Online Certificated Courses > Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy

Certificate In Applied Neuroscience And Voice with Voice Scientist Heidi Moss Erickson

This course is designed to provide an introduction to the neuroscience of vocalization. It aims to provide a foundation for those who are looking to fuse science with art and understand that the voice is so much more than an instrument.

Winter Immersive

13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 20th, 21st January 2026 

3-5pm London Time

  • Fully online
  • Live classes led by Voice Scientist, Heidi Moss
  • Classes will be recorded and available to watch on catch-up
  • Accredited by The Institute of Training and Occupational Learning (ITOL)
  • Upon completion of the course, you will receive an official ITOL-accredited certificate, a badge for your website/social media and a profile on our student page

Course cost: £495

Overview

 

Welcome to Voice Study Centre’s Voice Professional Certificate programme. We will be offering a series of micro-credentials to develop learning, teaching and boost your CV. This is one of them!

 

Tutor: Heidi Moss

Soprano. Scientist. Pedagogue. Heidi Moss is a quite remarkable woman. Heidi fuses her backgrounds in both music and science to provide unique and deeply fascinating courses, lectures and masterclasses that focus on the neuroscience of vocalisation and show that the voice is so much more than just an instrument.

Singing and performing has always been in Heidi’s DNA; she has performed with area companies such as West Edge Opera, Oakland Symphony, Sacramento Choral Society and the San Francisco Lyric Opera; and has garnered recognition in a number of major vocal competitions. In addition, she spent over 10 years leading the vocal physiology course at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

But in 2007, she suffered a career-ending cranial nerve injury. She lost her face, her expression, her identity. And it was in that moment that, using her medical research background and every single neuroscience paper she could find, Heidi taught herself to well and truly think outside the box of vocal pedagogy. She was determined to retrain and perform again.

Despite the partial paralysis of the right side of her face, Heidi formed the ‘M2B’ trio with soprano Ann Moss and pianist Steve Bailey, and the formation premiered at the Noe Valley Chamber Music concert series in 2011. She continues to sing and is grateful to those who have given her the opportunity to return to the stage.

Heidi invites you to join her on her incredible journey to defy prediction as she educates the next generation with power and positivity on the wonders of the brain, positivity, emotions, play and embracing new ideas about one of our oldest art forms: song. A prolific speaker and storyteller for conferences, presentations, podcasts and more, Heidi orchestrates her work with passion while always managing to deliver complex information to the listener in simple bites.

Heidi’s six-day ‘Voice Professional Certificate: Applied Neuroscience and Voice’ course runs in April 2025 and offers a great way to develop your learning and boost your CV.

This course is fully accredited by The Institute of Training and Occupational Learning (ITOL).

Upon completion of the course you will receive an official ITOL branded certificate to confirm your accreditation.

13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 20th, 21st January 2026 

Class Times: 3-5pm London Time

Why take this course?

Imagine you are an alien coming down from space and you witness a printer in action: the paper loading, the noise of the different cartridges moving, and finally a gorgeously detailed picture emerging page after page. You assume the process starts with the paper loading; the nuance of output generated within the printer mechanism itself. As an alien, you didn’t bear witness to the complex calculations made long before the paper emerged: the sea of edits, the creative inputs, and the algorithms necessary to create a beautifully formatted page. If you were to manually manipulate the components of the printer, you could never achieve the necessary detail achieved by the computer’s signal.

For centuries, singing has been observed similarly. Like the alien observing a printer, the mechanistic elements have served as the foundation to our understanding of the instrument. Pedagogues devised strategies based on the functional qualities of the singing voice, rather than how the brain organizes them. While this has proved successful, it is essential that we now include a broader lens.

Research on the neurobiological underpinnings of vocalization is growing at a rapid pace. Scientists from varied disciplines contribute to this field, elucidating the process from such diverse angles as evolutionary biology, molecular biology, genetics, neuroscience, and psychology. Singing is one of our most complex behaviors, involving coordination of more than 100 muscles, integrating our musical, emotional, and linguistic selves. Influences are derived from a looped brain-body-environment continuum and serve as the foundation for vocalization and artistic expression. It is therefore essential that singers, pedagogues, and voice scientists capitalize on this wealth of data to fully understand our instruments. An integrative view of how and why we sing can refine the art of voice pedagogy, demystify long held myths, and yield greater vocal efficiency, making singers better faster.

The goal of this course is to detail the wondrous elements of the nervous system responsible for coordinating the mechanism we know and love. It may challenge some of the previously held dogmas, but the hope is that a wider understanding of the neuroscience will inspire teachers and singers to see the voice in a new light and add novel strategies to their toolbox.

What previous participants said

"This was one of the most valuable courses I have ever attended. Heidi is a truly exceptional teacher—her deep knowledge and genuine passion for the subject were evident in every session.
For me, the course was eye-opening. I’ve completed several excellent programs in the past, but I always felt that a few pieces were missing from the bigger picture. Heidi’s course helped those pieces fall into place.
What I appreciated most was the balance between theory and practice. The course offered numerous practical applications that I was able to implement almost immediately. I can already see a difference—not only in my effectiveness as a teacher but also in the progress my students are making, thanks to the insights I gained.
I would highly recommend this course to any educator with a background in mechanistic models. It’s a powerful and inspiring extension that helps you see the whole human being in all their complexity and beauty."

  • "Very complex science was made easy to understand and apply; the lectures were very engaging and inspiring!"
  • "The most useful training I’ve done as a singing teacher."
  • "Incredibly engaging and a great balance of frequent revision and adding new concepts."

"Heidi was fantastic there was a TON of information that was all laid out clearly and the final PDF was incredibly helpful for condensing the information. I really liked how I was given new tools and information to start applying to my coaching immediately."

"Art meets science beautifully—an inspiring, enriching learning experience!"

"Heidi was an amazing instructor - it was so obvious that she's really passionate and knowledgeable about these topics. I thought that she struck a fantastic balance between theory and application, while still acknowledging the complexity of the topic. I also loved how she emphasized that our scientific knowledge is constantly growing - I think acknowledging that we don't know *everything* is one of the main characteristics of a great scientist. :)"

"A fascinating course on a complex topic - I loved it!"


"Amazing! Fantastic! Completely changes the way I think about singing and practice singing."

"I most enjoyed the detailed information Heidi supplied, her enthusiasm, passion, and organization. I also appreciated all the supplemental information."

"Inspiration, knowledge bombs, compassion, joy, and dedication."

 

"It should be a major subject for all pedagogues to balance the mechanics of vocal pedagogy."

 

"Two things: the sheer depth of knowledge and the passion with which it was delivered. I really responded to Heidi's story - her journey - and as a result, her passion for the content (which she largely pioneered) was contagious. The content itself made so much sense to me - I feel like it's fit into place a lot of questions I've had for years about my own voice and voice education broadly, and it's really impacted my both my teaching practice and my own performance significantly."


"Hugely eye-opening and rewarding."

 

"A very thorough introduction to the world of neuroscience."

 

"Overwhelming, mind-blowing and inspiring! Both theory heavy and full of practical tips."

 

"Heidi really understands learning and learning theory and provided clear structures to support the learning process."

 

"There was welcome emphasis on practical application which I loved!"

 

"The content. Fantastic."

 

How would you summarise your overall course experience in 10 words (or fewer)?

"I couldn't come up with one haha!

  • A remarkable window into the science of voice that no one else is talking about!
  • An eye-opening window into science and history - it all makes sense now!
  • Paradigm-shifting information that all singers and educators ought to consider.

 

"A great course, high standard, great teacher and I would certainly recommend it. Thanks to all🙏🏼"

 

"I enjoyed the VAST amount of info extracted from research about the topic, and the immense knowledge, enthusiastically shared from star lecturer Heidi Moss Erickson."

 

"It provided the evidence I was looking for to tie up lots of loose ends. A common sense approach."

 

"Knowing how the singing brain operates is bound to improve my teaching strategies especially in the light of what I already knew. This is the missing link."

 

"I loved Heidi‘s way of explaining and sharing complex information. Her joy, compassion and incredible knowledge are inspiring and give me a lot of motivation."

 

"I can't say enough how this has slotted into place much of my thirst for understanding voice and voice education. "

 

"It was eye-opening and so practical!"

 

"A fascinating and different perspective on why and how we use voice."

 

"I really enjoyed learning about how the brain processes while learning new information and skills. I enjoyed learning about how important rest is when learning."

Syllabus

Singing in the Brain: Course Overview

This course is designed to provide an introduction to the neuroscience of vocalization. It aims to provide a foundation for those who are looking to fuse science with art and understand that the voice is so much more than an instrument.

PART I: The Basics - General features of our nervous system Topics

Course 1

Optimizing your learning: introducing strategies for better information retention and consolidation.

  • We will explore the science behind strategies to enhance your learning experience throughout this series: rest, breath, multi-sensory engagement, and more. Learn how to learn before you learn!

Anatomy and Physiology: an overview of the parts that make the whole.

  • Just as we study the basic anatomy and physiology of our vocal mechanism, it is important to obtain a general “lay of the land” for the nervous system. This course will take you through the macro and micro of our brains and beyond.

Course 2

Universal features of all human brains: attention, prediction, and construction: the processes that dictate everything that we do, think, and feel.

  • All brains strive for homeostasis—the balance within ourselves and our environment. It is essential for survival.
  • To achieve this, we gauge our actions by interpreting inputs. These can be interoceptive (inside the body) or exteroceptive (outside the body). Many of our interpretations are incorrect!
  • Singing is a complex behaviour where the needs of different components are constantly being evaluated and re-evaluated by the system.
  • Utilizing these universal features we can better equilibrate ourselves as singers, artists, and teachers.

Course 3

The Brain-Body-Environment Continuum: an integrated system

  • As humans, we are influenced by the complex interplay of what is going on both inside and outside of ourselves. As singers, these factors can dramatically impact our instruments.
  • There are countless factors that contribute to our state. What is the influence of: Stress? Anxiety? Joy? Fatigue? Criticism? Confidence? We will explore many angles and strategies to combat ones that interfere and celebrate those that enhance our art.
  • We will also explore the impact and interplay of the neurotransmitters and neuromodulators that mediate these processes.
PART II: Singing in the Brain Topics

Course 4

The Vocal Learning Brain: how evolution made us singers

  • We share 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees. We also share a lot of social elements like laughter and mother-infant bonding. However, chimpanzees cannot speak nor sing on demand.
  • Our singing brains are more akin to songbirds through a process known as convergent evolution (e.g. sharks and dolphins).
  • By the end of this course, you will walk away with a whole new appreciation - and strategies - for singing.

Course 5

Motor learning: singing as an outlier motor behavior

  • Research in motor learning is rooted in activities very different from singing.
  • Singing is the most complex (>100 muscles in the span of milliseconds) as opposed to other motor activities (= fewer muscles recruited over a much longer time span).
  • Singing incorporates intention,affect, musicality, and communication into its motor calculations, unlike other motor behaviors. Without them, the vocal motor system misses out on a huge source of motor information.
  • Understanding the details of these differences, including order, timing, and unique location in the sensorimotor cortex, can help singers and teachers design more efficient exercises to target specific motor functions.

Course 6

“The voice is not an instrument”: reconsidering how we practice

  • By comparing and contrasting the voice with other instruments, we gain a deeper understanding of how we need to approach the voice as beyond an instrument.
  • The ideas of communication, intention, affect, play, language, and diversifying practice will be explored.

Summary, conclusion and wrap-up

Assessment

Neuroscience is complex and the assessment will focus on knowledge and understanding as well as application.

It will consist of a question-and-answer exam with a mixture of knowledge and application-based questions.

Course Details

Where will the course take place?

Online

What time will the course take place?

The course will run over six consecutive days (excluding the weekend), and you can attend it in real-time or watch it on catch-up.

Course Dates: 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 20th, 21st January 2026 

Class Times: 3-5pm London Time

Cost: £495

Class Instructor: Heidi Moss

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Interested?

If you would like to learn more about the course please complete the form below or email us at info@voicestudycentre.com

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