Short Courses & Events / Archive

Designing Exercises for the Classical and Contemporary Singer

Thursday 16th September 2021, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

We are excited to present this highly informative, interactive workshop with John Nix on Designing Exercises for the Classical and Contemporary Singer. John will examine the following:

How do vocal exercises work? What are the variables?

  • Direction
  • Pattern
  • Length
  • Vowels
  • Consonants
  • SOVTs
  • Registers
  • Temp/note values
  • Repetition
  • Dynamic level

Other factors to consider when designing your own vocal exercises

  • Muscle activtation
  • Tissue fatigue
  • Motor learning aspects
  • Psychological factors
  • Musical factors

Looking at key examples involving

  • Plosive and close vowels – descending scales for light production
  • Exercises ideal for cross-training
  • Exercises for male classical versus male belt
  • Contrasting Classical and CCM exercises
  • Vocal agility
  • Messa di voce

Case scenario – exercise design

Professor John Nix

John Nix is Professor of Voice and Voice Pedagogy and chair of the voice area at the University of Texas at San Antonio.  His mentors include Barbara Doscher...

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.

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2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 12th May 2026
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Tuesday 19th May 2026
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Tuesday 26th May 2026
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Tuesday 2nd June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 9th June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)

Music Theory Fundamentals for Voice Pedagogues

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Voice pedagogy has advanced significantly in the last decades in relation to knowledge of the vocal apparatus (anatomy and mechanics), acoustics, and performance psychology (to name just a few subfields) – this is a wonderful thing! Nonetheless, musicianship and the foundations of music theory are still relevant to the teaching and coaching of singers and this course aims to empower voice teachers and coaches with skills to support the fundamental musicianship development of their students.

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Tuesday 12th May 2026
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(London Time)

Prosody in conversation – crucial for effective communication?

Beatrice Szczepek Reed

In this course, we will take an introductory look at what prosody is and consider its functions in natural everyday dialogue. Prosody refers to the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech. It's the musicality of language that helps convey meaning, emotion, and emphasis in conversation!

Feldenkrais Method® - its application in speech and song!
Thursday 14th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)

Feldenkrais Method® - its application in speech and song!

Marina Gilman

The Feldenkrais Method® is a form of somatic education that uses gentle movement and directed attention to improve physical and mental functioning, including singing and speaking. Since we are not always aware of the source of tension or discoordination, it is difficult to make the necessary adjustments to ensure optimal use of the voice!