News / Student & Alumni News

MA Voice Pedagogy student May Oskan presents twice at APME online conference

Friday 26th January 2024

It is with great delight that we can announce that current MA Voice Pedagogy student May Oskan recently presented not one but two papers at the Association for Popular Music Education’s (APME) 3rd Annual Graduate Student Conference, which took place online on 19th and 20th January 2024.

May’s first paper – Fear No Sound: Exploring Pedagogies for Rough Vocal Effects (RVEs) in Popular Music – offers a working model for teaching rough vocal effects (such as screaming, growling and vocal distortion), integrating current research, video resources and firsthand training experience.

May’s second paper – Vocal training experiences and perceptions among adult Professional Contemporary Gig Singers (PCGS) – features a mixed methods study examining the self-reported experiences, needs and perceptions of gig singers in order to explore the question of how voice teachers can best support working and aspiring professionals.

Our warmest congratulations, May!

May Oskan

May Oskan teaches voice, musicianship, and songwriting from her private studio in Oakland, California and has designed curriculum and workshops for several other vocal studios as well...


Recent Posts

After The Session

After The Session: Doubles and Stacks, Reverbs and Effects: Teaching Vocal Production Skills

Voice Study Centre
Wednesday 23rd September 2026

For many vocalists and voice teachers, the world of digital audio workstations (DAWs), hardware, and studio processing can feel like forbidden territory. Yesterday, Voice Study Centre hosted a hands-on, practical short course led by Kelly Hoppenjans (voice teacher, and PhD candidate in musicology at the University of Michigan), designed specifically to break down these technological barriers and empower singers to approach vocal production creatively, playfully, and confidently - so what did we learn?

Read More...
After The Session

After The Session: Games & Gadgets: Unlocking Vocal Skills Through Movement and Play🎤✨

Voice Study Centre
Tuesday 15th September 2026

Vocal technique isn't just about standing still in front of a piano and doing scales - it's an interactive, whole-body experience! In a fantastic workshop hosted by the Voice Study Centre today, Naomi Lewandoski (Northside Voice Studio, Australia) led us through an engaging session on how physical movement, somatic awareness, and everyday "gadgets" can transform vocal training.

Read More...
Student Interviews

Could a Harmonica Have a Place in the Voice Studio?

Voice Study Centre
Tuesday 8th September 2026

What does a harmonica have to do with the human voice? For harmonica performer and music educator Shima Melvin, this question became the starting point for her postgraduate research with the Voice Study Centre. While developing her approach to teaching harmonica, Shima found herself struggling to explain exactly what was happening inside the instrument when she played. The mechanics of the harmonica were, in a sense, invisible.

Read More...