Studio Sessions: Why Singing At 80% Should Be Your New 100% With Rachel Beasley
Rachel came into the studio with a strong foundation—tons of stage experience, and a voice that could go. But the moment we started coaching, I noticed something a lot of experienced singers struggle with: too much, too fast.
She’d start a phrase at 20%, then by the pre-chorus she was at 90%—and there was nowhere left to go. Her voice wasn’t tired yet, but it was working way harder than it needed to and would definitely be tired by the end of the song…
That’s where we started: volume control, air pressure, and how to stay powerful without pushing.
Meet Rachel
Rachel’s been singing since forever—literally says she “came out of the womb singing.” She studied music education in college, then shifted into rock, pop, and R&B after graduating. She’s done everything from musical theatre and show choir to singing in gospel groups and bands around her city.
She’s based in Indianapolis and has a huge passion for studio work—especially background vocals and harmony stacking. Rachel’s goal is to eventually tour as a background vocalist and do more session work, but she’s still figuring out the next step. She’s incredibly versatile, super coachable, and one of those voices that can blend or lead depending on what the moment calls for.
“I love being in the studio,” she told me. “Background vocals, session work—that’s where I come alive.”
Getting Out of the Volume Trap
The first thing we did was reduce the effort. Rachel tried the “puffer fish” exercise—singing with almost no volume and tons of air to exaggerate how much pressure she was using. We scaled it back, taught her how to feel the back pressure without squeezing, and introduced gentle back-of-mouth control to help her larynx stay released.
What we looked for:
Less compression in the breath
Just enough back pressure to activate the cords
No extra muscle tension in the lips, abs, or neck
Once that clicked, we brought in the “Sisi” exercise to experience her voice in a strong mix without getting overly loud or yelly. That one worked like a charm—especially when Rachel added a small mouth shape. It gave her tone clarity without the push.
“It felt good,” she said. “It didn’t sound yelly. I could do this for three hours.”
That’s the feeling we want. Clear, confident tone—without the fatigue.
Using Movement to Release Pressure
Rachel naturally wanted to build energy in the second verse (which is great!), but started to feel like she was squeezing for it. So instead of “building,” we focused on consistency.
Just because the song gets more intense doesn’t mean your body has to work harder. We added tiny physical movements—head nods, hand shifts—to keep the nervous system relaxed. Movement kept the body from locking up, which made space for the airflow to do its job.
We also used:
A light pulse exercises to get out of the punchy phrasing
Shaking the head side to side to break up neck tension
Relaxed sighs in the chorus to keep tone from peaking too early
The Bridge and Beyond: High Notes with Less Lift
Later in the song, Rachel hit the bridge section and high chorus, where her instinct was to lift and push. Totally natural—but not necessary.
We added more “Sisi” to shape her breath into a supported mix, and tried the same phrase in a lower key to show how the body could memorize the coordination without strain. That lower-key version gave her the feedback she needed. Then she went back to the original key—and nailed it.
“That actually sounded more powerful—even though I felt like I was using less,” she said.
That’s exactly the goal - getting a better result with less effort to make it more sustainable.
Final Adjustments
By the end, Rachel was singing with more control, less effort, and better tone. The biggest win? Her mouth stopped compensating. She had been overworking her articulators—jaw, lips, tongue—to get sound out. With less pressure and better breath strategy, she didn’t have to “sell” the note anymore. She could just sing it.
We finished with head voice work, open-larynx exercises, and a light humming scale to cool down and bring more balance into her voice after such heavy lifting.
Final Thoughts
More power doesn’t always mean more effort. Rachel learned how to pull back just enough to stay in control—and found she didn’t lose power at all. In fact, her voice sounded clearer, stronger, and more artistically free.
This kind of transformation doesn’t come from pushing. It comes from trusting your voice—and learning how to make it work for you, not against you.
🎧 Want to watch how it all came together?
Catch the full coaching session here
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