The Gospel Choir Sound: A Practical Pedagogical Exploration
Tuesday 30th April 2024, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM (London Time)
'The Gospel Choir Sound: A Practical Pedagogical Exploration' is a course that is meant to help all types of singers and voices understand some of the essential methods behind the gospel choir sound in the African-American church and to hopefully have the ability to access and make use of these tactics and techniques in a tangible and efficient way.
In this course, we will discuss some of the basic terminology and history of the gospel choir in the African-American church while exploring basic pedagogical facets that can help clarify how gospel choirs sing. We will also explore how some words that are often used in the gospel choir setting can sound and be more familiar than you think. We will take a look at how these similar terms can help demystify the bridge of separation in terms of musical and vocal production between this genre and other genres.
Additionally, we will examine how these pedagogical facets are sometimes adjusted due to regional or aesthetic differences as well as define the different voice parts, the theoretical phonatory production of these parts/sections, and how these parts can slightly differ from the traditional system of voice classification.
..and, if time allows, we may even formulate a gospel choir during the course and learn a small portion of a song in the logistical and environmental settings that many gospel choirs typically learn music in.
Jaron M. LeGrair
Jaron M. LeGrair is a singer, voice researcher, voice teacher, music director, professor, educator, author, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, he founded the Jaron M. LeGrair Studio, an international studio that specialises in providing voice training and goods for vocal health for singers and speakers.
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.
Tuesday 2nd December 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Vocal Health, Well-being and Hindustani Classical Music
Dr Sunny Sandhu
Join Dr Sunny Sandhu for a 2-hour course that introduces participants to the ancient practice of kharaj exercises in the Dhrupad tradition, focusing on the deep and resonant lower octave of the voice. Through guided breathing, slow tonal exploration, and sustained notes, students will learn techniques that strengthen the vocal cords, expand range, and develop clarity and stability in sound production!
Thursday 4th December 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
(R)evolutionary Voice Training: harnessing human instinct to accelerate vocal transformation!
Maddie Tarbox
Human beings and our vertebrate ancestors have been communicating via vocalization for millions of years – those sounds did not start as complex language, but as animal mimicry, acoustic cuing, and emotional primal sounds. Join Maddie Tarbox for this two hour session as she unpicks the repertoire of instinctive shortcuts that can lower cognitive load and accelerate vocal change!
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.