The A-Z of VSC in 2023!

With the year drawing to a close, we thought it'd be nice to reflect on all of its highlights in one place. So, we've put together this all-encompassing A-Z guide which both celebrates what has gone by and looks forward to what's to come. We hope you like it and see you all in the new year!

A is for… Acoustics

Dr Jeremy Manternach, Jan Svec and Gökçe Kutsal all delivered informative and insightful short courses on acoustics this year.

B is for… Breathing

Breathing remains a hot topic in voice pedagogy and was a focus of a number of our short courses this year, including those by Dr Bridget Sweet, Jeanie LoVetri and Angelika Nair.

C is for… Certificates

Certificates of attendance are available for all short courses and a total of 84 have been issued as part of our Voice Professional CPD Award Scheme alone!

D is for… Development

We are committed to championing continuing professional development (CPD) through our multi-course bundles, which allow you to save money while purchasing 5, 10 or 15 course credits at once.

E is for… Experts

We have hosted a total of 62 global guest speakers and experts from all fields of voice this year, and there are plenty of new faces already planned for 2024!

F is for… Foundation Course

Our Foundation Course Programme continues to provide a pathway to those potential students who have not undertaken a formal degree or equivalent.

G is for… Gender-Affirming

Gillie Stoneham hosted an ‘Introduction to Voice Coaching for Trans and Gender Diverse People’ in October, and we are looking forward to her six-week certificated course starting in January 2024!

H is for… (Singing for) Health

Our singing for health courses keep up with the latest research in the field, not least Professor Stephen Clift’s ‘Singing for Health Practitioner: An Evidence-Based Perspective’ certificate, which ran during November and December this year.

I is for… In-Person Events

From the 21^st – 23^rd June, two in-person events were held in Newcastle, UK and hosted by Senior Lecturer Kerrie Obert with help from some special guests!

J is for… Juncos

Throughout 2023, VSC Ambassador Dr David Juncos has delivered valuable performance psychology courses focusing on the likes of Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) and Compassion Focused Training (CFT).

K is for… Kerrie

Our very own Senior Lecturer Kerrie Obert hosted two versions of her ‘Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy’ this year, and the course will run again (over 11 weeks) in early 2024.

L is for… Lecturers

Our MA Voice Pedagogy programme would not run without the expertise and dedication of our superlative lecturing team, comprising experienced professionals with specialisms in many different areas of voice. Claire Thomas is the newest member of the team, having joined in September.

M is for… Master’s

Accredited by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, our MA Voice Pedagogy is fully online and available to study internationally. We have warmly welcomed 64 students onto the pathway this year, while a further 39 completed their studies with us.

N is for… Neuroscience

The six-week ‘Certificate in Applied Neuroscience and Voice’ with Heidi Moss Erickson (Sept-Oct) produced some fantastic results and we look forward to more neuroscience-based courses in the new year.

O is for… Online Courses

Combining all of our weekly short courses and longer ITOL-accredited certificated courses, we have hosted over 250 hours of video content this year!

P is for… Practicum

VSC Ambassador Dr Kari Ragan’s six-week ‘Voice Teacher Practicum Certificate’ (Oct-Nov) gave a small group of singing teachers the opportunity to receive valuable verbal and written feedback from a world-renowned voice pedagogue.

Q is for… Queering Vocal Pedagogy

‘Queering Vocal Pedagogy: Affirming Trans and Genderqueer Singers’ with Dr Wiliam Sauerland (14^th March 2024; 5-7pm UK time) is just one of many short courses coming up in 2024.

R is for… Research

Research is an integral part of our MA Voice Pedagogy programme and many of our other courses. Our content is continuously expanding to encompass all the latest emerging areas of voice research.

S is for… Students

Our MA Voice Pedagogy programme also would not run without our wonderful students, who join the pathway from far and wide. We currently have 271 students from over 30 countries enrolled (correct as of December 2023).

T is for… Trauma-Informed

Our ‘Trauma-Informed Voice Professional Level-4 Certificate’ with Dr Elisa Monti can be started at any time (open enrolment) and is three months in duration.

U is for… Universal reach

In addition to all of our global MA students, participants from over 60 countries attended our online short courses in 2023! These included Australia, South Korea, Peru, Kenya and even the Indian Ocean island of Réunion!

V is for… Voice

This list wouldn’t be truly complete without a nod to the wondrous and complex instrument that is the human voice!

W is for… World Voice Day

For World Voice Day 2023, we hosted ‘The Transient Theory of Human Voice Production’ with Dr Julian Chen as a free-to-attend course as part of the celebrations. Watch this space for 2024!

X is for… E(X)cellence

We are always celebrating and championing the academic, professional and personal achievements of all our students. If you have a success story to share, please get in touch!

Y is for… Young voices

This year’s short courses from Olivia Sparkhall have shone a light on young voices and working with children, exploring vocal health tips, warm-ups and more.

Z is for… Zoom

All our courses are fully hosted (and recorded) online on Zoom, allowing you the chance to catch up at your leisure should you be unable to attend in real time.