Short Courses & Events / Archive

Voice Evaluation: How it Shapes Action in Voice Work

Tuesday 12th August 2025, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM (London Time)

Whether we work in singing or spoken voice teaching, or voice therapy, exploring what a new client/student is feeling about their voice, and the detective work to find out what is ‘going on’ in that voice is a crucial part of a first meeting. The particular kind of focussed listening in perceptual vocal analysis can help us to identify what is going in a voice, and ideally, to provide guidance as to what we might then do. When we explain to the client some of what is contributing to their voice qualities and sensations, we offer a conscious understanding that can give a speaker a new sense of control, so we can then discuss the action that can be taken to change things.

This course will outline some ways that we can both explore and evaluate how a person feels about their voice, including the use of numerical self-rating, and both informal and formal assessments. The latter will include reference the Voice Handicap Index and the Singing Voice Handicap Index. We will then investigate the use of perceptual analysis schemes to describe the key features that we can hear, see and feel. This will include reference to the GRBAS (Hirano 1981), but the focus will be on the eight parameters of the Voice Skills Framework (Shewell 2009/2025) in the context of the definition of the ‘free voice’. Participants will have the opportunity to use the Voice Skills Framework in a practical exercise to evaluate a particular voice, and to discuss how their findings can guide a choice of the suggestions and exercises they might give to the client.

 

🏷️ Price £30 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 Certificate of attendance available

Christina Shewell

Christina Shewell, MA, FRCSLT ADVS is spoken voice teacher, and speech/ language therapist with long experience in voice work with a wide range of clients, in both voice therapy and voice development.

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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.

Prosody in conversation – crucial for effective communication?
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!