Vocal Health in Children and Young People
Tuesday 13th January 2026, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM (London Time)
Children’s vocal health, and issues affecting their wellbeing, is a subject which is now benefiting from increased scrutiny and research. Teachers, vocal coaches, choir leaders and musical directors are aware that this field of study exists, but where is all of this information condensed into one session that covers what they need to know? This short course is designed to provide you with exactly that – an up-to-date overview of the issues and how you can help the young people you work with, answering their questions with age-appropriate vocabulary.
Delivered by Olivia Sparkhall, author of the acclaimed book, ‘A Young Person’s Guide to Vocal Health’, the course will cover the following topics:
- Healthy voices before adolescent voice-change
- Hydration – why, when, how much?
- Voice-change (long-term effects)
- Hormones (short-term effects)
- Risky behaviours and vocal health
- Performance anxiety
- Recovering from illness
This talk will consider aspects of vocal health particularly pertinent to children and young people from about age 8 to age 19.
The focus will be on issues which affect this age-range, with an emphasis on both dispelling myths and providing evidence-based advice which voice professionals can pass on with confidence.
This will be deeply relevant to primary and secondary school music teachers, singing teachers, vocal coaches, and children’s choir directors
Olivia Sparkhall
Olivia Sparkhall is a composer, choral conductor, voice coach and music teacher based on the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire, UK. She is a Voice Study Centre (University of Wales...
Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.
Learn MoreSorry, 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.
Wednesday 4th March 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday 11th March 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday 18th March 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday 25th March 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday 1st April 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday 8th April 2026
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
(London Time)
Learn to Coach RP and SSBE – a Certificate in Accent Coaching
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This six-week course is an opportunity to learn about both Received Pronunciation and Standard Southern British English. Rather than a course in learning how to speak RP/SSBE (there are many brilliant available courses for this already), this course is about learning how to coach it.
Wednesday 25th March 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Mastering the Art of "Marking": Vocal Longevity for the Modern Singer
Jacob Wright
Don’t just save your voice—optimize it! Join Jacob Wright as he explores marking technique in singing, a vocal conservation strategy used by singers during rehearsals and extended performance periods. Marking involves singing at reduced vocal intensity, altered pitch, or modified vocal quality to preserve vocal health while maintaining musical and dramatic engagement. Participants will gain practical tools for implementing marking in their own practice, teaching, or clinical work, supported by current research and voice science principles!
Friday 27th March 2026
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
(London Time)
Muscle Tension Dysphonia in the Singing Voice!
Dr Claire Thomas
A specialist course for singing teachers and voice professionals! Designed specifically for those working with singers, this in-depth course with Dr Claire Thomas explores Muscle Tension Dysphonia (MTD) through the lens of the singing voice - bridging clinical research and studio practice.