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.
Tuesday 16th December 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Inspired Sound: Unlocking the Science of Choral Acoustics
Professor Helena Daffern
In this session, Professor Helena Daffern will explore the fascinating science behind choral sound, offering choir singers and directors valuable insights into achieving a cohesive and expressive ensemble, no matter what their standard. The concept of choral blend will be examined —what it is, how it can be cultivated, and the roles of intonation and vibrato will be analysed. The decisions that have to be made around intonation when tuning thirds or dealing with modulations over the course of an a cappella piece will be explained in the context of existing research and different singing styles such as barbershop singing and solo voice ensembles.
Tuesday 16th December 2025
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.
Thursday 18th December 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(London Time)
Improving Lyric Italian Diction for Classical Singers
Professor Conroy Cupido
Join Professor Conroy Cupido as he offers an in-depth exploration of the most frequent pronunciation errors made by classical singers in Italian lyric diction. Designed for both emerging and advanced singers, the course provides a structured and practical approach to mastering Italian pronunciation as used in opera, oratorio, and art song.