Vocal Health in Children and Young People
Tuesday 13th January 2026, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM (London Time)
Children’s vocal health, and issues affecting their wellbeing, is a subject which is now benefiting from increased scrutiny and research. Teachers, vocal coaches, choir leaders and musical directors are aware that this field of study exists, but where is all of this information condensed into one session that covers what they need to know? This short course is designed to provide you with exactly that – an up-to-date overview of the issues and how you can help the young people you work with, answering their questions with age-appropriate vocabulary.
Delivered by Olivia Sparkhall, author of the acclaimed book, ‘A Young Person’s Guide to Vocal Health’, the course will cover the following topics:
- Healthy voices before adolescent voice-change
- Hydration – why, when, how much?
- Voice-change (long-term effects)
- Hormones (short-term effects)
- Risky behaviours and vocal health
- Performance anxiety
- Recovering from illness
This talk will consider aspects of vocal health particularly pertinent to children and young people from about age 8 to age 19.
The focus will be on issues which affect this age-range, with an emphasis on both dispelling myths and providing evidence-based advice which voice professionals can pass on with confidence.
This will be deeply relevant to primary and secondary school music teachers, singing teachers, vocal coaches, and children’s choir directors
Olivia Sparkhall
Olivia Sparkhall is a composer, choral conductor, voice coach and music teacher based on the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire, UK. She is a Voice Study Centre (University of Wales...
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 27th October 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
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Some successful pop stars are celebrating career lengths of over sixty years, having been around since the 1950s when pop music emerged and diversified from jazz, so pop singing has been in existence sufficiently long now that, for teaching purposes, we can observe and analyse what type of approach serves it best.
Friday 30th October 2026
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(London Time)
Feldenkrais Method® - its application in speech and song!
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The Feldenkrais Method® is a form of somatic education that uses gentle movement and directed attention to improve physical and mental functioning, including singing and speaking. Since we are not always aware of the source of tension or discoordination, it is difficult to make the necessary adjustments to ensure optimal use of the voice!
Monday 2nd November 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday 3rd November 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
The Vocal Health Challenges for Actors and Singers!
Leda Scearce
Two part course! Vocal health principles are inextricably and symbiotically linked with singing and acting voice pedagogy: Good vocal health allows the singer and actor to more easily and effectively achieve their technical and artistic goals, and good teaching reinforces vocal technique that diminishes the risk of vocal injury. We now also recognize the necessity for singers and actors to understand how their instruments work, how to take care of their voices, and what to do when something goes wrong. Singing and acting teachers are indeed on the front lines of vocal health!