Authentic Voice Academy
The nervous system re-training class to transform your confidence on stage, on camera, and in your life.
If you have overwhelming nerves…
If you get stuck in your head…
If you hide, when you truly want to be seen…
CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.
In the nine lessons of Authentic Voice Academy, you’ll learn tools for identifying and moving between nervous system states, so you can show up in front of others with genuine presence and authenticity.
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Your nerves aren’t bad
You’ve heard this… that “nerves are the same as excitement,” and if you just think positively, you’ll be able to present or perform with enthusiasm and ease.
The problem, though, is that your nerves want to move. They need to be channeled in a productive way. And if you don’t know how or where to channel them, it’s really easy to feel stuck.
Then there’s the problem of self-monitoring. Becoming consumed with reminding yourself to smile, being sure you’re loud enough, and implementing that other note your teacher / mentor / coach / friend gave you.
PLUS if you’ve got to remember what to say! An especially big task if you’re memorizing, but also a big deal if you’re speaking impromptu. God forbid you have that moment where your mind goes blank while everyone is looking at you.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE’S ONE SOLUTION TO ALL THESE CHALLENGES:
Understand where to put your focus and how to channel your nerves, so you can change your nervous system state.
Because in a moment of panic or freeze, you won’t have easy access to what you want to say, and how you want to say it.
But when you’re in a state of presence with yourself and your audience, your nerves dissipate, your body remembers your rehearsal, and you authentically know what to say.
INTRODUCING
Authentic Voice Academy
A nine-lesson course to learn tools for identifying and moving between nervous system states, so you can show up in front of others with genuine presence and authenticity.
THIS IS NOT A CLASS OF DO’S AND DON’TS.
It’s a step-by-step method to expand your capacity and free your voice. We’ll explore your defaults around eye focus, body language, breathing, vocal inflections, and state of listening. When you understand how to assess where you are, and how to get somewhere else (quickly and easily!), it becomes a joy to show up in front of others and share your message.
THE LESSONS
LESSON 1
What is an authentic voice?
What is authenticity anyway? And how do we achieve it? In this first session we’ll establish our guidelines for the course, and learn a core practice for centering ourselves. We’ll also cover the Voice Body Connection Process™, a method that starts with a somatic check-in to help us understand what we want to say.
LESSON 2
How do we change our habits?
This lesson covers Elissa’s version of the Unconscious Competence model, a groundbreaking way to understand why we develop habits, and how we can change them (if we choose to!). Habit change takes more than just practice… we also have to learn how to let go of our attachment to getting it right.
LESSON 3
What if our nerves aren’t bad? (Models for understanding the nervous system)
Here’s the core of our course - how our nervous system works, and how we can re-pattern it. We’ll cover the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system, and Polyvagal Theory (including ways it’s been refuted, and how it can still be useful). We’ll also learn the colors of Char Kasza’s Color Wheel.
LESSON 4
What if we’re already great at being present?
Spoiler alert: You are, in fact, already great at being present. So if you’re losing access to presence when the spotlight is on you, there are ways to get back to what you already know. We’ll cover mindfulness practices, as well as Patsy Rodenburg’s Second Circle, as tools to help you understand how to use your focus to come back into full presence.
LESSON 5
Free your body language & breathing
Now we get into the practical applications of all our knowledge. You’ll learn techniques for eye focus (so important!!), body language, and breathing that are game-changers in transforming your nervous system state. By the end of this lesson, you’ll know how to breathe when you’re nervous, and what to do with your hands.
LESSON 6
Free your voice
We’ll cover how your vocal folds and resonators work, so that you have clear tools to change the quality of your voice. You may default monotone, high-pitches, or a sing-songy cadence. Or perhaps you want to reduce your upspeak or vocal fry. We’ll cover tools to expand your pitch variability so your vocal inflections match your authentic intention.
LESSON 7
Clarify your message
If you struggle with what to say, this lesson will bring all of our delivery tools together and apply them to content. And this lesson is extra special… you’ll learn the only question you need to be asking yourself while performing or presenting. If you take away one thing from this course, this will be it!
LESSON 8
Memorize without turning into a robot
So many of us sound totally different when we’re reading versus speaking impromptu. In this lesson you’ll learn how to approach text and memorization with your right brain, so you really connect to what you’re saying, and your delivery feels fresh and authentic.
LESSON 9
Putting it into practice!
In this final session, Elissa coaches the students at the live filming. In future live sessions held on Zoom, you’ll have the opportunity to coach with Elissa, too.
ANNUAL LIVE COHORTS
Once a year, we gather a cohort so students have an opportunity to move through the lessons together and get live feedback from Elissa. We plan on holding a new cohort in Fall 2026. In the meantime, you’re invited to enroll in class and work through the course videos on your own time. Once you own Authentic Voice Academy, you'll be able to participate in all future live cohorts for no additional fee!
TAKE IT FROM THE STUDENTS...
ABOUT
Elissa
INVESTMENT
Full Price
$799 USD
6 Monthly Payments of $143 USD
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
A nine-lesson course to learn tools for identifying and moving between nervous system states, so you can show up in front of others with genuine presence and authenticity.
You'll be able to participate in all future live cohorts for no additional fee!
We offer a discount for BIPOC folks, as well as artist and economic scale scholarships. Please read the FAQs below for information.
CREDITS
Authentic Voice Academy was filmed in July 2025 at Balance Arts Center in New York City.
GREAT THANKS TO:
Carlos Chiossone, videographer and editor, and the crew Gabriela Belisario and Héctor Parada
The Voice Body Connection team: Christion Ty Edwards and Sam Cooper
The staff of Balance Arts Center: Ann Rodiger, Maggie Brockman, et al
And the students: Michael Einbinder-Schatz, Danielle Farage, Molly Godfrey, Janet Hoffmann, Florian Kiniffo, Dorothy Krauss-Eisenpress, Jovel Roystan, and Nicole Weiss
