The Voice Body Connection Community
Our fun, interactive online studio, where we gather for voice & movement warm-ups, workshops, and sing-alongs.
If you'd like to be informed when the next session enrolls, please share your details here:
WHY JOIN
The Community
A regular vocal practice allows you to "clear the pipes." Vocalizing moves energy, emotion, and experience through your system, so you feel less blocked.
Combining voice with movement encourages you to breathe deeply and get your blood flowing. Our warm-ups will get your heart rate up!
Making sound and singing with others is good for your brain. Scientific studies suggest that music can mitigate the impacts of aging by increasing cognitive reserve.*
If you're having trouble finding the time to do your vocal practice, you'll have the accountability to show up and practice with all of us. This is especially valuable for folks dealing with vocal fatigue or muscle tension dysphonia.
Using your voice is a joyful experience! Our monthly themes and workshops are designed to promote self-expression, liberation, and fun. Fair warning: sometimes things get goofy around here!
PEOPLE WHO HAVE A REGULAR PRACTICE OF MOVING & MAKING SOUND REPORT FEELING CLEARER, MORE ENERGIZED, AND MORE AUTHENTICALLY CONNECTED TO OTHERS IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES.
Susan
WASHINGTON
āI love participating in a space with others where we are all invited to share our individual sounds and make our unique joyful noises. This is helping me let go of my long ingrained pattern of "holding back" my speaking as well as singing voice. Daily communication has become so much more spontaneous and effortless!ā
Sarah
MARYLAND
āOur warm-up sessions are a creative exploration in body, mind and voice unlike anything Iāve 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.ā
WHAT YOU GET
Each Month Includes
3x/week voice & movement warm-ups
Our core offering is our twenty-five minute warm-ups, held three times per week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays), and led by Elissa, Christion, or Natalie. Warm-upsĀ are not recordedĀ so you can feel comfortable move and make sound (and maybe even make silly faces!) without worrying that someone's going to be watching you later. You are welcome to have your camera on or off, and at most times, everyone except the instructor will be on mute. Warm-ups begin and end with our somatic check-in, the Voice Body Connection Processā¢. You are not expected to attend every warm-up... drop in as your schedule allows.
A community meet & greet!
So you can get to know each other, and know that you're not alone! Meet & greets are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 12pm Eastern Time, and they are recorded. Come learn about others in the community, and share about yourself and your voice.
AĀ Voice Workshop
Each month, Elissa leads a workshop based on that month's theme. Workshops are held on the second Tuesday of the month at 12pm Eastern Time, and they are recorded. During the workshops, we also leave time for #AskElissaAnything, so bring your voice questions. This month's workshop info is below.
A sing-along
Everyone is welcome at the sing-alongs... singers and 'non-singers' alike. Singing is simply the sustaining of sound, and it's our birthright to use our voice. You'll be invited to sing with your camera on or off, and at most times everyone except Elissa will be on mute. Sing-alongs are held on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 12pm Eastern Time, and they are recorded.
A Speak-Your-Truth coaching session
Using the Voice Body Connection Processā¢, we'll discuss how to navigate a situation in your life where you need to speak your truth. Elissa will choose two to three volunteers to share about their situation, and receive feedback to support authentic communication. Speak-Your-Truth coaching sessions are held on the third Tuesday of the month at 12pm Eastern Time, and they are recorded.
The Voice Body Connection Processā¢ core training
This pre-recorded online course will be in your portal from the moment you join. It covers the seven steps of the Voice Body Connection Processā¢, the framework that we use for somatic check-ins and our Speak-Your-Truth coaching. Elissa developed this process to have a concrete method for answering the question "How am I feeling right now?" We tune into our sensations, our thoughts, our emotions, and our desires in order to understand our truth and share it with others.
Julia
AUSTRALIA
"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 - itās soul work! I literally feel like I can breathe again, I can sing again, my chronic pain and anxiety have faded away, and Iām at last coming home to myself, and to my voice."
Carol
CANADA
āI 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.ā
TheĀ Instructors
Elissa Maas Weinzimmer
FOUNDER
Elissa (she/her) is a singer, vocal health educator, presence coach, and the founder of Voice Body Connection. After suddenly losing her voice at age 21 due to a vocal hemorrhage, severe onset of acid reflux, and muscle tension dysphonia, Elissa began studying the mechanics of the human voice. Over time, she developed a unique, concrete approach that empowers performers, leaders, and speakers to optimize their voices and share them more authentically.
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 CenteringĀ®, Hatha yoga, and Fitzmaurice VoiceworkĀ®. Elissa also runs Vibrant Voice Technique, alongside David Ley. Her music is available on all platforms by searching Elissa Maas. She is based in the Hudson Valley of New York, where she leads a community singing collective and offers in-person workshops.
Christion Ty Edwards
VOICE BODY CONNECTION INSTRUCTOR-IN-TRAINING
Christion (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.
Natalie Andrews
VOICE BODY CONNECTION INSTRUCTOR-IN-TRAINING
Natalie (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.
Marilyn
NEW MEXICO
"I live in Taos, New Mexico. I live alone and enjoy my own company which can sometimes tip towards isolating, so I am very grateful for this community. I look forward to our regular sessions, feeling as if I have playmates waiting for me. We spend a brief time together but I always feel improvements afterwards (sometimes it feels as if I've just enjoyed a full body massage) and of course I appreciate including sound, and sometimes song. I'm learning more about how to use different movements and techniques throughout the day. Each of the teachers are kind, warm, welcoming, often funny, and obviously very knowledgeable. I deeply appreciate learning in such a playful, fun space and for being part of this special community."
Morgaine
OKLAHOMA
āI came into the community expecting a good, but not radically impactful experience. I was wrong. I only attended one or two of the warm-ups 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 warm-ups 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 and realizing my reactions to a situation were very different from when I'd started. I will be continuing to work with the Voice Body Connection team whenever they have communities with warm-ups!ā
Ā FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSĀ
DOES EVERYTHING IN THE COMMUNITY HAPPEN ONLINE?
IS THIS FOR SINGING OR SPEAKING?
DO I HAVE TO ATTEND ALL THE WARM-UPS? AND DO I HAVE TO HAVE MY CAMERA ON?
WHAT DO YOU DO IN THE WARM-UP SESSIONS?
HOW DOES IT WORK TO SING ON ZOOM?
IS IT WORTH JOINING IF I CAN'T ATTEND LIVE SESSIONS?
ARE THERE ANY DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE?
