Vocal Health in Children and Young People

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