The Neuroscience of Speech and Song
Thursday 1st May 2025, 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.
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.
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 5th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 12th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 19th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 26th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 2nd June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 9th June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Music Theory Fundamentals for Voice Pedagogues
Dr David Cane
Voice pedagogy has advanced significantly in the last decades in relation to knowledge of the vocal apparatus (anatomy and mechanics), acoustics, and performance psychology (to name just a few subfields) – this is a wonderful thing! Nonetheless, musicianship and the foundations of music theory are still relevant to the teaching and coaching of singers and this course aims to empower voice teachers and coaches with skills to support the fundamental musicianship development of their students.
Tuesday 26th May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Exploring Group-Voice for all Ages and Stages!
Cynthia Vaughn
Teaching group-voice classes is an exciting and fun way to teach singing. It affords the singer and teacher opportunities to experience many different aspects of singing in ways that are not possible when working one-one. Join Cynthia Vaughn as she explores the many benefits gained from working in a group, such as opportunities for each student to participate and hear others, chances to experiment with different techniques, styles, and sounds, guided learning from peers, increased awareness of vocal efficiency and effectiveness, and more confidence (and less self-consciousness) in sharing and performing.
Thursday 4th June 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Flexible Pedagogy: Teaching Singers with Dynamic Conditions
Joanne Bozeman
Marita Stryker
Is your "flexible" student actually at risk? In recent years, the singing community has seen a vital shift in awareness toward "invisible" conditions like Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD), hEDS, and POTS. While hypermobility can sometimes feel like a "superpower" for range and flexibility, it often comes with a hidden cost: a higher frequency of voice disorders, respiratory challenges, and autonomic fatigue. Join Joanne Bozeman and Marita Stryker as they unpick the the special challenges and management strategies needed...