Ep 60: Singing as Energetic Healing with Jo-Anne Suriel
Your Free Voice
Jo-Anne Suriel, is a compassionate catalyst for transformation. With expertise in the akashic records, reiki, and sound therapy, her grounded approach to healing guides you back to the infinite wellspring of your own inner wisdom. In this conversation Jo-Anne and Julia Norton talk about giving yourself permission to sing, energetic healing through song, ancestral roots and song and Jo-Anne's debut LP 'The Remembering' which has been called a “balm for the current collective overwhelm… with songs that call us back home to ourselves, our bodies, and the earth.” To learn more about...
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Ep 59: The Voice of Protest and How to Protect Your Voice!
Your Free Voice
Singing in protest is universally recognized as one of the most impactful forms of peaceful protest. Ever since we have had songs we have had work songs, love songs, grieving songs and protest songs. This short episode is a dip into the water of Protest Singing with special gratitude to the people behind the Singing Resistance movement in Minnesota and all those who have gone before them. It also offers some practical guidance on how to keep your voice safe while you're singing for extended periods and in extreme weather. Thank you for listening! Please share with your protesting...
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Ep 58: Alexander Technique with Jonathon Heather
Your Free Voice
I can't believe you almost didn't get this episode and it's so good! Jonathon Heather has studied Alexander Technique with global mentors and alongside some of the world's top performing musicians. A life long musician, artist and long distance cyclist, he has a deep love of sharing this work so that others can unlock their natural potential . He says “So far I'm the only trans AT practitioner I know!” “I draw daily on the Alexander Technique as my fount of physical and emotional well-being. I love this work and am happy to have the opportunity to share the inspiration of it...
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Ep 57: How to Feel Better - through, breath, movement, song and connection.
Your Free Voice
For my first episode of 2026 I wanted to address the elephant in the room and remind us all, myself included, of some simple things we can all do, to help us feel better. Moving your body, singing with others, having a 'Cheer the F-UP' playlist and taking action where you can are some of my suggestions. For the whole deal give it a listen and let me know what you're doing to feel better? You can find me at and also here on and here on Thank you SO much for listening and sharing with your friends, if you had a moment to subscribe, like and review wherever you get your podcasts I would so...
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Ep 56: Solstice Rituals for your Voice and Self Expression
Your Free Voice
In this episode I'm sharing with you some of my ideas for creative rituals for the winter solstice. I also wanted to make sure this one was properly grounded in our voices and how we feel about them so I offer: Working with the pause between the in breath and the out breath. Writing a Shadow Inventory. Writing a letter from the self you are ready to become. Making a collage. Singing the things from your shadow inventory as you release them into flames. Scanning your body for the holding and stories that are hiding there. I also invited you to join my mailing list which you can ...
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Ep 55: 12 Tips for a Healthy Voice This Winter
Your Free Voice
It's that time of year folks! 🎤 If you need your voice to make a living, share your message or bring the joy (I'm looking at you voice actors, podcast hosts and carol singers!!) ..keeping your voice in great shape should be a daily routine, but sometimes it’s even more important. Like during the cold season :) In this episode I take you through my favorite remedies (many of which you can create in your own kitchen) and yu don't even need to take notes because you can grab my free guide An episode full of simple remedies for prevention, relief and comfort, from saline to...
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Ep 54: Gratitude and a quiet breath
Your Free Voice
This is a very quick episode as I’m actually prepping for Thanksgiving hosting, but I wanted to share. Discover how to tweak your gratitude practice (or create one) so that you can begin to manifest your future. 🌟 It’s not selfish to feel gratitude when so many are suffering… in fact it’s essential. ❤️ An intention practice for when you’re bustling through holiday traffic and shopping, to not add an extra burden to those you encounter… you don’t know how many invisible things they are already carrying. 🙏🏻 And a quiet breath. 😮💨 Please subscribe and...
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Ep 53: 'The Album Everyone Wants' with Chris Portka
Your Free Voice
Warning there are some references to smoking and swear words in this episode! In this episode I'm chatting with my former voice student and current rock star of the moment, Chris Portka. I interviewed Chris a couple of years ago about his earlier album 'TRASH Music', which was fab, but in a very different way to this album. Since I received my vinyl copy it's been on a regular rotation in our house, it's that good. 'The Album That Everyone Wants' was recorded in a frenzy of play and experimentation in a hallowed New York Studio earlier this year and the result is honestly just...
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Ep 52: Coming Home To Your Voice
Your Free Voice
In this episode I explore some of my thoughts and feelings about what it means to "come home" to your voice. As the nights draw in and we begin to turn inward a journey into 'self' feels a bit more possible. • Can you begin to experiment and play with your voice for just 5 minutes a day? What does it feel like to take off any ideas of being 'good' and just vocalizing freely? • How does it feel to move and vocalize? Dancing to music you love and making up a melody or words that don't match the song can feel really naughty and hilarious. • Which 'coming home' myths resonate...
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Ep 51: On Radical Love with Colette Ghunim
Your Free Voice
Welcome to Your Free Voice Episode 51! A couple of years ago I had the great pleasure of being approached by a young award winning documentary film maker called Colette Ghunim. She was recording voiceover for her latest film Traces of Home and was looking for some voice coaching. I helped her with that, but also we dove into the subject matter of her film, and how to process generational trauma through shadow work, how to manage vocal stress during protest marches, and how to not lose your voice during a gruelling film circuit. She is one of the most courageous, generous, heart...
info_outlineWelcome to Your Free Voice Episode 51!
A couple of years ago I had the great pleasure of being approached by a young award winning documentary film maker called Colette Ghunim. She was recording voiceover for her latest film Traces of Home and was looking for some voice coaching. I helped her with that, but also we dove into the subject matter of her film, and how to process generational trauma through shadow work, how to manage vocal stress during protest marches, and how to not lose your voice during a gruelling film circuit.
She is one of the most courageous, generous, heart filled and joyful people I have ever had the privilege to get to know and I really hope you enjoy this interview.
BIO
As a documentary filmmaker and nonprofit co-founder, Colette Ghunim’s soul purpose is to use the power of film and storytelling for those oppressed around the world to be seen, to be heard, and to heal. Her first documentary, The People’s Girls (2016), received over 2 million views and won Best Short Documentary at the Arab Film Festival for its bold spotlight on street harassment in Egypt. In co-production with Kartemquin Films and funded by Latino Public Broadcasting, she is directing Traces of Home, her first feature-length film documenting her inner quest to find home through unearthing her parent’s forced migrations from Mexico and Palestine. Colette is also the co-founder of Mezcla Media Collective, a nonprofit organization aimed to cultivate a thriving landscape for over 700 women and non-binary filmmakers of color in Chicago. Her work has been highlighted on international outlets such as Huffington Post, Al Jazeera, Univision, and TEDx. Colette was selected as a 2023 Obama Foundation USA Leader, 2024 Sundance Institute x ISF Fellow, and was featured on Arab America’s “30 Under 30” list.
When we recorded this interview it was only a few days after bombing resumed in Gaza. . I deleted the first 15 minutes of our conversation because it was too tender to share here, but we cried together and laughed together and then got back to the work of sharing stories together. As Colette so beautifully puts it in this episode our job is Radical Love …and also action.
Thank you so much for listening!
Here is where to find Colette and how to support her storytelling mission.
Here is how you can support her efforts to finish the film Traces of Home
please reach out to Colette if you have connections to film festivals or colleges or universities where she might be able to share the film and speak about the journey.
Finally, if you are interested in the visualization she did with me about finding your true self behind the wall, you can get that here.
Please share this episode far and wide and help Colette bring her message of hope and healing to as many people as possible.
Click here for show notes and messy transcript