Stretching for the singer: Moving beyond routines
Thursday 1st August 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
Exercises and stretches for the singer/performer can easily be found online, many of which seem to conflict with or contradict others. Does this dilemma make one model wrong or another model better? Join me as we unpack these and other issues.
With full disclosure, I am not a singer or teacher of voice. I’m a physical therapist who teaches manual therapy and related exercises to speech therapists, voice professionals, and other clinicians working with the performing populations. So, with such little direct exposure to your target audience, what can I contribute? Personalization of the stretches/exercise.
In my nearly 40 years as a physical therapist, I’ve seen much in the way of claims of superior models and methods, though seldom is evidence-based proof provided to bolster such claims. After much exploration, I’ve noticed a few elements missing from those models and sought to include them in how I work with clients and teach my work to others. Separating myself from the traditional perspective where the clinician/teacher/coach is viewed as the expert, capable of deciding on the proper intervention, I began empowering my clients to become their own experts. This empowerment is the basis for my presentation for the Voice Study Centre.
Spend a few hours with me looking deeply into limitations in the clinician/teacher-as-expert model and how we can balance out power towards the values and preferences of the individual client/student. Even a concept seemingly as simple as exercise and stretching can be made more person-centered by applying a few core principles. You will come away with knowledge of beneficial stretches and exercises to enhance performance and remediate problems, and you’ll also leave the talk with a deeper understanding of shared decision-making, the foundation of my work.
Please be prepared to apply this work to yourself or a companion. I would advise that you refrain from wearing any facial/neck lotion or makeup and have a small piece of cloth handy for some of the mouth-based work.
🏷️ Price £30 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 Certificate of attendance available
Walt Fritz
Walt Fritz, PT, has evolved traditionally taught tissue-based approaches into a unique interpretation of manual therapy. This approach advances views of causation and impact from historical tissue-specific models into a multifactorial narrative, leaning heavily on biopsychosocial influences.
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.
Thursday 26th June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday 1st July 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
The Contemporary Classical Singer: Incorporating New Music into Vocal Pedagogy!
Page Stephens
There are evolving expectations for vocalists, who now need to perform in a variety of styles beyond traditional classical music. In this two-part course, Page Stephens argues that voice teachers should incorporate contemporary repertoire and techniques into their lessons to help singers grow in expressivity, flexibility, and economic opportunities. The course will cover industry trends, cultural pressures, and economic benefits of contemporary music, and provide tools for integrating new music into vocal education. Interviews with professionals will highlight the strengths and weaknesses observed in the field, and strategies for teaching new music will be discussed.
Wednesday 2nd July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
The identity politics of accent learning!
Jenru Wang
Jenru Wang has an MFA in Voice Studies with distinction from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London - in this session, he will begin to explore the complexities accent coaches might face in their work, examining the intersection of language, identity, and cultural sensitivity. Participants will explore how to navigate challenging situations in different contexts and understand what to do—and avoid—when working with diverse clients and materials.
Thursday 3rd July 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Vocal “Decathletes” – inside the hidden world of Session Singing!
Kim Chandler
What is a session singer? Officially it’s a freelance, short-term “singer for hire” brought in to be part of a live or recorded musical project. However, it’s more generally understood to be the “behind-the-scenes” singer who is regularly booked for paid recording work. The type of work (and pay) varies a lot. Session singing is a side of the music industry that is largely hidden from the public and isn’t easy to find out much about, even online. Join Kim Chandler as she unpicks this topic, based on 35 years of session singing!