The Hidden Singing Teacher - Why group singing matters now more than ever

Send us Fan Mail Why are humans naturally drawn to sing together? And why do we need this now more than ever? Join us as we explore this deeply human experience. In Season 11, Episode 1 of This Is A Voice, Dr. Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher kick off the new season with an inspiring deep dive into the transformative power of group singing. Explore the often-overlooked role of choir leaders as hidden voice teachers and uncover the profound ways communal singing can strengthen social bonds, combat loneliness, and boost mental well-being. With contributions from special guest choir leaders James Sills (Sofa Singers), Jessa Liversidge, Kerry Green, and Cerys Purser, this episode highlights personal stories and expert insights into how singing together fosters connection and healing. Whether you're a choir leader, a singing enthusiast, or curious about the science behind group singing, this episode is for you. 00:00 Shaping singing without 1-1 training 00:59 Breaking news – Bantam of the Opera 02:52 James Sills on connection in the age of loneliness 04:44 Why participation matters more than applause 07:24 Jessa Liversidge on choir singing and Mental Health 09:43 Singing your way to the green zone 11:49 Kerry Green on the power of group singing for aphasia 14:05 When words are lost, songs remain 15:50 Cerys Purser on bringing an entire town together in music 18:15 Empowering voices through choral leadership 20:38 From isolation to harmony – singing as social health 24:01 The power of group singing to unite and transform Find more about our guests here: James Sills  https://james-sills.com @jsillsmusic The Sofa Singers https://www.thesofasingers.com/ Bantam of the Opera https://www.bbc.co.uk/cityofculture/bradford2025/bantam-of-the-opera/ James interviewed on BBC Radio 3 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0026wsx?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile Starting at 1:18:00 Jessa Liversidge  https://jessaliversidge.com  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jessaliversidge/  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/jessaliversidge Kerry Green  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kerrygreenmusic/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kerrygreenvocals/ Glasshouse https://theglasshouseicm.org/press/five-minutes-with-choir-leader-kerry-green/ Cerys Purser https://www.facebook.com/people/Cerys-Purser-at-Create-Voice/100085634885190/ https://vocalprocess.co.uk/about-vocal-process/meet-the-team/ Warwick - a Singing Town https://warwicksingingtown.co.uk/ You can find out about our Teacher Accreditation for singing teachers, vocal coaches and choir leaders and start your own journey here  https://vocalprocess.co.uk/teacher-accreditation/ We've also got this ↓  For the best self-guided learning, check out the Vocal Process Learning Lounge - 22 years of vocal coaching resources (over 600 videos) for less than the price of one private singing lesson.  Click on the link https://vocalprocess.co.uk/learning-lounge/learning-lounge-level-2-deep-dive/ Get the One Minute Voice Warmup app here, it's got a 4.9star rating  Appstore https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/one-minute-voice-warmup/id1212802251  Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.speechtools.warmup&hl=en_GB     Check out our Voice Journal, written with Rayvox's Oren Boder https://www.rayvox.co.uk/products/voice-journal?ref=VOCALPROCESS    Find us - follow us on the socials!  🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/Vocalprocess    📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vocalprocess   📖 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/vocalprocess