Digging Deeper into Mechanisms: How Exercises and Stretching Impact the Voice
Thursday 21st March 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
Deeply embedded into voice care, interventions such as stretching and exercise have a simple premise: stretch what’s tight and strengthen what’s weak. Tight and weak muscles are often seen as culprits needing remediation, but what goes into these interventions? Though pleasantly simple narratives, the mechanisms behind such interventions are nuanced and variable. This short course will guide the learner into a deeper understanding to provide a more straightforward path to client instruction.
Paralleling problems in more general research, outcome-based studies often fail to thoroughly examine the traditional underlying explanations for why a problem exists and how change occurs via the intervention. Those mechanisms are the gap between a problem and a successful outcome. Witness the myriad of approaches claiming success with various aspects of voice. Based on a general complaint, each method tends to claim problems (tightness, weakness, poor form or technique, sub-optimal posture, incorrect breathing, etc.) and set forth to devise a study to remediate the problem. When the problem is helped, the work is seen as a success, but the logic used often falls into post hoc fallacy issues.
Fully vetted and accepted mechanisms of action for voice interventions are rare. How an intervention works is nuanced and can be viewed from various perspectives. Each model tends to be not wrong but also not entirely correct. Does this sound confusing? Join me as we explore this uncertainty and clear a path forward.
Walt Fritz
Walt Fritz, PT, has evolved traditionally taught tissue-based approaches into a unique interpretation of manual therapy. This approach advances views of causation and impact from historical tissue-specific models into a multifactorial narrative, leaning heavily on biopsychosocial influences.
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.
Monday 6th July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday 10th July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 13th July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday 17th July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 20th July 2026
7:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday 24th July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Certificate in Foundations of Vocology with Adam Roberts
Adam Roberts
This 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. Each week, advanced students contribute to cohort-centred learning with additional resources, discussion facilitation, and critical analysis. The course assessment will also be useful for those who wish to prepare for the PAVA recognised designation.
Tuesday 28th July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
“Too Much, Too Little, Just Right!” - The Balancing Act Model
Robert Edwin
The Balancing Act Model encourages singers to explore the extremes of singing, and from those extremes, establish their most efficient (balanced) voice and performance techniques. Join the renowned singer/actor and author Robert Edwin as he covers many aspects of the singing process including breathing, phonation, resonation, articulation, and attitude. If you’re involved in music theater or opera, you’ll find the Model to be especially helpful in developing character voices for roles such as Nathan and Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. If you’re just looking to find out what your body and voice can do, The Balancing Act Model can provide many answers!
Thursday 30th July 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS | Person-Centred Singing Teaching
William Leigh Knight
Only around 3% of the population fall into the category of amusia while over 17% consider themselves ‘tone-deaf’; and this does not account for non-singers, a wider group sometimes described as ‘tuneless’. So, who are ‘the voiceless’? Join William Leigh-Knight as he unpicks this question and considers the purpose of training a voice, when it is considered such a natural human attribute, and he expands on the principles that drive his own practice, which may be summarised as ‘person-centeredness’