'Mal canto' and the cultural politics of voice pedagogy: provocations from a critical disability studies (CDS) perspective
Thursday 14th November 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
‘Mal canto’ and the cultural politics of voice pedagogy: provocations from a critical disability studies perspective.
Critical disability studies (CDS) is a growing field of academic enquiry that has gained considerable traction over the past two decades. Encouraging us to think beyond typical medical and legal definitions, CDS analyses disability as a complex cultural, historical, political and relational phenomenon.
In this short course, I apply the insights of CDS to voice pedagogy and the academic discipline of voice studies, more broadly. I suggest that disability is highly relevant to our field in significant (and potentially surprising) ways.
In his book, Shakin’ All Over: Popular Music and Disability (2013), Georgie McKay coins the phrase ‘mal canto’ in opposition to the historico-pedagogical notion of idealised singing, ‘bel canto’ (lit. beautiful singing). In this course, I use McKay’s critical concept as a starting point for identifying and disrupting the potentially ableist norms that are often sustained within the field of voice studies and vocal pedagogy.
Key topics: Critical Disability Studies, access, inclusion, disability justice
🏷️ Price £30 (UK VAT inclusive)
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📜 Certificate of attendance available
Dr David Cane
David is a lecturer, researcher, singer, singing teacher and choir director. He is a former choral scholar of King’s College, Cambridge where he studied for a degree in Theology and Religious Studies.
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 7th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 8th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday 9th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Friday 11th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Monday 14th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 15th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday 16th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Friday 18th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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Tuesday 15th July 2025
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As a relative outsider looking into the voice and performance world, I witness the bell curve of thoughts and actions on how the tongue contributes to voice problems and how best to tame that tension. Traditional ways of taming tongue tension seem adequate (or would seem so, based on feedback), so what is different and new? In this short course for the Voice Study Centre, Walt Fritz will introduce the learner to variations on self-applied tongue stretches and exercises.
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