Conversation with Leigh Folta
In this episode of Conversations with Peacock Voices, host Margaret speaks with singer and arts administrator Leigh Folta about her career path from teaching in Los Angeles to ticketing at Lyric Opera of Chicago and her current role running a discount ticketing program in the greater Boston area.
Leigh compares communicating with ticket buyers versus a board of directors, highlighting the importance of listening, translating ideas into action, and adjusting delivery based on context.
The conversation explores how breath support and physical preparation shape speaking presence, how breath functions as “punctuation,” and how these skills carry into parenting.
Show Notes
Breath, Listening, and Raising Confident Communicators: A Conversation with Leigh Folta
Host Margaret interviews Leigh Folta, a former professional choral and opera singer with vocal performance degrees. Leigh now works in arts administration running a discount ticketing program in greater Boston. Leigh traces her path from teaching lessons in Los Angeles to ticketing at Lyric Opera of Chicago, a brief move into development managing a board, and back to ticketing and organizational partnerships.
They compare communication demands across customer service and board work, emphasizing listening, translating ideas into action, and adjusting to differing motivations and expectations.
The conversation explores how posture and breath affect speaking, how breath functions as “punctuation,” and how low, supported breathing can help parents stay calm and model regulation and clear communication for children. Leigh describes intentionally speaking to her children using adult language and tone to build confidence and self-advocacy.
00:00 Welcome and Introductions
01:07 From Teaching to Ticketing
03:19 Customer Service vs Board Work
06:30 Nuance and Vocal Storytelling
09:59 How Voice Shifts by Situation
12:34 Motherhood and Speaking Style
15:07 Breathwork for Calm and Control
19:03 Breath as Punctuation in Speech
21:50 Reading Aloud and Voice Modeling
23:36 Voices And Inflection
24:32 Default Voices In Daily Life
26:17 Talking To Kids Like Adults
29:42 Baby Voice And Authority
31:34 Voice As A Physical Skill
35:16 Alexander Technique And Adaptability
40:15 Communication Skills For Any Career
41:24 Favorite Voice Anika Noni Rose
LINKS
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