Our Community is BACK for May 2024, and our focus this month is Singing! We'll have eighteen warm-up sessions with Elissa and other Voice Body Connection Instructors-in-Training over the course of the month, plus a special workshop on Classical Indian Music & Vocal Technique with Grammy-nominated musician Priya Darshini. Join us!
(If you don’t consider yourself a singer but just want to sing for fun, this Community Month is a great opportunity to participate. We’ll never make you do a solo - it’s all in the comfort of your own home and just for fun!)
What will I get from attending voice and movement warm-up sessions?
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A chance to breathe deeply and get your blood flowing every time you show up.
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Practice making sound freely and extending your range.
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Connection to your breath support.
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A big release of physical tension & vocal strain.
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Clearer articulation, speaking, and singing.
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The opportunity to set yourself up for good vocal & physical habits throughout the day.
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Physically, mentally, and energetically you'll feel more present.
...Plus the accountability of practicing in a group, where you have a live instructor and buddies supporting you while you maintain your vocal health and overall wellness!
May's Workshop:
Classical Indian Music & Vocal Technique with Priya Darshini
Join Priya Darshini, Grammy-nominated musician and Elissa's Classical Indian singing teacher, on a journey of exploring your voice through a new lens. In this 90 minute workshop we'll focus on how to find clarity, ease, and stillness in your sound. With a range of exercises that span from chanting to scales and beyond, you'll learn a new way to engage in a daily practice that tunes your voice and brings strength of tone to every form of singing that you do.
Happening live on Tuesday May 14th from 12-1:30pm Eastern Time
(The workshop will be recorded)
May 2024 Schedule
18 Voice & Movement Warm-Ups and an Introduction to Classical Indian Music & Vocal Technique Workshop
Our focus for May 2024 is singing, and we'll have a full calendar of live, online sessions. Check out the graphic above, or refer to this list for our schedule:
Mon, May 6: Voice & Movement warm-up with Elissa, 10-10:25 am Eastern Time
Tues, May 7: Voice & Movement warm-up with Christion, 12-12:25 pm Eastern Time
Wed, May 8: Voice & Movement warm-up with Elissa, 10-10:25 am Eastern Time
Thurs, May 9: Voice & Movement warm-up with Natalie, 10-10:25 am Eastern Time
Sun, May 12: Voice & Movement warm-up with Mary, 12-12:25 pm Eastern Time
Mon, May 13: Voice & Movement warm-up with Christion, 10-10:25 am Eastern Time
Tues, May 14: Introduction to Classical Indian Music & Vocal Technique workshop with Priya Darshini, 12-1:30 pm Eastern Time
Wed, May 15: Voice & Movement warm-up with Elissa, 10-10:25 am Eastern Time
Thurs, May 16: Voice & Movement warm-up with Natalie, 10-10:25 am Eastern Time
Sun, May 19: Voice & Movement warm-up with Mary, 12-12:25 pm Eastern Time
Mon, May 20: Voice & Movement warm-up with Elissa, 10-10:25 am Eastern Time
Tues, May 21: Voice & Movement warm-up with Natalie, 12-12:25 pm Eastern Time
Wed, May 22: Voice & Movement warm-up with Christion, 10-10:25 am Eastern Time
Thurs, May 23: Voice & Movement warm-up with Elissa, 10-10:25 am Eastern Time
Sun, May 26: Voice & Movement warm-up with Elissa, 12-12:25 pm Eastern Time
Mon, May 27: Voice & Movement warm-up with Christion, 10-10:25 am Eastern Time
Tues, May 28: Voice & Movement warm-up with Elissa, 12-12:25 pm Eastern Time
Wed, May 29: Voice & Movement warm-up with Christion, 10-10:25 am Eastern Time
Thurs, May 30: Voice & Movement warm-up with Elissa, 10-10:25 am Eastern Time
Please note: Voice & Movement warm-ups are NOT recorded. Attend as you are able!
The workshop IS recorded and will be available for you on our online portal.
If you don’t consider yourself a singer but just want to sing for fun, this Community Month is a great opportunity to participate. We’ll never make you do a solo - it’s all in the comfort of your own home and just for fun!
All sessions are listed here in Eastern Time (New York). Use this time zone converter if you need help figuring out these times for you locally.
What Community Members Say...
I came into the community expecting a good, but not radically impactful experience. I was wrong. During my month in the community, I only attended one or two of the warmups per week. Maybe 6 in total. However, the impact for such little investment was amazing. I came away with a subtle but deep shift in how I process emotions. The warmups gave me an embodied knowledge of what emotion feels like for me, allowed me to reflect more deeply, and be less reactive to surrounding circumstances. I didn't even realize how much had shifted until I was reflecting after the month and realizing my reactions to a situation were very different from when I'd started the month. I will be continuing to work with the Voice Body Connection team whenever they have communities with warmups!
- Morgaine, Bookkeeping Firm Owner
My understanding of my voice, my body, and my mind (and how all three are interrelated) has deepened exponentially in this space. I had no idea just how much pain and trauma I was holding on to, or how understanding and releasing that pain would free my voice and heart. What we are doing here is so much more than physical - it’s soul work! I literally feel like I can breathe again, I can sing again, my chronic pain and anxiety have faded away, and I’m at last coming home to myself, and to my voice.
- Julia, Australia
I have gained valuable insights into the relationship between voice, body, and mind while working with Elissa and her team. Having a voice disorder - spasmodic dysphonia - keeping my voice healthy has been particularly challenging for me. Being a part of this community helped me feel more connected, confident, and accepting of myself.
- Carol Ellis, Leadership Coach, Canada
Every time I leave a warm up I feel more inspired and connected. Thank you, Elissa, for showing up with an open heart and in such a natural and sincere way.
- Inbar, Spain
Enrollment closes Sunday May 5th at 10pm Eastern Time:
JOIN US!The Instructors
Elissa Maas Weinzimmer
Elissa Maas Weinzimmer (she/her) is the founder of Voice Body Connection. She trains voice teachers, performers, speakers, and leaders to have a healthier, more embodied and confident voice. In addition to clients that include Broadway stars, television personalities, politicians, and CEOs, Elissa has led workshops for WeWork, Equinox, Microsoft, eBay, Instacart, and more. Elissa earned her MFA in Theatre Voice Pedagogy from the University of Alberta and is certified in Body-Mind Centering®, Hatha yoga, and Fitzmaurice Voicework®. Elissa is also a singer-songwriter and recording artist, and is based in New York.
Priya Darshini
Taking her roots from Indian Classical music, Priya Darshini’s (she/her) knowledge of music from all over the world has resulted in a fresh, imaginative and fascinating new sound.
Priya has collaborated with a wide range of artists from Pearl Jam; GRAMMY® Award winners Roy “Futureman” Wooten; Jeff Coffin, Philip Lassiter, Silk Road Ensemble’s Shane Shanahan; virtuoso ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro, Dave Eggar, Karsh Kale, House of Waters, and many more.
In 2020, Priya released her debut solo album – Periphery – on Chesky Records, and was nominated for the 63rd Annual GRAMMY® Award for Best New Age Album.
Based out of Brooklyn New York, Priya has sung for over a hundred television and radio commercials, as well as recorded for several award-winning and chart-topping movie sound tracks. She has been featured in several distinguished newspapers and magazines including Variety Magazine, Rolling Stone, Vogue India and more.
Christion Ty Edwards
Christion Ty Edwards (he/him) is an actor, director, singer, physical theatre artist, mask and clown performer, and teaching artist. In addition to Voice Body Connection, Christion is a candidate for certification in the VanBoxtel Method of teaching singers, SSN Transform, Yoga and Meditation teacher training, and constantly strives to better his artistry with training in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as well as Consent-Based and Trauma-Informed creative practices. Christion is an alum of James Madison University's School Of Theatre And Dance. In 2023, Christion debuted his one-man show, The Sad Life Of A Happy Man, at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in Los Angeles, which earned him a Producer's Encore Award as well as a nomination for Best Dance Production of 2023 by BroadwayWorld LA. Christion resides in the DC metro area, and is a Voice Body Connection Instructor-in-Training.
Mary McMurtery
Mary McMurtery (she/her) is the owner and founder of Radiant Voice Studio. She previously served as an online voice instructor at Creative Music Learning Center of Richland, WA, as Adjunct Voice Instructor at Western Illinois University School of Music, and as Voice Instructor on faculty of the Community Music School at Western Illinois University. Mary is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, OPERA America, The SpeakEasy Cooperative, and is a certified Soma Yoga Instructor and Neuro-Vocal Method Teacher. She holds a Master of Music degree in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College of Rider University and a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance and German from DePauw University of Greencastle, Indiana. Mary resides in Las Vegas, NV, and is a Voice Body Connection Instructor-in-Training.
Natalie Andrews
Natalie Andrews (she/her) is a voice coach, musician, teaching artist, and creative, currently living and making in Phoenix, Arizona. Natalie grew up in Louisville, Kentucky where she was very involved in the performing arts community. She earned her BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Oklahoma and has continued her voice studies through the British nonprofit Vocal Health Education. She is a 500-hr certified yoga teacher and a certified corporate voice trainer with Vocal Authority. Natalie started her own voice studio in 2014 and is on a mission to help people find more joy, curiosity, and agency in their self-expression and communication. As an actress and producer, she regularly contributes to The Bridge Initiative and is currently a Core Company Member of Southwest Shakespeare Company. Natalie is a singer/songwriter and is currently writing her first album.
Success Stories
I started attending Voice Body Connection sessions as part of a personal journey in healing from a voice disorder. I’ve learned so much about various connections between my whole body and my voice, and how to use my body to start unlocking the mental barriers that got me to this place. I will keep coming back!
- Lauren, Minnesota
It's been so powerful to have a space with people looking to integrate. So much of vocal coaching often is about the end product rather than the input. The real transformation for me in here has been looking at the cellular level and what’s coming up from within. How can I create resonance in my voice in a community, in my work, and at large? In my experience what makes Elissa and this Community extremely unique is the trans-disciplinary approach. We integrate psychology, biology, physiology all in one conversation. I could go on and on, but it’s a privilege to be a part of this community.
- Catherine, New York
Our warm-up sessions are a creative exploration in body, mind and voice unlike anything I’ve worked with before. Elissa brings together an eclectic knowledge of our physical systems with a joyful presence of being. Her teaching has brought me many insights that have spurred me along on my own path of discovery and healing.
- Sarah, Maryland