Your Free Voice

Are you getting the most out of your voice, either singing or speaking? This show is for anyone who is holding themselves back from a full, free and expressive voice. Whether you're a novice or professional voice user, a singer, actor or presenter, Julia will be joyfully offering you solid technique and mindset shifts to get the very most out of your voice. Julia qualified as a Voice Movement Therapy Practitioner in London in 2000 and has been helping singers and voice professionals for over 20 years.

Ep 59: The Voice of Protest and How to Protect Your Voice! 02/20/2026

Ep 58: Alexander Technique with Jonathon Heather 02/06/2026

Ep 57: How to Feel Better - through, breath, movement, song and connection. 01/30/2026

Ep 56: Solstice Rituals for your Voice and Self Expression 12/20/2025

Ep 55: 12 Tips for a Healthy Voice This Winter 12/11/2025

Ep 54: Gratitude and a quiet breath 11/26/2025

Ep 53: 'The Album Everyone Wants' with Chris Portka 11/21/2025

Ep 52: Coming Home To Your Voice 11/13/2025

Ep 51: On Radical Love with Colette Ghunim 07/24/2025

Ep 51: On Radical Love with Colette Ghunim 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 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 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, Please share this episode far and wide and help Colette bring her message of hope and healing to as many people as possible. for show notes and messy transcript /episode/index/show/4c900cf9-eb57-4b52-acbf-e1e449f63630/id/37528080

Ep 50: What does it mean to have a FREE voice! 06/06/2025

Ep 50: What does it mean to have a FREE voice! Hello, Welcome to episode 50 of Your Free Voice! I can hardly believe we're here, but we are. Thank you so much for listening ❤️ In this episode I wanted to revisit what it means to have a FREE Voice and I listened back to my first episode and thought, yeah, I'm gonna share that again. There's a chance you weren't here at the beginning or you didn't hear all the episodes anyway, and I think it clarifies my purpose somewhat so here you go. You might even get something new out of it listening again. I'd love to hear from you if you did. :) Oh, and before I forget here's the link to my small coaching group for public speaking skills called From Stage Fright to Spotlight. It's a very small group with limited places available so jump in if you're interested. Episode 50 In this episode, we're going to consider the notion of what IS a FREE voice? It has all kinds of connotations from the metaphorical to the literal, and we can look at it in terms of the mechanics of the voice, and we can look at it in terms of how much we feel able to speak our truth. “Physical awareness and relaxation are the first steps in the work to be done on the voice. The mind and body must learn to cooperate in activating and releasing inner impulses and dissolving physical inhibitions. Actors must develop bodies that are sensitive and integrated rather than super controlled and muscular. They must educate the voice into the union of self and body. The voice communicates the inner world of the psyche to the outer world of attentive listeners, both on the stage and in life." In order to have a fully 'free' voice, and by that I'm going to say, a voice that is unencumbered by physical tension, doesn't fatigue easily, recovers quickly from hard effort... to have a 'free' voice you need to take into account the spiritual, the psychological and the physical. So in this podcast, I'm going attempt to bring those different approches together. I'm going to invite some super people on, to talk more about areas of vocal expression that they're passionate about, and give you lots of actionable steps to try along the way, from meditations to journalling prompts, vocal exercises and re-imagining of old stories. I'm so glad you're here with me. Episode One: Journaling Prompts 1. How do you feel about speaking up or singing in public? 2. How easy is it for you to 'color outside of the lines' when you use your voice? 3. How does your voice feel after extended use? 4. If you could do anything with your voice, what would it be? 5. What do you think is stopping you from doing that right now? Also, if you're interested here is the link to the for show notes and messy transcript /episode/index/show/4c900cf9-eb57-4b52-acbf-e1e449f63630/id/36897575

Ep 49: Discovering Linklater with Sarah Weatherwax 05/06/2025

Ep 48: From Stage Fright to Spotlight 02/27/2025

Ep 47: Alexander Technique with Daisy Tennant 01/31/2025

Ep 46: Outbursts and slips of the tongue. 01/16/2025

Ep 45: Is Goal setting Just Annoying? 01/09/2025

Ep 44: Winter Solstice Reflections 12/19/2024

Ep 43: Gratitude practices ❤️ 11/26/2024

Ep 43: Gratitude practices ❤️ This episode is about Gratitude practices that I enjoy, and thought you might too. Robin Wall Kimmerer's 'Gratitude Inventory' inspired by our connection to nature. • Step outside • Take in your surroundings • Send gratitude to a few things you see or smell or hear. • Remember how connected you are to this abundance in nature and send some gratitude back to yourself. Here's her book - indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Here's the Start by finding a quiet place to relax with your eyes closed for about 10 minutes, take a journaland something to write with, then listen to Aftwards, journal about what happened and then write a list of everything you had accomplished on the other side of the wall … Strong voice, loose body, successful narration career whatever it was… Then every single day for the rest of the year write these gratitude’s as if they had already happened in your journal or notebook before you start your day like… “I’m so grateful for my strong flexible voice” “I’m so grateful for booking 5 Voice Over jobs this month” “I’m so grateful to be able to connect authentically to my audience and my family/community etc” Then you walk around reading or singing these gratitudes out loud once through every single day! for show notes and messy transcript Oh and finally the Here it is in case that link stops working, it really does look like that! Cranberry Curd Tart from NYT Cooking Ingredients Yield:8 to 10 servings For the Hazelnut Crust 1¼cups/180 grams raw hazelnuts 1cup/125 grams rice flour ¼teaspoon salt ½cup/112 grams sugar 6tablespoons/100 grams softened butter, more as necessary For the Cranberry Curd 12ounces/340 grams cranberries 1cup/225 grams sugar Peel (orange part only) and juice of 1 orange (about ½ cup) 4ounces/113 grams softened butter (1 stick) 2eggs plus 2 egg yolks Step 1 Make the crust: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Put hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until skins darken and crack. Put roasted nuts in a clean towel and rub off skins. Discard skins and let nuts cool. Step 2 In a food processor, grind nuts with half the rice flour until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add remaining rice flour and salt and pulse briefly. Step 3 Cream sugar and butter in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon for a minute or two until pale and thick. Add nut mixture and combine until dough comes together. If it seems crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons softened butter or a little cold water. Step 4 Press dough evenly into a 10-inch tart pan; use half the dough for the sides and half for the bottom. Prick bottom with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes (or several days if desired). Step 5 Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake chilled tart shell about 15 minutes until lightly brown. Cool. Step 6 While the crust bakes and cools, make the cranberry curd: Put cranberries, sugar and orange juice and peel in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until cranberries have popped and softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food mill or medium mesh sieve and press cooking liquid and solids into a bowl. (Alternatively, for the most vibrant color, purée the cooked cranberry and orange mixture with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender. Press through a fine-mesh sieve.) Whisk the butter into the warm liquid. Step 7 Put eggs and egg yolks into a bowl and beat lightly. Slowly whisk a cup of warm cranberry liquid into the eggs to temper, then combine both and whisk together. Wipe out pot if necessary, return liquid to pot and cook over low heat until nearly bubbling and thickened, about 10 minutes. If using immediately, let cool to room temperature. If working ahead, cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap (press wrap against curd) and refrigerate. (Curd may be cooked up to 1 day ahead.) Step 8 Pour cooled cranberry curd into the cooled prebaked tart shell and smooth top with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes to set curd. Cool on a rack. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days. /episode/index/show/4c900cf9-eb57-4b52-acbf-e1e449f63630/id/34170620

Ep 42: Community Choirs & Circle Singing with Chris MacLean 10/13/2024

Ep 41: How to Set Boundaries 10/04/2024

Ep 40: Resilience and Recovery using The Voice Straw with celebrity voice coach Mindy Pack 04/16/2024

Ep 40: Resilience and Recovery using The Voice Straw with celebrity voice coach Mindy Pack On this episode of Your Free Voice, I’m delighted to bring back into the studio celebrity voice coach and founder of The Voice Straw, Mindy Pack! You may have listened to where I talked to Mindy about her experience being a celebrity voice coach, well we ran out of time to talk about straws so I had to get her back again. We’re going pretty deep into how to use the straw for rehabilitation after a cold or injury and how to prevent injury doing video game call outs and efforts prepping with the straw! I met Mindy about 5 years ago when she was co-hosting a conference in LA for voice teachers and singers with Dr. Reen Gupta. I loved her energy and generosity from day one and have been using straws with my clients ever since. You may have attended a workshop or listened to which gives you the basics of straw phonation, but if you haven’t, listen to that one first, it’s ever so short. Here’s why I’m such a fan of straws and this version in particular… “The Voice Straw is the complete training tool for singers, actors, speakers, school teachers, and other frequent voice users. Using your voice should be effortless! Our straws are uniquely designed to release tension, relieve strain, and reduce vocal breathiness, cracking and flipping. The Voice Straw is backed by over 20 years of scientific research that has proven to benefit voice users by encouraging more efficient vocal fold movement, adjusting the vocal tract into peak position and creating vocal balance.” About Mindy “My dream as a child was to be the world’s first “singing heart surgeon.” Medical school didn’t quite pan out, but throughout my career, I have combined my love of singing with my interest in health and physiology to help vocalists of all levels meet their potential. Clinically certified both in Vocology from The National Center for Voice and Speech, and as a licensed massage therapist, I specialize in vocal structural integration. In my coaching, I aim to not only help my clients connect in the industry, but to help them develop in their artistry through collaboration to find the best possible solutions for their career. In 2019 I applied my knowledge of voice science and vocal production to create The Voice Straw, a vocal training tool for singers, actors, and speakers that has been clinically proven to help relieve tension, strain, breathiness, cracking, and flipping in the voice. With locations in Salt Lake and Los Angeles, and virtual worldwide clients, my roster includes singers, artists, voice over actors, professional speakers, rehabilitation, newscasters, and transitioning voices. I would love to connect with vocalists of all levels!” Taken from More links and discounts… Follow Mindy on instagram Follow me on instagram And here’s my 10%discount coupon for you for the Voice Straw If you enjoyed this episode PLEASE share it with a friend and help me get the word out! Happy voicing! for show notes and messy transcript /episode/index/show/4c900cf9-eb57-4b52-acbf-e1e449f63630/id/30841228

Ep 39: Mindfulness, Performance Anxiety and the Breath with Ruth Phillips 02/23/2024

Ep 38: Rush Dorsett's interview with Me! 01/30/2024

Ep 37: How 'Aligned' is your 'New Years Goals' list? 01/05/2024

Ep 36: My interview with 'Trash' musician and singer ❤️ Chris Portka 12/06/2023

Ep 36: My interview with 'Trash' musician and singer ❤️ Chris Portka This episode is not only long awaited … apologies again for the long break, but also a break from the usual. Instead of waxing lyrical by myself or interviewing an industry expert in voice or physical freedom, I’m interviewing a former Voice Movement Therapy client of mine, Chris Portka. Chris came to me a number of years ago hating his job, not really loving life and generally feeling “What’s the point?” about everything. His ‘musician self’ was fully in shadow and he was riddled with anxiety at the prospect of revealing him. What’s more he could no longer stand the status quo. He was suffering. He realized “My desire to make music is never going away, it’s always going to be eating at me”. He said it was finally, “more painful NOT to do it, than to do it.” Over the last few years I have been watching him flourish ever more courageously in his life and am so impressed by his creativity and generosity. In this very candid episode Chris Portka tells us what it’s like to go from “crippled with anxiety” to someone who will release tracks of his shadow made bare, sing live on instagram in a bathrobe and santa hat and go on tour with the Al Harper a band all over the USA. I loved this conversation with Chris, he’s real, raw and funny and his tunes are excellent too! Here are links to his music and his bio: Chris Portka, a musician based in the Bay Area, has channeled his lifelong passion and internal struggles into a unique genre he calls "trash music" - releasing the eponymous album on vinyl in 2023 and numerous other full albums throughout the years. Initially a drummer drawn to 90s grunge, Chris was held back by crippling anxiety that muted his voice. At 31, he undertook a transformative five-year odyssey through Voice Movement Therapy, gradually unlocking the joy and power of his own voice. He now plays solo acoustic shows around cafes in the bay area, in a relaxed robe on instagram Live, and is going on tour later this year, playing guitar and singing with the Al Harper Band. Chris’ solo produced music oscillates between ethereal glitch rock and raw folk, often venturing into the avant-garde. With tracks like "Ambient Jazz Metal" and "A Candle is a Raging Fire," Chris delves into subconscious conflicts in his ongoing quest for self-acceptance. Also known as djpants.eth in the NFT music community, the previous album "The #NFTBlues" reported on the ecstatic highs and vacuous lows of the never-ending simulation which exploded in 2021. Pull Quotes / Articles "...after hearing the radio for a few minutes, 'Trash Music' might just be the palette cleanser that you need" - "' trash music' is akin to a grand canvas, a symphony of musical mastery, where Chris Portka artfully wields his brush and adds hues of both vivid brilliance and haunting darkness, giving birth to a truly peculiar and dreamlike album." - ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. If you are ready to bring your singer or creative self out of the shadow I encourage you to join my transformative group coaching program called , details here, the next round starts in January. for show notes and messy transcript /episode/index/show/4c900cf9-eb57-4b52-acbf-e1e449f63630/id/28964473

Ep 35: Dialects, Diversity & Directing Intimacy with Rachel Finley 07/28/2023

Ep 35: Dialects, Diversity & Directing Intimacy with Rachel Finley Rachel Finlay is a prolific performer, director, voice & speech coach, conference presenter and faculty member at Arizona State University. We met on a hot day in Sonoma County looking for lunch and immediately bonded over great food, cold drinks and all the voice things & being a person things that we shared in common. I knew I had to entice her onto the show! Join me in this extended conversation and learn about Rachel's detour from a start wanting to be a director, to being an actor, to encountering Fitzmaurice Voicework and Knight Thompson Speech work in grad school, and the freedom that gave her physically, but also emotionally the lack of diversity and representation through her education which led her to co-found The BluePrint, which is a non-profit for advancing the training and careers of actors of color, taught by actors of color. Her incredible insights into dialect work and what's actually useful for the actor and how she found herself becoming an Intimacy Director. She is a sought after conference presenter and having been to one of her workshops I can't recommend her work highly enough. You may have to listen to this episode twice, she drops a lot of truth bombs. Links of note: Rachel's website Rachel's INsta Fitzmaurice Voicework Knight Thompson Speechwork Your Body Knows by Jana Tift Intimacy Coordinators of Color Conference in India Transcript: BIPOC FOLX...WE GOT YOU Training actors who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Uplifting professional BIPOC artists and connecting them with emerging BIPOC artists for mentorship and collaboration Establishing mental health resources and practices as an integral part of the curriculum Positioning BIPOC artists to be multi-hyphenate creators so they have sustainability in the industry Building family among The Blueprint community and deepening intersectional relationships within the BIPOC community at large Through The Blueprint, actors get access to a myriad of growth opportunities including roundtables, masterclasses, intensives, educational content and whatever other solutions emerge as we encounter our students’ needs. VASTA /episode/index/show/4c900cf9-eb57-4b52-acbf-e1e449f63630/id/27588849

Ep 34: Why Jungian Coaching? 06/29/2023

Ep 33: Seven Ways to Reconnect With Your Voice 06/14/2023

Ep 32: Mindy Pack Interview - Celebrity Voice Coaching 04/21/2023

Ep 32: Mindy Pack Interview - Celebrity Voice Coaching This week I'm very excited to bring you my interview with celebrity voice coach and creator of The Voice Straw Mindy Pack. Mindy has studied vocal technique, voice science, and vocal health with nationally and internationally renowned vocal instructors, educational institutions, and accredited programs throughout the world. Mindy’s philosophy is the minute I stop learning is the minute I stop teaching. Mindy has mastered the complex ins and outs of voice science. She has a thorough understanding not only of producing the best sound, but also of keeping the vocal apparatus in optimal health. Mindy holds certificates in Vocology from the National Center for Voice and Speech and is an accredited and licensed massage therapist in Utah and in California. Mindy is part of some of the best voice teams and music industry professionals throughout the world. She works closely with laryngologists, ENT’s, artist developers, managers, record labels, vocal arrangers, producers, music directors, and more. Mindy is currently contracted with the voice teams of Ent Specialists in Salt Lake City where they are doing bio feedback sessions on voice disorders and manual therapy and with laryngologist, Dr Reena Gupta at the Center for Vocal Health headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA where she works in rehabilitation and technique training to not only the singers but voice actors, voice over artists and all voice patients. Mindy has a full studio in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a satellite studio in Los Angeles, California, but she sees clients from all around the world via online sessions. Her roster includes novices and professionals of all genres and styles. She also works with actors, voice-over artists, motivational speakers. Additionally, she has experience working with transitioning clients and clients who have sustained vocal injury and are in rehabilitation and habilitation. Mindy works directly with some of the biggest names in the industry as their primary vocal coach. Such as: Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas X, Brandi Carlile, Justin Timberlake, The Lumineers, Emily Sailers of the Indigo Girls, Halsey, Austin Mahone, Common, Royal Bliss, Tesseract, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Shaed, Chris Mann, and many others. These artists have applied Mindy's technique and Vocal Tract Reconditioning to help them achieve optimal performance on long tours. Mindy’s clients have been on world tours, national Broadway tours, AMA's, the Grammy's, BET Awards, Saturday Night Live, and International Award shows. Some have become viral YouTube sensations, college scholarship winners, TV singing show contestants, and cruise line performers. In this episode we dig into what it takes to be a touring vocalist at the top of their game and what it takes to be their voice coach! "Dream bigger, because the only person that can tell you "no" is you" Mindy pack For more info on Mindy check out her website. I'm actually going to include the voice straw info in the notes of our next interview, because that's what it's all going to be about! If you want more info about me or how to join in any of my upcoming programs go to Lets sing soon! ❤️ By the way if you enjoy this podcast PLEASE rate and review and share with your friends thank you SO much. for show notes and messy transcript /episode/index/show/4c900cf9-eb57-4b52-acbf-e1e449f63630/id/26616678

Ep 30: How Voice Movement Therapy informs my work as a Voice Actor 04/03/2023

Ep 29: Are you moving around the furniture? 03/20/2023

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