Short Courses & Events / Archive

Thinking Outside The Voice Box: Adolescent Voice Change In Music Education

Thursday 5th May 2022, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

The goal of this workshop is to encourage new and holistic ways of thinking about the [assigned at birth] female and [assigned at birth] male adolescent changing voice.

We will step away from typical considerations of voice change and explore the experience within the bigger picture of adolescence.

Conversation will include topics of physical development during adolescence, including the body, brain, and auditory system; vocal anatomy and physiology in general, as well as during male and female voice change; the impact of hormones on the adolescent voice, especially for female singers; ideas of resolve and perseverance that are essential to adolescent navigation of voice change; and the influence of a voice change simulacrum that influences societal thinking about the voice change phenomenon.

A brief examination of voice classification systems and other foundational ideas in choral music education, as well as emerging considerations of adolescent voice change beyond classification systems, provide new food for thought about working with the adolescent changing voice.

Dr Bridget Sweet

Bridget Sweet is Professor of Music Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. She wrote the books Growing Musicians: Teaching Music in Middle School and Beyond (2016) and Thinking Outside the Voice Box: Adolescent Voice Change in Music Education (2019); she co-edited the book Motherhood in the Music Education Academy (2025).

Sorry, 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.

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Tuesday 12th August 2025
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Tuesday 19th August 2025
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Tuesday 26th August 2025
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(London Time)

Certificated Public Speaking Coach qualification - with John Henny

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Would you like to be a certified public speaking coach? Join the renowned John Henny for this exciting new online course! This six-week online certification course is designed to equip voice teachers with the specialised skills needed to work with public speakers, corporate trainers, educators, and presenters. Unlike a general public speaking course, this program is specifically tailored to train-the-trainer, giving voice professionals structured methodologies, coaching techniques, and applied skills to enhance vocal delivery, confidence, and influence in professional speakers.

Transitioning From Soprano To Mezzo-Soprano - Pedagogical Approaches!
Thursday 24th July 2025
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
(London Time)

Transitioning From Soprano To Mezzo-Soprano - Pedagogical Approaches!

Dr Caitlin Moore

This workshop will explore the considerations for transitioning from soprano to mezzo-soprano. We will examine the history and vocal science related to voice classification as well as interviews with singers and voice teachers. Interviews feature singers who have experienced this Fach change themselves, as well as voice teachers who have helped singers navigate this shift.

Towards a Jazz Pedagogy: Lessons from Legends and Educators!
Tuesday 29th July 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Towards a Jazz Pedagogy: Lessons from Legends and Educators!

Dr Autumn Griffin

Join Dr Autumn Griffin as she explores the foundational tenets of jazz pedagogy as both a conceptual and practical framework for teaching, in this two-hour workshop. Drawing from her research in “Towards a Jazz Pedagogy: Learning with and from Jazz Greats and Great Educators,” she’ll investigate how jazz (its historical and cultural legacy, structure, improvisation, and relationality) can be mobilized to inform dynamic, liberatory educational practice!