The Neuroscience of Stammering
Tuesday 27th August 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
This lecture will provide brief revision of neuroscience generally, and use this knowledge to develop an understanding of why we stammer.
Michel will demystify neuroscience and take you beyond merely looking at colourful blobs and brainwaves. While the colourful blobs will certainly be there, much of the lecture will focus on understanding what they mean, and more importantly what they mean for brains that stammer and the people who have them.
Stammering is heritable, some people just have brains that work that way. When they speak sometimes they speak with hesitations, prolongations, or repetitions that they cannot control. The fact that their brains work differently is an excellent opportunity for us to learn more about how the brain controls speech. Stammering even has a special relationship with singing: it’s hard to stammer when you sing. We can learn a lot by trying to understand why!
People who stammer sometimes find it inconvenient and they may try to reduce their stammering with speech therapy. Sometimes the therapies even work. However, much more often they find the way that people treat them because of their stammer is a bigger problem. There is growing discussion that they probably should not have to have speech therapy is they don’t want it. It may be a kinder society that simply accepts them as they are and accommodates stammering as a form of disability. We will discuss these contemporary social issues as well as their practical implications for the lives of people who stammer.
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...