Ep 31 - Caelin Estrabillo - A Cappella Performance, Vocals and Breathwork

My guest today is extremely special and close to my heart — she's one of our nieces on my husband's side of the family. We've watched her grow into a smart, kind, and uber-talented young woman through the years, and she's now at UBC in Vancouver with one year left in her environmental engineering program. She'll come back to The Coolest Journey later this year to talk about her studies and the environment, but today, she's here to share a very special part of her journey: her involvement with performance, music, and breathing — and how it all culminated a few weeks ago when her UBC-based Eh Cappella group competed in a world-renowned competition in New York City. Not only will she share some stories from along the way, she'll also guide us through a few vocal and breathwork exercises that will help keep our voices toned and centered — and add a little fun to our day. Whether you sing for fun, in karaoke, in an a cappella group, or in your shower — or even if you just want to breathe a little better — this conversation is for you.Caelin shares how she transitioned from general A Cappella groups to joining the competitive ICCA team, describing the rigorous rehearsal schedule of 10 hours per week and the technical demands of maintaining precise timing and blend while performing choreographed routines. The group won the quarterfinals in Tacoma and placed first in the semifinals in San Francisco before competing in the finals in New York, where they became the first Canadian West Coast team to reach the finals. New York Finals: https://youtu.be/Alj4jXUXEAs?si=5GzOmwpaDc-zUrncCaelin explains the breathing techniques and vocal exercises the group used to prepare, including box breathing, siren exercises, and shakedown routines to stay present and centered during performances. She discusses how managing time between heavy engineering coursework and A Cappella commitments helped her develop better time management skills and reduce procrastination.