Inhalation hazards and the performing vocalist
Tuesday 10th December 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
Vocal production requires inhalation. But in some performance venues there are chemicals in the air we inhale. Examples include the glycols, glycerine or mineral oil mists in special effects such as haze, fog and smoke. There also is combustion smoke and metal fumes from pyrotechnics, bullet hits (squibs), fire bars and cold spark gerbs. Or there are particles from dust effects, artificial snow, and Holi powders.
While we rarely have to deal with tobacco smoke anymore, there is marijuana and vaping smoke in many locations. In fact, some new information on the hazards of haze fog and smoke chemicals are from studies of vaping since the same chemicals are used in both.
Then there are air pollutants in the dressing and make up rooms including from hair sprays, from powders including talc, from air brush makeups, solvents from lotions, and more.
Next, there are air pollutants from some of the venues themselves. Old buildings may contain lead paint, asbestos sources, or mould. New buildings often contain plastic and resin materials and polymer paints that off-gas chemicals. The ventilation systems in both old and new venues are often less than helpful.
And we can’t ignore the airborne particles that spread infectious diseases which are changing the way we plan events, design ventilation systems, and select air purifiers.
In this course we will look at the respiratory system as a structure that is potentially vulnerable to many types of air pollutants. We will cover the physics needed to understand how particles, gases, and vapours behave in the air. We will review some of the studies of the chemicals encountered in performance venues and view short videos showing typical exposures. Lastly, we will cover strategies to protect ourselves and our voices both on and off the job.
🏷️ 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
Monona Rossol
Monona Rossol was born into a Vaudeville family, began working as a professional entertainer at age three, and continues to perform occasionally to this day. She has a BS in Chemistry with a minor in Math, an MS and MFA with majors in art and a minor in music.
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.
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Voice pedagogy has advanced significantly in the last decades in relation to knowledge of the vocal apparatus (anatomy and mechanics), acoustics, and performance psychology (to name just a few subfields) – this is a wonderful thing! Nonetheless, musicianship and the foundations of music theory are still relevant to the teaching and coaching of singers and this course aims to empower voice teachers and coaches with skills to support the fundamental musicianship development of their students.
Tuesday 19th May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
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Kourtney Austin
Historical vocal pedagogy, voice science, voice health, and performance practice come together in this presentation from Kourtney Austin! The session addresses the historical context for teaching the onset as a fundamental skill, along with a review of a recent publication examining the acoustic effects of different types of onset, and practical studio implementation of onset training. The aforementioned publication is the first known research to objectively measure the acoustic implications of the coup de la glotte, and delineate it from the hard glottal attack.
Thursday 21st May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
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Louisa Morgan
This 2-hour interactive session is designed to help you make more deliberate, expressive choices in your speaking of the written word. It will involve plenty of practical exploration and will cover tips and techniques for working with the voice to lift the text off the page. Work with me to refine nuance, precision, and expressive range. We’ll explore a variety of text samples to cover a wide range of real-world situations, so you can get a feel for the different styles and approaches. If you want your spoken text to sound purposeful, engaging, and unmistakably yours, this session will invite you to play with some tools to do just that.