Episode summary

In this episode, Steve Giles sits down with vocal coach Justin Stoney to discuss what makes a truly great voice lesson, how joy is inseparable from singing, the value of imitation as a learning tool & why the human spirit can never be replaced by AI when it comes to singing.

What we cover

• Why vocal fold coordination is often the missing piece in voice training
• The difference between judgmental and creative mindsets in singing
• How to deliver victory in every voice lesson
• The role of imitation in developing vocal versatility
• Joy as transcendent and inseparable from singing
• Customisation as the foundation of effective teaching

Watch the full video

YouTube : https://youtube.com/@wehelpsingerspod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mjWrEYI7gMT5gnBL9FDIq?si=ve8_6UrJT5iy7zEgSqjeGg

Links & resources

Justin Stoney: https://newyorkvocalcoaching.com

We Help Singers: https://www.wehelpsingers.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wehelpsingers

Call to action

If this conversation helped you, follow the show on your podcast app and share this episode with a singer or coach who’d benefit. For clips and updates, follow us on Instagram.

Apply to be a guest

If you’re a vocal coach and would like to apply to be a guest on the podcast, fill out the application form here: https://wehelpsingers.com/i-teach/

Credits

Guest: Justin Stoney

Host: Steve Giles

Editor: Vedrana Katanic

Producers: Luke Nederveen, Jono Hewlett-Davies

Episode summary
In this episode, Steve Giles sits down with vocal coach Chris Johnson to unpack what modern voice teaching looks like in practice how online teaching reshaped Chris’s pedagogy, why shared decision-making improves outcomes, and how simple physical interventions can unlock more efficient vocal production.

What we cover

• How the shift to online teaching changed Chris’s approach and pedagogy
• Why shared decision-making with students improves learning outcomes
• Using physical movement as both a diagnostic tool and an intervention
• The role of resonance in supporting efficient vocal production
• Why autonomy is the ultimate goal of voice teaching
• Balancing specialism with broad, generalist knowledge
• The “arms up” technique and when it works best

Watch the full video

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WeHelpSingersPod

Links & resources

• Chris Johnson: https://chrisjohnsonvocalcoach.com/
• We Help Singers: https://www.wehelpsingers.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wehelpsingers

Call to action
If this conversation helped you, follow the show on your podcast app and share this episode with a singer or coach who’d benefit. For clips and updates, follow us on Instagram, and if you prefer to watch, the full episode is on YouTube and Spotify in video format.

Apply to be a guest
If you’re a vocal coach and would like to apply to be a guest on the podcast, fill out the application form here: https://wehelpsingers.com/i-teach/

Credits
Guest: Chris Johnson
Host: Steve Giles
Editor: Vedrana Katanic
Producers: Luke Nederveen, Jono Hewlett-Davies

This is We Help Singers, a podcast about clarity in the voice world.

Singers are often told to “trust the process” without ever being shown what that process actually is or who it’s designed for. Teachers see some students thrive while others quietly stall, without clear language for why. When things don’t work, people assume they’re the problem.

This podcast exists to change that.

Through in-depth conversations with vocal coaches and singers, We Help Singers explores how teachers actually think and work, how singers experience their voice, and why progress depends on the relationship between the two. We dig into philosophy, method, failures, successes and the real decisions that shape vocal development.