Teaching singing is an unregulated profession and therefore there are no specific singing teacher qualifications required. However, many modern singing teachers and vocal coaches partake in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses to expand their knowledge of voice pedagogy, which aids in developing their teaching skills and in turn benefits their students.
Voice pedagogy (or vocal pedagogy) is the term used for the study of singing. It covers the physical aspects of singing (e.g. anatomy of the vocal folds, posture/alignment, breathing) and its artistic features (e.g. vocal styles, vocal registration, voice classification), as well as many other interesting topics. As a singing teacher, it is important to understand the varying knowledge needed to teach different genres and/or styles of singing and, with this in mind, it is deemed essential for a prospective singing teacher to have a solid comprehension of voice pedagogy.
In a competitive industry, CPD training gives the teacher the opportunity to establish themselves and differentiate from their peers. For example, singing teachers may develop a specific method of teaching and/or choose to train a selective group of students (classical singers, musical theatre performers, etc.). Some professional voice users and vocal coaches may also wish to develop a specialist understanding of areas such as performance coaching, singing for health or vocal health (including voice disorders related to singing).
Voice Study Centre offers a wide range of online courses to aid CPD and facilitate voice pedagogy learning. There are immersive weekly short courses as well as some even more in-depth longer courses and certificates which are accredited by The Institute of Training and Occupational Learning (ITOL). We even operate our own Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme – find out more here.
MA Voice Pedagogy 🎓
To stand out in a crowded market, voice teachers are increasingly turning to specialised postgraduate research. Our master's programme (in conjunction with the University of Essex), lets you tailor your studies to your specific niche - whether that’s vocal habilitation, neuroscience, or genre-specific coaching - giving you a distinct competitive edge. Our fully online MA is available as a part-time (2-year) or full-time (1-year) course, and is tailored to allow busy professionals to study around existing work commitments.
In conclusion, although there are no set qualifications required in order to begin your career as a singing teacher, a strong understanding of voice pedagogy (and its many elements) should be regarded as necessary.
Recent Posts
After The Session
After The Session: Neurodivergence and Critical Disability Theory with Dr David Cane
Voice Study Centre
Monday 9th November 2026A recap of our session with Dr David Cane, Senior Lecturer on the Voice Study Centre MA in Voice Pedagogy, on disability and neurodivergence within the voice teaching studio. When we talk about disability and neurodivergence in voice teaching, the first thing that comes to mind is often a single question: what do I do if a disabled or neurodivergent student walks into my studio? In this session, Dr David Cane invited us to think much bigger. The teacher might be disabled or neurodivergent. So might a choir director or a colleague. The songs we teach may depict or use disability as a metaphor. Even the foundational texts of voice pedagogy carry assumptions about bodies and voices. This was a densely theoretical tour, and David was open about that. His argument was that the most important work is not a checklist of practical tips, but a rethink of what we believe teaching is for. Here are the main threads.
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After The Session
After The Session: The Vocal Health Challenges for Actors and Singers with Leda Scearce
Voice Study Centre
Wednesday 4th November 2026A recap of our two-part course with Leda Scearce, singing voice specialist and speech-language pathologist at Duke Voice Care Center in North Carolina. Over two afternoons, Leda Scearce took our community on a deep dive into the voice as a high-performance instrument. A former professional opera singer who taught at several universities before retraining as a speech-language pathologist, Leda now works with singers and other performers who have voice injuries. Her message across both days was clear: singers and actors are vocal athletes, and voice teachers are on the front lines of their vocal health. Here are the highlights from both sessions. Please note that this is a summary of a teaching session, not medical advice. If you or a student have a voice concern, see a qualified voice specialist.
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After The Session
After The Session: Feldenkrais Method® - its application in speech and song! with Marina Gilman
Voice Study Centre
Monday 2nd November 2026A recap of our session with Marina Gilman, Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, singing teacher, performer and licensed speech pathologist specialising in voice. How do we change vocal habits we don't know we have? That was the question at the heart of our latest session with Marina Gilman, and her answer was equal parts science, storytelling and gentle movement. Rather than lecturing from the front, Marina had the whole room (and everyone watching online) moving, sensing and humming along from their chairs. If you joined us, here is a reminder of what we explored. If you missed it, here is a taste of why this method has so many voice teachers talking.
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