New Directions in Singing for Health Research and Practice with Stephen Clift
Thursday 22nd June 2023, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (London Time)
This course will provide an international overview of recent and current research initiatives in singing for health research.
A focus will be on the value of randomised controlled trials for assessing the contribution that group singing for the wellbeing and health for people affected by mental health challenges, dementia, Parkinson's, chronic obstructive lung disease, aphasia and long Covid.
The course will provide guidance on the evaluation of the methodology of such studies, power calculations, measurement issues, and the interpretation of effect sizes. We will also consider the translation into practice of findings from research on singing for health.
The course will conclude by considering the place of singing in the growing number of social prescribing initiatives globally.
Professor Stephen Clift
Stephen Clift is Professor Emeritus, Canterbury Christ Church University, and former Director of the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health...
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.
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.
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.
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.