Slow and Steady: Molly Marie Walsh on Small Wins, Discernment, and Too Much Choice

Host Tessa welcomes singing teacher and performer Molly Marie Walsh, a California-born UK-based musical theatre artist, close-harmony singer (The Honeybirds), Urdang faculty member, and BAST mentor. Asked what she wishes singers knew, Molly emphasises that “slow and steady wins the race”: vocal growth and mindset change come from little-and-often practice rather than quick fixes promoted by ever-present technology and online “magic” solutions. She describes reducing overwhelm by setting small, achievable tasks (e.g., in theatre history, the first assignment is simply to get and bring a book) and in voice lessons focusing on one demonstrable, repeatable concept, then integrating it into warm-ups and songs over time. They discuss the need for teacher confidence in repetition, the value of discernment on social media, and how too many choices can stop practice altogether. Molly has left social media and is reachable via https://mollymariewalsh.co.uk/ 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:04 The Big Question 02:30 Slow and Steady Growth 04:27 Teaching Small Wins 07:53 Repeating What Works 09:11 Social Media Quick Fixes 10:29 Good Content and Discernment 14:03 Too Much Choice to Practice 18:09 Finding Molly and Wrap Up   FIND MOLLY: Born and raised in California, lived and worked in New York and Philadelphia, and now over 12 years a resident and raising a family in the UK, Molly has worn many hats. As a professional Musical Theatre Performer in the US: the National Tour of DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, and productions of WHITE CHRISTMAS, 42nd STREET, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, OKLAHOMA! and INTO THE WOODS, and in the UK: Alan Menken's A CHRISTMAS CAROL, JEWISH LEGENDS, and THE MIKADO. She has been a Vocalist with a classical crossover group, ANCORA, and close-harmony Andrews Sisters trios THE MANHATTAN DOLLS (US), and THE HONEYBIRDS (UK). She has also been a creative consultant with writing team KANSLEY & LIDERT on their original musicals, CONFESSIONS and AUTUMN RHYTHM. Molly currently teaches Voice, Musical Theatre and Drama across Buckinghamshire where she lives with her fellow musician-husband, and her two children, as well as teaching Voice, vocal technique, and the History of dance and musical theatre at Urdang Academy in London. She has also just completed her final module for the BAST Level 5 Extended Diploma in Singing Teaching Skills, for whom she is now a Mentor. https://mollymariewalsh.co.uk/   The Singer's Guide is hosted by Tessa Smith. www.tessasmith.com   ---- 🤫 THE QUIET PRACTICE TOOLKIT: 3 step-by-step exercises to improve your singing without making a sound https://subscribepage.io/quiet-practice-toolkit   ---- 🤩 Tap here to learn more about the Singer's Practice Hub: www.singerspracticehub.com   🥳 Tap here to work with Tessa: www.thesingersguide.com   🎵 Music by Tessa Smith 🎙 Hosted by Tessa Smith, creator of The Self-Validated Voice and The Singer's Practice Hub.