Short Courses & Events / Archive

A Critical Overview of Perceptual Motor Learning: Coaching Implications

Wednesday 23rd April 2025, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM (London Time)

Perceptual motor learning (PML) theory is characterised by the convergence of perception and action. PML focuses on how we teach, not what we teach, in order to optimise learning and ultimately, performance.

This short course will outline strategies for teaching and coaching with both long- and short-term goals in mind. These strategies have been adapted for the voice from motor learning theory and the Alexander Technique.

Specific topics discussed will include:

  • How we learn: A quick overview
  • Relevance of motivation
  • Optimising practice strategies
  • Perception and sensory feedback
  • Tactics to interrupt and break injurious habits
  • Developing customised practice guidelines
  • Locus of attention
  • Intrinsic and extrinsic feedback
  • Matching extrinsic feedback to students’ level and goals
  • Coaching modifications preceding performance
  • Relevance of the Alexander Technique

Expert-level performance strategies discussed will include automaticity and attentional flexibility.

The goal of this course is to provide adaptive guidance for effective learning that includes PML research, coach or teacher expertise, and the viewpoint of the student.

🏷️ 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

Michele Capalbo

Michele Capalbo is a performer, adjudicator, lecturer, teacher and researcher. A Canadian singer with over two decades of international performance experience in opera and concert, her specialty is the music of Verdi and Puccini.

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

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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.

Certificate in Acting Approaches for Singing Teachers
Tuesday 5th August 2025
1:00 PM - 12:00 PM
Tuesday 12th August 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday 19th August 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday 26th August 2025
1:00 PM - 12:00 PM
Tuesday 2nd September 2025
1:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday 9th September 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday 16th September 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday 23rd September 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
(London Time)

Certificate in Acting Approaches for Singing Teachers

Louisa Morgan

Are you a singing teacher looking to elevate your students’ performances? Join our very own Louisa Morgan, as she takes a deeper dive into acting approaches that singing teachers can use to integrate powerful acting techniques into singing lessons. This 8 session course is perfect for those who want to help their singers connect deeply with the story behind the song. Gain practical tools and techniques that you can immediately apply in your teaching! Come along live for an interactive experience, or watch on playback at your leisure.

Choral Pedagogy and the Older Singer: Strategies for Lifelong Singing!
Tuesday 9th September 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Choral Pedagogy and the Older Singer: Strategies for Lifelong Singing!

Dr Brenda Smith

There is intrinsic value in lifelong singing. Singing with others is a noble deed that brings immeasurable satisfaction. Singing together involves teamwork and offers myriad rewards. It can enhance personal well-being, develop skill sets, and promote friendship. At any age, singing improves mental agility and calms an agitated mind. It is an activity everyone can include in daily life anywhere and at any time. Singing should have no expiration date. Lifelong singing should not be a lofty ambition, but rather a way of life. Our interactive workshop will involve choral vocal exercises (warmups and cooldowns) as well as skill building strategies for tone quality and range that are age and size appropriate for older singers.

The Tongue as a Gateway to Voice, Resonance, Style and Intelligibility
Thursday 11th September 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

The Tongue as a Gateway to Voice, Resonance, Style and Intelligibility

Dr Angelika Nair

Healthy vocal production depends on a finely tuned, athletic apparatus—a symphony of muscular interaction engaging the respiratory system, the laryngeal mechanism, and the resonance spaces of the pharyngeal, oral, and nasal cavities. Among these, the tongue stands out as one of the most critical yet least understood contributors to voice production. Join Dr Angelika Nair as she unpicks the essential anatomical insights that reveal the tongue’s role in shaping sound, influencing resonance, and impacting style and intelligibility!