The Feldenkrais Method®: How Does It Apply In The Voice Studio?
Thursday 31st August 2023, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
Our 2-hour course will begin with a discussion of the basic philosophical underpinnings of The Feldenkrais Method® and the recent discoveries in neuroscience relating to brain/body interaction that have validated his theories.
How these basic principles of somatic education can be applied in the voice studio will then be explored with concrete examples.
Moshe Feldenkrais, born in 1904, engineer and physicist, developed the method that bears his name over years of self-study. He was trained as a scientist, working in the Joliot-Curie lab at Radium Institute in Paris while simultaneously working on doctorate in engineering at the Sorbonne. During WWII he worked as a scientific officer for the British Admiralty.
Personal knee injuries combined with the study of Jiujitsu as a teen, followed by the study of Judo under its founder, Jigoro Kano, in Paris, shaped his life long quest to understand through scientific inquiry, how we can learn to change our habitual patterns to provide more efficient and flexible ways to move and function in the world through our somatic awareness. In short, he saw that how we perceive ourselves, our inner self image, dictates how we move and function. In order to change how we move/function, we need to learn to shift our attention from goal oriented to focus on the quality and ease of movement, through structured lessons, verbally directed or hands on, allowing our nervous system to explore new options or pathways.
The result was the development of The Feldenkrais Method® of Somatic Education, and its subsets, Awareness Through Movement® and Functional Integration®.
Marina Gilman
Marina Gilman holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Indiana University, Master of Music degree from Ithaca College, and a Masters of Art in Communication Disorders...
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!