The Race of Sound – Why Do We Think We Can Hear Race Vocally?
Thursday 24th October 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
Why and how do we make assumptions about a person’s race, gender, or age based on the timbre of their voice? Within the context of the United States, we will examine historical precedents for racialized listening to voices as well as contemporary realities, utilizing a framework for critically interrogating the racializing processes embedded in vocal and listening practices. The case studies we will draw on range from classical voices (such as Marian Anderson’s) to jazz (Jimmy Scott) and voice technologies (the vocal synthesis software Vocaloid). In considering the physiological basis for voice, we learn that there are actually no racial markers. And in taking the power of formal and informal voice lessons seriously, we can begin to deconstruct how voices and listening strategies are shaped within a racialized world.
This session will draw from my book The Race of Sound: Listening, Timbre, and Vocality in African American Music (Duke University Press, 2019).
Nina Eidsheim
Nina Eidsheim is the author of Sensing Sound: Singing and Listening as Vibrational Practice and The Race of Sound: Listening, Timbre, and Vocality in African American Music, and co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Voice Studies and Refiguring American Music.
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.
Thursday 12th November 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
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Amy Bebbington
Enhance your choral leadership by grounding vocal direction in physical, experiential movement. Drawing from the pioneering methodologies of Zoltán Kodály and Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, join Amy Bebbington for this practical and highly engaging session exploring how kinaesthetic gestures can revolutionize the way you lead singing.
Monday 16th November 2026
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
(London Time)
Introduction to Postgraduate Academic Skills (IPAS): Online Information Session & Q&A
Debbie Winter
Interested in developing your academic skills or exploring a pathway onto our MA Voice Pedagogy? Join our free online information session to learn what IPAS involves, how it works and whether it's right for you.
Tuesday 17th November 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
A (Very) Brief Course in Linguistics!
Miranda Guettlein
Join Miranda Guettlin (editor of the Voice and Speech Review) for an empowering introductory course in linguistics designed specifically for voice and speech practitioners. She will break down the six major subfields (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics) in order to provide voice and speech practitioners in with a more clear understanding of the components of language and usable tools to incorporate into their teaching.