Singing and Postnatal Mental Health
Tuesday 30th January 2024, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (London Time)
This session will focus on how singing and songwriting can support postnatal mental health. We will cover four main areas:
- Why postnatal mental health is a public health priority in the UK, and what it feels like to experience illnesses such as postnatal depression
- Why music, and specifically singing, is increasingly used to support wellbeing and why it might be particularly relevant in the postnatal period
- Drawing on studies led by the Royal College of Music, London, we will consider cutting-edge evidence for how group singing can speed up recovery from postnatal depression and how online songwriting can reduce postnatal loneliness
- Finally, participants will be invited to consider how the findings could support their own practice. Ideas will be shared about how the presented research has sparked new singing initiatives around the world, and attention will be given to the challenges as well as the possibilities of such work. Following the presentation, participants will have the opportunity to share their responses and ask questions
The session aims to raise awareness of the potential for singing to support new parents, drawing on robust research evidence with both parents and singing leaders.
Professor Rosie Perkins
Rosie Perkins is Professor of Music, Health and Social Science at the Royal College of Music, London. Rosie is based in the RCM’s Centre for Performance Science, where her research investigates two broad areas: how music and the arts support societal wellbeing and how to enhance artists’ wellbeing and career development.
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.