Short Courses & Events / Archive

Staying In Lane: Exploring The Boundary Line Between Teaching Singing And Therapeutic Practice

Thursday 2nd December 2021, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM (London Time)

Our open-access symposium will explore the ethical codes of teaching singing and engaging in therapeutic practice. It will form the first of a series of symposia examining the tensions between teaching/coaching and therapy. With a focus on vocal health and hearing, this conference will evaluate the ethical issues faced regularly by the singing profession.

The event will be conducted online via Zoom:

2nd December 2021 from 2-4pm GMT.

The symposium intends to explore the ethical codes of teaching singing and caring for voices. The intended audience will be singing teachers, choir leaders, performance coaches, researchers and SLTs specialising in voice.

The intended Learning Objectives will be to:

  • Discuss the existing ethical codes for Singing Teachers including safeguarding
  • Examine the shifting nature of the boundary line
  • Question how (and why) you can maintain good ethical standing in your own work
  • Examine the impact of a multi-disciplinary team

Schedule

2:00pm               Welcome

2:05pm               The Mary Seacole Research Centre

2:10pm               Facilitator: Kate Cubley

2:15pm               Teaching Ear to Hear: Vocal Instructors hearing health awareness with  Yvonne Gonzal-Redman

2:25pm               Key Note: Optimising the voice teacher’s role on the voice team with Julia Gerhard (CCC, SLP, DMA)

2:40pm               The Multi-disciplinary Team for Vocal Health: what is the singing teacher’s role? with Jenevora Williams (PhD)

2:50pm               The role of the vocal rehabilitation coach: ethical principles and considerations with Pippa Anderson (VRC – The Freeman Hospital) ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎  ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎and Natalie Eastwood (Clinical Lead – The Freeman Hospital)

3:00pm               Key Note: The Clinical Singing Voice Specialist: A Hybrid Profession with Leda Scearce (MM, MS, CCC-SLP)

3:15pm               Let Me Guess: why perceptual evaluation of vocal injuries isn’t enough with Melanie Tapson (BFA, BEd, MSc SLP (C) CCC-SLP Reg CASLPO)

3:25pm               Group Discussion

3:55pm               Conclusion

4:00pm               End

Kate Cubley

Kate Cubley (BA (Hons), MA) is an advanced level Voice Coach, Singing Teacher, singer and researcher working predominantly from her private studio in Cheshire...

Pippa Anderson

Pippa Anderson holds an Mlitt (Master of Letters) in Music, and is also a senior lecturer and vocal health consultant for the musical theatre programme at Leeds Conservatoire and Clinical Vocal Rehabilitation Specialist at Freeman Hospital.

 

Natalie Eastwood

Natalie Eastwood qualified as a speech and language therapist from Sheffield University and has over 18 years of experience working with voice and swallowing...

Leda Scearce

Soprano Leda Scearce has been featured in leading roles with the National Opera Company, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Long Leaf Opera Festival, Triangle Opera...

Julia Gerhard

Julia Gerhard is a speech pathologist and singer with a passion for interdisciplinary voice education and voice rehabilitation. She earned a doctorate in musical arts...

Dr Jenevora Williams

Dr Jenevora Williams is a leading exponent in the field of vocal health and singing teaching. After a successful career in Opera, Jenevora turned her attention...

Professor Yvonne Gonzales Redman

Yvonne Gonzales Redman is a Professor of Voice and Pedagogy and Chair of the Voice Area at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a member of the American Academy of Teachers of Singing. She began her musical career as a Vocal Performance major at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Upon graduation, the Houston native was a winner of both the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Award.

Melanie Tapson

Melanie Tapson is a professional singer, Singing Voice Specialist and clinical voice pathologist with a busy hybrid voice practice in Toronto. She holds a BFA (jazz performance, voice/drums), a BEd (senior vocal music/drama), and an MSc in speech pathology. She has performed on international stages including for Disney Cruise Line and touring with Juno Award winning groups, and she continues to sing and do voiceover work when time permits.

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.

Pop Pedagogy - an Overview
Tuesday 27th October 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Pop Pedagogy - an Overview

Kim Chandler

Some successful pop stars are celebrating career lengths of over sixty years, having been around since the 1950s when pop music emerged and diversified from jazz, so pop singing has been in existence sufficiently long now that, for teaching purposes, we can observe and analyse what type of approach serves it best.

Course Details
Feldenkrais Method® - its application in speech and song!
Friday 30th October 2026
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(London Time)

Feldenkrais Method® - its application in speech and song!

Marina Gilman

The Feldenkrais Method® is a form of somatic education that uses gentle movement and directed attention to improve physical and mental functioning, including singing and speaking. Since we are not always aware of the source of tension or discoordination, it is difficult to make the necessary adjustments to ensure optimal use of the voice!

Course Details
The Vocal Health Challenges for Actors and Singers!
Monday 2nd November 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday 3rd November 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

The Vocal Health Challenges for Actors and Singers!

Leda Scearce

Two part course! Vocal health principles are inextricably and symbiotically linked with singing and acting voice pedagogy: Good vocal health allows the singer and actor to more easily and effectively achieve their technical and artistic goals, and good teaching reinforces vocal technique that diminishes the risk of vocal injury. We now also recognize the necessity for singers and actors to understand how their instruments work, how to take care of their voices, and what to do when something goes wrong. Singing and acting teachers are indeed on the front lines of vocal health!

Course Details
Cookies Consent

This site uses cookies to make improvements and aid marketing based on usage data. If you are happy with this, please click 'Accept', otherwise you can manage your cookie settings by clicking 'Manage Cookies'.