Babies responding to song: Insights from developmental science
Thursday 26th September 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
Around the world, parents and other family members sing to babies. Song can be an important avenue for cultural transmission, and a functional parenting tool for soothing infants to sleep, engaging them in play, or cheering them up if they are distressed.
In this lecture, Laura will review research exploring why and how parents sing to infants, and how infants respond to song. These studies use mixed methods, including parent questionnaire, acoustic analyses, physiological recordings, and behavioural analyses. These studies reveal that from very early in life, song can help us regulate our emotions and connect with those around us. These early experiences with our first musical mentors may lay the foundation for a lifetime of musical listening – indeed, parents who sing most frequently to their children also report having been sung to by their own parents in their youth. You will end by discussing the ways that these empirical results can inform early musical programming, perhaps especially for families with reduced support.
🏷️ Price £30 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
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📜 Certificate of attendance available
Dr. Laura Cirelli
Dr. Laura Cirelli is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Toronto Scarborough and the director of the TEMPO lab (timing, entrainment, & music perception).
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.
Tuesday 5th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 12th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 19th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 26th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 2nd June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 9th June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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Voice pedagogy has advanced significantly in the last decades in relation to knowledge of the vocal apparatus (anatomy and mechanics), acoustics, and performance psychology (to name just a few subfields) – this is a wonderful thing! Nonetheless, musicianship and the foundations of music theory are still relevant to the teaching and coaching of singers and this course aims to empower voice teachers and coaches with skills to support the fundamental musicianship development of their students.
Tuesday 12th May 2026
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(London Time)
Prosody in conversation – crucial for effective communication?
Beatrice Szczepek Reed
In this course, we will take an introductory look at what prosody is and consider its functions in natural everyday dialogue. Prosody refers to the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech. It's the musicality of language that helps convey meaning, emotion, and emphasis in conversation!
Thursday 14th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Feldenkrais Method® - its application in speech and song!
Marina Gilman
The Feldenkrais Method® is a form of somatic education that uses gentle movement and directed attention to improve physical and mental functioning, including singing and speaking. Since we are not always aware of the source of tension or discoordination, it is difficult to make the necessary adjustments to ensure optimal use of the voice!