Science vs Artistry: Key Issues in the Imagery Debate
Thursday 30th January 2025, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM (London Time)
This practical and interactive course will introduce attendees to key issues surrounding imagery-use in singing pedagogy.
Imagery has been, and continues to be, a foundational strategy in the teaching of singing. With advances in understandings of voice science and wider educational theories, imagery strategies have developed to include a range of multi-modal approaches. However, despite these developments, there continues to be antagonism between imagery-based and science-based singing pedagogy.
This course will provide attendees with:
- An overview of imagery-use in the history of vocal pedagogy
- An outline of different imagery strategies available for singing teachers
- An evaluation of the effectiveness of different imagery strategies
- An introduction to the science vs artistry debate in relation to imagery-use
- Suggestions for further research and practice to address issues in the imagery debate
Through practical demonstration, theoretical discussion and peer-to-peer skill sharing, this course will give the audience an opportunity to consider the core issues and assess potential solutions to the imagery vs science debate. The central presentation will be followed by opportunity for Q&A, as well as sharing practical strategies that might be applicable to attendees current practice-based context.
Jenna Brown
Jenna has authored over 20 peer reviewed publications and conference proceedings, with recent publications on voice and choral pedagogy in the Journal of Voice, The Voice and Speech Review and Australian Voice.
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.
Tuesday 5th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 12th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 19th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 26th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 2nd June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 9th June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Music Theory Fundamentals for Voice Pedagogues
Dr David Cane
Voice pedagogy has advanced significantly in the last decades in relation to knowledge of the vocal apparatus (anatomy and mechanics), acoustics, and performance psychology (to name just a few subfields) – this is a wonderful thing! Nonetheless, musicianship and the foundations of music theory are still relevant to the teaching and coaching of singers and this course aims to empower voice teachers and coaches with skills to support the fundamental musicianship development of their students.
Tuesday 19th May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Staging A Coup: History meets science for the coup de la glotte!
Kourtney Austin
Historical vocal pedagogy, voice science, voice health, and performance practice come together in this presentation from Kourtney Austin! The session addresses the historical context for teaching the onset as a fundamental skill, along with a review of a recent publication examining the acoustic effects of different types of onset, and practical studio implementation of onset training. The aforementioned publication is the first known research to objectively measure the acoustic implications of the coup de la glotte, and delineate it from the hard glottal attack.
Thursday 21st May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Letting the Text Live: Reading Aloud with Expression!
Louisa Morgan
This 2-hour interactive session is designed to help you make more deliberate, expressive choices in your speaking of the written word. It will involve plenty of practical exploration and will cover tips and techniques for working with the voice to lift the text off the page. Work with me to refine nuance, precision, and expressive range. We’ll explore a variety of text samples to cover a wide range of real-world situations, so you can get a feel for the different styles and approaches. If you want your spoken text to sound purposeful, engaging, and unmistakably yours, this session will invite you to play with some tools to do just that.