Short Courses & Events / Archive

Janice Chapman In Conversation With James Platt: Honing Your Pedagogical Skills

Thursday 21st October 2021, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

Anticipating the upcoming release of the fourth edition of Janice Chapman’s Singing and Singing Teaching: A Holistic Approach to Classical Voice (Plural Publishing) later this year, authors and editors of the book Janice and James Platt discuss the updated approaches, new information and “sharpened” pedagogical tools outlined in the new and greatly expanded edition.

This workshop is designed primarily for teachers and singers of classical voice and will introduce the following concepts with in-depth discussions, practical examples and Q&A’s.

  • Primal Sound & Current Neurology
    • Primal sound or voluntary emotional vocalisation as the bedrock of elite classical singing
    • Using emotional triggers to shape the voice in a holistic manner
  • From Pure Accent Method into Supported Singing
    • An updated palpation protocol to identify the correct muscle support junctions and their engagement for efficient exhalation/support for classical singing
    • The SPLAT Inhalation and its variants
    • Assessment and remediation of common breath management faults including epigastric locking and the mismanagement of the abdominal wall and ribcage
  • The Advanced “Dial-A-Vowel” Exercise
    • Locating the best gross oral posture of the tongue for maximal classical resonance
    • The advanced use of the American Retroflex “R” to help locate a singer’s resonant sweet spot
    • Managing consonants without compromising optimal resonance
  • Redefining the Open Throat
    • Collar Connection and the lower larynx
      • The Pre-Yawn Gesture
    • The combination of a wide pharynx and a raised tongue
    • The high soft palate (velum)
    • Maintaining pharyngeal width
      • Deconstricting the false vocal folds
      • Relaxing extraneous pharyngeal tension
    • The role of optimal breath management in maintaining the open throat
    • The open throat in combination with appropriate pharyngeal tuning

Professor Janice Chapman

Professor Janice L. Chapman, A.U.A., F.G.S., O.A.M. is a singing teacher of world renown.  Born and educated in Australia, she won a number of major competitions...

James Platt

James has been a professional soloist, singing teacher, vocal pedagogy lecturer and consultant for over 15 years. He is currently undertaking his PhD...

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.

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The identity politics of accent learning!

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Jenru Wang has an MFA in Voice Studies with distinction from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London - in this session, he will begin to explore the complexities accent coaches might face in their work, examining the intersection of language, identity, and cultural sensitivity. Participants will explore how to navigate challenging situations in different contexts and understand what to do—and avoid—when working with diverse clients and materials.

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Vocal “Decathletes” – inside the hidden world of Session Singing!

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What is a session singer? Officially it’s a freelance, short-term “singer for hire” brought in to be part of a live or recorded musical project. However, it’s more generally understood to be the “behind-the-scenes” singer who is regularly booked for paid recording work. The type of work (and pay) varies a lot. Session singing is a side of the music industry that is largely hidden from the public and isn’t easy to find out much about, even online. Join Kim Chandler as she unpicks this topic, based on 35 years of session singing!