"Throaty Sounds": Cross-linguistics, Health, & Pedagogy!
Thursday 6th November 2025, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
Glottal stops, vocal fry, creaky voice, and more! There are many types of “throaty sounds” that we make in spoken languages and simply in vocal expression. Many practitioners have historically expressed strong views about the health or use of throaty sounds: considering them risky or unhealthy, as well as displeasing.
Yet -- throaty sounds appear in many languages and language families worldwide! Speakers use them every day to communicate. A cross-linguistic comparison of throaty sounds in languages can yield new insights for voice and speech professionals to consider. Some beliefs about throaty sounds can be re-examined, which can affect approaches for voice training and voice care. Together we can reconsider the narrative around glottals and vocal fry, find new language to discuss the sounds, and support our students' use of speech!
This course will explore:
(1) which sounds are produced and articulated in the throat,
(2) where do we hear these sounds in various languages, and
(3) how to reconsider previous negative assumptions about the health of sounds themselves.
Dayle Towarnicky
Dayle Towarnicky (she/her) is an Assistant Professor with the FSU School of Theatre in Tallahassee, Florida, where she teaches and coaches voice, speech, and accent. Dayle researches intersections between voice and speech practice and linguistics.
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 2nd December 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Vocal Health, Well-being and Hindustani Classical Music
Dr Sunny Sandhu
Join Dr Sunny Sandhu for a 2-hour course that introduces participants to the ancient practice of kharaj exercises in the Dhrupad tradition, focusing on the deep and resonant lower octave of the voice. Through guided breathing, slow tonal exploration, and sustained notes, students will learn techniques that strengthen the vocal cords, expand range, and develop clarity and stability in sound production!
Thursday 4th December 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
(R)evolutionary Voice Training: harnessing human instinct to accelerate vocal transformation!
Maddie Tarbox
Human beings and our vertebrate ancestors have been communicating via vocalization for millions of years – those sounds did not start as complex language, but as animal mimicry, acoustic cuing, and emotional primal sounds. Join Maddie Tarbox for this two hour session as she unpicks the repertoire of instinctive shortcuts that can lower cognitive load and accelerate vocal change!
Tuesday 9th December 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Low Male Voices (LMVs): Development, Technique, and Repertoire
Dr Dann Mitton
Join Dr Dann Mitton for this two hour workshop where he explores the Development, Techniques, and Repertoire favoured for Low Male Voices (LMVs). Typically labelled as 'Bass' and 'Baritone', these classifications are used in classical music, choral settings, and vocal pedagogy to help determine suitable repertoire and vocal roles. In contemporary music, the distinctions are less rigid but still useful for understanding vocal range and timbre.