On Vocal Crashes, Career Lessons and Sustainable Singing

What does it really take to build a sustainable career as a performer? In this Singing Teachers Talk Ep.279, Alexa Terry is joined by performer and vocal coach Chris Killik for a warm, funny and refreshingly candid conversation about life in the performing arts. From memorable auditions and unexpected career opportunities to versatility, vocal health and the lessons that only come from experience, Chris shares stories from a career spanning musical theatre, Shakespeare, television and stages across Europe. They also explore how our priorities can shift over time, what it means to truly understand your voice, and why sometimes the most important career moments are the ones you never planned for. WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST? 0:44 What makes a good audition experience? 1:44 Auditions gone wrong 5:49 Chris’ journey into performing arts 9:29 What did higher education not teach you? 11:45 What does it mean to be versatile? 16:28 The vocal crash 26:57 Performing in the UK Vs Europe 31:16 Setting up The Educated Voice 35:30 Performing and being a Dad 38:20 The remainder of 2026 RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS Royal Academy of Music: https://www.ram.ac.uk Mary Hammond: https://www.maryhammond.co.uk Jack Shepherd Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.112 Helping Musical Theatre Singers Build a Reliable Toolbox Physio Ed: https://www.physioedmedical.co.uk Chris Johnson Vocal Coach: https://chrisjohnsonvocalcoach.com Jeremy Ryan Mossman: https://www.singingwithjmoss.com Tom Burke: https://www.tomburkevoice.com Anne Marie Speed: https://www.thevoiceexplained.com/abo... Maureen Scott Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.241 Is Your Pelvic Floor Affecting Your Voice? A Deep Dive Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.263 The Creative Juggler: Singer, Songwriter and Teacher Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.197 Backing Adele and Beyond: The Art and Craft of Backing Vocals Singing Teachers Talk - Ep. Ep.69 Understanding Pregnancy for the Singer and the Self-Employed Associated Studios: https://associatedstudios.co.uk ABOUT THE GUEST Theatre credits include: Freddie Mercury in Friday Night Fever! (O2 Arena); Wish You Were Dead (National Tour); How to Build a Better Tulip and Return to the Forbidden Planet (Upstairs at the Gatehouse); Redemption Room and Iconfidant (Online); Andrew Lloyd Webber Gala (European Tour); Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing (Park Theatre); The Wind in the Willows (Kew Gardens); Private Lives (Playhouse Theatre, Stockholm); Chicago (City Theatre Stockholm); Jesus Christ Superstar (Turku City Theatre, Finland); The Hired Man (Old Laundry Theatre); Love Story (Duchess Theatre); Ash (Arcola Theatre); Sail Away (Lost Musicals); Closer Than Ever (Cheltenham Playhouse); Closer (Helsinki Fringe); and Merrie England (Finborough Theatre). Concert credits include: Backing Singer for Elton John’s Concert for Diana (Wembley Stadium) and Chess in Concert (Royal Albert Hall). Recording credits include: 12 Tenors, Love Story and his original music. His debut song, Who Will You Burn For?, reached No. 3 on the iTunes charts. Vocal Coaching: Christopher is also a vocal coach who has studied numerous vocal methodologies, combining them into a multifaceted approach to singing. He founded The Educated Voice, running intensive courses across Scandinavia with leading West End vocal teachers. He now runs his own vocal coaching practice from his studio in Walthamstow, London. Website: http://www.chriskillik.com/vocal-coach Instagram: @christopherkillik __________________________________________________________________________________________ 🎁 FREE RESOURCE: Grab your free guide — 'How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence.' Learn how to understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice and know exactly what to do next in lessons. 👉 https://singingteacher.basttraining.c... FUTURE PODCAST SUGGESTIONS Do you have a burning question on the voice or being a singing teacher? Maybe you have a topic you want us to explore or a guest you’d like to hear from? Let us know by completing the Podcast Suggestion Form: https://forms.gle/naUum9N3unzNMPLN8 ABOUT BAST TRAINING BAST Training is here to help singers gain the confidence, knowledge, skills & understanding required to be a successful singing teacher. Whether you are just getting started, have some knowledge gaps you want to fill or if you wish to gain a singing teacher qualification, we're here for you. https://www.basttraining.com QUALIFICATION https://basttraining.s3.eu-west-1.ama... BOOK A FREE CALL http://basttraining.com/bookacall CONNECT Updates: http://bit.ly/BASTUpdates Email: info@basttraining.com Free Group:   / beasingingteacher   PODCAST Click here: https://linktr.ee/basttraining