The Empathetic Voice Teacher
Tuesday 23rd January 2024, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (London Time)
Studies show that empathic voice teachers generate more successful singers. This is unsurprising as empathy is considered to be one of the most important emotional characteristics among teachers as it enables successful communication and connection with students. For voice teachers specifically, empathy is further considered essential for training students both physically and psychologically.
But how exactly do we demonstrate empathy in voice teaching?
Join Dr Heather Fletcher (The University of Melbourne) and Dr Amanda E. Krause (James Cook University) as they delve into the impact empathy has on voice teaching practices. In this session, you will learn how fostering empathy in one-to-one lessons can facilitate the voice teacher’s ability to:
- listen and communicate effectively;
- generate positive, moral, caring, and trustworthy relationships;
- support a student’s ability to cope in the performing arts industry; and
- assist in diagnosing vocal issues in students.
They will further draw on their research on expert voice teachers to discuss how successful empathic teaching facilitates student success. You will learn how to integrate these aspects into your own pedagogy and consider how such skills might benefit your teaching, your studio, and your students.
Dr Heather Fletcher
Dr Heather Fletcher is a lecturer and voice teacher at The University of Melbourne. Her PhD in music psychology focused on the practices of expert voice teachers in Australia and her research has been disseminated in both academic journals and conferences worldwide.
Dr Amanda E. Krause
Dr Amanda E. Krause is a Lecturer (Psychology) in the College of Healthcare Sciences at James Cook University (Queensland, Australia). She also currently serves as President of the Australian Music & Psychology Society.
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.


Thursday 13th March 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
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Dr. Rita Patel
Are children simply young adults when it comes to their voice? This short course will dive deep into paediatric voice disorders, exploring the key anatomical and physiological differences between children’s vocal development and that of adults. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for effective diagnosis and treatment of voice disorders in children.

Tuesday 18th March 2025
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Tuesday 25th March 2025
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Tuesday 1st April 2025
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
(London Time)
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Joshua Lee-Cummins
This three-week course provides voice professionals with a structured and interactive approach to defining their identity, connecting with their audience, and implementing small but impactful changes to enhance their practice.


Tuesday 18th March 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Understanding Muscle Physiology: Towards an Applied Framework for Singing Voice Training and Rehabilitation

Dr. Mary Sandage
If singers are vocal athletes, then muscle physiology considerations should be part of our training and rehabilitation programs. A web search for guidance to train up for a 5k will yield millions of hits, while strength and conditioning requirements for recital preparation yields very little.