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 22nd April 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday 23rd April 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Thursday 24th April 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Friday 25th April 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Monday 28th April 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday 29th April 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(London Time)
Certificate In Applied Neuroscience And Voice with Voice Scientist Heidi Moss
This six-day course is designed to provide an introduction to the neuroscience of vocalization. It aims to provide a foundation for those who are looking to fuse science with art and understand that the voice is so much more than an instrument.


Wednesday 23rd April 2025
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
(London Time)
A Critical Overview of Perceptual Motor Learning: Coaching Implications

Michele Capalbo
Perceptual motor learning (PML) theory is characterised by the convergence of perception and action. PML focuses on how we teach, not what we teach, in order to optimise learning and ultimately, performance! This short course will outline strategies for teaching and coaching with both long- and short-term goals in mind. These strategies have been adapted for the voice from motor learning theory and the Alexander Technique.


Thursday 24th April 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Friday 25th April 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Singing and the Brain: A Harmonious Connection

Dr Patricia Izbicki
Unlock the transformative power of music with our two-part lecture series that delves deep into the fascinating intersection of neuroscience, music education, and music therapy. This course aims to achieve three distinct objectives: to demonstrate the multifaceted benefits of music training and therapy, to equip you with a neuroscience-informed perspective for teaching, practice, and research, and to provide a comprehensive understanding of the science of singing across all stages of life. Join Dr Patricia Izbicki on this captivating journey and unlock the secrets of music's impact on the brain and human development!