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.
Tuesday 21st January 2025
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
(London Time)
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Gillie Stoneham
This introductory short course is aimed at those who work in voice coaching and/or therapy who wish to develop some basic knowledge and skills in working with trans and gender-diverse people to support voice and communication exploration.
Tuesday 21st January 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
From Broadway to the West End: Teaching Musical Theatre in a Modern Era
Melanie Tapson
In this engaging two-hour workshop, Melanie Tapson—a professional performer, interdisciplinary voice specialist and clinical voice therapist— focuses on equipping voice educators with practical tools to help their students thrive at every stage of their career, all the way to Broadway, the West End, and beyond.
Wednesday 22nd January 2025
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
(London Time)
The Acting Through Song Toolkit: a 3-part course
Louisa Morgan
Do you work with students who struggle to connect their acting skills with their singing skills? Are your students currently auditioning for professional work, drama schools or entering competitions? Perhaps you are a singing teacher needing to work on performance, but you don’t have a background in acting.