Applying Exercise Science Principles to Voice Pedagogy: Skill Acquisition, Performance Assessment, and Literature Selection
Thursday 27th July 2023, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
Although there is a large body of literature that applies exercise principles to athletic goals (running marathons, strength training, etc.), there is comparatively little research that applies these same principles to singing endeavours.
This article applies exercise science principles to specific vocal warm-up regimes (skill-acquisition exercises) and literature selection for classical singers.
After an introductory discussion of skill acquisition from an exercise physiology perspective, discussion will segue to a review of skill-acquisition warm-ups that are commonly used in classical voice training and habilitation.
An examination of historical and contemporary methodologies reveals that traditional warm-ups for singers can be categorised according to targeted areas of skill acquisition, such as those that address onset/release, breath management, agility/flexibility, registration blending, tone/resonance development, or range expansion.
Based on this information, the presenter’s research suggests the development of a rubric to assess the skill levels of individual singers in each of these areas.
Teachers of singing can then consider these data when assigning repertoire from the standard body of vocal literature so that the specific areas of skill acquisition focused on in the warm-up are applied and reinforced through appropriate repertoire selection.
Matthew Hoch
Matthew Hoch joined the faculty of Auburn University in 2012, where he was tenured in 2015 and promoted to the rank of professor in 2020. His research program...

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

Thursday 1st May 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday 8th May 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday 15th May 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday 22nd May 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday 29th May 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Trauma-Informed Voice Professional Certificate with Dr Elisa Monti

Dr Elisa Monti
This five-part certificate course is designed to help participants learn the theory and practice of trauma-informed approaches. The concepts and activities included are tailored to meet the needs of voice specialists who want to acquire more specific tools to navigate the space with their students and colleagues.

Tuesday 6th May 2025
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday 7th May 2025
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Friday 9th May 2025
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
(London Time)
Acceptance & Commitment Coaching for Beginners: An Overview and Guide for Using it to Address Common Performance-Related Problems of a Psychological Nature (3-part course)

Dr David Juncos
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or Coaching (ACT) is an empirically-supported psychotherapy & coaching intervention for a variety of common issues facing student and professional musicians from across the world. Some of these include performance anxiety, perfectionism & self-criticism, procrastination, and work-related stress & burnout.

Wednesday 7th May 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday 14th May 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday 21st May 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday 28th May 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday 4th June 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Advanced Certificate in Accents and Phonetics for Coaching Actors

Louisa Morgan
12 week course! Sharpen your coaching skills, discover new tools, and learn how to connect more deeply with your clients in our advanced certificate in accents and phonetics for coaching actors. The course provides an in-depth look at some of the key fundamental aspects of coaching accents, like phonetics and prosody, as well as introducing some theory and practice-based concepts relating to the complexities of this field, such as coaching for neurodiverse performers, English as an additional language (EAL) speakers and identity politics.