What Has The Last Two Decades Of Research On Singing And Health Taught Us? A Personal Reflection
Thursday 19th May 2022, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
The last twenty years has seen a remarkable growth of research on the possible health and wellbeing benefits of singing.
This course will chart this development, revisiting the early studies at the beginning of the century and charting progress since then towards the conduct of significant randomised controlled trials on singing for people with serious health conditions, including COPD, mental health, Parkinson’s and dementia.
In addition to such quantitative controlled studies consideration will be given to the essential contributions of qualitative research to understanding how singing works.
The course will help students develop the skills needed for critical interpretation of research studies, and the potential translation of their findings into practice.
Professor Stephen Clift
Stephen Clift is Professor Emeritus, Canterbury Christ Church University, and former Director of the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health...
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.
Thursday 30th October 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Creative Articulation
Annie Morrison
Most of us have little idea of HOW we speak, or what to do to make speech more muscular. Join Annie Morrison (creator of the 'Morrison Bone Prop') for this two hour session on Creative Articulation, a holistic and haptic approach to the touchings and feelings of the articulators in the dance of speech. Seeing articulation as a purely mechanical skill is detrimental to an actor's process: it is crucial to understand what language is doing on a biological level.
Tuesday 4th November 2025
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
(London Time)
The Belt Voice in R&B/Soul Singing: Vocal Characteristics & Physiology
Dr Matt Allen
The belt’s got soul! This course offers a deep dive into the vocal artistry and biomechanics of R&B/soul singing, with a particular focus on the belt voice—a powerful and expressive vocal technique central to the genre. Drawing from over 80 years of stylistic evolution, the course explores how R&B/soul singing has shaped contemporary commercial music and investigates the unique vocal traits that define its sound.
Tuesday 4th November 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(London Time)
The Science of Sound: Optimizing Vocal Acoustics for Contemporary Styles!
Dr Ana Flavia Zuim
This course explores the scientific principles underpinning vocal production, acoustics, and the care of the singing voice, drawing from both foundational texts and contemporary research. Students will engage deeply with concepts from Titze’s Principles of Voice Production and Bozeman’s Practical Vocal Acoustics, including the nature of sound, pressure waveforms, harmonics, formants, and the spectral envelope. Emphasis is placed on understanding both linear and non-linear source-filter models, highlighting how the glottis produces sound and how the vocal tract selectively reinforces harmonics to enhance vocal power, timbre, and efficiency.