Trust the Process: Alexa Terry on Unfinished Sounds and Developing Your Voice

Host Tessa welcomes singing teacher and podcast host Alexa Terry to The Singer’s Guide and asks what she wishes singers knew.   Alexa says singers should trust the process and allow themselves to make questionable, unfinished, less satisfying sounds while developing technique, especially in musical theatre and contemporary styles where singers chase belt or mix.   She explains that exploring head voice and other component skills can support belt development, and that comparison to other singers can undermine progress; singers should trust themselves, their teacher, their physiology, and their own journey.   They discuss how past messages about being loud or nasal can create mental barriers, and how teachers can build trust through safety, rapport, sensation-based feedback, tension ratings, and reflection tools like a vocal gratitude diary.   Alexa shares where to find her online.   00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro   01:46 The Big Question   02:41 Trust the Process   03:16 Belt vs Head Voice   05:35 Trust and Comparison   08:18 Physiology Shapes Sound   09:49 Helping Singers Buy In   12:04 Gratitude and Progress Tracking   14:27 Celebrate Wins Not Perfection   17:41 Self Talk and Wrap Up   18:42 Where to Find Alexa   19:38 Final Thanks    

FIND ALEXA:   Alexa Terry is Deputy Head of Singing at Italia Conti - one of the UK’s leading performing arts schools, alongside running a private singing tuition practice in the South of England. She is also the host of BAST Training’s Singing Teachers Talk podcast and works as a unit tutor and mentor on their Level 5 vocational singing teaching qualification, as well as mentoring teachers on the BAST Foundation Course.

A graduate with a BA in Musical Theatre, Alexa began her professional performing career as a lead soloist aboard cruise ships, travelling the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Baltic seas. She later trod the boards in London’s West End as the protagonist in a new musical theatre project, before developing her work as a writer and creative. She studied as a librettist with Book, Music & Lyrics (BML) and has written for publications including BritishTheatre.com as a theatre reviewer.

Alexa has delivered sessions for Vocology in Practice and The Sing Space on topics including musical theatre repertoire, authentic musical theatre performance and imposter syndrome. At the BAST Intensive Weekend in summer 2026, she presented sessions on diagnosing and assessing voices, as well as selecting repertoire to develop vocal technique.   Find Alexa on Instagram @alexaterryvocalcoaching   The Singer's Guide is hosted by Tessa Smith. www.tessasmith.com   ---- 🤫 THE QUIET PRACTICE TOOLKIT: 3 step-by-step exercises to improve your singing without making a sound https://subscribepage.io/quiet-practi...   ---- 🤩 Tap here to learn more about the Singer's Practice Hub: www.singerspracticehub.com 🥳 Tap here to work with Tessa: www.thesingersguide.com   🎵 Music by Tessa Smith 🎙 Hosted by Tessa Smith, creator of The Self-Validated Voice and The Singer's Practice Hub.