Short Courses & Events / Archive

A Comprehensive Performing Arts Health Curriculum: Moving Beyond ‘Drink More Water’

Thursday 19th December 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

It is widely known singers experience voice disorders and injuries. Such injuries may be mitigated through education of vocal health concepts, and many resources exist to assist in guiding singers to competency in this area. Due to lack of awareness and knowledge of other aspects of performing arts health (PAH), singers may be at risk for non-voice related injuries as a result of their participation in singing activities.

While many singers and teachers of singing may feel comfortable talking about voice health and offering specific advice to their students such as “drink plenty of water” or “avoid yelling and screaming,” far fewer professionals feel confident in discussing other principals of performing arts health such as musculoskeletal, hearing, and mental health concepts.

Whole-person wellness is an essential element in the lives of all performing artists, and this course presentation will encompass each of the four core areas of performing arts health (neuromusculoskeletal, hearing, mental and voice health). We will explore these areas in both a broad overview format and in an immediately applicable ‘tips and tricks’ design. Examples of current research in the field will be combined with best practices for both teachers and students. Awareness and knowledge of the concepts related to performing arts health can improve performance abilities, skill acquisition, and overall well-being. Obtaining competency in application of these principals can be achieved after first being made aware of the issues and gaining knowledge of the problems and solutions. This presentation is a valuable piece in achieving performing arts health competency.

At the conclusion of this course, you will have solid information on understanding the occupational risks that surround you, the intrinsic and extrinsic factors you bring to the table, and how to help yourself navigate the internal and environmental factors affecting your occupational health and wellness.

🏷️ Price £30 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 Certificate of attendance available

Kourtney Austin

Dr. Austin is an Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She earned her Ph.D. in Performing Arts Health at the University of North Texas, and holds degrees in voice from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and music education from Northwest Missouri State University.

CPD Course Logo

Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.

Learn More

Sorry, this is an archived short course...

We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.

Vocal Health, Well-being and Hindustani Classical Music
Tuesday 2nd December 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)

Vocal Health, Well-being and Hindustani Classical Music

Dr Sunny Sandhu

Join Dr Sunny Sandhu for a 2-hour course that introduces participants to the ancient practice of kharaj exercises in the Dhrupad tradition, focusing on the deep and resonant lower octave of the voice. Through guided breathing, slow tonal exploration, and sustained notes, students will learn techniques that strengthen the vocal cords, expand range, and develop clarity and stability in sound production!

(R)evolutionary Voice Training: harnessing human instinct to accelerate vocal transformation!
Thursday 4th December 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

(R)evolutionary Voice Training: harnessing human instinct to accelerate vocal transformation!

Maddie Tarbox

Human beings and our vertebrate ancestors have been communicating via vocalization for millions of years – those sounds did not start as complex language, but as animal mimicry, acoustic cuing, and emotional primal sounds. Join Maddie Tarbox for this two hour session as she unpicks the repertoire of instinctive shortcuts that can lower cognitive load and accelerate vocal change!

Low Male Voices (LMVs): Development, Technique, and Repertoire
Tuesday 9th December 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Low Male Voices (LMVs): Development, Technique, and Repertoire

Dr Dann Mitton

Join Dr Dann Mitton for this two hour workshop where he explores the Development, Techniques, and Repertoire favoured for Low Male Voices (LMVs). Typically labelled as 'Bass' and 'Baritone', these classifications are used in classical music, choral settings, and vocal pedagogy to help determine suitable repertoire and vocal roles. In contemporary music, the distinctions are less rigid but still useful for understanding vocal range and timbre.