We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jessica Stolte Bender. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jessica below.

Jessica , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

One of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me was when my friend Anne, her parents, and my first voice teacher, Mr. Ron Meixcell, gave me the opportunity to take private singing lessons—completely free—simply because they believed in me. Singing was always my deepest form of expression, but my passion wasn’t understood or supported at home. Somehow, these incredible people saw my talent and my need, and they made a way for me to study and grow in ways I had only dreamed of. They even convinced my parents to allow it, advocating for me when I didn’t know how to advocate for myself.

That gift changed my life. It set me on the path that eventually led me to become a voice teacher and performance coach myself. Because of their kindness, I now do for others what they did for me—help singers step into their power, find their voices, and be truly seen and heard.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a transformational vocal coach, singer, and performer with over 24 years of experience teaching voice. My journey into this field started in the 5th grade when I first fell in love with singing, but it wasn’t always an easy path. As a child, I experienced deep emotional trauma from my parents’ divorce and relentless bullying, which led to severe stage fright and performance anxiety. For years, I struggled with feeling safe enough to share my voice. But through personal growth, deep inner work, and years of honing my technique, I overcame my fears and now help others do the same.

Today, I specialize in coaching women singers—typically beginners or intermediate-level vocalists who love to sing but feel held back by anxiety, self-doubt, or past trauma. Many of my clients have little to no training or have had bad training that left them disconnected from their voices. Some are exploring their voice for the first time, while others are already performing but feel blocked from fully expressing themselves. What makes my coaching different is that I don’t just teach vocal technique—I combine western vocal training with mindset work, transformational coaching, breathwork, and somatics to help my clients release emotional and physical tension. It’s not just about singing; it’s about feeling safe, free, and confident in their voices and their lives.

I offer a 12-week hybrid coaching program that includes one-on-one sessions and group technique masterclasses, all leading up to an optional recital where clients can celebrate their growth. I’ve seen incredible transformations—clients who once couldn’t sing in front of a single person now perform with joy and confidence. Some even realize through this work that their voice matters in every area of life, from setting boundaries to sharing their opinions.

What I’m most proud of is seeing my clients break free. When a woman who once shrank in fear suddenly stands tall, sings with power, and realizes, “My voice is worthy,” that’s everything. My mission is to help women reclaim their voices, both in music and in life, because everyone deserves to be heard, understood, and valued.

If you’ve ever felt like your voice doesn’t matter, that you’re not “good enough” to sing, or that fear is holding you back, I want you to know—your voice is powerful. And I’d love to help you set it free.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience has been the foundation of my entire journey. When it comes to my voice—whether singing, performing, or coaching—I’ve never taken “no” for an answer. From a young age, I knew I was meant to sing, but the road wasn’t easy. I battled intense stage fright, dealt with parental objections, faced social pressure, navigated educational challenges, and wrestled with my own self-doubt. But no matter what obstacles stood in my way, I always found a way to sing.

I remember a time when my fear of performing was so strong that my body would shake before stepping on stage. Everything in me wanted to run. But I refused to let fear have the final say. Instead of giving up, I dug deep, did the inner work, and kept showing up—even when it was terrifying. That same determination carried me through every challenge, from pursuing vocal training when resources were scarce to building a coaching business when I didn’t have a blueprint to follow.

Now, I get to help other women break through their own fears and limitations. I know what it’s like to feel silenced by anxiety, but I also know what’s possible on the other side. And that’s why I do this work—because if I could find my voice through it all, I know my clients can too.

Have you ever had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots in my life came when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. At the time, I had just completed my master’s degree at 35, participated in a summer program, and was fully immersed in auditioning in New York. I was on the path to becoming a professional opera singer—performing was going to be my life.

Then, life had other plans. I was 10 weeks pregnant with my first little boy when I made my Carnegie Hall debut. It was a moment that should have been the start of everything I had worked toward, but instead, it became the catalyst for a massive shift. I realized that the demanding, unpredictable lifestyle of an opera singer wasn’t going to align with the kind of mother I wanted to be. It was a difficult and deeply emotional decision, but I chose to pivot.

Instead of giving up on music, I found a way to stay connected to it—through teaching and coaching. And what I discovered was that helping others find their voices was just as fulfilling as using my own. That shift led me to the work I do today, empowering women singers to overcome fear, reconnect with their voices, and share their gifts with the world.

Looking back, I see that pivot not as a loss, but as a redirection toward something even more meaningful. I still perform, but my true calling is in helping others break free and step into their power—because our voices are meant to be heard, no matter what path we take to share them.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @jsbvoice1 – https://www.instagram.com/jsbvoice1/
• Facebook: JSB Voice – https://www.facebook.com/jsbvoice1/

Image Credits

Head shot taken by Camile Arnone of Ciao Bella Photos.