Short Courses & Events / Archive

Empowered Singing: Gender-Affirming Singing Voice Training

Thursday 20th March 2025, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

As a vocal instructor, your ability to support your students in exploring and expressing their authentic voices is at the heart of transformative teaching. This comprehensive workshop is designed specifically for singing teachers who want to deepen their understanding of gender-affirming vocal techniques and create a more inclusive, supportive environment for all singers, regardless of gender identity.

Whether you're working with trans, non-binary, or gender-diverse individuals, or simply seeking to enrich your approach to vocal instruction, this course will equip you with the tools to navigate the complexities of gender-affirming singing voice training.

In this course, we will explore the physiological aspects of the singing voice in the context of gender identity. You’ll learn how to tailor vocal exercises to suit a variety of gender expressions, allowing you to address the unique needs of each student while fostering a sense of empowerment and self-expression.

Through this course, you will:

  • Understand the Science of Gender-Affirming Voice: Gain insight into the physiological changes in the voice and the effects of hormone therapy, voice training, and gender-related vocal shifts.
  • Master Tailored Vocal Techniques: Learn specific exercises that can help students navigate their vocal transitions, whether they are aiming to feminize, masculinize, or find a comfortable and authentic middle ground.
  • Create an Inclusive Teaching Environment: Learn how to cultivate an environment that makes all students feel seen, respected, and heard. Explore effective ways to address challenges like gender dysphoria and voice insecurity in a compassionate, non-judgmental way.
  • Develop Gender-Affirming Teaching Strategies: Discover practical strategies for assessing your students' vocal needs, communicating effectively about vocal goals, and adapting your teaching methods to meet those needs without assuming or imposing any specific gender expression.
  • Address Common Misconceptions: Learn how to break down myths around gender and voice, including concerns about vocal damage, and gain clarity on what vocal changes are possible and sustainable.

If you're ready to elevate your teaching practice and make a lasting, positive impact on your students' vocal journeys, this course will provide you with everything you need to start creating a more inclusive and gender-affirming approach to singing voice training.

🏷️ 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

Emerald Lessley

Emerald Lessley, soprano and voice educator, has a strong background in both performance and research, specializing in transgender voice training.

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 Executive Voice Coaching and Communication
Monday 28th September 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Tuesday 29th September 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Wednesday 30th September 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Thursday 1st October 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Friday 2nd October 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
(London Time)

Certificate in Executive Voice Coaching and Communication

Louisa Morgan

This five-day course is designed for professional coaches who want to extend their practice into executive coaching, leadership communication, and professional corporate voice work.

Muscle Tension Dysphonia in the Singing Voice!
Friday 2nd October 2026
12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
(London Time)

Muscle Tension Dysphonia in the Singing Voice!

Dr Claire Thomas

Join Dr Claire Thomas for a practical 2-hour workshop for singing teachers and voice practitioners! Building upon the previous course to create a practical teacher pathway in order to recognise what is happening, reduce unnecessary effort, transfer coordination into singing, manage load and recovery and know when to refer back. Not one size fits all, but a guide to making informed choices with voice users. Based on a five-year investigative project, the course equips singing teachers with the knowledge and practical tools needed to confidently understand MTD, and support singers experiencing MTD beyond their initial therapeutic input.

Inspired Not Bound: The Promise of Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy
Tuesday 6th October 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Inspired Not Bound: The Promise of Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy

Lynn Helding

Lynn Helding defines Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy in her upcoming book Practicing Science-Informed Voice Training as, “A type of hybrid singing voice pedagogy that unites science and art by researching current voice science, translating it, combining it with extant historic voice knowledge, and transmitting it to singers.” Join Lynn Helding as she seeks to understand human behaviour of both sides of the “Science versus Art” debate via research from the fields of cognitive science and behavioural science, focussing particularly on lessons learned due to several societal shifts.