Short Courses & Events / Archive

Making Holistic Connections Between the Voice, Body & Emotions

Tuesday 26th March 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

Discover the rich and expanding capabilities possible within you as this course introduces you to the Emotional Body® method’s approach to making physical, vocal and emotional connections. The emotional effector patterns will be introduced as the primary approach during this two-hour introductory lesson. References will be made to how Estill Voice Training® and gentle movement lessons inspired by the Kinēsa® process of somatic education can also assist individuals in expanding their expressive capabilities and developing harmonious communications throughout the body.

Emotional effector patterns are precise breathing and muscle manipulations linked to specific emotional feelings. Each effector pattern has three parts: (1) a breathing pattern, (2) facial expression, and (3) postural attitudes. All three parts work together to create one effector pattern, or biological code, that directly stimulates nerves, cells and organs. The resulting pattern works like a key that opens the door for one particular basic emotion to express throughout the entire body. The patterns are based on scientific findings, independent of gender or social heritage influences, and result in the expression of basic universal emotions and modes of expression.

Estill Voice Training® is an evidence-based system that promotes body awareness and mindfulness and provides exercises designed to develop control of specific anatomical areas of voice production that contribute to the sound and feeling of the voice.

Kinēsa is a somatic method that combines kinaesthetic movement lessons with physical emotion regulation techniques and somatic sensing methods, all designed to assist the individual in raising their awareness of their individual habits, and helping them assess and consider opportunities to form new behaviours that might improve their overall wellbeing.

During this lesson participants will explore…

  • Emotional Effector Patterns and how they could impact the physical and vocal expression;
  • Vocal expressions of emotion and feelings, and the impact internally and externally of what occurs with the shared energy that sounded expressions create;
  • Fully connecting the voice and body with the patterns, along with intentions, desires, and actions in the creation of more consistent, holistic expressions;
  • Concepts around physical, vocal and emotional personal tolerance levels, identifying and setting personal boundaries, and considering consent-based agency around emotional expressions;
  • Centering, destressing, revitalizing and restoring the nervous system to achieve a calm and restful state, and a quiet mind.

Professor Laura Bond

Laura Bond is a Full Professor of Drama and Interdisciplinary Studies at UNC Asheville teaching acting, vocal and physical expression, voice-over, voice acting, and emotional expression.

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Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.

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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.

A neurodiversity-affirmative approach to the voice!
Wednesday 29th October 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

A neurodiversity-affirmative approach to the voice!

Hilary Davies

In recent years, the music therapy profession has begun to consider the application of the neurodiversity paradigm to music therapy practice, in particular In relation to autism, and an increasing amount of literature embracing this perspective has been published. This lecture, delivered from a lived experience perspective, will provide an explanation of the key concepts around neurodiversity - particular consideration will be given to the use of the voice, both one's own but also to the neurodivergent individual’s particular ways of using language, song and vocal sounds.

Creative Articulation
Thursday 30th October 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Creative Articulation

Annie Morrison

Most of us have little idea of HOW we speak, or what to do to make speech more muscular. Join Annie Morrison (creator of the 'Morrison Bone Prop') for this two hour session on Creative Articulation, a holistic and haptic approach to the touchings and feelings of the articulators in the dance of speech. Seeing articulation as a purely mechanical skill is detrimental to an actor's process: it is crucial to understand what language is doing on a biological level.

The Belt Voice in R&B/Soul Singing: Vocal Characteristics & Physiology
Tuesday 4th November 2025
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
(London Time)

The Belt Voice in R&B/Soul Singing: Vocal Characteristics & Physiology

Dr Matt Allen

The belt’s got soul! This course offers a deep dive into the vocal artistry and biomechanics of R&B/soul singing, with a particular focus on the belt voice—a powerful and expressive vocal technique central to the genre. Drawing from over 80 years of stylistic evolution, the course explores how R&B/soul singing has shaped contemporary commercial music and investigates the unique vocal traits that define its sound.