From Singer To Artist

Still playing for free? It might be time for a mindset - and systems - upgrade. I sat down with Leonard Patterson—aka The Indie Band Coach—to talk about what it actually takes to get paid for your music. From building a pitch-ready brand to using QR codes, gig cards, and automations, this is your roadmap to stop working for exposure and start building a sustainable career.

📍Mentioned Resource: Bars to Ballrooms Toolkit: https://ma...

You nailed the vocal exercise. Your voice feels free, balanced, and connected… until you start singing your actual song—and it all disappears.

This episode breaks down why that disconnect happens and how to fix it. The VTS coaching team (Lara, Coach Emily, Coach Juliana, Coach Bri, and Coach Kate) explain how to bridge the gap between exercises and songs so your technique actually shows up when it counts.

📍Mentioned Resource: Chec...

Meet VTS coach Kate! She coaches me through 3 completely different songs I’ve never worked on before, helping me step outside of my normal comfort zone. We cover specific vocal habits like tongue placement, vowel shaping, and how to apply technique directly to music. Kate also shares her background and approach to coaching, making this a useful watch for singers and teachers alike.

📍Mentioned Resource: follow Kate @tinyvoiceteache...

I’ve always known how lucky I am to have parents who believed in my dream — even when it didn’t look practical or promising. Their support gave me the freedom to take music seriously, to treat it like a real path instead of just a hobby.

Of course, it hasn’t always been easy. Even with support, choosing a creative path comes with doubt, fear, and a million unknowns. But when you grow up feeling like the people who know you best bel...

Struggling with pitch doesn’t mean you’re tone deaf. Most of the time, it means you just haven’t trained your brain, ears and/or vocal folds yet. Pitch is learnable—and with the right tools, anyone can improve.

In this conversation, we break down why pitch issues happen, how long it actually takes to improve, what to do if you’ve been told (or told yourself) that you “just can’t sing” and how important pitch really is (spoiler - it...

What if singing powerfully had less to do with pushing, and more to do with control? Ali came in thinking she needed to “do more” with her voice—but what really changed things was doing less. This coaching session shows what happens when a singer shifts their focus from volume to balance, and learns how to smooth out their sound without losing strength.

📍Mentioned Resource: Follow Ali here: https://www.instagram.com/aliroad1970/

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I went to musical theatre school over 10 years ago, and it was a wild ride—from combat and dance classes to putting on shows and filming movie musicals. It wasn’t a walk in the park, but it definitely shaped who I am as a performer.

I recently got in touch with some of my old classmates to see where their career is at now and what they’ve learned since school. If you’ve ever thought about going to musical theatre school or wondered...

Starting voice training can feel overwhelming, especially when everything’s wrapped in scientific terms no one remembers. Most singers don’t need to memorize words like “thyroarytenoid” or “cricothyroid” to improve their voice. What actually helps? Understanding what your vocal muscles do — not what they’re called.

I sat down with VTS coach Kate, a vocal anatomy enthusiast and expert, to talk about how to understanding vocal anatom...

What happens when creative collaboration crosses a line?

In this episode, I sat down with Coach Juliana to read and react to some of the most dramatic, cringe-worthy, and thought-provoking AITA (Am I The Ahole) posts from Reddit, all with an artistic twist.

We cover:

• The ethics of using someone else’s poetry for your songs
• How to set boundaries in creative relationships
• When inspiration becomes a violation of trust
• Singing in ...

This week on From Singer to Artist, we’re joined by actor, artist, and VTS student Ari Welkom, aka Avatari, for a powerful conversation about music, healing, and being real.

After struggling with addiction, Ari found his way back to himself through music—and created Mental Health & Music, a collaborative space for artists to talk about the connection between creativity and mental wellness.

We also talk about why authenticity at...

Frustrated about that crack in the middle of your voice? That happens when you’re abruptly switching from one register to the next. Understanding your registers - chest voice, head voice and mix voice - and what happens when you crack is going to be key to smooth out your break and make it seem like you have one seamless voice.

Let’s talk about these three registers and what you can do to balance them out, not just to create seamle...

Singing live can be brutal—especially when you’re not used to it or you took a break for a while. I worked with singer Cam - who’s an experienced performer, but took a long break from performing live - to help him build up his stamina again. We quickly realized that working on singing as effortlessly as possible and reducing tongue tension will be key to building up his stamina again. This episode is the coaching session we had tog...

What actually makes a great song?

In this episode of From Singer to Artist, I caught up with Logan Grimé—aka @vib3.machine—to talk all things songwriting: where to start, what makes a song really great and how to write songs for your own voice.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the writing process, this conversation is here to help you simplify and actually start—without judgment, pressure, or perfection.

📍Mentioned Resource:

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Crappy voice day? Same. We all experience them from time to time. Let me walk you through what I do when my voice feels stiff, heavy, tired or just off. Whether you’re coming off a long day of singing, didn’t sleep well, or forgot to do a cooldown the day before, this gentile yet extensive warm-up is for you.

👉 Want to make practicing easier? Grab our FREE warm up track here: https://lessons.voxtapestudios.com/free-warm-up-track

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We’re back with a deep-dive Vocal Evaluation episode—perfect for singer-songwriters ready to elevate how they perform their own music. I’m coaching submissions from artists performing songs they wrote themselves, tackling common challenges like emotional disconnect, technical uncertainty, and even some songwriting tips.

Whether you’re a seasoned songwriter or just starting out, this episode is packed with insights to help you sing ...

Vocal struggles don’t always show up in the high notes. For Michael, the hardest part of his voice wasn’t the top or bottom—it was the middle.

In this episode, we sit down with VoxTape student Michael Graetzer and his coach Emily for a raw, honest look at what it’s like to work through a vocal sticking point—specifically the passaggio.

We talk about:

• Why mid-range notes feel harder than they should
• How to explore your voice in...

Frustrated that some singers seem to have that natural talent—like they were just born to sing—and you… weren’t? Good news: sounding like you were born to sing is 100% a trainable skill. And the secret behind that effortless, emotionally moving sound? Dynamic singing.

In this episode, I’ll show you exactly what dynamic singing means, why it matters way more than vocal range or power, and how you can start developing this skill righ...

In this Studio Sessions episode, we’re joined by singer Danielle for a real-time voice lesson focused on one of the most common challenges singers face: pitch. You’ll hear how we explore multiple ways to approach pitch correction—from physical tension and breath support to mental focus and emotional connection.

Whether you’ve struggled with staying in tune or just want to get more consistent, this session will show you the practica...

What really happens when you get cast on The Voice? And what happens after?

I sat down with singer-songwriter Jackie Foster to talk about the behind-the-scenes reality of being on one of the biggest singing competitions in the world. From rehearsals and contracts to vocal coaching and creative control—Jackie shares what it’s actually like to be on The Voice and how that experience shaped (and challenged) her identity as an artist.

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