I spent over a decade perfecting my vocal technique...
only to realize it completely disappeared the moment
I stepped on stage.
That's when I learned: Performing under pressure is a completely different skill than practicing alone.
It's how I ended up specializing in mental training for musicians. Because someone needed to teach what most conservatories don't.
And I believe every musician who's mastered the technique deserves to perform with the same ease and freedom they feel in the practice room.
Hi, I'm Gökçe Kutsal — performance coach for professional musicians and singers. I'm based in Scotland, and work with clients across Europe, the UK, North America, and Australia.
MA in Voice Pedagogy + Multi-Certified Coach + ACT Practitioner
Creator of The Confident Musician Method™
I work with opera singers, orchestra musicians and audition candidates, conservatory students, returning performers, and professional popular vocalists and instrumentalists working through performance anxiety, perfectionism, or career transitions.
Practical, evidence-based performance coaching for musicians who want to perform with their full ability when it matters, without pretending the nerves and self-doubt aren't there.
How it all began...
I'd studied singing for over ten years, finished course after course, and practiced more than most people around me.
But I was so terrified of making an ugly sound or looking ridiculous that I avoided performing whenever I could. Even in front of a teacher or my bandmates (and definitely not in front of an audience).
My technique, which I had spent years perfecting, went out the window the second I stepped on a stage.
I'd hear this voice in my head, criticizing every single thing I did or didn’t do... while making sure I noticed every bored or unhappy face in the crowd.
Frankly, coming down with the flu was preferable to performing in front of an audience.
So I kept singing, but only where it felt safe: In the practice room, at home, anywhere nobody was listening or judging (except for cats, of course... they always judge).
And if you made it through that and became a professional musician anyway, you know that it takes more than most people realize.
That critical inner voice had stolen all of my joy of performing.
And I don’t want that to happen to you.
What I tried...
I thought that more lessons, new teachers (or ENTs, since something must be physically wrong), new gadgets (like straws!) and every science-based voice model I could find would bring me closer to perfect technique.
Because once you have perfect technique, you are invincible, right?
But the shaky breath support and that judgmental inner voice did not go away even when I practiced the same phrase for seven years.
It wasn’t until I studied coaching and voice pedagogy that I realized these symptoms were pointing to a bigger issue...
One that would not lessen despite endless hours in the practice room.
It’s an issue that is rarely discussed, never admitted to, even stigmatized in professional circles.
The real problem...
Shhhh! We don’t talk about it!
The cut-throat nature of our industry, the culture of ruthless criticism, and the ever-present idea that “you’ve got to have a thick skin to succeed” make it feel dangerous to admit weakness.
So we don’t. Sometimes, not even to ourselves.
We suppress difficult thoughts and emotions, pretending they do not exist, just to get through a performance or lesson.
And when suppressing is not enough, we try meditation, yoga, hypnosis, talk therapy, herbal aids, visualization, ‘record & critique’, desensitization through frequent performance…and when all else fails, beta-blockers or a glass of wine.
Frankly, I had long given up on a performance career by the time I got into teaching, both at the university as a lecturer and privately as a voice teacher. I wasn’t even planning to work with performance anxiety… until I started noticing its impact on my students.
The breaking point...
I saw far too many brilliant, sensitive, inspiring artists who were struggling to survive in overly competitive environments, with training that can be much harsher than it needs to be.
I saw them losing their love for music, their self-esteem, and confidence in their abilities, and heard them wondering (just as I had) if they were not cut out for this and should quit before things got worse...
This is not what performance is about.
This is not the return that our art and craft should give us.
What I Found...
So I went looking. I kept taking courses long after I'd started teaching, and studied all sorts of coaching approaches, finding something useful in each one.
The ones that stayed with me are Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), DBT skills, self-compassion and solution-focused coaching, alongside everything voice pedagogy taught me about how the mind and body behave under pressure.
Together, they help musicians:
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Notice the critical voice without taking orders from it
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Make practice kinder, and more useful at the same time
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Bring their attention back to the music when the worry starts spiraling
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Get through the hardest moments on stage without making things worse
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Reconnect with why they started, and let that steer their choices
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Know what to do next, in the practice room and on the day
Over the years, all of this came together into The Confident Musician Method™.
And stepping back from the industry gave me a fresh perspective on how unnecessarily destructive it can be.
Okay, I know what you are wondering:
Did I turn my life around and get back to performing after discovering how to manage the anxiety and perfectionism?
No, though only because my life is even more fulfilling now as a musician coach.
The truth...
My search had begun with a single question:
How do I help my singing students with performance anxiety?
Because I believe that performance anxiety should not be an inevitable burden that comes with being a pro.
The self-doubt, the catastrophizing, the trouble focusing, avoiding auditions, putting off practicing until the very last minute...
In performing arts circles, you might have been told these mean you lack resolve, willpower, or self-discipline.
But they're learned patterns. And with intentional practice, learned patterns can be replaced.
That's why willpower, more technique, self-medicating or avoiding performances rarely solve it. What helps is:
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Acceptance over avoidance
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Staying with what's happening now (you know, instead of worrying about the past or the future like we usually do)
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Looking at old stories and beliefs
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Clarifying your core values
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Building a clear plan of action
This is where I start with every client.
Gökçe understood where I was coming from and had wonderful tools and techniques to help me go after my true passion. She encouraged me to not let my doubts convince me I should stop performing. My nerves were leading me that way and in the end I now identify a better way to approach those situations.
I'd come to a place where I was questioning whether I even was a performer as the nerves ruined it for me. It turns out I 100% am, but need to be led by my values, not fears.
– Jasmin H. (Voice Teacher & Performer)
Here are a few things you should know about me:
I live in my childhood dream country, Scotland.
And yes, like every expat in the UK, I do occasionally complain about the weather (secretly, of course!).
Funnily enough, archery is the one place I do even better when people are watching (unlike music).
I'm still working out what that says about me.
My housemates are two judgmental cats who join in whenever I sing (and they cannot even sing in tune) and a metalhead partner (this one can carry a tune, but he chooses to growl anyway).
My biggest first world problem is that there will always be more books on my shelf than time to read them.
I know, I know, life is hard.
I am a tea addict with a strong preference for Earl Grey.
But lately I've developed a taste for some kinds of coffee. It is still a work in progress though.
My favorite pastime activity is composing genreless instrumental music.
If you enjoy cinematic, post-classical or post-rock, check it out:
My training and credentials (in a nutshell)
I've been teaching and coaching since 2017, as a university lecturer, voice teacher and musician coach.
Along with:
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Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) practitioner certification, plus coaching supervision
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ACT for ADHD, ACT for Autism: A Neuroaffirming Approach, and ACT for Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) courses
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BAST - Be a Singing Teacher course
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Breathwork, Mindfulness and Meditation teacher trainings
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DBT Skills course
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ICF ACSTH Jungian Coaching, Life Coaching and Student Coaching certifications
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InterStrength™ Self-Discovery Practitioner Certification
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Mental Health Ambassador and Mental Health First Aider courses
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Neurodiversity in the Voice Studio, Understanding and Working with Autistic Clients, and Trauma Informed Teaching courses
These trainings, along with my background as an acoustics consultant, university lecturer, singer, composer, and former live radio broadcaster, have shaped my approach.
But it wasn’t until I completed my MA in Voice Pedagogy that I fully committed to coaching musicians.
Because all the technique in the world won't get you far if nerves, worry and self-doubt are standing in the way.
And I want you to become the confident, free, and joyful performer you want (or need) to be.
Speaking, Writing, Guesting, Belonging
Workshops & Courses:
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Bilkent University
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Gina Marie Hudson - Gina’s Lab
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Izmir University of Economics
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Kadir Has University
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Newcastle University
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Sonya Matoussova - Cello Realm Academy
Conferences:
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Institute of Acoustics (IOA) Acoustics 2024
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International Symposium for Performance Science (ISPS) 2023
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British Voice Association (BVA) Voice Forum 2021
Podcasts & Interviews:
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Create From The Source with Katja Maria Slotte
Memberships:
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Association of Teachers of Singing (AOTOS)
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British Voice Association (BVA)
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Institute of Acoustics (IOA)
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Musical Work Owners Society (MESAM)
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The Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain (RSM)
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TMMOB Chamber of Interior Architects
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Turkish Acoustical Society (TAKDER)