Short Courses & Events / Archive

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)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 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).

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.

Certificate in Acting Approaches for Singing Teachers
Monday 20th April 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Tuesday 21st April 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Wednesday 22nd April 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Thursday 23rd April 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
(London Time)

Certificate in Acting Approaches for Singing Teachers

Louisa Morgan

Are you a singing teacher looking to elevate your students’ performance? This 4-part course is perfect for those who want to help their singers connect deeply with the character and the story behind the song. Many singing teachers have lots of brilliant ideas about coaching vocal performance but often don’t have a background in acting. Learning more about acting techniques can build structure into your performance-focused lessons and add depth to the song. Gain practical tools and techniques that you can apply to your teaching.

Understanding the How and Why of Vocal Dosimetry in Musical Theatre and Contemporary Singing
Tuesday 21st April 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Understanding the How and Why of Vocal Dosimetry in Musical Theatre and Contemporary Singing

Dr Ana Flavia Zuim

Vocal dosimetry has emerged as an important tool for understanding the physiological demands placed on singers in contemporary musical theatre and commercial singing styles. Join Ana Flavia Zuim as she explores the principles behind vocal dosimetry and how objective measurements of vocal use such as time dose, cycle dose, distance dose, and sound pressure level can help quantify the vocal load experienced by performers during rehearsals and performances.

Singing and the Brain: A Harmonious Connection!
Thursday 23rd April 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Friday 24th April 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)

Singing and the Brain: A Harmonious Connection!

Dr Patricia Izbicki

Unlock the transformative power of music with our two-part lecture series that delves deep into the fascinating intersection of neuroscience, music education, and music therapy.