Short Courses & Events / Archive

The Neuroscience of Speech and Song

Wednesday 2nd October 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

Every syllable and every song comes from a 1kg lump of cells in our skulls that we call the brain, and that’s not half of what it does! Understanding how the brain works is important, but understandably this can get a little complicated and sometimes even a little intimidating.

The Neuroscience of Speech and Song offers an engaging and accessible introduction to the fascinating interface between the brain and some of the things that we use it for. This course is designed to unravel the complex processes underlying how we speak and sing, using simple and accessible language.

The mind and the brain are two sides of the same coin. You would expect an expert in digestion to have a working knowledge of the stomach, wouldn’t you? In just the same way we might expect that an expert in certain kinds of human behaviours -like speaking and singing- should have some understanding of how the human brain is able to do these things.

This course will start from basics and assume very little prior knowledge. We will cover the basic structure of the brain and how it works in general, then narrow in on specific processes that are relevant to speech and song. Examples may  be drawn from clinical cases such as Parkinson’s Disease because understanding ways in which the brain sometimes does not work as it should can help us understand how it typically would.

🏷️ 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

Dr Michel Belyk

Dr Michel Belyk is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Edge Hill University. He studies the human voice, all the things that it says, and how it is able to say them.

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Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.

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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.

Certificate in Foundations of Vocology with Adam Roberts
Monday 2nd June 2025
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Monday 9th June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 16th June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 23rd June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 30th June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Certificate in Foundations of Vocology with Adam Roberts

Adam Roberts

This fifteen week (30-hour) Vocology Cohort Intensive provides a comprehensive overview of basic vocal anatomy, physiology, and theories of voice production & perception, fundamentals of vocal health, pathology, evaluation, performance, and habilitation of the speaking and singing voice, and a survey of research, resources, and professional opportunities.

Advanced Belting Techniques: Coordinating the voice to communicate the human experience!
Thursday 5th June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Advanced Belting Techniques: Coordinating the voice to communicate the human experience!

Matt Edwards

All voice types can belt, and there’s more than one kind of belting, but in introductory settings, it’s tough to cover every nuance that comes with training both aspiring and experienced belters. Join one of the leading voice teachers for commercial and musical theatre styles in the United States, Matt Edwards, for a dive into advanced belting. Empower your students to use the full range of their belt voice, and to move beyond the stereotype of belting!

Nasality in singing: a needed ingredient, a technical fault, or both?
Tuesday 10th June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Nasality in singing: a needed ingredient, a technical fault, or both?

Dr Charlene Santoni

Nasality refers to how much sound comes out of your nose when you speak or sing. It is an important concept in resonant singing instruction, and also one that has been privy to long standing debate. Some believe nasality is a needed ingredient in singing, while others consider nasality a technical fault. This presentation will provide three probable explanations for the opposing views, and a way forward. It will also highlight research that explores how a singing technique (voice focus) influences nasality, which may help to refine current rehabilitation strategies for individuals struggling with hyper- or hyponasal speech!