Vocal “Decathletes” – inside the hidden world of Session Singing!
Thursday 3rd July 2025, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
What is a session singer? Officially it’s a freelance, short-term “singer for hire” brought in to be part of a live or recorded musical project. However, it’s more generally understood to be the “behind-the-scenes” singer who is regularly booked for paid recording work. The type of work (and pay) varies a lot. The following are some examples:
- Advertising jingles & station idents
- Singing on new material that songwriters have written - "demo songs"
- Backing vocals on tracks/albums and new shows, e.g. for cruise lines
- Lead vocal features on songs written by others for release - “feature vocals”
- Vocals for movie soundtracks and TV series
To be employable in this role, singers are best to have a generic rather than distinctive ‘signature’ sound, be stylistically very versatile (vocal “decathletes”), have a reliable, robust vocal technique, a great ear for vocal blending, quick melody learning & harmonising, a solid understanding of music and be able to thrive & deliver under tight time pressure in the challenging, unique performing conditions of the recording studio.
Session singing is a side of the music industry that is largely hidden from the public and isn’t easy to find out much about, even online. So, with 35 years of session singing experience, the presenter will cover around ten different types of session work, provide examples, outline what skill set is required for each one and give some advice on how to get into this sort of work.
As further background, here also are some videos on this topic featuring the presenter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtpmH_zJ0WE
🏷️ Price £30 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 Certificate of attendance available
Kim Chandler
Kim Chandler (MMus BMusEd) is a renowned contemporary vocal coach & session singer. She runs a busy private studio in Marbella, Spain, where she coaches an elite clientele of stadium band singers, including BRIT award winners & GRAMMY nominees, artists from a range of genres, professional singers and vocal coaches online.
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 23rd June 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Introduction to Vocal Psychotherapy: Songs of the Self
Dr. Diane Austin
This presentation draws on the methods and techniques of Vocal Psychotherapy, a new in-depth model of music psychotherapy developed by Dr. Austin, that incorporates breath work, natural sounds, vocal improvisation, and songs and dialogue within a client and therapist relationship to facilitate intrapsychic and interpersonal change and growth.
Thursday 2nd July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Unclenching the Jaw: Options from the Physio Lens
Walt Fritz
“Jaw tension” is one of many potential problems facing the singer, and can cause a direct negative impact on the performance in both direct and indirect ways. The underlying cause of jaw issues is attributed to numerous factors (technique, posture, strength, range of motion, etc.), making it often difficult to identify common denominators. Join Walt Fritz as he examines the evidence supporting stretching, strengthening, and manual therapy interventions to address jaw-related concerns in vocal performers, taking into account their unique needs.
Monday 6th July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday 10th July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 13th July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday 17th July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 20th July 2026
7:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday 24th July 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Certificate in Foundations of Vocology with Adam Roberts
Adam Roberts
This 30-hour Vocology Cohort Intensive provides a comprehensive overview of basic vocal anatomy, physiology, and theories of voice production & perception, fundamentals of vocal health, pathology, evaluation, performance, and habilitation of the speaking and singing voice, and a survey of research, resources, and professional opportunities. Each week, advanced students contribute to cohort-centred learning with additional resources, discussion facilitation, and critical analysis. The course assessment will also be useful for those who wish to prepare for the PAVA recognised designation.