Therapeutic Tools for Performance and Living: Mind/Body Connection, Safety and the Vagus Nerve
Tuesday 30th January 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
This workshop looks at the role of the Autonomic Nervous System in performance and in vocalisation; the importance of developing an internally validated source of motivation for our work; the relationship with our inner critic, perfectionism and acceptance; and how our interpersonal interactions affect our feelings of safety.
We’ll experience together some exercises around the vagus nerve, visualisation and breathing, and look at how our relationship with self, others and the world and the ‘three flows of compassion’ can help us to vocalise with ease and live fulfilled, creative lives of safety and connection.
Ed Lyon
Ed Lyon is a classical tenor and therapist specialising in anxiety conditions. He studied at St John’s College, Cambridge as a choral scholar, then at the Royal Academy of Music and the National Opera Studio. For the past 20 years, he has been involved in the world of classical music at the highest level, performing major roles internationally on the opera stage and concert platform.
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 17th February 2026
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
(London Time)
Simultaneous Singing and Dancing in Musical Theatre: A Cross-Disciplinary Evidence Review
Debbie Winter
Dr Claire Thomas
This short course invites participants to critically examine the latest cross-disciplinary evidence on the physical and vocal demands of musical theatre performance. Drawing on a comprehensive literature review conducted by Debbie Winter and Claire Thomas (Voice Study Centre, University of Essex), the course explores research from voice science, dance medicine, sports science, and performance pedagogy.
Thursday 19th February 2026
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
(London Time)
It’s not a virus! Reconceptualizing and De-pathologizing Music Performance Anxiety
Rebecca Herman
Performance Anxiety is one of the most widespread and debilitating challenges facing musicians across all ages, nationalities and musical genres. Despite decades of research and the development of numerous interventions, we do not yet have an established way of supporting performers experiencing performance anxiety. Aimed at performers, teachers, researchers and students, this presentation will first summarise the current state of play in performance anxiety research, before exploring alternative ways to think about performance anxiety, drawing on new research outside of performance psychology...
Thursday 19th February 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Thursday 26th February 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
(London Time)
Performing Pain: Vocal Health in Emotional Roles!
Louisa Morgan
How connected are acted emotions to our real-life emotions? Are they expressed differently? Do they feel different in the body? This 2-part course with Louisa Morgan looks at the potential impact of acted emotion on vocal health, why we should consider it as voice practitioners, and how to care for our performers needing to work with it.