Michelle Shuttleworth Towler Voice Studio

Some of the most talented people I work with get in their own way… and it’s often because of one of their best qualities: they work hard.

Powering through, pushing past discomfort, putting in the hours… these are traits anyone would admire. And they serve you in so many areas of life.

But voice doesn’t respond to brute force. It responds to effort that’s aware, precise, anchored, and flowing with your body.

You can still give it everything—and more—by learning to channel that energy in a way that allows your voice to shine. That’s exactly what I help people do.

He asked what I do. I said, “I’m a singing teacher.”

Without missing a beat, he said,
“Oh, you’d never want to hear me sing.”

That was my ENT—the doctor who knows the voice inside and out—looking at my vocal cords. And yet, instinctively, he pre-shrunk his own voice.

I hear this all the time:
“I can’t sing.”
“You wouldn’t want to hear me.”

We don’t do this with other skills. No one apologizes when meeting a tennis instructor or contractor. But the voice feels personal, vulnerable, exposed—and somehow, we shut it down before anyone even hears it.

But you probably did sing at some point. We expect kids to sing freely. Most of us did—loudly, without hesitation.

Somewhere along the way, we started thinking only certain voices are “good enough,” and we apologize for ours.

Here’s the truth: singing is a skill you can reclaim. And training it isn’t just about sounding good—it builds:

Control, clarity, and expression
Confidence and presence
Alignment between what you think and what you say
Authority and trust

That natural, free voice you had as a child? It’s still in there. You just have to give yourself permission to bring it back.

Even professional voices have weird days. If you use your voice a lot, you know this one.

You warm up and pretty quickly realize… things feel junkier than usual. Not as responsive. Stuff that’s usually easy is suddenly not as reliable. And if you’re not used to that feeling, it can throw you.

It’s really tempting to panic a little—or start pushing to try to get things “back.” But that’s not really how experienced singers handle it.

At a certain point you realize your voice just isn’t the same every day. It’s affected by sleep, stress, hydration, allergies, fatigue—all of it. So when something feels off, the move isn’t to force it.
It’s more like— okay, what am I working with today? And then you adjust from there. You massage and release tension. You shift alignment. You make different vocal choices.

Because the real skill isn’t “My voice feels amazing today and that's why I can sing.” It’s “My voice feels off… and I know how to sing to the best of my ability with the instrument I have right now.”

That’s a very different level of control.

Ever notice your voice holding back — even when you know you can sing the phrase or music?

I see this all the time in my studio, from beginners to Broadway professionals. And usually, it has nothing to do with technique.

There’s a part of your brain I call the “Bulldog.” Its job? To keep you safe — protect you from embarrassment, criticism, or failure. And like any loyal companion, it loves you and only wants what’s best for you.

When a sound feels risky, the Bulldog steps in and says: “Let’s play it safe.” That’s when singers and professional voice users start to hold back, shrink their sound, or swallow the note. Not because they can’t sing — but because their brain is doing its job.

Here’s the good news: in training, we teach the Bulldog it’s safe to let go. Through targeted exercises, mindful sound exploration, and small, controlled challenges, we gradually lower the guard, restore freedom, and let the real voice show up. Strong, confident, and fully expressive.

Your voice is capable. Sometimes it just needs permission and practice to step forward.

Now is the time to see what that voice of yours can do! Train with a compassionate, knowledgeable and enthusiastic expert who can help your voice reach its full potential!

What am I always saying?!

Why singing is good for your brain, even if you are no Beyoncé If there is a song in your soul, sing it out loud - whether in your car on your morning commute or at karaoke with friends. It’s okay if you are not the next Beyoncé. Making music - even if we aren’t especially good at it - can still be good for us.Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the ...