Beyond 4/4 Time
Thursday 28th October 2021, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
Vocal exercises are the bed rock of vocal practice and they can be used to develop a singer’s musicianship alongside technique. Just as a train track has two rails to stay balanced, it is proposed by the presenter that a “two-track” approach to a singer’s development would be equal emphasis on technique AND musicianship throughout training, as opposed to the more “monorail” emphasis on technique alone. To use another metaphor, we can stand on one leg but we are more balanced standing on two. As the eminent classical pedagogue, Richard Miller, sagely said: “Be first a musician and second a singer”. But how can this objective be achieved in a lesson context?
In her presentation last year – “Beyond The Major Scale” – Kim Chandler suggested that there is currently an over-emphasis and over-reliance on major scale-based patterns in vocal exercises at the expense of the appetising array of other musical patterns that vocal melodies are constructed on, e.g. scales such as the Natural Minor & the Pentatonics and modes such as the Dorian & Lydian.
This presentation is the rhythmic counterpart, suggesting that there is also an over-abundance of songs written in 4/4 time in pop repertoire at the expense of other possibilities.
From analysing and singing through pop song excerpts across the eras, this interactive workshop will introduce music based on a range of other time signatures including odd meters, compound meters, cross rhythms etc. The presenter will then show how rhythmic-based work can be applied to technically-demanding vocal exercises that are also musically challenging. This concept can be applied to any style of singing and doubles the educational value of exercises.
Kim Chandler
Kim Chandler is a renowned CCM vocal coach & session singer based in Spain. Considered one of the “go to” industry coaches, she has a busy online studio in Marbella where she coaches a worldwide clientele of elite singers.
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.

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.

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.


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.