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Ep.234 How to Motivate Student Singers to Practice with Tessa Smith Whicker
Manage episode 516220150 series 3593489
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
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
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
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