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 speech-language pathologist whose practice specializes in voice assessment and therapy...

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.

Low Male Voices (LMVs): Development, Technique, and Repertoire
Tuesday 9th December 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Low Male Voices (LMVs): Development, Technique, and Repertoire

Dr Dann Mitton

Join Dr Dann Mitton for this two hour workshop where he explores the Development, Techniques, and Repertoire favoured for Low Male Voices (LMVs). Typically labelled as 'Bass' and 'Baritone', these classifications are used in classical music, choral settings, and vocal pedagogy to help determine suitable repertoire and vocal roles. In contemporary music, the distinctions are less rigid but still useful for understanding vocal range and timbre.

Picking Up Good Vibrations: Pedagogical and Clinical Voice Analysis!
Thursday 11th December 2025
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
(London Time)

Picking Up Good Vibrations: Pedagogical and Clinical Voice Analysis!

Dr Calvin Baker

Voice teachers and clinicians strongly rely on auditory perceptual modes of voice evaluation. These are considered the gold standard for assessing voice quality and training effects (e.g., a singer’s progress from lesson to lesson or across voice therapy). Join Dr Calvin Baker as he explores techniques for instrumentally analysing the singing voice. Specific considerations for the challenges of obtaining reliable, robust, and comparable data will be presented, and practical recommendations for recording and analysing the singing voice in pedagogical and clinical contexts will be made.

The Pedagogy of Vibrato: Integrating Science and Studio Practice
Thursday 11th December 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

The Pedagogy of Vibrato: Integrating Science and Studio Practice

Dr Justin John Moniz

Vibrato is more than just a shimmer in the sound—it’s one of the voice’s most powerful tools for artistry and expression. In this dynamic course, Justin John Moniz—Associate Director of Vocal Performance and Coordinator of Vocal Pedagogy at NYU Steinhardt, and Associate Editor of the Journal of Singing—pulls back the curtain on vibrato, blending history, science, and studio know-how into an engaging exploration for singers and teachers alike.