Hi, I’m Gökçe Kutsal.
I’m the author, researcher, and founder of Simple Voice Science.
More importantly, I’m a person passionate about singing.
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I help singers, actors, speakers and voiceover artists improve their vocal technique, deepen their understanding of their voice and express themselves freely so they can become the performer they want to be.
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But I am not your typical performer-turned-voice-teacher.
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My 'thing' is being an architectural acoustics expert and a voice geek, with an academic background. I like browsing the most recent scientific studies in my spare time.
What do you want to do when you grow up?
4-year-old me: Performing arts!
But life did not turn out that way :)
In fact, I got a bachelor degree in Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, then a master's degree, then a diploma in Acoustics and finally a teaching job at a university before I got serious about teaching voice.
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While I was searching for my path in life, music has always been the constant, unifying thread. My love for singing, playing the piano and composing got me into numerous bands and choirs since middle school.
In the university, I presented live radio shows on two stations as a radio host and DJ. Later on I specialised in architectural acoustics because it would allow me to combine my love for music with the physical environment by designing the sound within and between spaces.
Back to singing
At that point, I had been taking classical and jazz singing lessons for over 10 years, but still did not feel quite confident as a singer.
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A few years ago I completed the BAST Singing Teacher Training course purely to develop my own voice and understanding. Troubleshooting technical voice issues came naturally to me and over time, through word of mouth, I found myself helping more and more singers, actors and professional speakers as a vocal coach. Yet I did not feel comfortable with my existing knowledge and always wanted to learn more.
Being the voice geek that I am, I started studying contemporary voice models like Complete Vocal Technique™, Estill Voice Training™, Acoustic Vocal Pedagogy and whole-body approaches like CoreSinging®, Connected Singing and Accent Method. Along with anatomical studies, some of these models also analyse acoustics of the human voice. As I was already a singer and a part-time voice teacher, I was deeply intrigued by this approach. I wondered how I could apply my background in acoustics to my singing and coaching practice. Being the nerd that I am, I wanted to learn so much more! And thus, I ended up with an MA in Voice Pedagogy, researching the applications of acoustic analysis to the teaching studio.
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In addition to voice and acoustics, I have experience in music composition and production. Two of my postclassical and postrock inspired compositions are on streaming platforms, with more to come:
Alternatively, check them out here on this website:
What about teaching and coaching?
Well, none of it would matter if I did not understand and effectively communicate with my students and clients, which led me to pursue numerous pedagogy and coaching trainings, including:
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MA in Voice Pedagogy
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Enneagram Model Training
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ICF ACSTH Life Coaching
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ICF ACSTH Student Coaching
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ICF ACSTH Jungian Coaching
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ICF CCEU Executive and Leadership Coaching ​
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InterStrength™ (Dr. Linda V. Berens) Self-Discovery Practitioner Certification - including Cognitive Dynamics™, Interaction Styles™ and Essential Motivators™
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Mental Health Ambassador & Mental Health First Aider Certificates
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The Foundation of Trauma-Informed Care & Providing Trauma-Informed Care Certificates
And the point of this blog?
Simply, to help you out and stop the misinformation about singing and vocal technique.
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If you are interested in vocal technique or singing at all, you have probably come across some outdated or wildly inaccurate information online. Living in the age of technology and internet, I think everyone should have access to clear and scientifically proven, or at least well-researched, knowledge.
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While reading peer-reviewed articles, I frequently discover fascinating studies that might have interesting implications for vocal technique, anxiety management and performance skills. Unfortunately, they are often filled with jargon and are inaccessible to most singers and other voice users.
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My goal here is to share these findings with you in a simple, non-voice-geek-friendly manner so you can improve your vocal technique, deepen your understanding of your voice, learn better anxiety management methods and become a well-rounded performer.
My promise to you
My promise to you is that I will never give you false information (knowingly, that is) or waste your time with insubstantial advice.
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Everything I write here will be as informed or as well-researched as possible. You will be able to find credible references to all provided information.
Also, I will not endorse any methods or products. Only facts from textbooks and research studies.
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So make yourself comfortable and get ready to dive deep into voice science made simple!