The Voice Science Podcast
Your go-to resource for singers who want to understand the science behind great vocal technique.
Hosted by Josh Manuel, founder of VoSci, this podcast breaks down complex voice topics into clear, actionable insights—so you can sing with more confidence, skill, and artistry.
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Season 2
Return to Singing — Your Post-Cold Recovery Protocol
Season 2 | Episode 4 Last week, we talked about why your voice takes longer to heal than feel like you do—that frustrating 1-3 week gap between feeling better and your vocal folds actually being ready
S2 E3The Formant Formula
Season 2 | Episode 3 You’re a soprano, and your choir director keeps telling you to “project more”—on the high notes. You’re singing as loudly as you can. Your throat is tight.
S2 E2Why Your Voice Takes Longer to Heal Than You Do
Season 2 | Episode 2 You had a cold last week. Maybe it was the flu, maybe just a nasty sinus thing—doesn’t matter. The point is: you’re feeling fine now. No more congestion. No more sore
S2 E1The Formant Formula
Season 2 | Episode 1 Here’s something that makes absolutely zero sense: You’re out there giving it everything you’ve got—singing in a choir, a musical theater pit, an a cappella grou
Season 1
Skip the Resolution, Start the Practice
Season 1 | Episode 41 It’s January 1st. You’re standing in front of a mirror, or maybe you’re lying in bed scrolling through your phone, and you make The Declaration: “This is
S1 E40Do Vocal Warm-Ups Actually Work?
Season 1 | Episode 40 We’ve all skipped warm-ups. Running late, forgot, didn’t have space—and nothing bad happened. The voice worked just fine. So if warm-ups are so essential, why doesn&#
S1 E39Why Voice Teachers Struggle (And Why It's Not Your Fault)
Season 1 | Episode 39 Picture this: You just finished a lesson that didn’t go well. Maybe the student wasn’t getting the concept you were trying to teach, maybe your explanation fell flat,
S1 E38The Aging Voice: What Actually Happens and What You Can Do About It
Season 1 | Episode 38 Picture this: You’re in your church choir—maybe you’ve been singing soprano for twenty years—and you notice the high notes getting harder. Not impossible, just… harde
S1 E37Stop Hunting for Notes: Learn to Sight Read Music
Season 1 | Episode 37 Okay, picture this: You’ve just been handed a new piece of music—maybe it’s a hymn for Sunday, maybe it’s an audition piece, maybe it’s something your voi
S1 E36How To Learn A Song
Season 1 | Episode 36 You’ve just been handed a new piece of music. Maybe it’s for an audition, a recital, a choir concert, or just something you’re excited to learn for yourself. Yo
S1 E35Teaching Confidence: How Great Teachers Build Bravery in Singers
Season 1 | Episode 35 Have you ever gotten up to perform and felt like your whole body was shaking—not from excitement, but from sheer terror? Me too. It hasn’t happened in a while, but what’s interes
S1 E34Screams, Growls, and Science: The Basics of Extreme Vocals
Season 1 | Episode 34 Behind every scream or growl is a surprisingly intricate balance of control, anatomy, and artistry. Today on The Voice Science Podcast, we’re diving into the world of extreme voc
S1 E33What Head Voice ACTUALLY Is (and How to Fix It Fast)
Season 1 | Episode 33 One of the most common complaints from singers is their head voice. You try to sing higher and suddenly you hit a ceiling, the tone gets thin or breathy, or the sound gives out.
S1 E32How to get 1% Better at Singing Every Day
Season 1 | Episode 32 It’s a given that singers want to improve—we’re perfectionists chasing those rare moments when everything just clicks. But what if those moments didn’t have to be rare? The probl
S1 E31Does Knowing How Singing Works Kill the Magic?
Season 1 | Episode 31 True confession: I love knowing how things work. I thrive on discovering the what, how, and why of things. This is my modus operandi. Yet, as a voice trainer, I’ve learned this:
S1 E30Support: It’s Not Just for the Breath
Season 1 | Episode 30 Imagine you are conducting one of those “person-on-the-street” surveys. You ask random strangers, “What does a singer need to do to sing well?” What do you think will be on the l
S1 E29How To Sing With Confidence
Season 1 | Episode 29 As a voice trainer, I’ve had, on occasion, a student ask me to help them sing with more confidence. It sounds like a reasonable request. Yet, discovering exactly how that would m
S1 E28Why Classical Singing Isn’t the Universal Foundation
Season 1 | Episode 28 A lot of singers are told that classical training is the safest, smartest starting point—that if you can sing classically, you can sing anything. But the truth is more complicate
S1 E27Beyond Favorites: Choosing Songs That Grow Your Voice
Season 1 | Episode 27 Welcome back to The Voice Science Podcast. Today I want to take you into a topic that, honestly, comes up for every singer and every teacher I know: song selection. It sounds sim
S1 E26Your Thoughts (About Singing) Matter
Season 1 | Episode 26 One of my favorite parts of being a voice trainer is meeting a new student. During the initial sessions I am able to ask some fundamental questions. Among them are: “How does you
S1 E25What Does Your Nose Know About Singing?
Season 1 | Episode 25 Some singers are told never to sing through their nose. Others are told it’s essential—to “get resonance,” or to “place the sound.” Both can’t be right… or can they? Today on the
S1 E24Finding Your Unique Singing Voice
Season 1 | Episode 24 We will begin by unpacking the word unique. The word has two possible definitions: singular, meaning “one of a kind,” or exceptional, as in “remarkably unusual or special.” Much
S1 E23The Standard: What Excellence in Singing Really Means
Season 1 | Episode 23 I want to talk about something that I don’t think most singers or teachers ever stop to consider. It’s something we all feel, and honestly something we all wrestle with, but it s
S1 E22Without Head Voice, You’re Missing Half Your Instrument
Season 1 | Episode 22 Head voice isn’t optional. When singers avoid head voice, it often looks like a choice—but really, it’s a missing foundation. You can’t fully understand your voice without it. In
S1 E21The Tongue: Hero, Not Hindrance
Season 1 | Episode 21 Most singers think of the tongue as a source of tension or a problem to fix. But what if the real issue isn’t tension—it’s habit? In this episode, Timothy Wilds dismantles the my
S1 E19Anyone Can Sing: True or False?
Season 1 | Episode 19 What if the real reason people don’t sing isn’t lack of ability—but permission? Today, we’re diving into a question that touches identity, education, and culture: Can anyone lear
S1 E18The Audition Isn’t Just the Song: How to Prepare Like a Pro
Season 1 | Episode 18 Here’s something nobody tells you: most casting directors have already made up their minds before you even open your mouth. The way you walk in, your demeanor, whether you follow
S1 E17Why Your Voice Flips—and Why That’s Normal
Season 1 | Episode 17 Most people take voice lessons for one reason: they want to sing better. That can mean hitting high notes, singing on pitch, or just feeling more confident. Whatever the goal, it
S1 E16Good Teacher, Better Student: What Makes Voice Lessons Actually Work
Season 1 | Episode 16 What makes voice lessons actually work? For a lot of singers, the answer seems simple: find a good teacher. But the real answer’s more complicated—and more powerful. The right te
S1 E15How to Train a Boy’s Voice: Vocal Development, Puberty, and Repertoire That Works
Season 1 | Episode 15 Why do so few boys take voice lessons? Even in my own studio—over the past two years, only five of my ninety-three students were boys under 15. And when one of them shows up, it’
S1 E14What Every Voice Teacher Should Know About Training CCM
Season 1 | Episode 14 You wouldn’t train swimmers without water—but that’s exactly what’s happening in voice studios when we teach contemporary singers without the tools they actually use. Microphones
S1 E13How to Sing Legato: A Practical Guide for Smoother, Connected Phrasing
Season 1 | Episode 13 Ever been told to “sing it more legato” and realized you’re not totally sure how to do that? You’re not alone. Legato gets mentioned constantly in lessons, auditions, and rehears
S1 E12What Instrumentalists Know About Singing That Most Singers Don’t
Season 1 | Episode 12 One of the things that keeps coming up when I am talking to instrumentalists is the difference in the practice habits between instrumentalists in general and vocalists. One only
S1 E12Does Dairy Ruin Your Voice? And Other Real Questions About Singing
Season 1 | Episode 12 This week, we’re doing something a bit different. Instead of our usual deep-dive into one topic, we took live questions from singers and teachers—and answered them on the spot. I
S1 E11Vox Agnotology: Why So Much of What We ‘Know’ About Singing Is Wrong
Season 1 | Episode 11 Hello, I’m Josh and welcome to The Voice Science Podcast. Today we’re discussing Vox Agnotology, V O X space A G N O T O L O G Y, and I am willing to bet you’ve never
S1 E10Are Singing Straws a Scam? The Truth About SOVTEs and Vocal Training
Season 1 | Episode 10 Singing Straws have gained enormous popularity over the last several years. For those of you that have not come across the wonder of these straws. They can provide you a healthie
S1 E9What Is Vibrato in Singing? The Truth About How It Works (According to
Season 1 | Episode 9 What do a trembling hand, an emotional speech, and a soaring operatic phrase have in common? Vibrato. Welcome to The Voice Science Podcast, where we dive into the science behind a
S1 E8How to Sing with Dynamics: Mastering Loud and Soft Singing
Season 1 | Episode 8 Intro Vocal power isn’t just about turning up the dial—it’s about control, balance, and science. Let’s break it down. Welcome to The Voice Science Podcast, where we dive into the
S1 E7Singing in Tune: How Pitch Accuracy Actually Works
Season 1 | Episode 7 Intro Have you ever sat there and said, “Oh boy! I’d really love to sing this song completely out of tune today?” No? Me neither. Welcome to The Voice Science Podcast, where
S1 E6The Role of Breathing in Singing: Mastering the Breath
Season 1 | Episode 6 Intro There is only one way to breathe while singing – what a load of crap! Welcome to The Voice Science Podcast, where we dive into the science behind all things singing and
S1 E5Vocal Fatigue: Why Your Voice Feels Tired & How to Fix It
Season 1 | Episode 5 Intro Have you ever been going through your day, like the absolute superhero you are, and been like – “I just can’t speak – or sing – another word?” You’ve probably experienced vo
S1 E4Ring & Twang: The Secret to a Powerful, Resonant Voice
Season 1 | Episode 4 Intro What if I told you that by making a small change in your technique you could have a voice that captures the listener and hits the back wall? Well, you can! Welcome to T
S1 E3Why Your High Notes Crack: The Science of Phonatory Threshold Pressure
Season 1 | Episode 3 Intro Have you ever wondered why some notes seem harder to sing than others—or why your voice cracks under pressure? The answer might lie in something called phonatory threshold p
S1 E2Mastering the Art of Belting: Unlock Vocal Power Safely
Unlock the secrets of mastering the powerful vocal technique of belting without risking injury. We promise you'll gain a clear understanding of how to effectively harness your vocal strength thro
S1 E1Unlocking Breath Support: Sing Powerfully Without More Air
Unlock the secrets of breath support in singing with us on the Voice Science Podcast, where we challenge the myth that more air equals more power. Discover how you can achieve powerful vocals without