonderful or gnarly journey depending on vowel, style, the weather, or the phase of the moon. Join Prof. Pigott and Dr. P for a serious in-depth, focused pedagogy episode on navigating the choppy waters of the treble staff!…

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Practical Practicum Problems 59:18

12M ago59:18

59:18

It's our first old school VocalFri of the season. Prof. Pigott and Dr. P were going to discuss middle voice musings, but that is now pushed to Feb. 7. Instead, we got lost in a conversation about our respective pedagogy practicum courses. This led to our first very down to earth practical pedagogic conversation maybe all season. Enjoy your weekend …

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Seth Killen: Lesson Grading 53:53

1y ago53:53

53:53

Join us for a new year as season 8 rolls on! Today we were joined by Seth Killen from Anderson University to talk about new paradigms for voice lesson grading. Seth shared work that he presented last summer at NATS National. He has offered to share this model with the #VocalFam for reference. A perfect conversation as those of us in the academy are…

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VocalFri's Wicked Christmas 8! 1:05:36

1y ago1:05:36

1:05:36

It's a Wicked VocalFri Christmas! VocalFri is joined by Dr. P's teenagers who are now musical theater nerds in the truest sense to review Wicked: Part 1. Come enjoy some holiday festivities as you travel to this season. May your holiday season be filled with love, light, and rest. Happy Holidays #VocalFam!…

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Kerrie Obert: Strategic Breathing 53:16

1y ago53:16

53:16

#VocalFam we are joined for our Fall Finale with the great Kerrie Obert! Please check out all her wonderful courses from GetVocal-Now.com, including her own course on Breathing. In Kerrie's return episode she shared incredible practical and useful ideas for helping your teaching navigate away from a "one size fits all" model for breathing towards h…

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Dana Lentini: Teaching the Child Singer 51:28

1y ago51:28

51:28

Dr. P and Prof. Pigott are joined by #VocalFam Dana Lentini as we continue to try be more inclusive in our pedagogy with an episode about teaching kids! Dana is one of the worldwide leaders in teaching singing to children. Go check out her book Teaching the Child Singer, and her new songbook. These are must haves if your studio includes children.…

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New Nasality Nuances 53:35

1y ago53:35

53:35

We are coming back to Dr. P's original research agenda! Our first in house episode in a few months. Prof. Pigott, Dr. P, and CU grad Benjamin break down some history, research, and the CU team's new directions on Musical Theater treble singing and nasality.By VocalFri LLC

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Vibrato: Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey 53:35

1y ago53:35

53:35

What a crew!!!! Today we were joined by #VocalFam Theodora Nestorova, Yvonne Redman, John Nix, and Joshua Glasner to drop some knowledge on Vibrato! They have a great NATS Chat last season on this topic and led a pre-conference workshop last summer at NATS that was terrific! If you are interested in that mysterious aspect of singing that is Vibrato…

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ICVT Toronto Preview! 44:14

1y ago44:14

44:14

VocalFam, Prof. Pigott was out today, but fret not, we had a great panel with International Congress of Voice Teachers' Program Chair Kari Ragan, NATS Executive Director Allen Henderson, and ICVT-Toronto site host Darryl Edwards. We got to hear previews of the many offerings Toronto has to offer as a city, the wonderful plenary sessions, and even g…

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Ken Bozeman: Transformational Pedagogic Concepts 53:51

1y ago53:51

53:51

Our dear friend Ken Bozeman returns for his 3rd feature episode. Ken has been touring the world discussing pedagogic concepts that have transformed his teaching. Dr. P and Prof. Pigott are so thankful for Ken's mentorship and friendship because many of these concepts also transformed their own teaching. We cover emotive affect, acoustic registratio…

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Luciano Simões: Brazilian Song 54:38

1+ y ago54:38

54:38

This week Dr. P and Prof. Pigott were joined by Dr. Luciano Simões in a great episode to bring some international awareness to the #VocalFam. We learn all about his background growing up as a rock singer in Brazil, and how he transitioned from classical baritone to vocal cross-trainer. Lots of wonderful insight into some lesser known (in the U. S. …

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David Juncos and Dana Zenobi: Acceptance and Commitment Training 56:14

1+ y ago56:14

56:14

#VocalFam we are in for a treat this week! Prof. Pigott, Dr. P, and the CU TAs were joined by Dr. David Juncos and Dana Zenobi to discuss their research on Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) Administered by Singing Teachers as a Tool for Mananging Music Performance Anxiety. You can read more about this is Dave's book ACT for Musicians. Or for…

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Kimberly Monzón: Singing Through the Cycle 44:35

1+ y ago44:35

44:35

#VocalFam we have entered a new VocalFri era with not only our first great guest episode of season 8, but also our first ever episode with our first two CU grad students along for the ride. This week we were thrilled to have Dr. Kimberly Monzón from Baylor University on the pod to discuss her work on AFAB singers and singing through hormonal cycles…

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What do YOU want a DMA to do for YOU? 56:06

1+ y ago56:06

56:06

We meant to talk about nasality today, then Prof. Pigott saw Dr. P's white board in his office. We ended up discussing learning outcomes for a DMA degree in Vocal Ped./Perf. Oops. So, we ask you the #VocalFam: If YOU wanted to do a DMA, what would YOU want to be able to do by the end of it?By VocalFri LLC

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Jubilant Jury Journeys 55:43

1+ y ago55:43

55:43

This week Prof. Pigott and Dr. P take a hypothetical journey as they dream what voice juries could look like, if they just started everything over. A really great discussion for those of you revising syllabi or program requirements. Dream the future, be kind, prepare students for success. Have a great weekend #VocalFam!…

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Season 8 Premiere! 45:34

1+ y ago45:34

45:34

So much has changed in so little time. #VocalFam Season 8 is upon us, and WHAT A LINEUP we have planned for you this season. Prof. Pigott and Dr. P catch up on Prof. Pigott's teaching of Voice Pedagogy, Dr. P updates us on his transition to Director of Vocal Pedagogy at CU Boulder, and we preview our great guest list for Season 8! We also tossed in…

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Voice Pedagogy Preparation 59:21

1+ y ago59:21

59:21

Season 7 comes to a close! Today we started preparing Sarah for her TEACHING of Voice Pedagogy in the Fall Semester. More to come on that, but it led us to discuss the working chapter titles for Dr. P's book. Yes, he's finally making a the huge mistake of committing to writing a book. He really needs to reconsider his life choices. In the end a fun…

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Phone Use at Performances 56:07

1+ y ago56:07

56:07

Dr. P and Sarah address this week's controversial Ian Bostridge performance where he stopped mid song cycle to ask the audience to put down their phones and turn off the flash functions. It was a varied and weaving conversation with two sort of opposite perspectives. In the end, the take home point was, be courteous, consider others, and let's get …

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Sparks and Wiry Cries 39:11

2y ago39:11

39:11

The #VocalFam is joined by the Sparks and Wiry Cries duo of Martha Guth and Erika Switzer to talk about their joint art song centered project. They share about the importance of diversifying your career as a performing artist and how they both landed in the realm of art song. Also they share about Song Slams. Dr. P and Sarah had the chance to atten…

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NATS National 2024 Preview 46:15

2y ago46:15

46:15

NATS President Diana Allan and President-Elect Alexis Davis-Hazell join us to preview the upcoming NATS National Conference in Knoxville from June 28-July 2. Please consider joining us for all the tremendous activities, sessions, and information this upcoming summer!By VocalFri LLC

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Academic Voice Job Searches 46:19

2y ago46:19

46:19

Coming off of Dr. P's recent faculty search and interview process Sarah was curious to hear more about what the job search process is like in 2024. Dr. P shares some thoughts on the overall academic music job market (the bleak part), followed by some recommendations for those applying for positions, and finally some hopefulness about why you still …

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Words Revisited 57:06

2y ago57:06

57:06

One of our VocalFri philosophies has always been not getting caught up on what terminology we use, as long as we can define and describe how we are using those words. We discussed this on an older episode, but we've seen a lot of recent posts regarding terminology and it seemed like a good time to revisit this topic. An interesting, winding convers…

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On Varied Repertoire Selection 58:17

2y ago58:17

58:17

Sarah and Dr. P dove into various perspectives of repertoire selection in teaching classical, musical theater, and contemporary styles. Dr. P had revised his graduate repertoire for teaching course last fall and we finally had a chance to break it down. We did some life updates first. Rep discussions begins around the 15:00 minute mark.…

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Room Acoustics: The Singer's Experience 52:34

2y ago52:34

52:34

#VocalFam we are back! Today's a special episode for a few reasons. First, we start with a pretty big announcement for the podcast. Then, we are joined by esteemed guests Dr. Pasquale Bottalico, Dr. Joshuas Glasner, and Yvonne Redman to discuss their multiple studies investigating how room acoustics impact a singer's experience in a space. Any sing…

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VocalFri Christmas 7 1:24:38

2y ago1:24:38

1:24:38

VocalFri's 7th Christmas Special! This year's special is a little different. Typically we just cover 1 pop culture happening for our holiday cheer, but this year Sarah and Dr. P finally covered their lean, mean, and green production of Carmen. How could a small music department present such a large masterwork? Listen and find out, then tune in on T…

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Ian Howell: Advice for Young Musicians 1:25:59

2y ago1:25:59

1:25:59

Sarah and Dr. P are back from maternity leave! Well, at least Sarah is; Perna never left. The #VocalFam is joined by longtime friend of the pod Dr. Ian Howell to discuss his new book Advice for Young Musicians which is a perfect last minute holiday gift for any musician in your life. Hear some of our deepest insights ever as we explore not only Ian…

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Theodora Nestorova: Interdisciplinary Avenues 57:28

2+ y ago57:28

57:28

#VocalFam Theodora Nestorova returns to the pod to tell us more about her work at McGill during her PhD and their new inter- and intra-disciplinary Applied Performance Sciences Hub, housed within the Schulich School of Music at McGill University in Montreal. Theodora led us in a lively discussion about the need to diversify our possible career dire…

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Laura Strickling: 40@40 51:57

2+ y ago51:57

51:57

Soprano, Laura Strickling joins the #VocalFam to tell us about her journey into the world of singing of art song. We hear about her multiple collaborations with composers leading up to her new album 40@40 that just dropped. Laura was able to commission 40 composers for 40 new art songs for her 40th birthday. The first 20 songs appear on her recent …