from ‘hodgepodge’ to academic rigour
I entered the Voice Study Centre’s MA program in late 2020, intending to use the program to enhance my teaching curriculum. Before that time, my manual therapy coursework was an at-times hodgepodge of techniques, anecdotes, and evidence, but it lacked academic rigour. Recognizing this, I was able to tailor my MA program to meet my individual needs.
The VSC’s program, complete with tutors who helped guide my path,
provided the platform for me not only to complete my degree but also to place my teaching content directly at the centre of evidence-based practice.
Additionally, after being more deeply exposed to the academic process, I was able to publish a research article in a respected medical journal. The final piece of my work, a study set up to determine value gained by participants in my workshops, allowed me to reflect on my course content and adjust it to best meet the needs of future learners.
As I travel, teaching my manual therapy approach to others, I frequently share my experiences with the Voice Study Centre’s MA program, citing the ability to create a program tailored to the individual learner, without requiring the learner to fit into a pre-defined box. As far as what’s next for me, time will tell. Perhaps more research writing, a revision of my existing book, or simply the ability to flex future coursework revisions into what I now know to be plausible directions.
Walt Fritz
Walt Fritz, PT, has evolved traditionally taught tissue-based approaches into a unique interpretation of manual therapy. This approach advances views of causation and impact from historical tissue-specific models into a multifactorial narrative, leaning heavily on biopsychosocial influences.
Recent Posts
After The Session
After The Session: Pop Pedagogy - an Overview with Kim Chandler
Voice Study Centre
Wednesday 28th October 2026A recap of our recent session with Kim Chandler, broadcast live from a recording studio in Marbella, southern Spain. When a session singer, industry vocal coach and academic walks into one room, you get a very particular kind of masterclass. Kim brought all three hats to our latest short course, a two-hour "whistle-stop tour" of the 15 areas she believes a pop-specific vocal pedagogy should cover. Fittingly, she taught it from the very room where the vocals for Kung Fu Fighting in Kung Fu Panda 3 were recorded.
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Student Interviews
Negotiating Authenticity: Tre Cooper Explores Cross-Genre Singing and Stylistic Decision-Making
Voice Study Centre
Friday 23rd October 2026What does it mean for a singer to sound authentic when performing in a genre outside their usual style? And how can voice teachers help singers develop stylistic versatility without losing their individual artistic identity?
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After The Session
After The Session: Practical Magic*: The Art & Science of Balancing Voices with SOVTs and VFEs with Melanie Tapson
Voice Study Centre
Thursday 22nd October 2026What makes a vocal exercise effective? Is it the tool itself, the way we use it, or our understanding of what happens when we put it into practice? In Practical Magic: The Art & Science of Balancing Voices with SOVTs and VFEs, voice teacher and professional singer Melanie Tapson explored the science behind two widely used approaches to voice training: Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Exercises (SOVTs) and Vocal Function Exercises (VFEs). Combining scientific explanations with practical demonstrations and interactive activities, the session examined how these techniques can support vocal efficiency, stamina and sustainable voice use.
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