Fundraising, Flexibility, and Vocal Health: A Conversation with Justin Berkowitz

In this episode of Conversations with Peacock Voices, host Margaret speaks with Justin Berkowitz, executive director of the William Ferris Chorale and director of operations for Art Song Chicago, about his path from voice performance to arts administration through ticketing and development work at Lyric Opera and event programming at The Executives Club of Chicago.

They discuss how singers’ skills translate to nonprofit and corporate settings, including extreme preparation, flexibility, and managing mistakes without fear of immediate consequences.

Justin shares strategies for handling donor meetings and board dynamics, using vocal tone, resonance, humor, and structure to guide room energy. The conversation also covers vocal sustainability in loud networking spaces, singer technique such as soft palate “lift,” hydration and rest (especially the day before), pacing speaking, and how diet, reflux, and aging affect the voice. Justin names opera director David Gately’s distinctive low speaking voice as a favorite and credits his mentorship and kindness.

00:00 Meet Justin Berkowitz

00:12 Two Nonprofit Roles

01:38 From Singer to Admin

05:11 Transferable Singer Skills

07:37 Perfectionism vs Workplaces

10:59 Flexibility in Fundraising

16:27 Steering Board Meetings

19:05 Voice Presence and Control

21:52 Surviving Loud Receptions

25:45 Singer Technique for Stamina

28:02 Opera Power Without Mics

28:28 Resonance And Soft Palate

30:46 Voice Care On Long Days

33:23 Hydration Starts Yesterday

37:35 Diet Myths And Reflux

43:24 Voice As Athletic Training 4

7:01 Favorite Voice And Lessons

LINKS

🌐 Website: www.peacockvoices.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peacockvoices

🟦 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peacockvoices/

🎬 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@peacockvoices

🤓 Ready to start with the basics? Get our FREE video resource featuring our 3 favorite breathing techniques: https://peacockvoices.kit.com/freevideoguide

👋 Work With Us! www.peacockvoices.com/consultation

Breath, Listening, and Raising Confident Communicators: A Conversation with Leigh Folta

Host Margaret interviews Leigh Folta, a former professional choral and opera singer with vocal performance degrees. Leigh now works in arts administration running a discount ticketing program in greater Boston. Leigh traces her path from teaching lessons in Los Angeles to ticketing at Lyric Opera of Chicago, a brief move into development managing a board, and back to ticketing and organizational partnerships.

They compare communication demands across customer service and board work, emphasizing listening, translating ideas into action, and adjusting to differing motivations and expectations.

The conversation explores how posture and breath affect speaking, how breath functions as “punctuation,” and how low, supported breathing can help parents stay calm and model regulation and clear communication for children. Leigh describes intentionally speaking to her children using adult language and tone to build confidence and self-advocacy.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

01:07 From Teaching to Ticketing

03:19 Customer Service vs Board Work

06:30 Nuance and Vocal Storytelling

09:59 How Voice Shifts by Situation

12:34 Motherhood and Speaking Style

15:07 Breathwork for Calm and Control

19:03 Breath as Punctuation in Speech

21:50 Reading Aloud and Voice Modeling

23:36 Voices And Inflection

24:32 Default Voices In Daily Life

26:17 Talking To Kids Like Adults

29:42 Baby Voice And Authority

31:34 Voice As A Physical Skill

35:16 Alexander Technique And Adaptability

40:15 Communication Skills For Any Career

41:24 Favorite Voice Anika Noni Rose

LINKS

🌐 Website: www.peacockvoices.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peacockvoices

🟦 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peacockvoices/

🎬 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@peacockvoices

🤓 Ready to start with the basics? Get our FREE video resource featuring our 3 favorite breathing techniques: https://peacockvoices.kit.com/freevideoguide

👋 Work With Us! www.peacockvoices.com/consultation

Accents, Authenticity, and Depolarization: A Conversation with Francisco Hernández-Cáceres

In this episode of Conversations with Peacock Voices, host Margaret welcomes three-time Emmy-winning producer and former television host Francisco Hernández-Cáceres.

Francisco shares how his 15–20 year career in television evolved from being on-camera to running a production company focused on translating university and academic research into engaging, accessible video content—including documentaries and training videos—with an emphasis on reducing polarization and bringing communities together.

He connects this mission to his personal history as a gay kid in El Salvador during the civil war and reflects on how division shaped his understanding of human connection, voice, and language.

Margaret and Francisco discuss the differences in how he speaks Spanish versus English, including shifts in vocal tone, confidence, and humor, and how fatigue and word-finding can affect vocal control in a second language.

Francisco opens up about past insecurity around his accent, taking accent reduction classes, and how improv helped him focus less on perfect pronunciation and more on emotional connection.

They explore the entertainment industry’s mixed messages about accents, Francisco’s experience feeling celebrated when working in English-language media, and the idea of “clarification” rather than accent reduction.

The conversation also examines how Francisco’s communication style has changed as he moved from fast-paced morning show environments to behind-the-camera leadership—shifting from talking to be heard toward listening and making words count.

He describes directing professors at Harvard for a workplace training video on constructive disagreement, using improv and playful techniques to help them relax and speak authentically on camera.

Margaret and Francisco talk about tone, intent, and approaching difficult conversations with a learning mindset rather than a need to win, as well as how emotions and personal triggers can affect communication.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

01:15 From TV to Academia

03:38 Why Unity Matters

05:52 Bilingual Voice Shifts

11:17 Accent Identity and Industry

15:09 Embracing Uniqueness

18:12 Behind the Camera Now

19:38 Listening and Directing

23:39 Depolarization Conversations

27:05 Authenticity and Emotions

32:59 Favorite Voice

35:34 Closing Thanks and Farewell

LINKS

🌐 Website: www.peacockvoices.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peacockvoices

🟦 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peacockvoices/

🎬 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@peacockvoices

🤓 Ready to start with the basics? Get our FREE video resource featuring our 3 favorite breathing techniques: https://peacockvoices.kit.com/freevideoguide

👋 Work With Us! www.peacockvoices.com/consultation