The Evolving Singing Voice: The Senior Years
Thursday 6th October 2022, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
This short course draws information from Chapter 6 of Karen’s Book, The Evolving Singing Voice: Changes Across the Life Span – The Senescent Singer.
Vocal changes and their impact on singing sometimes prompt singers in their fifth, sixth, and even seventh decade of life to seek help with their voices.
At this point, a teacher well-equipped with explanations and solutions can be a great help.
Karen has worked with many aging amateur and professional singers one-on-one and within the ensemble setting. She is also an older singer herself.
This course will address the impact of aging factors on “the senescent singer?”
Are there specific exercises that can address changing issues?
What are reasonable healthy expectations for singing?
What causes these changes? What changes in our sensations and why?
At the end of the course, you will have a depth of understanding and many ways to help our beloved senior singers.
Karen Brunssen
Mezzo-soprano, Karen Brunssen is Professor and Co-chair of the Department of Music Performance at Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University.
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 19th February 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Thursday 26th February 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
(London Time)
Performing Pain: Vocal Health in Emotional Roles!
Louisa Morgan
How connected are acted emotions to our real-life emotions? Are they expressed differently? Do they feel different in the body? This 2-part course with Louisa Morgan looks at the potential impact of acted emotion on vocal health, why we should consider it as voice practitioners, and how to care for our performers needing to work with it.
Tuesday 24th February 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Incorporating CBT principles within vocal health and voice care
Dr Luke Aldridge-Waddon
Join Dr Luke Waddon as he introduces the principles and techniques within cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) in relation to the voice and voice care. He will discuss psychological factors relevant to the development and maintenance of voice disorders and how these might be approached from a cognitive-behavioural perspective. He will describe theoretical concepts and therapeutic components often used within CBT and consider how these might be applied when working with voice users.
Tuesday 3rd March 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Sex differences in VOICE!
Dr Richard Lissemore
This two-hour workshop, led by performer, articulatory phoneticist, and voice physiologist, Dr. Richard Lissemore, will examine in detail the role that biological sex plays in the perception and pedagogy of singing voices. We'll consider how parameters such as anatomy, physiology, articulation, resonance, and radiated acoustics influence the perceptions and pedagogical decision-making of singing teachers.