The Use of Music in the Speech Recovery and Confidence Rebuilding After Laryngectomy
Thursday 20th February 2025, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
Laryngectomy is the surgical removal of the voice box, a life changing operation mostly indicated by throat cancer. The post-operative anatomical changes affect voice, swallow, smell and taste. As a result up to 30% of the affected population suffer from anxiety, depression and/or social isolation.
We explore the use of singing, acting and beatboxing techniques in the speech recovery after laryngectomy. We showcase how laryngectomy choir activities including performances and writing poetry help to rebuild confidence and inform, even inspire, the laryngectomy, healthcare, science and broader communities.
We will discuss the rationale behind the introduction of music and writing poetry into the alaryngeal speech recovery, demonstrate audio-samples before and after the use of singing techniques and learn from feedback from audience and participants. The talk will include examples of poetry and performance by the laryngectomy choir. At the end of the lecture there will be room for Q&A.
The talk will be structured as follows:
- introduction to laryngectomy and its post-operative anatomical changes.
- The importance of respiratory function and breathing techniques.
- How Singing techniques can improve the quality of the laryngectomy voice.
- Music as a motivational tool in rehabilitation.
- Beatboxing: every sound counts.
- A choir: group activity on steroids.
- The importance of multiplural co-creation.
- The healing and educational effect of putting things to paper.
- The power of performance.
🏷️ Price £30 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 Certificate of attendance available
Dr Thomas Moors
A Belgian, London based, awarded medical doctor with special interest in voice and integration of art into healthcare. His mission is to use multi plural co - creativity and bring positive attention towards small and scattered groups (overlooked) in medicine, research and society.
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 19th May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Staging A Coup: History meets science for the coup de la glotte!
Kourtney Austin
Historical vocal pedagogy, voice science, voice health, and performance practice come together in this presentation from Kourtney Austin! The session addresses the historical context for teaching the onset as a fundamental skill, along with a review of a recent publication examining the acoustic effects of different types of onset, and practical studio implementation of onset training. The aforementioned publication is the first known research to objectively measure the acoustic implications of the coup de la glotte, and delineate it from the hard glottal attack.
Thursday 21st May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Letting the Text Live: Reading Aloud with Expression!
Louisa Morgan
This 2-hour interactive session is designed to help you make more deliberate, expressive choices in your speaking of the written word. It will involve plenty of practical exploration and will cover tips and techniques for working with the voice to lift the text off the page. Work with me to refine nuance, precision, and expressive range. We’ll explore a variety of text samples to cover a wide range of real-world situations, so you can get a feel for the different styles and approaches. If you want your spoken text to sound purposeful, engaging, and unmistakably yours, this session will invite you to play with some tools to do just that.