The Mechanics: Phonetics and Pronunciation!
Wednesday 7th May 2025, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM (London Time)
This presentation is an introduction to all things Phonetics, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), and Pronunciation. This course will cover the professional basics of how to interpret the IPA from a ‘descriptive’ view instead of a ‘prescriptive’ view of right-or-wrong. Participants will also be challenged to investigate personal and social views on Pronunciation.
The content of this course is primarily influenced by publications and the philosophy of Knight-Thompson Speechwork (KTS) “a skills-based approach to speech and accent training for actors that places emphasis on developing the speaker’s detailed awareness of—and deep engagement with—the precise physical actions which make up speech.”
Colton Weiss (he/they) is a professional dialect coach, actor, and lecturer (Ohio State Univ.) based out of Columbus, Ohio. Colton has 10+yrs experience working on and off stage ranging from Broadway level musicals and classic opera to outdoor Shakespeare. His clients range from local middle school/high school students and working adults, to professionals performing regionally and on Broadway. Favorite coaching credits include: Actors’ Theatre of Columbus (Robin Hood, Sense and Sensibility - 2023 season), Columbus Children's Theatre (Disney’s Newsies - Dir. Joe Deer), and A.R.T.@Oberon (Violet the Musical - Dir. Sammi Cannold from How to Dance in Ohio). He is a proud graduate of Ohio State and Harvard University and member of the Voice and Speech Trainers’ Association (VASTA).
🏷️ 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
Colton Weiss
Colton Weiss (he/they) is a professional dialect coach, actor, and lecturer (Ohio State Univ.) based out of Columbus, Ohio. Colton has 10+yrs experience working on and off stage ranging from Broadway level musicals and classic opera to outdoor Shakespeare.
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.
Tuesday 17th February 2026
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
(London Time)
Simultaneous Singing and Dancing in Musical Theatre: A Cross-Disciplinary Evidence Review
Debbie Winter
Dr Claire Thomas
This short course invites participants to critically examine the latest cross-disciplinary evidence on the physical and vocal demands of musical theatre performance. Drawing on a comprehensive literature review conducted by Debbie Winter and Claire Thomas (Voice Study Centre, University of Essex), the course explores research from voice science, dance medicine, sports science, and performance pedagogy.
Thursday 19th February 2026
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
(London Time)
It’s not a virus! Reconceptualizing and De-pathologizing Music Performance Anxiety
Rebecca Herman
Performance Anxiety is one of the most widespread and debilitating challenges facing musicians across all ages, nationalities and musical genres. Despite decades of research and the development of numerous interventions, we do not yet have an established way of supporting performers experiencing performance anxiety. Aimed at performers, teachers, researchers and students, this presentation will first summarise the current state of play in performance anxiety research, before exploring alternative ways to think about performance anxiety, drawing on new research outside of performance psychology...
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.