Vocal Acoustics and Implications for Pedagogy

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 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:

Thursday 15^th May 2025

Friday 16^th May 2025

Both at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm