Understanding and Applying Singing Voice Acoustics in Applied Teaching (two-part course)
Wednesday 9th October 2024, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (London Time)
Thursday 10th October 2024, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (London Time)
Many voice teachers have a firm grasp on the anatomy and physiology of voice production. However, voice acoustics still mystifies much of the singing and teaching population, and for those who do have a working understanding of the scientific principles, applying this knowledge in teaching remains difficult. These two sessions on 9-10 October are designed to meet the needs of both groups of teachers, exploring essential elements of singing voice acoustics across multiple genres. The course will be structured so that attendees not only understand the scientific principles of acoustics as they relate to singing voice production, but also understand the practical, “how can I apply this information in an actionable way in my teaching” usage of acoustics.
This “principles first, application immediately afterward” approach will be built into the structure of the course. In a systematic and cyclical fashion, topics will be introduced, the scientific underpinnings will be discussed (answering the question, “what do I need to know”), the relevance of the science to teaching will be described (answering “why should I bother to learn this?”), and application of the science to voice teaching (answering “how will I use this in my teaching?”) will follow before moving on to the next topic. Suggestions will be given on designing voice exercises, developing corrective techniques, and assigning/coaching repertoire. Topics will be sequenced from the general to the more specific level. Care will be taken to consider application options for multiple genres of singing. Ample time will be left for questions during the two sessions.
Professor Nix, the instructor for the course, has been a university pedagogy professor for 20 years as well as an active researcher, and he will bring his extensive experience in relating science to pedagogy to the VSC course.
This is a two part course!
Course Dates & Times:
Wednesday 9th October 2024
Thursday 10th October 2024
Both at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Professor John Nix
John Nix is Professor of Voice and Voice Pedagogy and chair of the voice area at the University of Texas at San Antonio. His mentors include Barbara Doscher...
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.
Wednesday 4th March 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday 11th March 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday 18th March 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday 25th March 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday 1st April 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday 8th April 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
(London Time)
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Louisa Morgan
This six-week course is an opportunity to learn about both Received Pronunciation and Standard Southern British English. Rather than a course in learning how to speak RP/SSBE (there are many brilliant available courses for this already), this course is about learning how to coach it.
Tuesday 17th March 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
The Use of Vibrato in Belt and Legit Styles of Singing in Professional Female Musical Theatre Performers
Dr. Alyssa Becker
Shaped by the popular music of its time, musical theatre blends storytelling with an ever-evolving range of vocal styles—from classical legit singing to jazz, hip-hop, and powerhouse belting. Despite its importance, much of what we understand about vibrato comes from laboratory-based studies that strip singing of its musical, stylistic, and performance context. Join Dr Alyssa Becker as she connects current research with real-world pedagogy, revealing how elite musical theatre performers strategically use vibrato to shape style and storytelling, and showing how these insights can be applied in the voice studio to train stylistic flexibility and control!
Wednesday 18th March 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
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Ruth Williams Hennessy
Are you a singer or speaker struggling with stubborn jaw tension that just won't quit? Even with elite training, the "stuck" jaw is often a symptom of a surprising culprit: your feet! Join Ruth Hennessy in this interactive workshop where she bridges the gap between podiatry and phonation, moving beyond "temporary fixes" to address the physical misalignments that bottleneck your performance.