Short Courses & Events / Archive

Comparative Vocal Styles: Classical, Belting, Pop, R&B, Country, Rock & Jazz

Tuesday 5th March 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

Not only are there major differences between Classical and Commercial singing techniques, but there are also unique characteristics and variations required by singers to 'authenticate' commercial or pop vocal styles.

In this interactive workshop, participants will have the opportunity to experiment with some of the many elements which comprise different genres, including Classical, Musical Theatre Belting (including its five substyles), Pop, R&B (Soul), Country, Rock and Jazz.

These elements include resonator shaping; vibrato (type, speed, use); larynx height, phrasing (word stress, breath management requirements, dynamics); resonance (degrees of brightness, ring, and nasality); stylisms (e.g. cry, fry, growls, melisma, runs, scatting); vocal fold adduction (clean, blowy, three degrees of breathy); degree of hyoid bone pull; jaw strategies; and even cultural/emotional roots which are integral to understanding the history of each style.

As voice pedagogues, it is very helpful to have at our disposal a large number of 'vocal hacks', not just for vocal technique improvement but for stylistic accuracy as well. Often, a simple tweak in mouth shape can result in a noticeable improvement when producing an authentic sound. All pop is not the same!

Handouts with graphs will be provided for further review as well as a suggested listening list.

🏷️ 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

Lisa Popeil

Lisa Popeil, MFA in Voice, has studied voice for 60 years and has taught professionally in a variety of styles of singing for over 40 years. Based in Los Angeles, California, Lisa is the creator of the Voiceworks® Method, the Total Singer DVD and the Total Singer Workshop.

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.

Introduction to Postgraduate Academic Skills - Join Live!
Tuesday 13th January 2026
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday 20th January 2026
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday 27th January 2026
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday 3rd February 2026
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday 10th February 2026
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
(London Time)

Introduction to Postgraduate Academic Skills - Join Live!

Debbie Winter

Are you ready to elevate your academic journey? Hosted by our very own Debbie Winter, join our comprehensive Introduction to Academic Skills course, designed to equip you with essential tools and strategies for success in higher education. Perfect for bridging the gap between undergraduate and postgraduate study, this course offers a pathway to our full MA for students without an existing degree. We offer both live, interactive sessions and standalone, pre-recorded content.

Trauma-Sensitive Voice Professional Certificate with Dr Elisa Monti
Thursday 15th January 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday 22nd January 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday 29th January 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday 5th February 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday 12th February 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Trauma-Sensitive Voice Professional Certificate with Dr Elisa Monti

Dr Elisa Monti

Updated for 2026, this five-part certificate course is designed to help participants learn the theory and practice of trauma-sensitive 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.

An Introduction to Knight-Thompson Speechwork
Friday 23rd January 2026
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(London Time)

An Introduction to Knight-Thompson Speechwork

Dr Rockford Sansom

This two-hour workshop is an introduction to Knight-Thompson Speechwork (KTS), which is a leading voice, speech, and accent training methodology in theatre conservatories worldwide.