News / Student & Alumni News

Three MA Voice Pedagogy alumnae featured in the BVA’s Communicating Voice journal

Saturday 17th June 2023

It gives us great pleasure to announce that three alumnae from our MA pathway in Voice Pedagogy were recently featured in the Spring 2023 edition of Communicating Voice, the triannual journal produced by the British Voice Association (BVA).

Vocal coach and singer Emma Jane Sweeney reflects on her Continued Professional Development (CPD) and how her three-year MA course balanced with her work and life logistics while enabling her to learn from and share experiences with leading practitioners, researchers and pedagogues.

Meanwhile, professional popular music singer and singing teacher Jo Sear’s career is profiled as she discusses popular music, her MA studies and the next step on her journey – a PhD at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester, which she hopes will help boost the credibility of popular music singing within the profession.

Lastly, voice health specialist and singer Jenna Brown reviews Christopher Goldsack’s book The Simple Science of Singing, which introduces the reader to the fundamental principles of how we produce sound when we sing, simplifying several complex concepts along the way. Chapters include breathing, the larynx, resonance, vibrancy and control.

Congratulations to you all!

BVA

The British Voice Association (BVA) is the 'voice for voice' in the UK, an association of multi-disciplinary professionals who work to promote the field of voice...

Emma Jane Sweeney

Emma Jane Sweeney BA (Hons) MA is a Vocal tutor for Essex Music Service working peripatetically in schools and as a Singing Teacher in her home studio with private students...

Jo Sear

Jo Sear has been a professional Popular Music singer for 27 years and a singing teacher for 17 years...

Jenna Brown

Jenna Brown is a mezzo-soprano performing as a soloist in concert and recital, as well as in choirs. She teaches singers of all ages 1:1 and in groups, working as teacher, vocal coach and conductor.


Recent Posts

After The Session

After The Session: Pop Pedagogy - an Overview with Kim Chandler

Voice Study Centre
Wednesday 28th October 2026

A 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.

Read More...
Student Interviews

Negotiating Authenticity: Tre Cooper Explores Cross-Genre Singing and Stylistic Decision-Making

Voice Study Centre
Friday 23rd October 2026

What 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?

Read More...
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 2026

What 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.

Read More...