Short Courses & Events / Archive

Making Holistic Connections Between the Voice, Body & Emotions

Tuesday 26th March 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

Discover the rich and expanding capabilities possible within you as this course introduces you to the Emotional Body® method’s approach to making physical, vocal and emotional connections. The emotional effector patterns will be introduced as the primary approach during this two-hour introductory lesson. References will be made to how Estill Voice Training® and gentle movement lessons inspired by the Kinēsa® process of somatic education can also assist individuals in expanding their expressive capabilities and developing harmonious communications throughout the body.

Emotional effector patterns are precise breathing and muscle manipulations linked to specific emotional feelings. Each effector pattern has three parts: (1) a breathing pattern, (2) facial expression, and (3) postural attitudes. All three parts work together to create one effector pattern, or biological code, that directly stimulates nerves, cells and organs. The resulting pattern works like a key that opens the door for one particular basic emotion to express throughout the entire body. The patterns are based on scientific findings, independent of gender or social heritage influences, and result in the expression of basic universal emotions and modes of expression.

Estill Voice Training® is an evidence-based system that promotes body awareness and mindfulness and provides exercises designed to develop control of specific anatomical areas of voice production that contribute to the sound and feeling of the voice.

Kinēsa is a somatic method that combines kinaesthetic movement lessons with physical emotion regulation techniques and somatic sensing methods, all designed to assist the individual in raising their awareness of their individual habits, and helping them assess and consider opportunities to form new behaviours that might improve their overall wellbeing.

During this lesson participants will explore…

  • Emotional Effector Patterns and how they could impact the physical and vocal expression;
  • Vocal expressions of emotion and feelings, and the impact internally and externally of what occurs with the shared energy that sounded expressions create;
  • Fully connecting the voice and body with the patterns, along with intentions, desires, and actions in the creation of more consistent, holistic expressions;
  • Concepts around physical, vocal and emotional personal tolerance levels, identifying and setting personal boundaries, and considering consent-based agency around emotional expressions;
  • Centering, destressing, revitalizing and restoring the nervous system to achieve a calm and restful state, and a quiet mind.

Professor Laura Bond

Laura Bond is a Full Professor of Drama and Interdisciplinary Studies at UNC Asheville teaching acting, vocal and physical expression, voice-over, voice acting, and emotional expression.

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Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.

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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.

Music Theory Fundamentals for Voice Pedagogues
Tuesday 5th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 12th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 19th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 26th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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

Dr David Cane

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.

Exploring Group-Voice for all Ages and Stages!
Tuesday 26th May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Exploring Group-Voice for all Ages and Stages!

Cynthia Vaughn

Teaching group-voice classes is an exciting and fun way to teach singing. It affords the singer and teacher opportunities to experience many different aspects of singing in ways that are not possible when working one-one. Join Cynthia Vaughn as she explores the many benefits gained from working in a group, such as opportunities for each student to participate and hear others, chances to experiment with different techniques, styles, and sounds, guided learning from peers, increased awareness of vocal efficiency and effectiveness, and more confidence (and less self-consciousness) in sharing and performing.

Flexible Pedagogy: Teaching Singers with Dynamic Conditions
Thursday 4th June 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Flexible Pedagogy: Teaching Singers with Dynamic Conditions

Joanne Bozeman
Marita Stryker

Is your "flexible" student actually at risk? In recent years, the singing community has seen a vital shift in awareness toward "invisible" conditions like Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD), hEDS, and POTS. While hypermobility can sometimes feel like a "superpower" for range and flexibility, it often comes with a hidden cost: a higher frequency of voice disorders, respiratory challenges, and autonomic fatigue. Join Joanne Bozeman and Marita Stryker as they unpick the the special challenges and management strategies needed...