Singer, Dancer, Fitness Profesh? A New Podcast Just For You!
By Jenna Pastuszek
Last summer, we were delighted to have Christine Schneider of LifeLight Massage as one of our Feature Friday blog guests (check out her article here).
Today marks the official release of Episode 1, Season 1 of her brand new PODCAST, The Visceral Voice. And as you all know from last week's blog post, I LOVE ME A PODCAST!!!
I sat down with Christine to ask her about what we can expect to hear in her first season. And if you listen to her bonus episode, you might hear a little bit from yours truly. :-)
1. Why should young singers listen to The Visceral Voice Podcast?
To be completely honest, I wish something like this existed when I was younger! There is such a wealth of information offered by each guest because their knowledge and expertise in their respective fields is incredibly vast. Every guest is so open, wanting, and willing to help educate and encourage voice users of any age. It is my hope and goal that it isn’t only great for young singers, but for any and all aspiring voice users.
2. Are the podcast conversations easy to follow or do you need to know a lot about vocal anatomy before tuning in?
I think and hope the conversations are easy to follow. If a guest brings up terminology, it is usually defined. The guests understand that it is a large demographic and we want to be inclusive of every age and every voice profession. That being said, many of the first episodes are geared toward Broadway performers because that is the majority of clientele that we each see in our studios or clinics. And then we have guests that are not involved in voice at all. My colleague in Visceral Manipulation, though he has worked with some singers, is a good example of someone who doesn’t specialize with the voice but has a lot to add to the conversation. I plan on having future guests discuss many aspects of the body, including glial cells in the brain, anatomy of the breath and even the polyvagal theory. I plan on hosting a series about ‘The Voices behind the Scenes’. There, I will interview the company managers, sound engineers, stage managers, etc. who help to make it all happen. There will be episodes on how to market yourself and even episodes speaking with financial advisors on how to budget and save money in a performing field. So there is a lot that I plan on incorporating in the podcast.
3. Will dancers be able to gain anything from listening?
Absolutely! There are interviews with health coaches, a body oriented psychotherapist, a composer, manual therapists, etc. I think most of the episodes are very inclusive, and the information is helpful across multiple fields.
4. What’s one trick you’ve picked up from your first season of guests so far? I wouldn’t say I have picked up a trick per se, but I have certainly learned a lot! Some of my favorites include:
- The use of all of our senses to help orient us back to the present moment. And SPOILER ALERT - the antidote to trauma is movement - mentioned in the The Basics on Trauma episode with Body-Oriented Psychotherapist Zina Mercel.
- Two of my favorite sayings I learned on the episode with Christine Estes. They are “Budgeting vocal cash”, and/or “Budgeting Vocal Calories”. Christine gives fantastic recommendations for alterations that fitness instructors can make in the classroom.
- Max Vishnev mentions that because of the latitude of New York, people can’t get enough vitamin D from the sun from November to March. No wonder we get SAD during these months! - And most shockingly (to the point that I want to create a movement to change this), composers and writers of a Broadway show do not get a Tony Award when the musical wins for Best Musical. A show begins with the writers. I do not understand this.
5. If you had thirty seconds to tell someone feeling vocally tired what to do, what would your suggestions be?
To listen to The Visceral Voice- a LifeLight Massage Podcast Season 1, Episode 1 with Joan Lader! :-) She clearly mentions yellow flags vs red flags, what they are, and what to do to help.
6. Are there any conversations that stand out in your brain that will be of particular interest to performers?
Hopefully all of them, but definitely Joan’s episode (1,1), which is already available today.
7. Do you notice any common themes between your guests?
Yes. For one, on any of the episodes with voice teachers or SLPs (Speech Language Pathologists), it is obvious that they each have at least some knowledge in current voice science. This is really important to me! We should all be up to date with information on vocal health, production, function, etc.
The advice for young performers is fairly similar across the board. My last several questions are the same in every episode. After the first 13 episodes, which I have already completed, these questions will change based on the direction in which I want the podcast to move.
I also want to mention that, no matter what level of expertise, we all have the need for words of affirmation. Many of us suffer from imposter syndrome. Some guests even mention this on their episode. This actually brought me a sense of ease. We always think we are the only one who experiences anxiety, fear, or the question of whether we know enough or are good enough. Now, by seeing the other side of the table by doing the interviewing, I have really seen that even among some of the smartest and best in the field, this insecurity exists. I am not alone! And neither are any of you.
8. What makes The Visceral Voice different from other available podcasts about vocal health?
I haven’t heard a lot of podcasts on vocal health. But, in addition to discussing vocal health, I tap into my network of colleagues in Manual Therapy, Health Coaching, Fitness, Psychotherapy, etc. More than anything, I really want to learn! I try to have a different topic for each guest so that we can continue to learn new things instead of hearing the same information in different ways.
9. Anything else you want to share with our clients about the podcast?
I have ideas of guests that I want on, topics I want to discuss, and things that I want to learn, but I would like to hear from the listeners too. What do YOU want to learn? Who do YOU want to hear from? Let me know!
Also, if you like the podcast please rate it, subscribe and write a review.
Keep in touch with me on Facebook, or you can reach me through my website. Thank you for tuning in!