Short Courses & Events / Archive

Articulatory Activity Of The Tongue, Jaw, And Lips During The Second Passaggio Acoustic Transition Of Female Singers

Thursday 15th September 2022, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

Sopranos typically exhibit an acoustic modification between 600 and 700 Hz (on /ɑ/) during which second resonance (R2) tracking of the second harmonic (2fo) changes to first resonance (R1) tracking of the fundamental (fo).

To quantify the alteration, the sound pressure level difference between the first two harmonics (L1-L2) was measured for chromatic scales sung between C5♮ and G5♮ (523 to 784 Hz) by 17 sopranos (9 judged by the first author as “techniqued” and 8 as “untechniqued” and confirmed by perceptual experiment).

Techniqued sopranos shifted from negative to positive values of L1-L2 as early as D5♮ (587 Hz), while the least techniqued singers did not make the change at all.

Articulatory correlates were measured using ultrasound of the tongue and optical tracking.

Head-corrected tongue contours showed the most critical articulatory factor to be the size of a triangular area between two points on the hard palate and the most anterior tongue point.

Sopranos who made the change earliest exhibited the largest anterior oral cavities whereas sopranos who never made the acoustic change had significantly smaller anterior cavities.

Larger anterior oral cavities appear to accommodate lower frequencies of R2, presumably lowering L2 and increasing L1-L2. [Supported by NIH grant DC-002717.]

Richard Lissemore

Richard Lissemore is a collaborative teacher, researcher, and performer of voice. He is equally adept at teaching vocal technique and performance for both classical...

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.

Advanced Certificate in Accents and Phonetics for Coaching Actors
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.

Certificate in Foundations of Vocology with Adam Roberts
Monday 2nd June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 9th June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 16th June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 23rd June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 30th June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Certificate in Foundations of Vocology with Adam Roberts

Adam Roberts

This fifteen week (30-hour) Vocology Cohort Intensive provides a comprehensive overview of basic vocal anatomy, physiology, and theories of voice production & perception, fundamentals of vocal health, pathology, evaluation, performance, and habilitation of the speaking and singing voice, and a survey of research, resources, and professional opportunities.

THE MUSICAL BREATH : Singing for Lung Health – 2007-2025
Tuesday 3rd June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

THE MUSICAL BREATH : Singing for Lung Health – 2007-2025

Phoene Cave

This presentation will offer an overview of Singing for Lung Health in the UK and how it has developed over the past 17 years. Phoene Cave started the work at the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals in London and has gone on to train 320+ facilitators globally. Her personal experience is at hospital bedside with individuals and with groups of outpatients. The session will appeal to singing teachers, community choir leaders, respiratory nurse specialists, as well as allied health professionals (e.g. music therapists, respiratory physiotherapists and occupational therapists) and anyone challenged with breathlessness.