Short Courses & Events / Archive

Motor Theory of Articulation: Optimising Efficiency in Diction And Language

Thursday 13th January 2022, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

This short course will view our articulator mechanism from the top-down.

A deeper understanding of how the brain executes a complex, coordinated task like speech and singing, will enable singers and teachers to design more targeted approaches with greater efficiency.

Recent research in neuroscience, using bold in vivo approaches to dissect how the tongue, lips, and jaw are coordinated in the brain, reveal a dynamic relationship between timing, location, and order.

We will also revisit some historical ideas from linguistics which complement the newer data and further refine our understanding of singing.

In addition to the science, practical pedagogical applications will be explored that open the door to simplicity in our view of these processes.

Heidi Moss Erickson

Heidi Moss, is a Bay Area performer, educator, and scientist. Noted for her “rich and radiant soprano” (Edward Oriz, Sacramento Bee) has performed on national and international stages...

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 Acting Approaches for Singing Teachers
Monday 20th April 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Tuesday 21st April 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Wednesday 22nd April 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Thursday 23rd April 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
(London Time)

Certificate in Acting Approaches for Singing Teachers

Louisa Morgan

Are you a singing teacher looking to elevate your students’ performance? This 4-part course is perfect for those who want to help their singers connect deeply with the character and the story behind the song. Many singing teachers have lots of brilliant ideas about coaching vocal performance but often don’t have a background in acting. Learning more about acting techniques can build structure into your performance-focused lessons and add depth to the song. Gain practical tools and techniques that you can apply to your teaching.

Singing and the Brain: A Harmonious Connection!
Thursday 23rd April 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Friday 24th April 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)

Singing and the Brain: A Harmonious Connection!

Dr Patricia Izbicki

Unlock the transformative power of music with our two-part lecture series that delves deep into the fascinating intersection of neuroscience, music education, and music therapy.

The Neuroscience of Speech and Song
Thursday 23rd April 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

The Neuroscience of Speech and Song

Dr Michel Belyk

The Neuroscience of Speech and Song offers an engaging and accessible introduction to the fascinating interface between the brain and some of the things that we use it for. This course is designed to unravel the complex processes underlying how we speak and sing, using simple and accessible language. This course will start from basics and assume very little prior knowledge. We will cover the basic structure of the brain and how it works in general, then narrow in on specific processes that are relevant to speech and song.