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Concurrent Sessions

The Concurrent Sessions have been thoughtfully programmed and organized into thematic groupings. Select each header to view presentation titles, presenters, and additional details.

 

 

 

 

 

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Concurrent Sessions Full Descriptions 

**Program schedule subject to change as needed.

2 – 6 p.m. | Thursday, July 31, 2025

Lecture Recitals

2 p.m. >> Freylekh: A "joyful" rediscovery of De Cormier's Yiddish folksongs
Presented by William Herzog, Christina Lalog Seal, and Kimberly Lazzeri

This lecture recital features songs for voice, violin, and piano from the newly-released album, Freylekh: A “joyful” rediscovery of De Cormier’s Yiddish folksongs. These songs are selections from the recently published The Yiddish Folksong Project Anthology: The arrangements of Robert De Cormier. This anthology brings to light Robert De Cormier's folksong arrangements, which had previously been kept in a storage closet for over 40 years. Not only is this anthology the first-ever publication of De Cormier’s arrangements of Yiddish folksongs, but it is also the first-ever large body of Yiddish folksong repertoire that is arranged in the classical style for performance on the concert or recital stage.

The goal of this lecture recital is to share the historical and cultural significance of these songs with an audience who is largely unfamiliar with this body of vocal literature. While other folksong traditions have received worldwide attention through classical arrangements by such well-known composers as Johannes Brahms and Benjamin Britten, Yiddish folksong has not experienced the same exposure. The recording and subsequent performance of these songs is designed to help fill this void in classical vocal repertoire.

The urgency of this album and performance lies in the fact that Yiddish is an endangered language. Before the Holocaust, there were an estimated eleven million speakers of Yiddish. Today, it is estimated that there are only about two million speakers remaining, and most of these Yiddish speakers no longer use Yiddish as their primary language.

To listen to the complete album and view videos, please visit www.kimberlylazzeri.com.

3 p.m. >> Musical activism: Contemporary Australian art song in performance and pedagogy
Presented by Linda Barcan and Coady Green

With current statistics showing the distressing reality that violence against women is a widespread and serious problem, Australian composer Linda Kouvaras' song cycle Art and Life is immediate and relevant. Based on real cases of domestic abuse against women in late 20th-century Melbourne, this cycle was the first classical concert work in Australia to specifically address the issue of domestic violence. Mezzo-soprano Linda Barcan and pianist Coady Green have performed this cycle extensively in concert and on recording, recruiting each performance to the cause of action against gender-based violence, and emphasising the importance of “musical activism” in culture and society. As teachers of singing, piano and collaborative piano, Barcan and Green have presented excerpts in side-by-side performances with students of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, exposing them to new music and suggesting ways in which students of singing and collaborative piano may craft to become “musical activists”. This lecture recital will present excerpts from Art and Life with critical commentary from Barcan and Green, also addressing more contemporary Australian works written in response to the domestic violence crisis. Barcan and Green will foreground the possibility of social change through song, highlighting strategies for social engagement through audience development and outreach.

4 p.m. >> Exploring Ethics in Arranging Indigenous Songs: A Quechua Lecture Recital
Presented by Martin Neron and Christopher Sierra

This lecture-recital, "Exploring Ethics in Arranging Indigenous Songs: A Quechua Lecture Recital," delves into the complex balance between cultural appropriation and preservation in music arrangement. It aligns with the conference theme, "Voices Uplifted," by addressing the ethical dimensions of engaging with traditional folk music.

Central to the recital are arrangements of four traditional Quechua folk songs, "Tahwa Inka'j Tak'y-nam," whose melodies were sourced from a 1923 collection by Marguerite Béclard d'Harcourt. These songs, reflecting the resilience of indigenous expression, are performed in the Quechua language, which originated in central Peru and spread to Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador. The performance includes a critical examination of the ethical issues in arranging indigenous songs as non-indigenous composers, as one of the presenters, who arranged the songs, is not of South American Indigenous heritage. We address issues of ownership, representation, cross-cultural exchange, and cultural sensitivity, advocating for an informed and respectful approach to cultural exchange in music.

A personal connection to Quechua heritage adds depth to our recital. The vocalist is a Peruvian-American with Quechua ancestry, making the performance an act of cultural preservation and homage to ancestors. This illustrates music's power to transcend boundaries and foster deeper understanding.

This presentation aims to inspire dialogue within the music community, promoting ethical and inclusive practices in the arrangement and performance of indigenous songs. By highlighting Quechua melodies and narratives, we contribute to the broader movement of cultural preservation and appreciation, resonating with the conference's goals of inspiring cultural diversity.

5 p.m. >> Implementing Arabic Song into the Western Voice Curriculum
Presented by Guilherme Godoi and Feryal Qudourah 

Interested in finding more Arabic Song for your students or you to perform? After Dr. Feryal Qudourah’s contributing chapter as part of the NATS So you Want to Sing World Music series, she has continued to make it her mission to find a way to introduce the concept of Arabic song in the Western academy. Dr. Qudourah wishes to give performing teachers and their students, an opportunity to expand their repertoire and knowledge of a musical language less well known to them, and find a nexus between Western and Eastern music. To understand a people and their perception of music, attendees will obtain more knowledge about its culture and religious affiliations.

This lecture recital will be a culmination of creative ways that Dr. Qudourah has found to be successful in implementing Arabic song within applied voice, and as a singing actress. Attendees will be introduced to Arabic Art Songs written by living composers from Palestine, Lebanon, Spain and Israel, as well as Egyptian film song, Classical Arabic song mixed with more familiar jazz tunes and symphonic melodies, using clever methods of arrangements by Dr. Guilherme Godoi.

Changing Contexts in Art & Science

2 p.m. >> Pedagogy-Informed Voice Science: An Essential Partner to Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy
Presented by Kenneth Bozeman, Lynn Helding, John Nix, Trineice Robinson-Martin, Mary Saunders Barton, and Don Simonson

AATS members will present their latest position paper entitled “Pedagogy-Informed Voice Science: An Essential Partner to Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy.” Defined as “a type of voice science which recognizes the value of the experience-gleaned perspective of voice practitioners in its study design and operates within a spirit of true interdisciplinarity,” pedagogy-informed voice science is centered around a mutual professional acknowledgement of different ways of knowing. The rationale for this paper is located within the context of unwavering support for science-informed pedagogy offered in the spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration and respect. This term is not meant to restrict or reject the rigorous protocols necessary for careful scientific experimentation. Rather, it is meant to encourage voice practitioners (both habilitative and rehabilitative) from the voice teaching and speech clinical settings to offer their own educational and experience-gleaned perspectives to the research design process of voice studies, and to inspire investigators to welcome these perspectives as potentially valid and helpful.

3 p.m. >> Why Facts Do Not Always Change Minds: Impediments to Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy and Actions for Rapprochement
Presented by Lynn Helding

Given that almost 170 years have elapsed since Manuel García’s "Observations on the Human Voice," were presented to the Royal Society of London and igniting the field of voice science, the central question of this presentation is: why hasn’t science had a more transformative influence on voice pedagogy (at least in the United States and parts of Western Europe)? In other words, if scientific facts are as rich and transformative as its proponents claim it to be, then why haven’t more singers and teachers of singing jumped on the science bandwagon? This talk seeks to understand the behavior of both sides of the “Science versus Art” debate via new research from the fields of cognitive science and behavioral science, and will focus particularly on lessons learned due to several societal shifts. The first was a major shift in psychological research over the past three decades, revealing that we humans are not nearly as rational as we might believe ourselves to be. This research took on urgency during the second societal shift: the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Public health professionals discovered that people base their decisions on emotions or “gut feelings” far more than on facts and figures. We discovered, to our chagrin, that facts do not spur behavior change: emotion, particular our accumulated life experiences, play a much larger role in our actions. This research will be proffered to offer not only new ways of thinking about the science-versus-art debate, but importantly, will highlight new research on solutions, specifically, how to bridge the gap and help people make more informed decisions about what to believe. One promising area of research focuses on “changing contexts” rather than “changing minds.” In other words, how singers and pedagogues may take behavioral, rather than simply cognitive action, in order to influence the choices we make.

4 p.m. >> Voice and Wellness: Beyond Vocal Health
Presented by Lynn Maxfield

The past two decades has seen an increase in research investigating the intersection of art making and health and wellbeing. In the same time, western medicine has increasingly adopted a more integrative approach, accepting an ever-broadening range of interventions for the treatment and prevention of many acute and chronic physical and psychological conditions. A growing body of research is indicating a positive association between arts-participation – particularly music – and measures of general health and wellbeing (e.g. DeWitt et al., 2020; Fancourt et al., 2014). Benefits range from reduced stress responses, to increased immune responses, to improved emotional regulation. (Chanda and Levitin, 2013; Grape et al., 2003). Still, there is an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms by which positive health outcomes are achieved. The talk proposed here describes a pilot study conducted at the University of Utah which aimed to begin to fill this critical gap by illuminating which elements of arts-based interventions have the strongest effect on health and wellbeing biomarkers. In a prospective, mixed methods study, student artists were followed in various practice and performance conditions, with and without audiences, and in a range of performance art activities (singing, wind instruments, string instruments, and straight-play theatre). Biometric measures of wellness, including endocrinological, hormonal, and cardio-pulmonary measures were collected before, during, and after participation. Semi-structured focus group interviews, quality of life, and stress rankings were also collected to provide a broader picture of the lived experiences of the artists. Analysis is ongoing, but results will be available at the time of the ICVT conference.

5 p.m. >> Building Global Connections for Young Singers Through Singing and Song
Presented by Diana Allan, Karen Brunssen, Amy Canchola, Michael Ching, Allen Henderson, and Cinderella Ksebati

NATS and EVTA are constantly broadening their connectivity with each other and around the world. This panel discussion will explore ways to globally connect the youngest generation of children and youth via singing and song. NATS recently expanded its National Student Auditions to include Children and Youth categories (ages 14 and under), and they now have an International Region that includes chapters in South Korea, Hong Kong, South Africa, India, Ibero-American, and Eastern Europe/Central Asia. EVTA was created to be the umbrella organization for voice teacher associations that now include 18 European countries. This panel, representing numerous perspectives, convened to discuss how voice teachers might explore a rich tapestry of cultures, languages, sounds, musical traditions, modalities, and storytelling through song repertoire for our youngest students. What resources are currently available? What other resources are needed? What are pedagogical reasons to connect? What are the challenges? What are the benefits? Who else could bring valuable resources and ideas to this discussion? Our panelists intend to address each of these questions, aiming to kickstart the conversation and inspire ideas, initiatives, and inclusion.

Building Crossover Bridges

2 p.m. >> Comparing Pitch-Matched Classical and CCM Singing Strategies using Laryngostroboscopic Imaging, Acoustics, and Electroglottograph
Presented by Mark Tempesta

This presentation examines the differences between Western classical and Complete Vocal Technique trained contemporary commercial music singers in range negotiation from both a physiological and acoustic standpoint. Particular attention is given to the intentional narrowing of structures immediately above and around the larynx, as well as the presence or absence of forward thyroid tilt as a register transition strategy. The study utilized laryngostroboscopic imaging, acoustics, and electroglottography to compare 11 professional classical singers (5 tenors, 6 sopranos, 1 baritone) and 24 CVT-trained CCM singers. While epilaryngeal narrowing has been previously modeled to enhance phonation and observed in classical singers, this study systematically categorized the movement of each substructure as singers navigated their range, and its impact on the acoustical outcome. The presentation will explore pedagogically useful overlaps and contrasts between the two groups and highlight observed differences that distinguish the highest-level singers from those experiencing more vocal challenges. Additionally, data from the study indicating the independence of movement between the base and tip of the epiglottis, along with its potential pedagogical applications, will be discussed.

3 p.m. >> The vitality of “crossover” in song repertoire
Presented by Alison d’Amato

The term “crossover” in classical vocal music has primarily been used to identify an artist’s forays into non-classical genres within a traditional classical framework. This working definition contains many assumptions that have been built into our teaching and programming approaches, the largest one being that classical repertoire has fixed borders and definitions. This outdated Euro-centric idea has been a source of limitation, frustration, and oppression within conservatory training.

This lecture-listening presentation will explore the ways in which a broader definition of “crossover” traditions can open the door to equity, inclusion, and artistic individuality in the vocal repertoire curriculum.

It will also explore the following questions:

• How can we honor canonic repertoires of the past while being relevant and vital to our present?
• How can global folk song be a window into diverse cultures and teaching approaches?
• How can artists transcend traditions in song performance to explore inclusive and powerful storytelling?

This presentation is designed for singers, pianists, teachers and lovers of vocal repertoire.

4 p.m. >> Cross training for classical singers
Presented by Shelli Hulcombe 

The concept of cross-genre training for singers, inspired by principles of exercise physiology, promotes stylistic versatility, muscular balance, and a sustainable vocal capability. This approach would seem increasingly relevant for singers of Western Art Music, with industry trends that prioritise performers adept in diverse styles. However, many undergraduate performance degrees lack any significant engagement with contemporary vocal techniques, maintaining an exclusive focus on classical ‘bel canto’ repertoire and vocal production.

This paper presents findings from a recent doctoral research project, investigating the effects of a vocal cross-training protocol on undergraduate classical singing students at a conservatoire. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study examined physiological changes in voice function and psychological shifts in perceived ability among participants.

Results showed improved overall vocal capacity, with particularly notable results in specific aspects such as alignment of registers and dynamic range. Participants also reported increased confidence across several parameters, with a renewed focus on individuality and freedom in performance. While some challenges in transference were noted, the study highlights cross-training as a potentially valuable pedagogical tool for enhancing the versatility, creativity, and confidence of classical singers in higher education settings.

5 p.m. >> The Crossover Connection: Building Bridges from Classical to CCM
Presented by Robin Cotton-Cobb

The demand for excellent singers who perform professionally in all singing genres: the classical and musical theater worlds in addition to the CCM (contemporary commercial music) world grows increasingly imminent. Singers with classical training are electing to cross over into musical theater and all styles of singing; and those trained in musical theater are training classically as foundational so that they can sustain viable and long lasting careers. Robin Cotton Cobb presents as an experienced performer and vocal pedagogue; and is also trained and fully engaged in building voices in classical, musical theater and CCM styles. This session focuses on repertoire choices, audition techniques and “crossover” techniques needed to successfully perform professionally in all arenas.

Transforming Fear into Joy

2 p.m. >> Recognizing and Redirecting Fear in the Voice Studio
Presented by Darrell Jordan

This presentation is a brief compilation of teaching strategies to inform singing teachers and choral conductors about the negative impact fear and anxiety may have on the voice student. It catalogues various ways fear and anxiety may manifest in a musician by detailing both external, observable responses, such as lack of eye contact or visible shaking, and internal, unobservable responses, such as vasoconstriction and heart rate variability. This presentation examines the impact fear and anxiety have on learning, motivation, and memory. Furthermore, it offers various approaches to mitigate or prevent fear by exploring positive reinforcement strategies, emotional regulation skills, mindfulness, and additional techniques to act as a means of reducing fear in the voice studio. The following applicable strategies will be discussed: 1) SECURe Strategies (Social, Emotional, and Cognitive Understanding and Regulation in education); 2) ABCD Model (Activating Event, Believe, Consequence, and Dispute with evidence); 3) The Scratch Pad Pop-Up Model 4) The Mistake Recovery Technique, and 5) Respiratory Vagus Nerve Stimulation (rVNS or “hacking the vagus nerve”).

3 p.m. >> Building Resilience in the Voice Studio: Finding Success after Stress
Presented by Sarah DeYong

This workshop will demonstrate exercises in mindfulness, movement and breathwork that simultaneously increase resiliency and vocal skill. Stress can have an adverse effect on vocal production and vocal learning, so it is important for voice teachers to:

1. RECOGNIZE the signs of stress
2. REGULATE using mindfulness, movement, and/or breath exercises
3. REGROUP to help the student find vocal success after dysregulation
4. REFER to a qualified counselor if the students report that symptoms of stress or dysregulation are presenting a significant vocal or personal barrier
5. RESILIENCY - repeating these steps helps teachers co-regulate and model self-care, which will help students build stress tolerance.

The primary focus will be on evidence-based regulating exercises that may be tied back to vocal pedagogy or performance skills. It will demonstrate pranayama breathing and movement exercises that encourage bottom-up, bihemispheric collaboration.

This method of building resiliency utilizes tools for nervous system support that are an extension of Compassionate Voice Care (aka. Trauma-Informed Voice Care) which allows teachers to better support the learning of neurodivergent students, students with a history or trauma, and students who are struggling with their mental health by removing barriers to vocal learning.

4 p.m. >> From Stage Fright to Joy
Presented by Zita Zimmermann

“And then I step onto the stage, and with the first note, I know: “I am home”.

Few people experience this feeling, like the famous singer Edita Gruberova (“The Art of Belcanto” arte.tv)

In my workshop you will learn 12 powerful and rapid ways to stop fear, worry and nervousness, utilizing the latest research in neuroscience and mind/body medicine.

Stage fright before a concert is a natural phenomena and widely prevalent: shaky knees, dry mouth, excessive heart palpitations. But adrenaline is also positive and helps us to be alert, present, and full of energy on stage. However, if you are blocked by an inner critic, hesitancy or perfectionism or if you’d like having more resilience and flow on stage it’s worth learning effective strategies to transform nervousness into confidence and stress into pleasant anticipation.

Dive into the fascinating world of mental training. Imagine yourself joyfully performing your next concert, feeling the flow and confidence naturally emerging, enchanting your audience. These techniques are easy to learn and you can teach and empower your students as well.

5 p.m. >> Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT): Finding Artistic Flow While Experiencing Music Performance Anxiety
Presented by David Juncos, Laura Storm, and Dana Zenobi

This interactive workshop will give presenters hands-on experience with Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), a mindfulness-based approach to managing music performance anxiety. ACT can help singers find greater flexibility, feel a sense of flow, and cultivate artistic presence. Presenters will guide participants through activities structured by the six-fold ACT method, which includes cultivating mindfulness, increasing willingness to perform with anxiety present, de-fusing from our anxious thoughts, rethinking our self-stories, clarifying our values as performers, and committing ourselves to measurable goals. Those attending will leave with initial experiences with the ACT method, knowledge of the research on its effectiveness when administered by voice teachers, and tools to measure Music Performance Anxiety. Information on how to pursue further training in ACT will also be provided.

Embracing Disability & Neurodiversity

2 p.m. >> Every Voice Matters: Welcoming and Supporting Voices of People with Disabilities
Presented by Laura Menard and Carol Ratzlaff

Grounded in current research, theory, and praxis, this session aims to provide vocal pedagogues working with singers with disabilities a rare opportunity to meet; to learn about programs in different regions supporting singers with diverse needs; and to share approaches, strategies, and resources that work for each pedagogue’s singers - both in individual instruction and in group singing contexts.

In this interactive presentation, we begin by presenting a brief overview of literature on medical and social models of disability in the context of vocal music before sharing our pedagogical practitioner-based approaches to supporting vocal development in singers with diverse disabilities. We will explore some of the tensions surrounding musical excellence and the creation of inclusive spaces for all singers.

We will base our theoretical and practical explorations in our work with VIVA Singers Toronto’s performance-oriented Every Voice Matters chorus for teens and young adults with diverse needs. We will share our model of inclusive group singing which incorporates individualized support, embodied vocal warm-ups, and examples of flexible repertoire.

As disability continues to exist ‘in the margins of the margins’ (bell, 2017) in music learning and performance environments, this presentation provides attendees with much-needed opportunities to engage in discussions with fellow session delegates, and share their own approaches and practices.

3 p.m. >> Sing As You Are: Towards a Disability-Informed Model for Voice Pedagogy Curricula
Presented by Anne Slovin

Most voice pedagogy curricula and textbooks do not include discussions of disability, even though there are and have always been disabled singers working at all levels of voice study. This presentation will investigate the roots of this exclusion in the rise of capitalist industrialism and fringe sciences like eugenics and phrenology, as well as its impact on present-day singers and students. I will then provide practical suggestions for the pedagogy classroom, voice studio, and opera industry, showing how implementing a disability-informed voice pedagogy curriculum at the college level can help to expand our understanding of the singing body and its possibilities.

4 p.m. >> Teaching Singers with HSD, hEDS, and POTS: Knowledge, Advocacy, and Empowerment
Presented by Joanne Bozeman and Marita Stryker

In recent years, there has been increased awareness in the singing voice community about invisible conditions such as Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD), Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). These chronic diagnoses present with a number of symptoms that can affect vocal health and singing ability, as well as challenges in voice study, rehearsal and performance. Teachers may encounter students diagnosed with one or more of these oftentimes overlapping syndromes, and will need to use supportive and appropriate measures in their teaching.

This session includes a basic overview of hEDS, HSD, and POTS, discusses current research, and shares the results of ongoing surveys and case studies of affected singers. Strategies will be presented that can help students to sing healthily and advocate for appropriate accommodations. Participants of this session will gain understanding of the special challenges of living and singing with these conditions, giving teachers tools to compassionately and knowledgeably support their students.

Pedagogic approaches for singers with hEDS, HSD, and POTS must be adaptable and creative, tailored to individual goals while remaining achievable under the circumstances of each day. Singing teachers have the great privilege of encouraging their students to advocate for themselves, and most importantly, to keep singing!

5 p.m. >> Universal Design for Voice Teaching (UDVT): ADHD, Autism, and Other Intellectual Ways of Being
Presented by Adam Moxness

Universal Design for Voice Teaching (UDVT) is a singer-led, diversity-affirming, accessibility and support-needs based pedagogical framework. In UDVT, the Singer Cues! It is a structure designed to help voice educators intentionally facilitate inclusive learning spaces for singers of all abilities. UDVT fosters awareness, support, and readiness for educators working with singers of all abilities. It is an expansion of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines, developed by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) where their aim is to transform educational design “until learning has no limits.” This talk provides voice educators with an in depth understanding of the application of UDVT while working with singers who have ADHD, autistic, and other ways of being.

We will unpack the three major networks active and necessary in the learning process. The first — Engagement — umbrellas the “why” of learning to internalize each singer’s purpose and motivation. The second — Representation — umbrellas the “what” of learning to promote each singer’s resourcefulness and knowledge. The third — Action and Expression — umbrellas the “how” of learning to support each singer’s strategy and goal-direction.

You’ll finish this talk with a clear understanding of the UDL guidelines, the intersecting models of disability, singer support-needs, and The Singer Cues as they each apply to working with singers with ADHD, autistic, and other intellectual ways of being. UDVT invites singers with all ways of being to access technical and artistic success within the voice studio and beyond! The framework presents clear actions to create more inclusive and accessible voice practices and spaces. With action we can support each singer’s unique needs Let’s make it UDVT! Instagram/TikTok: @udvt.studio

1:30 – 5:30 p.m. | Friday, August 1, 2025

Pedagogy in Action

1:30 p.m. >> Fear No Sound: Exploring Pedagogies for Rough Vocal Effects (RVEs) in Popular Music
Presented by May Oskan

Vocal effects like distortion, growling, and grunting are a unique part of popular music vocal performance, ranging in application from pop, soul, and blues, to rock and metal. While recent research has made strides in defining the physiological bases of vocal effects, there is no universally agreed upon terminology or standard approach to teaching these sounds.

May Oskan teaches voice for popular music from her private studio in Oakland, California, and is delighted to offer an interactive workshop in performing and teaching vocal effects. Drawing from her recent integrative literature review, May will provide a brief overview of physiological and perceptual characteristics, and then guide participants through exercises to access and experiment with various sounds.

In this workshop, participants will learn:

• Auditory qualities, biomechanics, and stylistic applications of five distinct vocal effects.
• How to safely approach and experiment with a range of common sounds.
• Strategies for teaching and troubleshooting vocal effects, including physiological information, auditory and kinesthetic cues, visualization, and metaphor.
• Pedagogical and ethical considerations particular to teaching effects, including the importance of open communication to safeguard student vocal health.

2:30 p.m. >> Stylistically Relevant Exercises for the Contemporary Pop Singer
Presented by Jordyn Palmer 

This workshop focuses on the creation and incorporation of stylistically relevant exercises for the contemporary pop singer. The presentation portion will be divided into two sections: essential best practices and scale exploration. Best practices include the importance of studio play, historical context, active listening and sheet music analysis to help guide the development of style-informed exercises. The understanding of these practices are provided to encourage and empower both the teacher and the student. The second section will give an overview of scales commonly used in pop, rock, R&B, jazz, and other modern styles. By focusing on these specific scales, we can train our singers to adapt to various tonalities and melodic intricacies found in contemporary music genres. In the interactive workshop we will examine and sing a handful of exercise examples organized by category: scales, agility, registration, articulation, and style. Within each category we will get a more specific look at some common contemporary style isms (and buzzwords!) such as riffs, runs, ‘pop yodels’, scoops, varied onsets and vocal colors, rhythms, and more. Exercises will be visually provided, in addition to being taught in the room.

3:30 p.m. >> Mastering Ornamentation in Early and High Baroque Techniques
Presented by Vicki St. Pierre 

This workshop delves into effective pedagogical strategies for teaching and mastering the intricate art of baroque ornamentation and coloratura. Focusing on both early and high baroque styles, participants will explore methods to guide students through the execution of period-specific embellishments, from simple ornaments to complex coloratura passages and cadenzas. The session will cover practical approaches for developing technical skills and interpretive understanding, incorporating historical context and performance practice. Attendees will engage in hands-on exercises, and practical application in songs. This workshop aims to equip educators with the tools to foster students' proficiency and expressiveness in baroque performance.

4:30 p.m. >> Teaching Tenors Today: A Navigational Playground with Multiple Rewards
Presented by Darryl Edwards

This session gregariously gathers what we know and what we do -  for tenors’ superhighway of stylistic expectations and opportunities today. As teachers and singers we can thrive in a rapidly evolving musical landscape. Reframing and upgrading our teaching perspectives with state-of-the-art tools and mindsets positions us superbly. This presentation will affirm what works and what can be corrected and guided further via principles and acknowledged ideal outcomes. This will embrace internal and external rewards of achievement in professional standards for diverse genres - with a single mental access point. It will show a model of kindness and humour in mindful repetition. This will open automatic coordination for various resonance balances, articulations, laryngeal positions, and “flow.” The result will create powerful storytelling for sharing universal experiences in a fluidity of forms. Tenors will consistently meet their audiences with effectiveness and confidence.

Creativity in Pedagogical Approaches

1:30 p.m. >> Acting-Out the Larynx: Anatomy in the Round (Group Activity)
Presented by Joanna Cazden 

This group activity brings fun and creative engagement to the often-challenging study of laryngeal anatomy-physiology. As will be demonstrated, participants will create a room-size larynx, taking on roles of selected cartilages and muscles and then manipulating nine-foot “vocal cords” to ad/abduct, phonate, change pitch, and swallow. This process has been used successfully with groups ranging from undergraduate arts students through graduates in pedagogy and speech pathology, and even advanced students commonly report “lightbulb moments” as the abstractions come to life. You will learn how to source inexpensive props, organize and cue students, and adapt the “cast list” for class sizes from six to 40. So come and play, and take guidelines home to explore with your own students.

2:30 p.m. >> Singing in the Brain: making play a part of practice to optimize motor prediction
Presented by Heidi Moss Erickson

Singing is one of the most complex human behaviors: it requires the predictive coordination of over 100 muscles to facilitate both musical and linguistic expression. The brain is the hub of this synchronization, allowing singers to equilibrate the ever-changing configurations under a wide-range of contexts. By examining vocalization through the perspectives of evolutionary biology, molecular biology, genetics, neuroscience, and psychology, we can better understand the complex processes behind vocal learning. This interdisciplinary approach provides new pedagogical insights that could revolutionize vocal training, benefiting singers across all genres and reshape our perceptions of how we sing.

The voice is unlike other instrument. An A4 on a piano has a singular identity we can see and play: in other words, an A4 is an A4. For a singer, there are literally billions of possibilities that can lead to the target of A4. The latest research into these processes, including a detailed cortical map, gives us insight to design strategies that target with greater efficiency and ease. Such approaches are rapid and reproducible, and consolidated more quickly than other more instrumentally-guided paradigms

PLAY is a way for singers to supplement their practice toolbox by expanding motor prediction algorithms without judgement. Using the cortical data, we can also design play strategies that target specific motor challenges. Allowing for modularity and flexibility engages the whole in addition to the parts. There are endless possibilities in emotion, character, imagery, movement, visualization, improvisation, reductionism, patterns etc. which can be framed as play. The premise is we ALL are, in fact, scientists in the human experience. Like the baby in the crib, we use play to explore our external world, discover successes, and create our own inner constructs to make sense of what is happening inside of us as humans and singers. It is actually the way we are wired to sing.

**This talk will include case studies and demonstrations using participant volunteers. Be ready to PLAY!

3:30 p.m. >> Re-Imagining the Vocal Ensemble: Differentiated Strategies Across the Life-Span
Presented by Chris Citera, Jeanne Goffi-Fynn, and Emily Hudson

According to The Chorus Impact Study: Singing for a Lifetime (2019), 54 million Americans regularly sing in a chorus, citing numerous reasons for participation, including music making, fun, stress relief, connecting with others, and connecting with self (e.g., spirituality/emotion/faith). However, an individual's singing voice changes throughout their life, and individual vocal development poses a challenge in ensemble settings.

This paper will begin with an overview of collaborative group exercises within a  framework for a scaffolded series of differentiated warm-ups. Using tenets of vocal development, the aim is to foster vocal technical development and to increase ownership and agency of voice use across the life span.

The conclusion will share results of applications of this teaching design to specific populations,  connecting this data to the content areas of voice and choral pedagogy. It is expected that this paper will review general pedagogical principles for leaders of ensembles to foster self-reflective voice use for ensemble members and establish a culture of learner-centered practices in the rehearsal room with modifications based on age, development, and other characteristics, leading to improved strategies to be used and adapted for various settings and populations.

4:30 p.m. >> From the Voice Studio to the Choral Ensemble: Adapting Styles and Techniques
Presented by Lynn Eustis and Daniel Parsley

How do we adjust our solo techniques when we join a choral ensemble? How can we support our students as they move from our studios into the choir room? And how might we sharpen our ensemble skills in order to qualify for professional employment as a chorister?

Led by Lynn Eustis (a voice teacher and singer) and Daniel Parsley (a choral conductor and singer) this workshop will explore a range of ways in which we can meet the demands of both solo and choral repertoire across styles and genres. Topics will include the necessity for stylistic variance, the healthy navigation of straight tone, acquisition of musicianship and aural skills for a lifelong performing career, and the benefits of choral singing for our musical lives. We will also discuss the landscape of professional choral work and the skills (musical, vocal, and entrepreneurial) integral to success as a professional ensemble singer.

This workshop will offer practical guidance on how to encourage our students to broaden their vocal capabilities. The presenters will give vocal demonstrations where appropriate as part of the larger discussion. As we prepare our singers to enter today’s professional world, we must ensure that they are able to move across styles with integrity and intelligence. We will explore how ensemble work enhances our students' musicianship skills and thus allows them to compete in a multifaceted, diverse professional musical ecosystem. In summary, we will attempt to demystify the process and demonstrate ways in which voice teachers and choral conductors can work together to best serve the needs of young singers.

Empowering Voices

1:30 p.m. >> Equity, Empathy, and Empowerment: Adopting Trauma-Informed Pedagogy in the Applied Studio
Presented by Megan Durham and William Sauerland

From the individual experiences of physical and emotional abuse, to widespread stressors caused by social injustices and systemic oppression, it is increasingly apparent that the art of voice teaching includes navigating the trauma and chronic stress of students. Preliminary studies are also investigating how trauma can specifically affect the voice, causing a disconnect from aural, visual, and kinesthetic ways of learning. The intention of this interactive and engaging presentation is to provide foundational trauma-informed concepts, including: common stigmas around trauma, relational power dynamics, our resistance to addressing trauma when it emerges, embodiment (being in conscious awareness of our bodies in the present moment), the importance of both/and language, access, and choice. Incorporating somatic practices, guided prompts, and digital feedback, the presenters will generate dialog and strategies for cultivating agency, boundaries, and “safe enough” spaces. More specifically, this session will ask: how does voice pedagogy shift when we consider that responses often labeled “vocal faults” may be symptomatic of trauma? Trauma-informed vocal pedagogy aims to heighten equity, empathy, and empowerment that prioritizes singers’ lived experience and cultivates greater compassion and connectivity within the voice studio, while maintaining high integrity and standards in vocal artistry.

2:30 p.m. >> Uplifting Student Voice & Choice in the Singing Studio
Presented by Marisa Lee Naismith, Travis Sherwood, and David Sisco 

Much of vocal training has evolved from the master-apprentice model, which has—for centuries—-promoted and institutionalized a binary, hierarchical methodology to teaching and learning. This modality requires students to value the teacher’s observations of their voice over their own, often leading students to silence their technical and artistic instincts. When faced with what educator Joseph McDonald calls “a wild triangle of relations” between teacher, students, and subject,” how can voice teachers transition to a student-centered pedagogy? The objective of this talk is to address this question by exploring a series of case studies, interviews, and short videos. Participants will consider differences between teacher-centered and student-centered learning and how this manifests in the voice studio through vocal conditioning, selecting repertoire, and coaching students. Throughout the talk, participants will be given specific prompts to reflect on their own studio practices and how they might ground their teaching in an inherently flexible philosophy as opposed to a one-size-fits-all methodology. Presenters Dr. Marisa Lee Naismith, Travis Sherwood, and David Sisco teach in the fields of CCM, Western classical, and musical theatre respectively. They each bring to this workshop their vast experience to further clarify how student-centered practices can be employed in different musical idioms

3:30 p.m. >> Confronting Our Implicit Bias in the Voice Studio and Examining its Impact on Marginalized Students
Presented by Jay Marchand Knight 

This workshop will help expose voice teachers to the kinds of struggles faced by marginalized students in academic environments. Together, we will explore microaggressions, implicit (and explicit) bias, (lack of) accessibility, exclusionary curricula, and the absence of appropriate and applicable tools. Implicit bias is defined by Shah and Bohlen as, “the subconscious feelings, attitudes, prejudices, and stereotypes an individual has developed due to prior influences and imprints throughout their lives” (2023). We all have implicit bias – it is inescapable - but how do our implicit, unconscious biases impact our voice students? Furthermore, how do we break down biases we don’t even realize we have? In this workshop, attendees will be invited to participate in solo and group activities in which we creatively and safely consider our own biases. This session will not be presentation based! Hands on work will be interspersed with brain breaks (Bailey, 1996) and short “fact blasts.” We will create scripts that can be practiced so that when we are in uncertain situations, words don’t fail us. Practice, as they say, makes progress.

4:30 p.m. >> Creating Ethical Guidelines for Singing Teachers in Finland
Presented by Hanna Lammi 

The ethics of teaching singing call for thoughtful reflection on making responsible choices in voice education. Am I doing the right thing as a teacher? Could I make wiser and more ethical decisions? What kind of singing pedagogy do we, as professionals, wish to build today?

To address these questions, The Finnish Association of Teachers of Singing (FINATS) developed ethical guidelines aimed at fostering best practices in voice lessons. The initiative arose from the shared need among singing teachers to reflect on the practices of singing education. These guidelines focus on creating a respectful, safe, and equal learning environment, while covering aspects such as teacher-learner relationship, pedagogical methods, and self-development.

The presentation outlines the process of developing the ethical guidelines, which included facilitating member discussions and gathering insights in small group settings. The guidelines, titled “Best Practice for Voice Lessons for Teachers and Students,” were positively framed to encourage ethical teaching practices rather than enforcing rigid rules. Published in Finnish, Swedish, and English, they were widely distributed across diverse voice teaching contexts. FINATS envisions these guidelines as a living document, subject to updates, ensuring continuous reflection in teaching practices.

Fomenting Change in Diversity and Inclusion

1:30 p.m. >> Genre Blending in New Opera
Presented by Chuck Chandler

As the operatic cannon makes much needed progress towards more diverse and inclusive repertoire both for artists and audiences, genre blending is becoming a salient feature of new opera. This session will offer important insight into how the industry is changing by examining new operas that best exemplify genre blending and the skills they require of performers including but not limited to: I Dream: A Rhythm and Blues Opera by Douglas Tappin, Champion - an opera in Jazz by Terence Blanchard, The Factotum by Will Liverman & DJ King Rico, Lost Highway by Olga Neuwirth, and U - a Klingon opera by Eef van Breen.

I Dream focuses on the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and has a score requiring a band much like a musical. Champion integrates Jazz harmonies and a vocal style with elements of same. The Factotum requires a DJ and an opera orchestra and holds traditional operatic singing as well as gospel, hip hop, and R&B with improvisatory singing too. Lost Highway is an enigmatic opera in that there is very little singing in the entire score. U integrates Star Trek lore, the Klingon language which necessitates growls, and requires belting. Each show represents a different facet of genre blending in new opera. Exploring these new operas, genre blending, and the requisite skills singers must possess to be competitive for these opportunities is essential in uplifting all voices.

2:30 p.m. >> Student Success in the Studio: A New Paradigm for Skill Building
Presented by Vindhya Khare

What is student success in the voice studio and what are strategies to achieve it? As voice teachers in higher education, we are often tasked with ensuring student success, which then becomes a marker of our own success. This can present unique challenges, as not all university students come with necessary skill sets or educational advantages. Additionally, higher education funding is often based on student success metrics, with more “success” leading to continued or increased funding and the lack of “success” leading to cuts in resources. Universities measure success by outcomes, but have we sufficiently addressed and asked voice students what they need to be successful on their journey? Can we leverage the one-on-one relationships we build with singers in our studios to develop a holistic approach to success? Drawing upon my experience as a Professor of Voice at one of the largest public universities in the United States that is a predominantly Hispanic Serving Institution, I will share my discoveries and strategies for engagement, mentorship, and personal growth that can reframe the paradigms of success by meeting what students identify as their needs.

3:30 p.m. >> Inclusive Pedagogy in Voice Teaching
Presented by Ho Eui Bewlay 

Since all students learn differently and need individualized instructions, providing inclusive pedagogy in voice lessons and vocal pedagogy class benefit reaching and meeting the students where they are. Inclusive pedagogy can be achieved through applied learning and service-learning. In this project, the various group of students were invited to participate in applied learning and service-learning projects during 2018 to 2024. During this talk, the process and the application of the applied learning method, and the service-learning method in voice lessons, and vocal pedagogy will be shared. Written reflections of the students’ own development will be shared as a method of assessment. Sharing and learning about inclusive pedagogy is important for all teachers to learn to provide a creative learning atmosphere that encourages the students to stay curious. The attendees’ key takeaway will be hearing about methods to create inclusive learning space for the learners from various backgrounds. Q&A session can include a guided discussion.

4:30 p.m. >> Sharing My Voice: A Personal Story of Singing and Inclusion
Presented by Jenna Brown and Samyukta Ranganathan

This presentation illustrates how singing teachers and choral conductors can create a safe space that cultivates inclusion and a shared identity, within which the individual’s sense of self is respected and nurtured as a vital component of the collective. It considers these themes from the perspective of a Ukrainian refugee, who has joined a youth choir in her host country of the United Kingdom. A loss of social connection is prominent for refugees and it is suggested that, for adolescents, it is crucial to guide them through these challenges at a time of increased mental health instability. Research on music for health and wellbeing demonstrates singing as a successful intervention for improved mental health in young people. The choral education centre provides time, space and place for fostering meaningful relationships, as well as important musical skills.

Mentorship in our Profession

1:30 p.m. >> From App to Offer: Nailing the Academic Music Interview
Presented by Nicholas Klein 

It is common knowledge that music jobs in academia are hard to come by. With the minimum requirement for application being a Master of Music degree in many cases, there are often a significant number of applicants for search committees to sift through and interview throughout the search process. While many people meet the job requirements for any variety of academic music jobs as they appear on paper, a large number of aspiring academics struggle to present themselves in a way that is unique and desirable. Fortunately, my experience has been quite the opposite. Having an 85% success rate going from application to initial interview, a 95% success rate going from initial interview to final interview, and a 90% success rate converting the final interview into an offer, I have honed application and interview skills that I believe elevate presentation in any stage of the process. Through a brief discussion of application material formatting, buzz words, general interview skills (as outlined in many graduate level business programs), and practical examples, this presentation aims to assist audience members in finessing their application materials and interview preparation to ensure greater success in future academic interviews in both the North American and European markets.

2:30 p.m. >> Three’s Company! Fostering Collaborative Learning Through Partner Lessons
Presented by Daniel Hunter-Holly 

Who says voice lessons have to be one-on-one? This presentation will cover the benefits, challenges, and mechanics of a partner-lesson system in which collaborative learning, peer mentoring, and reflective observation provide an alternative context to the traditional master-apprentice model of voice teaching.

In the presentation, attendees will learn about the use of a system in which students are assigned peer partners who then participate in each other’s lessons throughout the term. The partners act as additional sources of feedback and are empowered to actively develop their skills as future educators, providing constructive commentary and trouble-shooting vocal issues that are likely outside of their own experiences. The presentation will also discuss historical models and studies of student-led experiential learning that support this type of structure.

Drawing on nearly ten years of experience teaching partner lessons, a variety of anecdotal examples will be shared demonstrating how different partner relationships develop over the course of a semester as well as how a student’s understanding of singing and teaching is enhanced over the course of their degree. Ultimately, in fostering this type of collaborative learning, students learn how to develop their own point of view and to constructively reflect on the diversity of teaching and learning styles necessary for successful voice teaching.

3:30 p.m. >> Supporting our profession: Singing teaching, nomenclature and associated professionalism
Presented by Linda Barcan, Diane Hughes, Shelli Hulcombe, Katri A. Keskinen, and Nadine Manion

Singing teachers enter the profession from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Many are performers or have had performance careers. Others may enter the profession with a passion for singing, never having formally trained as singers. Some teachers may have training in vocal pedagogy; many may not. Further, the manner in which teachers present to students is varied. Teachers may describe themselves as classical or contemporary stylists, or a combination of the two. Additionally, current teacher categories include singing teacher, vocal coach, vocal health expert and singing voice specialist. Teacher categories may suggest qualifications and/or expertise that extend beyond the historical pathway from performer to singing teacher. Collectively, these points pose considerations and challenges for promoting and upholding professionalism. Our discussion firstly focuses on nomenclature identified in our research that is used within the sector. We then discuss the dichotomies of trained versus untrained teaching and of classical versus contemporary teaching. We do this to address how our profession may be best supported. Our discussion moves to the future of singing teaching, and broadens to include significant issues such as the place of professional associations. Our paper concludes with the ways that we may promote professionalism for the future of our sector.

4:30 p.m. >> Meaningful Mentoring in the Voice Professions
Presented by Belinda Andrews-Smith, Carole Blankenship, Barbara Hill Moore, Stephen Ng, and Amy Pfrimmer

Professional development and the exchange of ideas through mentoring strengthens the practices of all voice professionals through open communication and perpetual learning. Whether you are looking for career, or tenure mentorship, this panel discussions will offer practical application and advice on the development of mentor/mentee relationships between academic and professional organization colleagues, as well as resources, and suggestions of how and where to find potential mentors. The panel will provide guidance and necessary tools that can help artists/scholars to flourish.

7:30 – 9:30 p.m. | Friday, August 1, 2025

Evening Lecture Recitals

7:30 p.m. >> Echoes of the Andes: A Journey of Latin American Art Song Through Cultural and Stylistic Influences
Presented by Carolina Botero 

Latin American Art Song thrives on a rich tapestry woven from diverse cultural threads; reflecting the Continent's complex history, vibrant traditions, and diverse landscapes. With influences ranging from Indigenous, African melodies to European classical forms, Latin American Art Songs embrace a myriad of styles through cultural diversity. Each composition is a testament to the beauty and resilience of Latin American culture, capturing the essence of its people and their stories through lyrical poetry and evocative melodies.

In exploring Latin American Art Song through this rich landscape of cultural heritage and diverse influences, this presentation will discuss six songs from different countries of Latin America that explore a fascinating study of thematic continuity. The vast differences among its various traditions of styles voices a mixture of interwoven influences, including a combination of local, national and global trends and the identity struggles felt in the lyrical poetry of Latin American Art Song. We will experience each of the songs presented for discussion in its own stylistic voice and embrace its magnificent overarching similarities and differences, which exists uniquely in each country, but also demonstrate the unified, yet diverse landscape of Latin American Art Song.

7:30 p.m. >> Canadian Frontiers: A tribute to the song repertoire of Violet Archer
Presented by Tina Alexander-Luna and Leanne Regehr

Known for her tenacity and innovative compositional style, Canadian composer Violet Balestreri Archer (1913-2000) contributed significantly to the Canadian musical landscape throughout her lifetime. Born in Montreal of native Italian parents, Archer went on to be the head of theory and composition at the University of Alberta until she retired in 1978. This session will focus on the life and musical influences of Violet Archer, as well as the challenges that she faced being a woman in a male-dominated field. Additionally, this session will feature performances of selected songs from her vast repertoire, all of which features text by Canadian poets.

In an article by musicologist Brenda Dalen, she asserts that Archer was marginalized in several ways, “as a woman and as an Italian immigrant family living in Montreal ... in a time when there was no room in Western music for women composers.” Well into her older age, Archer was still busy teaching, composing, tending to correspondence, attending concerts, giving lectures, and promoting new music creation and performance. In speaking about her decision to pursue composition and teaching, Archer speaks about her father’s opinion that “the sensible thing would have been to be a schoolteacher or a secretary, you know, what women do—... can do! Not always. For him, my father, a woman’s place was not to be a composer; it was ... it was actually unheard of.”

Archer became one of the most prominent women composers in Canadian history, and composed over 300 pieces including works for orchestra, choir, chamber groups, and of course for solo voice and piano. Her song repertoire makes up a large percentage of her compositional output that has virtually been overlooked, underperformed, and underrepresented in literature to date. This session will highlight some of these musical gems.

8:30 p.m. >> “Putting the T in Tenor”: Journeying Through Transition and Masculinizing Hormone Therapy as an Undergraduate Singer
Presented by Helen Becqué, Darryl Edwards, and Luca McCauley

This lecture-recital will, through a series of performed pieces with accompaniment, survey my vocal journey; the discoveries, milestones, and obstacles involved in my singing transition from mezzo-soprano to tenor. This will include experiences in several vocal contexts and genres, including university choral rehearsals and performances, singing roles in oratorio, opera, and musical theatre, and performing as a solo recitalist. Through this lecture-recital, I will present my comprehensive data sources: journaling, audio and video recording, first-person accounts, and live performance from university auditions to the completion of my third year as an undergraduate student in voice performance at the University of Toronto. I will perform several pieces that have been chronicled to show the transition of my voice through each year on Masculinizing Hormone Therapy. My voice teacher and my collaborative pianist will, between my performed pieces, contribute their key observations in relation to my learning and my vocal development. Through presenting first hand knowledge, practice, and understanding of this process, it is our hope that this lecture-recital, recognizing that every individual's journey is unique, can serve as a template to realize this necessary developing practice in our traditional vocal pedagogy.

8:30 p.m. >> Unspoken Voices: Living Black Women Composers and Their Settings of Black Women Poets
Presented by Gwendolyn Alfred and Cecilia Kao 

In the classical music field, concert and recital programming is typically inclusive of mainly European male composers from the 17th and 18th century. Though many European women composers have found more of a presence, black women composers are still amongst the minority group of musicians who are rarely studied, represented, and programmed in academia and the concert stage. Based on my previous research of black women composers, and being a black woman myself, I find it empowering to include these women as much as possible in topics on scholarship and performance. My previous research on the art songs of Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Undine Smith Moore, and Betty Jackson King has led me to delve deeper into the living black female composers of today and their works. This particular lecture recital will add another layer to the initiative of representation, by including the works of living black female composers, Rosephanye Powell, B.E. Boykin, and Mason Bynes, and their settings of poetry by black female poets, another marginalized group in the classical music world. This is inspiring as well because most pieces that were written by black women composers in the past often featured texts of Langston Hughes or Paul Laurence Dunbar. In the past ten years, these women have set art songs to poetry by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Georgia Douglas Johnson, Angelina Weld Grimké, and Maya Angelou. I will also be premiering newly-commissioned pieces by Maria Corley and Mason Bynes featuring poetry written by themselves and recently discovered poetry of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Though my research has emphasized the representation and relevance of black women composers who are now deceased, I feel it is even more powerful to accentuate the works of well-respected black women composers who are still alive. These powerful women are taking the charge to change the present and future perspective of black women in the classical music genre.

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Saturday, August 2, 2025

Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy

8:30 a.m. >> Recent updates on interprofessional phoniatric and singing voice pedagogic research and teaching in Germany
Presented by Philipp P. Caffier

Germany enjoys a close cooperation between phoniatricians at Charité – Berlin University Medicine, Europe's largest university hospital, and the German Voice Teachers Association BDG (Bundesverband Deutscher Gesangspädagogen), Europe's largest professional organization of vocal pedagogues. This collaboration has led to the conception of various studies and interdisciplinary academy programs in the fields of voice research and teaching, which will be presented exemplarily. Regarding objective voice diagnostics, the new parameter Vocal Extent Measure (VEM) was developed to quantify a singer's vocal capacity and to classify vocal performance. In another interdisciplinary project, a database with hundreds of sound samples from 30 operas was compiled. Several acoustic features were examined in a Matlab environment to classify lyric vs. dramatic voice structures within each voice type. Furthermore, several practical BDG academy courses were designed to qualify professional singers for giving state-of-the-art singing lessons based on established pedagogical, physiological and phoniatric principles. The collaboration between phoniatricians and BDG voice teachers has yielded measurable results in the areas of singing-related research and teaching that are scientifically and practically relevant to vocal pedagogy. Graduates of BDG academy programs are encouraged to transfer the acquired expertise to offer their singing-enthusiastic students an up-to-date, high-quality and healthy vocal training.

9:30 a.m. >> Here and Then Gone: (re)Introducing the Transient Theory of Voice Production
Presented by Ian Howell

Voice pedagogy textbooks and curricula position voice acoustics as a primary subject area. Voice acoustics is a complex field with diverse conceptual and teaching models reaching back to the 18th century. Since Sundberg (1987), the models used to explain voice acoustics to singers tend to prioritize the source-filter model as proposed by Fant (1960). In simple terms, this model suggests that the contribution of the vocal folds to phonation is a spectrum of harmonics. These harmonics are amplified or attenuated by resonances as they pass through the vocal tract. While computationally useful, this model may impose a conceptual barrier between the acoustical and physical realities of voice production. Fant’s source-filter model coexisted with older models that center short-time dynamics. E.g., Chiba & Kajiyama (1941), Vennard (1967), and Ladefoged (1962) all include aspects of the transient or inharmonic theory of voice production. Current voice science texts written for the scientific community (e.g., Hixon et al. (2020), Titze (2000), and Chen (2017)) present aspects of this model next to the source-filter model. In the transient model, resonances are rapidly dampened excitation patterns of the airmass in the vocal tract facilitated by the cessation of airflow as the folds come to contact. These oscillating patterns may or may not meaningfully interact with each subsequent excitation. It is the repetition and overlap of these patterns that produce voiced sounds. Visually distinct structures on a spectrogram (e.g., the separate energy of the first versus second formant) may be understood as overlapping and simultaneously oscillating aspects of the complex response of the vocal tract. Scientists may then conceive of source harmonics as a way to characterize aspects of this complex process while voice pedagogues may imagine that they are real, physical phenomena. This presentation will argue for the (re)introduction of the transient theory of voice production to voice pedagogues. The history of models will be covered and key takeaways for application in the teaching studio and classroom highlighted. Ultimately the presenter will argue that the transient model should be taught in voice pedagogy contexts alongside Fant/Sundberg’s reading of the source-filter model.

10:30 a.m. >> A Balance in the Force: Perceiving and Assessing Vibrato
Presented by Joshua Glasner, Theodora Nestorova, John Nix, and Yvonne Gonzalez Redman

This session will engage attendees in understanding, perceiving, and assessing vocal vibrato. Through the use of facilitated group activities, the presentation team will introduce concepts that enhance attendees’ ability to discern and differentiate key aspects of vibrato in the students they teach. The team will also demonstrate how to translate what participants hear and observe regarding vibrato into potential action steps with their students. The session will be focused on topics that have relevance and practical application for solo and group voice teaching across multiple genres. Attendees will actively participate and will develop their ability to train their voice students/clients. The presenters, all active as singers, teachers, and researchers, bring a number of years of experience in exploring vibrato to this discussion.

11:30 a.m. >> Grasping at Straws: A Systematic Approach for Choosing the Winning SOVTE
Presented by Lynn Maxfield and Kari Ragan

There is a natural segue to selecting a particular Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Exercise (SOVTE) through an organizational template of the five voice systems: respiration, phonation, registration, articulation, and resonance. Various diameter straws, tubes immersed in water, Acapella PEP Therapy Device, lip trills, puffy cheeks, pigeon, tongue trills, raspberries, anesthesia mask, fricatives (e.g. /v/, /z/), and nasal continuants (/ŋ/, /n/, /m/) are all examples of SOVTEs. The principal focus of this interactive workshop will be to demonstrate the diagnosis of a vocal inefficiency based on what a teacher sees and hears and connect that assessment with the choosing the appropriate SOVT. Some SOVTEs, such as voice fricatives /v/ and /z/ could be more effective to help with respiration challenges while nasal continuants /m/, /n/, or /ŋ/ may bring focus to resonance. Understanding when and how to use a particular SOVTE is imperative to a successful outcome. They are not one size fits all.

Contemporary Pedagogy: Genre, Cultural Roots, and Exercises

8:30 a.m. >> “Rhythm, Intention, & Conviction: The Understanding and Application of Vocal Parameters for Soul Expression in Black American Music”
Presented by Trineice Robinson-Martin

"Rhythm, Intention, & Conviction: The Understanding and Application of Vocal Parameters for Soul Expression in Black American Music" explores the fundamental principles that guide Black American Music Voice Pedagogy and Performance. The Black American music tradition, whether through work songs, field hollers, shouts, spirituals, ragtime, blues, gospel, jazz, soul, R&B, or hip hop, is a distinct reflection of the African American experience throughout America’s history. The performer’s emotional articulation of life experience, the individualized approach to storytelling, and conviction in emotional expression through musical choices are the epitome of what makes the performance of Black American music styles compelling, often duplicated, and greatly appreciated. This manner of expression, which I refer to as “Soul Expression,” Is the unapologetic, passionate communication of who you are, what you believe, and how you feel about it. In the performance of Black American Music styles, soul expression is communicated through the intersection between rhythm, intention, and conviction. The execution of words and other melodic and rhythmic nuances that represent the execution of a melody is not simply emphasized for intention; it is emphasized with conviction, underscoring the essence and power of ‘Soul Expression’ in Black American music.

The distinct conceptual approach to the music-making of Black American music is not discussed in the context of voice pedagogy and performance practices. The lecture aims to provide teachers and ensemble directors with tools and exercises to incorporate these concepts into their voice instruction, classes, and ensembles. Approaches for teaching rhythm and syncopation, improvisation, and intention within the function of storytelling and its melodic and rhythmic execution. In addition, the lecture will explore how voice registration and vocal nuances contribute to the listener's perception of conviction in Black American music styles, and their implication for voice training.

9:30 a.m. >> Vocal Joy: New and Innovative Warm-ups to Engage Every Singer
Presented by Katie DeFiglio 

Are you tired of using the same vocal exercises? Do you find it challenging to find warm-ups and cool-downs that inspire your musical theatre or CCM singers? Would you like to incorporate harmonies into your warm-up for your group voice class or ensemble? Are you ready to enjoy traditional vocal exercises in a new way?

In this interactive workshop, Dr. Katie DeFiglio will share some of her most requested vocal exercises that she has created during her years of experience as a voice teacher, music director, and pedagogue. Participants will learn warm-ups that address harmony, vocal qualities, style, articulation, rhythm, and movement. Dr. DeFiglio’s warm-ups include short, easy to learn exercises for all ages ranging from the beginning singer to the more advanced student, and include popular music styles for new ways to warm-up the voice in an enjoyable way. In addition to learning new vocal exercises for warm-up and cool-down, participants will receive resources for continued exploration after the workshop, and be able to bring back fresh ideas for their private voice students, group classes, ensembles, or for their own singing joy!

*Participants can expect to be singing, clapping, moving, smiling, and may experience vocal joy during this workshop.

10:30 a.m. >> Genre Uplifting Genre
Presented by Erin Bardua

Exploring strategies for learning and teaching the techniques and tropes of pop- and R&B-flavoured singing styles in commercial and theatre music. For all singers and teachers: Codifying the techniques and musical tropes of commercial styles to make learning and teaching simpler and more strategic. For classical singers and teachers: Demystifying techniques and conventions of commercial styles for the classically-trained brain

Think of this as an ornamentation and performance practice workshop, but for contemporary singing! Based on over 20 years’ experience working with multi-genre singers at many levels, research, and practical application in the studio and in performance/recording. Using recorded examples, we'll listen to the audio, break down the anatomy of the musical gesture, view it as notation, view it as spectrograph, and more. Identify and differentiate timbres, vibrato rates, and the other elements that make up a stylistic gesture. Identify and prioritize approaches and tools, such as registration, use of legato/accent, vowel formation and articulatory speed, for greatest effect. Participants are encouraged to join in on breaking down and recreating some favourite riffs and ornaments from top artists, contribute their own terms to the growing lexicon, and consider which approaches best suit them and the singers they work with.

11:30 a.m. >> Reverse Crossover: Mastering Classical Techniques for Musical Theatre and CCM Singers
Presented by Sequina DuBose and Lori Sen

With the development of more contemporary styles throughout the 20th century, the classical voice community began to explore crossover techniques to meet the demands of a more versatile repertoire. This approach to vocal “cross training” has centered the classically-trained singer and offered them the opportunity to develop their instrument in a way that unlocked their full potential. From a physiological and acoustical perspective, the “classical” instrument benefited from exploring a variety of musical styles. What if we could offer the same opportunity to musical theatre and CCM singers? What are some of the skills these singers could acquire through exploring the classical technique? This interactive workshop aims to answer these questions and offer tools for a “reverse crossover” to classical. The audience members will join the presenters in experiencing exercises designed to address breathing, phonation, resonance, and articulation, and guide the musical theatre and CCM singer toward a healthy classical vocal foundation.

Equitable Pedagogy in Diverse Communities

10:30 a.m. >> Practicing Anti-Racism in the Singing Voice Studio
Presented by Elizabeth Benson, Marisa Lee Naismith, and Trineice Robinson-Martin

The concept of “decolonizing” the historically Eurocentric music classroom is being widely discussed in the fields of music education, dance, ethnomusicology, and acting and spoken voice. However, the concept of decolonizing the singing voice studio is only recently being discussed within the voice community. This presentation contributes to the global effort to revise and update our best pedagogical practices through the practice of anti-racism. Music programs in higher education systems have historically operated from a Eurocentric point of view, and many programs still endorse a hierarchy that places classical music above all other genres. While many countries around the globe have embraced the inherent cultural and artistic value of American popular music, longstanding racial tension and social and economic prejudices still create challenges for fully integrating new models for cultural inclusion. System-level change with the goal that all genres of music receive equal attention and resources within university music programs takes place slowly. We have compiled a list of tools that voice teachers can use at the individual level to bolster cultural equity and practice anti-racism within our singing voice studios. These include (1) embracing intentional pedagogical practices; (2) avoiding cultural appropriation or cultural approximation; (3) continuing to seek education; (4) acknowledging our areas of excellence, knowing what is beyond the scope of our expertise, and having the courage to ask for help; (5) naming courses and programs accurately; and (6) developing an equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging statement for the voice studio. As we move toward a more equitable and inclusive global society, these tools can provide voice teachers with a framework for fostering a racially, ethnically, culturally, and musically inclusive singing voice studio. We are proud members of the voice teaching community and represent a diversity of perspectives including race, country of origin, training, education, age, professional experience, independent studio/university teaching, and genres of expertise. Our intention within this talk is to examine our pedagogical habits through the lens of contemporary social justice. Attendees will leave the presentation with knowledge and tangible tools to practice anti-racism in their singing voice studios.

9:30 a.m. >> Strengthening Voice Pedagogy through Cultural Identity
Presented by Noel Archambeault

The Journal of Popular Music Studies featured an article by Roger Johnson, titled, “Better Late Than Never: Thoughts on the Music Curriculum in the late Twentieth Century,” in which he states the following: “music is central, quite literally, to what culture sounds like, an essential part of its raw material and one of its most vital means of continued expression and representation.” This talk will encourage teachers to use cultural identity as a means to strengthen their own teaching and their singers’ vocal technique. A brief discussion on the history of voice pedagogy in various university curricula and the biases inherent in its traditional forms will provide opportunities to assess and strategize new methodologies that align with a progressive approach for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. This talk will highlight various ways to incorporate and advocate for cultural expression in the voice studio.

8:30 a.m. >> What's Bred in the Bone - Traditional Music in the Voice Curriculum
Presented by Lorna MacDonald 

The proverb, “What’s bred in the bone will not out of the flesh,” provides a context for inclusive voice teaching that prioritizes and honours students’ inherited traits, language, and intrinsic artistry through studying Traditional Music (TM). TM characterizes one’s earliest self-identification as a music-maker, a critical marker in vocal identity. Assuredly, childhood experiences are neither wholly positive nor negative, but traditional music benefits the voice lesson and practice room such that “learners can be sources and resources of knowledge and skills—a critical component of culturally relevant pedagogy” (LadsonBillings, 2009). Combined with evidence-based practice, this session introduces three research projects at the University of Toronto based in Traditional Music. The first, musical traditions in French Canadian vocal literature resulted “…in a more artistically engaged performance, and more efficient and skillful singing”. The second explored ancestral traditions and relationships in their ScottishCanadian and Hindustani-Punjabi families. “… exploring Hindustani musical and vocal concepts was meaningful to who I have become as a singer and my identity in general.” The third, the creation of a historically based opera, combined childhood influences with culturally responsible pedagogy.

11:30 a.m. >> Towards Equitable Singing Voice Education for First Nations People
Presented by Freya Meredith- Hanson 

A young First Nations singer is offered free singing lessons. 20 years later, she now offers free singing lessons to First Nations people, because the cycle of systemic barriers to music education continues. First Nations people around the world face numerous systemic barriers that significantly impact their lives and opportunities. These include barriers to education, inherited poverty, loss of community, lack of cultural recognition and other issues stemming from European Colonisation. In music education, colonised pedagogy leads to a lack of cultural recognition and relevance, perpetuating isolation and discomfort in predominantly Eurocentric spaces, alongside racism and a scarcity of First Nations role models. Evidence in existing literature suggests that singing can address gaps in education, health, and community by strengthening self-awareness, enhancing health resilience, and improving psychological well-being. This need for equitable singing voice education is evident in Australia, which is used as a case study in this session. Recognised as Australia’s first First Nation singing voice researcher, Freya Meredith-Hanson shares her story as a First Nations practitioner and pedagogue. In this session, you will not only learn about the oldest culture in the world, but also explore how you can indigenise your voice studio, be a catalyst for change, and foster equity.

Transgender Voices Uplifted

8:30 a.m. >> Cultural Responsiveness in Singing Voice Training for Trans and Gender Nonconforming Individuals
Presented by Jae Bernado 

As trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people continue to gain visibility in modern society, many voice teachers are looking for ways to create a more welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment for their TGNC clients. This talk will provide a brief summary of key terms and concepts related to this population of singers, as well as an overview of the basic tenets of trauma-informed care relevant to voice studio teaching. While most voice teachers are not psychologists nor medical professionals, this talk will demonstrate the use of the principles of trauma-informed care to provide support for vulnerable populations within the voice studio. The talk will include an exploration of how the principles of trauma-informed care can be applied to the voice studio to better support TGNC clients following a chronological timeline. This will include service advertisement, scheduling and intake, studio space or physical environment, and strategies for voice training with TGNC singers. Attendees will gain tangible, practical tools for modifying their voice studio practices to better support TGNC singers.

9:30 a.m. >> Challenging the Concept of Entrapment in Transgender Voices
Presented by Tessa Romano and Peter Fullerton 

When considering hormone therapy, which for many gender diverse people is a lifesaving treatment, those who are singers often hesitate or dismiss this treatment altogether due to the popular fear of damaging their voices permanently through the resulting vocal transition. This fear of permanently damaging the voice through testosterone therapy is very often linked to the idea of “entrapment”. Applied to the voice and laryngeal fluctuation, entrapment has become the technical term referring to the vocal experience of a trans* or gender diverse person who is undergoing testosterone therapy and experiences long-term weakness and hoarseness in their voice. The first time that the word entrapment was used to describe the voice was in an article written by researcher and singer Alexandros Constansis for Radical Musicology (2008). Although this article did not provide definitive scientific evidence that entrapment exists as a permanent, physiological condition, six subsequent academic studies have further speculated on this condition without providing corroborating evidence of its existence. Simultaneously, the internet has exploded in a flurry of paranoia from trans* and gender diverse singers undergoing testosterone therapy who worry that the normal, temporary symptoms of voice change indicate permanent damage to their voices. Importantly, voice teachers who work with singers on testosterone see no proof of entrapment in the applied voice studio. Instead, they notice entrapment-like symptoms that respond favorably to voice training, suggesting testosterone therapy causes no underlying physiological damage to the vocal anatomy. Nevertheless, these internet threads and previous publications featuring entrapment continue to serve as a psychological barrier to those considering testosterone therapy. This presentation aims to dissect the concept of entrapment as it applies to the gender diverse voice experience in order to examine the reality of this supposed condition. The presentation will conclude that entrapment does NOT exist as a permanent, physiological conclusion, though entrapment-like symptoms may occur in singers who use testosterone, but can improve over an extended period of time with knowledgeable, compassionate voice training and appropriate resources.

10:30 a.m. >> Water Resistance Therapy for Gender Affirming Voice Training, Transition, and Care
Presented by Katherine Isaacson 

Learn how to use Water Resistance Therapy at the sentence, paragraph, conversational, and singing levels to teach gender affirming voice training and voice transition for gender diverse clients while embedding voice care that's gentle, hygienic, safe, and restorative. Using WRT as the foundational approach to building air pressure resistance along the vocal tract allows gender diverse clients to explore breath control and placement and adjust the listener's perception of pitch while providing restorative effects to the vocal tract and vocal folds. Paired with well-known strategies like straw phonation, tongue depression, and voiced panting, this workshop will demonstrate in detail how to implement a simple, easy to understand approach with a built-in timeline and step-by-step curriculum for clients wishing to train and transition their voice that produces audible results during the very first session. Give clients the power to feel from the inside out how to use their conversational voice in different ways and explore their gender identity, expression, and presentation through the power of their vocal productions. Templates for goals and objectives, plans of care with timelines, and instructions will provided as handouts.

11:30 a.m. >> Reimagining Feminine Sounds: Teaching Transfeminine Singers in the Applied Studio
Presented by Megan Durham and William Sauerland

Emergent scholarship in vocal pedagogy has investigated the teaching of trans/gender-expansive singers, with a special interest on the effects of hormone replacement therapy. While some scholarship untangles gender from musical discourse, other work reifies the gender binary through language and the cis-normative narrative that all trans individuals should sound either “male” or “female.” The gender-expansive population is filled with individuals whose vocal goals are as unique, diverse, and beautiful as they are as humans. Presented by two voice teacher-scholars who are deeply committed to honoring diverse voices in the applied studio, the session will share recordings and first-hand perceptions of transfeminine singers. Based on a multi-case study of gender-expansive singers in the applied studio, specific vocal exercises, practices, and repertoire for trans women singers will be discussed. Attendees will garner strategies in trans voice teaching, a greater understanding of transfeminine singing, insight on adolescent trans voice, and an overview of the impact of gender and identity in the teaching of singers. Teaching gender-expansive singers is important research in vocal pedagogy, to not only foster greater affirmation of trans singers, but to promote new theories and practical measures in teaching all singers.

Body Movement & Re-examining Established Pedagogies

8:30 a.m. >> Incorporating Movement
Presented by Thaddaeus Bourne and Brenda Smith 

Recent neuroscientific research confirms that movement enhances body awareness, memory, and musical expression. Occupational therapists attest to movement as an essential element in the development of the sensory systems. It is through our physical practices of exercise and play that we develop our senses of balance (using the vestibular system), proprioception (our sense of how we are oriented in space and the movements we make) and interoception (our sense of what is happening within our bodies). Physical embodiment of abstract concepts of musicianship and vocal technique can accelerate learning and provides additional roads of access for student success. It is more essential than ever that time in the voice studio be used as efficiently as possible, and movement has provided a solution. In this interactive session we will examine best practices, incorporating various movement exercises to support memorizing text and music, build body awareness, and bridging the gap between musical concepts and expression in performance.

9:30 a.m. >> Strategies for enlivening the inherent wholeness of your mind + body + voice system
Presented by Maureen Batt and Alison Taylor 

This workshop shifts from top-down knowing to valuing experience rooted in embodied knowing. This pedagogical paradigm offers insight into a non-hierarchical and non-dualistic dynamic in the singing studio.

This experiential workshop allows you to be curious about what inherent wholeness looks and feels like for you, and provides playful explorations you can apply to your learning, teaching, and facilitating right away. Application examples include activities allowing you to connect with your body, and explore ways to ground/centre yourself and your clients/students.

Our voices are embodied. Throughout this movement moment, we’ll invite you to stretch, jiggle, giggle, and play. Together we will explore sensation, body awareness, and spatial orientation through listening, moving, and sound-making. We hope to offer you an experience to shift perspective, feel vibrant, envision with clarity, and incorporate with confidence. This threshold offers a transition from rich cognitive learning into full-bodied somatic experience. This is an invitation into percolation and integration, both honouring the knowledge you already have and adding in new, exciting discoveries from your conference experience. You - your integrated coordinating system - already has the information and the answers - let’s play!

Resources will be provided. No movement experience necessary. Any attire and ability is welcome.

10:30 a.m. >> Reexamining the Master-Apprentice Model
Presented by Brian Manternach 

In 2006, researchers Robert A. Duke and Amy L. Simmons sought to identify specific characteristics that make for outstanding studio instruction. They selected three award-winning teachers—an oboist, a violist, and a pianist—and recorded, observed, and analyzed approximately 25 hours of their studio instruction. Looking for commonalities in their teaching, they published their results in a paper titled “The Nature of Expertise: Narrative Descriptions of 19 Common Elements Observed in the Lessons of Three Renowned Artist-Teachers.”

Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, we can see which practices continue to be used and which may have fallen out of favor over the nearly two decades since the article was published. We can also categorize certain practices as belonging to a particular instructional model or methodology. Specifically, some elements reflect a “master-apprentice” model. In recent years, the efficacy of this model has been called into question (Sherwood, 2023; Benson, 2020).

There are three elements in the Duke and Simmons article that have been identified as being part of a master-apprentice approach (Sauerland, 2022). First, the teachers all defined the goals for the lessons. Second, the teachers set the ideals for technique, relating to both tonal quality and stylistic performance. Third, the teachers gave frequent negative feedback and infrequent positive feedback.

In this presentation, I will outline the potential problems with these practices as educational tools in the voice studio, based on recent research and contemporary practice. I will then offer alternative approaches that are intended to reflect a more student-centered pedagogy.

11:30 a.m. >> Three Voices, One Vision: A Reimagined Master Class
Presented by Sarah Holman, Sandra Oberoi, and Ellen Pieterse 

In this session, the three teachers aim to provide a holistic, inclusive, and forward-thinking approach to the traditional master class format through their shared experiences. Reimagining it to incorporate student-centered learning and trust-building among teachers, this master class not only honors the traditional approach but also aims to include the diverse expertise of each teacher with the student to build confidence and foster directional learning: teacher-to-student, teacher-to-teacher, and student-to teacher. This arrangement encourages colleagues to draw on a student's understanding of a performance while inviting colleagues towards an openness and willingness to reinforce the skills and knowledge of each other's expertise thereby encouraging flexibility in standard pedagogical practice. This unique format offers a multi-faceted perspective on vocal technique, artistic expression, and performance skills, setting a new standard for master classes in the 21st century.

9 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Sunday, August 3, 2025

Lecture Recitals

9 a.m. >> Artiste: Art Songs of Nan-Chang Chien and Lyric Diction of Taiwanese Mandarin
Presented by Yi Chang, Chichou Hseij, Meg Tsai, and WeiShu Tsai

Chinese language is becoming an increasingly important in business and culture studies around the world. Taiwanese musicians are also trying to introduce more Chinese music and art songs to the western world. This lecture-recital contributes to this trend by introducing contemporary Chinese art songs from Taiwan to the ICVT members and audiences, in order to further increase the base of materials available to western musicians to appreciate and engage with art from the Chinese culture.

This lecture-recital will present selected Taiwanese Mandarin art songs composed by leading Taiwanese contemporary composer, Nan-Chang Chien. Chien has been praised for integrating the Taiwanese Mandarin spoken intonation into his lyrical and expressive vocal melodies; as well as his musical transformation between text painting and the idea of the poetry. His art songs have become standard Chinese repertoire selections in the music schools of Taiwan, and massively be sung in recitals, concerts, auditions, and competitions.

This lecture-recital also provides the foundation and model for further exploration and research into Chinese art song literature by scholars in the west, supported with the references of musical facts, synopsis of the poems, word-for-word translation, IPA transcription, poetic translation, and interpretive and performance guides, singers and pianists will have an overall understanding, and detailed directions for learning the Chinese language and Chinese art songs.

10 a.m. >> From Villa to Villani: Brazilian Art Song from the 20th Century
Presented by  Juliana Franco and Luciano Simões Silva 

Brazilian art song is a genre still rarely performed by singers and pianists outside Brazil. This lecture-recital is the result of combined more than forty years of experience in researching and performing this repertoire. We will focus on works from major 20th-century composers, including Heitor Villa-Lobos, the author of "Serestas," which were among the first songs to integrate elements of Brazilian popular and traditional music with classical forms, and Edmundo Villani-Côrtes, one of the most important composers from the late 20th century whose works demonstrate a range of influences, including bel canto style, atonal techniques, and popular and folk music. When compared, the songs from these two composers reveal and illustrate the remarkable and distinctive path art songs have followed in Brazil. These two composers, alongside Lorenzo Fernandez, Camargo Guarnieri, and Waldemar Henrique, express this music's notable richness and suppleness.

Through selected works by these composers, we will demonstrate the various influences, including Indigenous, African, and European, that have shaped Brazilian art songs over the last 150 years. We will also provide examples of how Brazilian urban and traditional music genres and styles, such as modinha, choro, baião, and samba, are integrated and translated into songs for voice and piano.

This lecture-recital will portray a diverse and unique repertoire, distinct from Hispanic cultures, enhanced by the particular intonation and prosody of the Portuguese spoken in Brazil, performed by a soprano and a baritone who can show great variety of vocal colors, from the almost operatic to the almost popular. To make the language more accessible, we will briefly explain valuable tools to master Brazilian Portuguese diction, improve natural interpretation, and better connect with audiences. A greater appreciation for this rich vocal tradition will enable musicians to perform some of the most interesting and diverse vocal music in the world.

Brazilian art song offers performers and musicians an array of possibilities to explore an innovative, challenging, and passionately energetic style of music. These songs, with their variety of styles, influences, and melodic contours, are among the finest examples of this genre in the Americas.

11 a.m. >> Finding an Authentic Voice in the Art Song of Aotearoa New Zealand
Presented by Morag Atchison 

While there is a long tradition of Western Art Music in Aotearoa New Zealand, singers from these islands in the South Pacific who travel internationally are frequently asked to perform ‘traditional’ music by Māori composers. Yet the Māori music that classical singers often perform is largely Westernised and commonly referred to as ‘folk song’. Many of these songs have named composers and poets that are frequently forgotten about or not acknowledged. Are these Aotearoa New Zealand’s first art songs? How did the colonial composers reflect their new homeland in their writing, how has this art form developed, and does it reflect New Zealand and New Zealanders in the 21st century?

Presented by soprano Morag Atchison, this lecture recital will map the development of classical art song in Aotearoa New Zealand, from the songs of Māori and colonial composers and songs depicting an idealised view of 20th-century New Zealand, to the young composers of today who use the Māori language and the diverse nature of New Zealand as the inspiration for their writing. Parallels will also be drawn to the development of art songs in other colonised nations. Featuring songs by Alice Foster Mackay (1870-1940), Erima Maewa Kaihau (1897-1941), Douglas Lilburn (1915-2001), and David Hamilton (b.1955) that use texts by New Zealand writers, this lecture recital will also include a new song written specifically for this presentation in Toronto by young Māori composer Takerei Komene (b.1999), giving a canon of art song that has largely been unexplored internationally a new audience and promoting the diverse voice of song composition in Aotearoa New Zealand.

12 p.m. >> Teaching and Singing Ornamentation in South Indian Classical Music
Presented by Samyukta Ranganathan 

This lecture recital examines the intricate ornamentations that are fundamental to Indian Classical Music (ICM), specifically within the Carnatic tradition. The presentation integrates live demonstrations with analytical commentary to explore these embellishments comprehensively. Key ornamentations such as gamakas (oscillations), brigas (fast, intricate passages), and jarus (glides) will be demonstrated and analysed. Each type of ornamentation will be contextualized in how it is used, illustrating significance within songs and improvisational components of Carnatic Music.

The lecture will also address pedagogical approaches to teaching these ornamentations in classroom settings. Spectrographic software will be used to visualize the ‘shapes’ of these ornamentations. Drawing from my teaching experience and research on vocal agility, laryngeal articulations and motor-learning theory, I will outline methods and techniques that facilitate learning these embellishments by integrating the imitation-based system of ICM’s oral tradition with contemporary research.

By bridging performance and academic analysis, this lecture recital aims to provide both performers and educators with a deeper understanding of the role and execution of ornamentations in South Indian Classical Music. This approach seeks to enhance performance practice and pedagogical strategies, ensuring the effective transmission of this athletic and stylistically nuanced musical tradition. Furthermore, incorporating Indian Classical Music into vocal training broadens non-ICM practitioners' engagement with and understanding of diverse traditions and vocal techniques. Additionally, these techniques offer valuable cross-training opportunities, enhancing vocal agility, precision, and expressiveness across various musical genres.

Body Modalities

9 a.m. >> Impact of Static Postures on Breathing Patterns for Singing
Presented by Chadley Ballantyne, Ian Howell, and Sophia Maritz 

This study investigates how different postures—standing, sitting, active rest, and lying down—affect breathing patterns during singing. Using the RespTrack system and Praat, ribcage and abdominal movements can be measured and analyzed as participants perform singing tasks in each posture.

Standing is the most common posture in lessons and performances, while rehearsals are often seated. Active rest, often used in lessons to explore breathing, is less practical for ensemble contexts. Singing while lying down is occasionally used for instruction and may also be required in staged performances.

The research highlights how posture influences respiratory motion, focusing on breathing patterns developed in one position (e.g., lying down) and their transferability to others (e.g., standing). Quantitative analysis of ribcage and abdominal movements offers valuable insights for refining vocal training techniques to address the impact of posture on breathing in singing.

10 a.m. >> Beyond Mechanics: Biotensegrity in the voice studio
Presented by Jeremy Ryan Mossman 

The magic of an orchestra isn’t the instruments or the players or conductor, it’s in the space between them where one instrument’s contribution weaves together with the others, woven by the conductor’s embodiment of the music. The result is bigger than all of the instruments and conductor combined. Similarly, the voice isn’t merely a sum of parts with binary movements coordinating mechanically. The desire to express and communicate motivates the body to self-organize a symphony of processes and movements as several systems dynamically interact to produce the most efficient vocalizing possible within every moment, while also adapting to ever-changing internal and external conditions.

Humans are nonlinear complex adaptive systems, however we are surrounded by deep-rooted and mainstream notions of the body-as-machine, which has led us to inaccurate conclusions and rigid mental models. We have inherited flawed concepts about the body over centuries that have gone largely unchanged since early days of anatomical inquiry in the 16th & 17th centuries through anatomy & biomechanics, which offer convenient simplifications of complex realities, but do not reflect the unified nature of the body in action, the nonlinear ways new behaviors emerge, or how functional optimization occurs as a consequence of somatic exploration.

Biotensegrity offers a new and non-reductive perspective on the body and movement drawing from universal patterns among all biological organisms. This reframing provides rich pedagogical terrain as it uncovers and explains key aspects of the body including functional unification, adaptability, and capacity to self-organize. This foundation creates the fundamentals for a learning environment through which curiosity, spontaneity, and creativity can be nurtured and efficiency emerge as teacher and student create relationships between technical ideas and artistic intentions that lead to the transcendent phenomenon that occurs when fully ‘in the moment’ in performance.

This talk will visually unpack what biotensegrity is, how it reshapes our understanding of movement and the living body and how this leads to a shift in pedagogy that aligns with how the body moves towards efficiency.

11 a.m. >> My Body, My Instrument: How body image can influence vocal performance
Presented by Kristen Brown 

I’d imagine most, if not all, singers are familiar with the phrase, “your body is your instrument.” Focusing on the physical body is fundamental to our discipline, as is attention to singers’ mental and emotional states. But the intersection of emotions and the body—how one thinks and feels about their body, or body image—is largely absent from our pedagogical discussions. As voice teachers continue to necessarily address their students’ bodies, we must consider how each singer’s relationship with their body might affect them, as singers and as people.

My research began with just two of the myriad unanswered questions surrounding this topic: Does a singer’s body image influence her singing? If so, when and how? I worked with four collegiate women singers who participated in a focus group, kept audio diaries, and completed interviews. All of these sources provided insightful data that helped me explore how young women singers navigate the complex relationship between their singing and their bodies. Among the most striking of my findings was that these four women all thought of their “everyday body” as separate from their voice. This separation manifested in different ways, all of which had profound yet variable implications for my participants’ singing. Since this initial foray, I’ve expanded my research efforts beyond those singers who identify as women to explore how body image and singing might be separate, or might collide, for trans and nonbinary singers.

In my presentation, I’ll share the conclusions of my initial research with women singers, and then expand the discussion to trans and nonbinary singers. We’ll also discuss the ways in which a positive body image might influence one’s singing for the better, and how a voice teacher might help their students cultivate a positive experience of their bodies. My goal is to help voice teachers understand the power they have when they address their students bodies, the potential consequences of wielding that power unknowingly or carelessly, and ways in which they can use that power to improve their students’ singing, and perhaps their lives in general.

Voice Science: Acoustics

9 a.m. >> Comparing [æ]pples to [ɔ]ranges: recognizing and anticipating acoustic changes
Presented by Julia Bentley 

Are practical vocal acoustics a handy tool in your teaching kit? Are you weighing utility versus... TMI? This workshop unpacks the acoustic underpinnings of lyric phonemes using a streamlined goody bag of targeted vocalises and simple graphics.

Vocalises serve a number of valuable purposes: gracefully tuning out the press of other demands; recruiting those coordinations unique to singing; defining and expanding the tone and scope of the singer’s instrument. They generally limit the myriad variables encountered in a fully-realized performance to some degree. Our work today will invite singer-teachers to zoom in to an even finer resolution, offering figures that are explicitly designed to highlight the distinctions in acoustic properties between phonemes. Comparing and contrasting the perceptions of airspeed, breath management and resonator shape needn’t be a disheartening exercise in micromanagement!

Working with singers, I’ll use vocalise-building techniques including droning and vowel dialing to illuminate distinct categories among phonemes, demonstrate examples of text which implement those distinctions, and reverse-engineer selected passages from that singer’s repertoire. Concise demos with a variety of voices will consider stability in issues such as intonation, vibrato rate, breath management, clarity of consonants, reliable vowel color and avoiding counterproductive tension as a function of the singer's knowledgeable navigation of formants.

Understanding variance in resonant diction grants us more than stylish expressivity: it is the blade that propels us across the ice; it is the keel that allows us to sail.

10 a.m. >> More Than [æ]: Utilizing Vowel Closing to Navigate the Treble Staff Across Genres
Presented by Ian Howell, Nicholas Perna, and Rebecca Pieper

This interactive workshop will present the challenges singers face when navigating the lower two-thirds of the treble staff, particularly within the pitch range of D4-D5. This range presents unique difficulties related to laryngeal registration and airflow modulation due to acoustic issues created by vocal tract resonant frequencies. While wider vocal tract openings on vowels such as [ae] are widely known to be beneficial in contemporary genres, introducing such techniques too soon can lead to tension and difficulty achieving high notes.

To address these challenges, this workshop will focus on a method to help singers engage confidently with this pitch range. Instead of merely widening the vocal tract as pitch ascends, participants will learn to use vowel and timbral closing techniques. This approach aims to improve vocal ease and control when reaching higher pitches, with live demonstrations and audience participation planned during the session.

11 a.m. >> Acoustics and Articulation of the Second Passaggio Transition of Sopranos
Presented by Richard Lissemore

Our experiment explored the acoustic and articulatory activity of the secondo passaggio in sopranos, which typically occurs for [ɑ] between D♮5 and F♮5. To quantify the acoustics, we employed L1-L2, the radiated sound level difference between the first two harmonics. Results showed that sopranos with high values of L1-L2 at G♮5 exhibited three characteristics: a negative to positive change in L1-L2 early in the scale, minimal variability, and a steep rate of change over the scale. To measure articulation, we used ultrasound of the tongue with optical tracking. 2-D sagittal contours of the tongue and hard palate as well as lip and jaw position showed that singers with high values of L1-L2 at G♮5 exhibited large anterior oral cavities, whereas those who never made the change had small cavities. We concluded that a successful transition on [ɑ] involves two parts. Part 1 occurs near 600 Hz and requires two elements: (i) increased glottal airflow to increase L1, and (ii) increased anterior vocal tract airspace to lower fR2 and decrease L2. Part 2 involves fR1/fo tracking once fo is high enough to meet the first resonance frequency of [ɑ], which creates a powerful standing wave above 800 Hz in sopranos.

Apps, Vowel Color, and the YouTube Experience

9 a.m. >> “APPsolutely Helpful” - Exploring Mobile App Technology in Vocal Pedagogy
Presented by Lesia Mackowycz 

Discover how mobile apps can revolutionize vocal training in “APPsolutely Helpful,” an interactive workshop led by Lesia Mackowycz, voice faculty at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany.

Drawing from her articles in Vox Humana and the EVTA Journal, Lesia will present apps such as: “IPA Italian”, “Singscope”, “ScatAbility”, and more. These versatile tools, tailored for all music genres, will be demonstrated to illustrate their ability to enhance vocal skills, boost teaching efficiency, and actively engage students.

The workshop also explores the future of vocal pedagogy, focusing on the role of AI. Participants will discuss and envision how cutting-edge technologies can transform the field, unlocking new opportunities for growth and innovation.

Whether you’re a vocal instructor, performer, or student, this workshop provides an opportunity to deepen your understanding of mobile app technology’s role in vocal pedagogy and gain fresh ideas to bring to your teaching.

10 a.m. >> Sounds2c – Visualizing vowels through colors
Presented by Julia Nafisi 

Singers of Western Classical repertoire need to master the sounds of English, Italian, French and German, as a minimum. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), albeit a helpful tool, is abstract and study-intensive. After several studies and with the help of a team of software engineers and the use of  machine learning, the Sounds2c app was created.

The app converts song lyrics into color-coded text, providing an instant and intuitive guide to the sounds of the respective language. It is available in  Simplified (similar vowel-sounds treated as one), Advanced (added nuances and stresses) and IPA (as Advanced plus IPA) versions, all with annotated consonants, playback and pronunciation hints. Additionally, users can upload audio tracks (of voice only) and convert them into color-coded text as described above.

In this presentation, Dr Julia Nafisi will give a step-by-step demonstration of the genesis and functionality of the Sounds2c app.

11 a.m. >> Life as a YouTube Singing Teacher: The good, the bad and the busy.
Presented by Daniel Robinson 

This presentation addresses the technologies and pedagogy unique to the singing teacher who presents learning materials via online platforms, specifically using video.

Online platforms like YouTube have become a vibrant means of disseminating educational materials. YouTube recently reported that “learning and educational content drives over a billion views a day on YouTube,” and a recent Google search for ‘learn to sing videos’ led to nearly eight hundred million results. This fast-growing area of education presents both opportunity and challenge to the singing teacher who seeks to harness its potential.

On April 9, 2013, I uploaded my first educational video. Since then, I have developed a YouTube channel of over nine hundred and fifty (950) ‘learn to sing’ videos with nearly eighteen million (18M) views. Followed by over two hundred and forty (240K) thousand subscribers worldwide, my channel, Dr Dan’s Voice Essentials, has become a thriving international community of singers keen to advance their voice technically and in performance practice. I currently upload three videos per week.

In this presentation, I will (1) present my workflow and discuss the additional workload required of those considering engaging in the online teaching space. (2) I will share some of my experiences to date, both good and bad, offering a reflection on the lessons learnt from these experiences. (3) I will also provide an overview of the technical skills and equipment required when creating and uploading teaching videos.

This presentation will benefit those singing teachers who want to extend the impact of their studio practice to a broader audience beyond the boundaries of their local geographical community.

Mindfulness

9 a.m. >> “Charting a Course” in Mindfulness: Establishing a Foundation of Self-Regulatory Strategies in Vocal Training
Presented by Vania Chan 

Charting a Course in Mindfulness offers a theoretical foundation course in mindfulness, one geared specifically towards singers. Three stages are presented – Mindfulness Stage One – the present moment, exploring the various ways in which one can develop focus and heighten awareness. Awareness fuels the next stage, the connecting “Bridge” of Self-Regulation where deliberate practice strategies (e.g. journaling, musical analysis, etc.) are discussed. These tactics help students monitor themselves and enhance the efficacy of their learning. Mindfulness Stage Two – the state of FLOW, is where the mind-body connection has been finely tuned to the point that performance seems effortless and spontaneous. Students must recognize that this stage can only be reached through a high level of detailed preparation. Details can only be attended to through awareness, and awareness is cultivated through the consistent practice of mindfulness. These topics, concepts and strategies are continually refreshed throughout the course. They are all recurring themes, tightly interwoven. Students will build their knowledge and practice of mindfulness through these stages, without losing sight of what lies at the core – constant awareness and vigilant self-regulation.

10 a.m. >> Practice Makes Mindful: Meditation Practices for the Voice Studio
Presented by Logan Contreras 

Like many instructors, I have seen firsthand the need for tools that address mental health disorders with my students. Anxiety and other mental health disorders are increasing at a rapid rate in our culture. A 2021 study found that college age students are experiencing mental health disorders at increasingly higher rates, with 34% reporting feelings of stress, 28% reporting anxiety, 22% reporting sleep difficulties, and 20% depression (Smit, Stavrulaki, 2021). Students attending high school are experiencing similar increases in mental health disorders, with 47% of female and 21% of male high school students reporting moderate or severe anxiety following the second year of the pandemic. (Yin et. all, 2022). This rise is affecting young people in all aspects of their lives, including school, work, and musical studies. Young musicians are experiencing Music Performance Anxiety at higher rates, particularly amongst estrogen dominant people (Papageorgi, 2022), leading to an increasing rate of students quitting musical studies. The goal of this workshop will be to provide accessible and approachable tools to better equip instructors in moments where students are needed extra focus to help with a technical idea, are feeling emotionally fragile, or need help navigating a difficult moment.

11 a.m. >> Singing With Your Whole Self: An Introduction to Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement as Applied in Voice Studio
Presented by Elizabeth Blades 

How does one develop an internal feel for what sounds good? How do you learn to use all of yourself when singing, and what is the relationship between the felt (kinesthetic) sense, effort, and good sound?

The intention of every committed voice teacher is to guide the student to find the freest, most beautiful, expressive sound and to develop that voice until it becomes consistently accessible.

The Feldenkrais Method is a self-discovery process using movement; its aim is to produce an individual organized to perform with minimum effort and maximum efficiency. Efficient organization is developed using the “organic” learning style of our early childhood: the way we learned to hold our head up, crawl, and so on. As such, it is an open-ended developmental learning process which, like making music, offers infinite possibilities for refinement. The movements are simple, gentle, pleasant, exploratory, and fun. They are usually repeated a number of times to clarify and enhance performance. The focus is always on the how to of the movement, not the how much, how fast, or how hard. The movement always starts where the person is now. People are asked only to perform what they can do comfortably; they are discouraged from moving outside their comfort range.

During our time together, we explore fundamentals of the Feldenkrais Method, including how its originator, Moshe Feldenkrais, developed this approach and what constitutes Awareness Through Movement (ATM). This is an interactive, experiential workshop in which participants learn about the method and are led through several ATMs (some short mini-ATMS, others a portion of a full ATM).

1-4 p.m. | Sunday, August 3, 2025

Lecture Recitals

1 p.m. >> The Unrecognized Origins of Mexican Art Song: Recovering 19th Century Repertoire.
Presented by Joel Harder and Brenda Iglesias Zarco 

The study of Mexican art song has traditionally focused on twentieth-century works rooted in nationalist and contemporary styles. This narrow perspective has perpetuated biases, overshadowing the diverse and cosmopolitan aspects of Mexico's musical heritage, particularly from the early republican period. In this lecture-recital, we will explore early compositions that transcend the folkloric and Spanish-language boundaries typically associated with Mexican art song, offering a broader understanding of the genre. The nineteenth century marked a period of significant cultural and political change in Mexico, following its independence from Spain in 1821 and the subsequent quest for a national identity. During this era of social transformation, composers such as Cenobio Paniagua, Melesio Morales, Guadalupe Olmedo, Gustavo Campa, and Ricardo Castro contributed to the flourishing tradition of song. These composers created diverse collections in multiple languages, enriching Mexican art song as a dynamic subgenre influenced by a variety of cultural traditions. Through musical examples, we will gain new insights into the origins of Mexican art song and how these works reflect the aesthetic trends and political contexts of their time. The repertoire includes songs in standard languages (Italian, French, and German), as well as in Spanish, expanding our possibilities for performance and teaching.

2 p.m. >> Performing Classical Chinese poetry Art Songs: Stylistic Considerations
Presented by Xingxing Wang and Richard Pohl

In ancient Chinese literature, poetry is synonymous with song. Chinese language is intrinsically musical in the sense that its attributes of tone, rhythm, and stress are vital to impart different meanings. The spoken word naturally manifests as music. Classical Chinese poetry (2070 BCE - 1912 CE) has undergone several stages of development. Modern and contemporary Chinese composers have adopted Western composition techniques to reanimate classical Chinese poetry in the form of art songs that have attained a high degree of artistry. This lecture recital examines stylistic elements of performing Chinese art songs, with reference to ancient, modern, and contemporary compositions. Traditional Chinese and classical Western styles of singing are discussed and compared, with a focus on elements of rhythm, dynamics of regulated verses, the distinctive relationship between Chinese consonants and vowels, and the ‘moving tone’ phenomenon unique to Chinese singing. Six works with texts derived from classical Chinese poetry are performed. The recital features one of the earliest known Chinese compositions, Apricot Blossoms Sky by Jian Kui (1154-1221), with self-accompaniment on the guqin. This is followed by five modern and contemporary works representative of the evolution of Chinese art song, each with piano accompaniment.

3 p.m. >> Aire y Tierra: Binding Canadian and Latin American Art Song Through Ancestral and Immigrant Narratives
Presented by Camila Montefusco and Yolanda Tapia 

This project is a cultural reclamation and tribute to the strength and wisdom of our ancestors. Obsidiana Duo invites audiences to experience the transformative power of music as a vehicle for storytelling, healing, and social change. By centering the narratives of marginalized voices, we aim to inspire an inclusive, representative art form that honors the richness of diverse identities.

This session offers an in-depth overview of a multidisciplinary performance, detailing its development and addressing key questions:

• What is the importance of curating art songs through personal experience?
• How has multidisciplinary practice influenced the 21st-century musician?
• What defines the collaboration between singers and pianists today?
• How are monologues and acting as crucial in art songs as in opera?
• How can art songs champion diversity, inclusion, and drive social change?

Through these discussions, the session highlights the evolving art song landscape, emphasizing innovative approaches in curating and presenting this form. By integrating diverse voices and perspectives, the performance showcases the potential of art song to transcend traditional boundaries and foster empathy and understanding within communities.

Vocal Health

1 p.m. >> The Vocal Fold Responsiveness Log: Introducing a new low-tech vocal fold swelling screening to help reveal vocal health trends over time
Presented by Marci Rosenberg 

The onset of vocal difficulty is often associated with a change in voice production or demand, resulting in perceived increased effort, vocal fatigue, or dysphonia. Singers are not always fully aware of possible contributing factors, leading them to be more reactive rather than proactive about vocal wellness. Even with the abundance of resources available on vocal health and wellness, decisions related to “vocal safety” can be daunting, especially when there are potentially high stakes. Proactive vocal wellness and injury risk mitigation education is often not extensively incorporated into pre-professional or private voice training curricula. Further, access to medical voice care may be limited depending on geographic location or insurance limitations. As a result, voice teachers and singers are often left to their own devices to determine whether there is an emerging voice problem that requires formal assessment by a medical voice care team.

The Vocal Fold Responsiveness Log (Rosenberg & LeBorgne, 2024) is a new, subjective tool that uses a modified version of Dr. Bastian’s vocal fold swelling test with a specially designed voice log to track vocal fold response over time. While not diagnostic, this low-tech, self-guided tool can help reveal vocal patterns, allowing a singer to more effectively troubleshoot or navigate early signs of vocal fatigue and/or the possible onset of more chronic vocal difficulties. This talk will introduce and teach the modified version of vocal fold swelling checks along with how to use this with the new Vocal Fold Responsiveness Log. At the end of the presentation, participants will understand how to use this screening tool in their studios to promote self-awareness in their students of vocal trends over time.

2 p.m. >> Restoring Balance Post Heavy Voice Load: Cool Downs for Singing Athletes
Presented by Edrie Means Weekly 

Objectives: To return balance and unloading muscle tension post heavy voice load and hyper-functional singing through vocal cool down.

Introduction: In this workshop, principles and techniques for cooling down and unloading muscle tension post heavy voice load and hyper-functional singing in musical theatre will be explored in a hands-on demonstration with the audience participation. We understand that vocal warm up exercises are essential for developing healthy vocal function. There is no debate that athletes and dancers warm up and cool down to prepare, improve performance and prevent injury. Singers are ‘vocal athletes’ needing warmups to improve the performance, endurance and prevent injury as well. However, ‘vocal athletes’ tend to overlook cooling down as a necessary aspect of maintaining vocal health. The injury prevention aspects cool-downs offer are essential to maintaining good vocal health and return balance to the laryngeal muscles. Participants in this workshop will enhance their pedagogical skills and teaching performance in working with musical theatre singers.

Methods: The use of cool down exercises, including massage, relaxation exercises, tongue stretches, SOVT’s and soft floaty five tone scales to return balance to voice.

Results: The expected results project the singer will maintain good vocal health and prevent injury.

Conclusions: Singers are ‘vocal athletes’ needing cool downs to improve the performance, endurance and prevent injury.

3 p.m. >> Closing the Gap: Creaky Voice Techniques to Improve Adduction
Presented by Lori Sonnenberg 

Creaky voice techniques are used in both voice studios and clinical settings to improve adduction and laryngeal stability/coordination for speech and singing. Pedagogical opinions/use in rehabilitative and habilitative settings varies widely among voice professionals. This author has used creaky voice exercises with singers in clinical voice therapy to improve adduction and reduce glottic incompetence for over 20 years. We combine low, medium and higher range frequencies with simple range and scale patterns to facilitate the changes. Benefits include improved vocal quality, function and client perception of voice while resolving issues with tone quality, onset, intonation, range, muscle tension, pain, and fatigue. It’s a fun, simple way to improve adduction with often immediate change. If practiced regularly with other vocalizing techniques, creaky voice can be useful in establishing improved adduction with longer term results in speech and singing. Participants will learn simple, effective ways to access and produce creaky voice through a series of targeted exercises. We’ll explore a variety of techniques, their application, and how to implement them for personal practice and teaching to promote carryover into optimal speech and singing function.

Nurturing Voices of the Youth

1 p.m. >> Vocal Health for Young Singers
Presented by Jenevora Williams 

Dr. Jenevora Williams will be providing essential knowledge for anyone working with children’s voices. This includes classroom teachers, choir leaders, singing teachers and music directors. The presentation will include information about some of the more common voice problems such as huskiness, breathiness and lack of stamina. The exploration of the complex causes comes with a more holistic view of the individual, and often we find that underlying anxiety is a common thread. There are plenty of simple solutions and ways to engage and empower the young singers in managing their own journey with vocal health. This session will give an overview of the whole subject: from maintaining good health, managing vocal challenges and knowing when to refer to a specialist.

2 p.m. >> Nurturing Young Neurodivergent Singers
Presented by Madison Lombardo 

This workshop aims to equip voice teachers with tools and insights necessary to effectively engage and support young, neurodivergent singers in their musical journey. Neurodivergent individuals, encompassing a range of conditions such as autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, dyslexia, and others, often possess unique talents and perspectives that can greatly enrich the musical landscape. However, traditional teaching methods may not always cater to their specific needs and learning styles.

Through interactive discussions, case studies, and practical exercises, Lombardo will explore strategies for creating inclusive and supportive learning environments that empower neurodivergent students to explore their musical potential in a safe and inclusive environment. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the diverse characteristics and challenges associated with neurodiversity, as well as practical techniques for adapting teaching approaches to meet individual needs.

By the end of the workshop, participants will leave with a comprehensive toolkit of strategies, resources, and best practices for fostering the musical growth and personal development of young, neurodivergent singers.

3-3:30 p.m. Brain Development in the Adolescent Female and Singing Education
Presented by Tania Grant 

This is a literature review of how the adolescent brain develops in females from a hormonal and physiological perspective. The session is designed to provoke thought amongst voice teachers and to allow us to familiarise ourselves with the developmental and scientific processes taking place in adolescent brains to inform our teaching practices in the future and create an understanding of a major demographic of voice teaching clients all around the world. The presentation covers basic brain anatomy so the listener can understand the order in which the different parts of the brain develop and which musical/singing facets could be impacted by each stage of development. It also covers the definitions of adolescence and information from a range of neuroscientists, voice practitioners, parenting experts and psychologists.

3:30-4 p.m. Exploring Inclusivity through Gender, Language, and Identity: Developing a Framework for One-on-One Singing Lessons for Adolescents Aged 14-18
Presented by Emily Lowe 

This study explores the intersections of gender, language, identity and voice in singing pedagogy and proposes a framework to help guide one to one singing lessons and prioritises inclusivity. Drawing on gender studies, queer theory and inclusive education, the research examines how traditional vocal training can be reimagined to better support gender expansive singers. Through critical analysis of language and pedagogical approaches, the study highlights ways in which teachers can unintentionally reinforce binary gender norms and suggests strategies or fostering a more affirming learning environment. The proposed framework provides practical tools for voice educators, emphasising adaptable language, student led vocal exploration and a deconstruction of gendered vocal expectations. By centering the experiences of gender diverse singers, this research contributes to the wider discourse on inclusive music education and challenges conventional vocal pedagogy to evolve in response to the needs of all voices.  

Repertoire Diversity

1 p.m. >> Damn the da capo! Stylistic considerations for performing and ornamenting Baroque song
Presented by William Hudson 

For well over a century the G. Schirmer edition of 24 Italian Songs and Arias of the 17th and 18th Centuries has been a staple in the teaching canon of pedagogues around the globe, yet these editions do not reflect the style and elegance for which Baroque pieces are known. The session will synthesize rules presented by various original Baroque performance treatises (Tosi, Quantz, Bacilly, Agricola, etc.) and use original scores containing written ornamentation to provide both singers and teachers the tools necessary to more effectively perform and teach Baroque style. The session will also identify a number of major ornaments and explain their affect, proper use, and execution. The session will include prerecorded examples. Informative handouts will be made available.

2 p.m. >> Sephardic Art Song: An Overlooked Musical Legacy
Presented by Lori Sen 

Sephardic Art Song represents a unique intersection of cultural heritage and Western classical music. Emerging from the rich oral traditions of the Sephardim—a Jewish diaspora expelled from Spain in 1492—this genre preserves the Ladino language, a linguistic blend of medieval Spanish and influences from with from Catalan, Valencian, Aragonese, Turkish, Arabic, Greek, French, Italian, and Balkan languages.

Combining traditional Sephardic folk melodies with Western classical art song techniques, composers such as Alberto Hemsi transformed these songs into sophisticated works for the concert stage. This genre encapsulates a deep cultural narrative, shaped by the Sephardim's 500-year journey across diverse regions.

This presentation examines the history, language, and stylistic elements of Sephardic Art Song, shedding light on the work of over 45 composers and more than 360 pieces. Drawing on archival research and interviews, it offers an in-depth exploration of the genre's development, musical characteristics, and the role of Ladino lyric diction in preserving its authenticity.

3 p.m. >> A Fulbright grant project presentation on the vocal and historical demands of Mariachi music
Presented by Josaphat Contreras 

My talk will be over my Fulbright project where I studied the vocal demands and performance practices that are required to perform Mariachi music. The talk will include my work at The mariachi conservatory in Mexico city where I studied the history of mariachi and worked with mariachi ensembles on identifying exactly the style and interpretation of mariachi. With the knowledge gained there I used pedagogical application to my own singing from my instruction received at the conservatory and will present on pedagogical practices used throughout Mexico city for this specific genre. In Las Vegas, the first public school mariachi ensembles were created in 2002 and began serving 250 students in four schools. By 2021, that number was roughly 6,000 middle and high school students participating at 27 schools. The demand for mariachi knowledge is evident throughout the United States. But when looking for mariachi vocal technique resources, few publishing companies carry anything at all. During my Fulbright grant, I started my own Mariachi ensemble. I will talk about my performances on Plaza Garibaldi otherwise known as Plaza Mariachi. My other activities included observing voice teaching in Mexico and applied those pedagogical techniques on my interpretation of mariachi singing. After finishing the Fulbright grant, I created a usable, digestible curriculum on the vocal demands and stylistic requirements needed in mariachi for school districts. This Fulbright will have only been the second grant given to study a vocal genre in Latin America.

Voices Through Time

1 p.m. >> Pedagogic Habilitation Strategies for the Aging Non-Treble (Male Sex) Singer
Presented by Kenneth Bozeman and Robert Loewen 

Although there is considerable individual variation due to genetic differences, male sex bodies tend to lose muscle mass with aging. This pattern can affect the vocal fold mass of non-treble (bass, baritone, tenor) singers, manifesting as a reduction of thyroarytenoid muscle mass, leading to a weakening of glottal closure competence and in some cases, vocal fold bowing. The acoustic consequences of reduction of vocal fold mass from thinner folds and a resultant reduction in both contact and closed quotient, include: a higher pitched speaking voice, less high frequency spectral content (less ring, clarity, projection), and challenges of pitch, range, vibrato, and reliability of vocal register transitions. The presenters of this workshop, a baritone and a tenor, have personally experienced some of these aging effects. Drawing on a combined pedagogic experience approaching 100 years, they have been working together for the last several years on habilitative and rehabilitative strategies to mitigate these effects, either to extend performance capability and/or to preserve the ability to demonstrate healthy vocal function in lessons with their students. This workshop will elaborate and demonstrate effective strategies that have emerged from their collaboration. Attendees will learn to recognize the typical manifestations of aging on male sex voices, and observe the application of a variety of strategies to mitigate these effects.

2 p.m. >> Singing Through Change: Voices in Midlife, Menopause, and Beyond
Presented by Nancy Bos, Joanne Bozeman, and Cate Frazier-Neely

Cis-female singers may be unaware that voice maturation doesn't end with adolescence, in spite of increasing awareness of “reproductive” hormones. Singers and their teachers may have learned that the voice can respond to the hormonal fluctuations of the menstrual cycle, yet the impacts of the 8-10 year-long menopause transition on the singing voice are less commonly discussed in pedagogic and performance communities. To address this knowledge gap, Cate Frazier-Neely, Nancy Bos, and Joanne Bozeman conducted interviews with 56 female singers from diverse backgrounds and reviewed relevant research, culminating in the publication of Singing Through Change: Women’s Voices in Midlife, Menopause, and Beyond (2020, StudioBos). 

In this presentation, we will delve into how singing can be affected by natural hormonal and other changes of midlife. Key aspects of the presentation include real women’s stories, medical and ongoing research, voice changes and adjustments, empowerment and respect, cultural and psycho-social factors, and new insights on what we have learned since the publication of our book, incorporating current findings and media attention on menopause. Our presentation aims to empower women who sing through midlife changes, foster a deeper understanding among voice teachers and the broader voice community, and continue to break the silence around this significant aspect of vocal health.

3 p.m. >> The Lifespan of a Voice Teacher: Creating Your Second and Third Acts.
Presented by Cate Frazier-Neely and Kathy Price 

This session is an interactive conversation between two voice teachers/pedagogues who have been friends and colleagues for over 40 years. We have taught voice since our early 20s while also performing, raising families, caring for aging loved ones, etc. We realize that the lineage career model we had imagined (perform, teach, retire) is not realistic or desirable.

We envision our careers in 3 acts. Act 1: Seek opportunities, become solidly competent in our profession, develop efficient marketing/ business strategies, and contribute to artistry. Act 2: Dedicate ourselves to self-discovery and becoming more “expert” in our fields. Act 3: Choices now result from intentional self-examination, continued study, as well as serendipitous events. The two of us are still exploring this act, and we are seeking what it may mean for us. Are there “prime” stages of voice teaching? Can we stimulate these stages more often throughout long teaching careers?

Throughout this conversation we also engage you, our participants. How do you wish to live into the next act of your career?

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1-4 p.m. | Saturday, August 2, 2025

Poster Sessions

The Relationship Between Inspiration Duration, Total Lung Volume, and Resting Expiratory Level Utilizing Respiratory Inductance Plethysmography2 
Presented by Natalie Ehrensbeck

Composers of a multitude of genres require singers to sing long phrases with limited time for inhalation beforehand. To complete this task, singers need to utilize a “catch breath” or a quick inhalation. The study conducted for this thesis explored inspiration duration and its relationship with lung volume and resting expiratory level utilizing the Respiratory Inductance Plethysmography (RIP) method to measure lung capacity and maximum phonation time. Through a novel measurement of the circumference of respiration quotient (CRQ), this research suggests that a greater increase in ribcage circumference compared to abdominal circumference on inhalation may result in higher inspired total lung volume. This study also observed higher inspired total lung volume resulted in less time below resting expiratory level (REL) during phonation. The findings from this study may inform how voice teachers and singers approach respiration for long vocal phrases or vocal phrases with limited time for inhalation beforehand.

 The Vocal Studies Passport: Gamifying the Applied Voice Studio 
Presented by James Harrington 

The modern voice studio, particularly in the context of academe, is being asked to engage in a higher level of knowledge transfer and mentorship than at perhaps any time in the past. The reasons for this evolution are both positive and challenging—singers are asked to have a high level of preparation across multiple genres, to manage their own careers (sometimes for ten years or more), build and maintain a brand, and become experts in personal finance, venture creation, and social media. In the meantime, financial stresses at many higher education institutions mean fewer elective courses offered, resulting in the responsibility for knowledge transfer falling increasingly to the applied teacher. 

The integration of gamification principles within the context of the applied voice studio presents an opportunity to empower students at any level to take responsibility for their own skill development and knowledge acquisition alongside their applied lessons. By leveraging elements of game design such as challenges, rewards, and progression systems, educators can create an engaging and immersive learning environment that fosters motivation, persistence, and self-directed learning. This poster reflects on one possible approach to gamification in the form of a “vocal studies passport” specifically designed for use within the designer’s institution, which is infinitely adaptable according to curricular considerations and teacher priorities. By including experiences that are “baked in” to the institution’s requirements alongside foundational skills and opportunities to explore outside the student’s prescribed curriculum, students get frequent positive feedback and are incentivized to pursue additional areas of interest. In this poster, I will include qualitative and quantitative information gathered during the first year of the passport’s use and suggest modifications based on student and teacher input. 

Applying Principles of Skeletal Muscle Metabolism to Vocal Repertoire: Implications for Singing Voice Pedagogy 
Presented by Matthew Hoch and Mary J. Sandage 

The application of skeletal muscle metabolism theory and its potential role in vocal efficiency and function has important implications for singing teachers. An emerging body of literature has considered occupational voice use, including singing, within a framework of exercise training. With an eye toward performance training and fatigue management from a metabolic perspective, this poster builds on previously published research by Johnson and Sandage and Morton-Jones et al. to provide singing teachers with a blueprint for considering muscle performance metrics based on repertoire considerations. For an initial foray into this concept, three standard Mozart baritone arias—“Deh vieni alla finestra,” “Fin ch’han dal vino,” and “Hai già vinta la causa . . . Vedro mentr’io sospiro”—will be compared and contrasted for power (dB SPL), acceleration (rapid change in frequency intervals), and timing (singing minutes). These data will form the bases from which a bioenergetic perspective can be considered. Additionally, consideration will be given for the type of training required to sing in these contrasting styles. What would it take to “train up” to performing these selections from an exercise science perspective considering the duration and intensity of the target exercise (i.e., performing the aria)? The authors believe this investigation into vocal repertoire from a bioenergetic perspective will yield important insights for singing teachers and helps to guide the decision-making and singing training processes when assigning repertoire to students. 

EML Tools v 1.0: Praat Plug-ins for EGG, RespTrack, and Acoustic Signal Analysis
Presented by Ian Howell

Non-invasive voice analysis tools are utilized in a range of clinical, research and educational settings including medical practices, voice research labs, and vocology/voice pedagogy labs. Electroglottography, Respiratory Inductance Plethysmography, and Acoustic measures are useful across these contexts but analysis of these signals is typically accomplished with either proprietary software or custom code. Proprietary software often limits the bulk export of the data used to generate averages and discrete measurements. Many are then forced to manually extract data from such software, which is time-consuming. Custom coding is frequently beyond the reach of researchers, especially those working in SLP, vocology, and voice pedagogy spaces. The Embodied Music Lab (EML) EGG, Resptrack, and Acoustic Tools generate detailed analysis of EGG (cycle to cycle) and RespTrack (breath to breath) signals, create custom graphs of these data, and export robust csv files appropriate for detailed statistical analysis in R-studio, SPSS, or similar. The EML Acoustic Tools similarly report a range of measures including spectral moments, cepstral peak prominence, vibrato rate and extent, intensity, jitter, and shimmer. It is the author’s hope that these Praat plug-ins will help to unleash the research potential of SLPs, vocologists, voice pedagogy researchers, and voice scientists interested in detailed analysis of these signals but currently unable to write custom code. These plug-ins are the result of years of development in the NEC Voice and Sound Analysis Lab and have already been used to facilitate projects presented at the Voice Foundation, PAVA, and MTEA. In their first public beta as a free, safe, and explorable resource (released by the EML under a non-commercial CC license with attribution), the author hopes that the community will both immediately benefit and also provide ongoing UI, workflow, and analysis feedback for future development. 

Hybridization of East and West: An Introduction of Korean Composer Young Jo Lee’s Art Songs inspired by Korean folk song “Minyo”
Presented by Ye Ji Lee 

Throughout the history of Western music, composers have frequently drawn inspiration from folklore and folk music, enriching their compositions with vibrant cultural elements. For instance, Volkstümliche Lieder, or folk-style songs, were prominent in German vocal music during the late eighteenth century, influencing early song composers. Figures such as Edvard Grieg, Charles Ives, and Béla Bartók similarly integrated folk song idioms from their respective backgrounds, infusing Western classical music with depth and diversity. 

Joining this tradition is Young Jo Lee (b. 1943), a Korean composer who skillfully blends Korean traditional musical elements with Western music. In his project of reimagining Korean folk songs for the recital stage, Lee crafted three folk art songs for soprano and piano, drawing from the rich tapestry of Korean folk music, known as minyo. This presentation will explore the distinct characteristics of Korean traditional vocal music, particularly minyo, highlighting regional variations in musical idioms and demonstrating how Lee ingeniously merged these elements with art songs for soprano. 

Korean folk music typically revolves around two modes, Pyeong-jo and Gyemyeon-jo, using a pentatonic scale comprising Do, Re, Mi, Sol, and La. The incorporation of specific modes, coupled with the ornamental technique known as sigimsae, inspires folk songs with their unique regional flavors. Moreover, the rhythmic pattern known as Jang-dan adds further depth to the sound of Korean folk music. These defining features will be elucidated through examples from Lee’s Folk Art Songs. 

Presented at the 11th International Congress of Voice Teachers under the theme Voice Uplifted, this poster presentation aims to broaden the perspectives of voice instructors worldwide. It endeavors to offer insights into historical and cultural underpinnings of Korean art songs while serving as a valuable resource for singers and collaborative pianists seeking to diversify their repertoire. 

Deliberate Practice and Habit Pattern Development: A Study of Self-Regulation in Bachelor of Music Voice Students musical practice 
Presented by Jane Leibel 

For this research project, 15 undergraduate music students were taught several self-regulated learning strategies, example: PLAN, DO, REFLECT continuum to apply during their practice singing sessions. Specifically a SMART practicing strategy: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Bound. The goal of the study is to understand if the students can self-can apply these strategies in a self-regulated manner. Research questions (1) Do students demonstrate skillful self-regulatory learning after being introduced to new self-regulated learning strategies, and (2) Do students demonstrate enhanced strategies for planning, self-control, self-monitoring, and self-evaluation? 

The Effects of Chemotherapy for Hodgkin Lymphoma Cancer on the Singing Voice 
Presented by Shantelle Przybylo 

Hodgkin Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system in which the disease spreads from one lymph node group to another. A combination chemotherapy treatment known as ABVD (Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, Dacarbazine) is commonly used to treat Hodgkin Lymphoma. Chemotherapy can have strong negative impacts on the body and specifically, the singing voice. Although there are multiple sources related to treatment protocols for laryngeal, thyroid, breast and other cancers, there are few 

studies associated with Hodgkin Lymphoma or how ABVD chemotherapy treatment might affect the singing voice. To date, there are limited resources that inform singers and voice teachers on coping strategies for maintaining vocal health during chemotherapy treatment. Further, there is limited information on how chemotherapy treatment and cancer-related medications might affect general health, breath management, vocal stamina, range, or ensuing repertoire choices. 

This study aims to investigate the effects of standard chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer on the singing voice. The study addresses two research questions: 1) What are the effects of ABVD chemotherapy for Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer on the singing voice? and 2) Are the effects of chemotherapy on the singing voice heard by Expert Listeners in the vocal field? To answer the first research question, a Singer Questionnaire is used to interview cancer patients on the perceived effects of chemotherapy on their voices. I also reflect on my experience of chemotherapy on my singing voice. To answer the second research question, voice professors, pedagogues, and speech-language pathologists (Expert Listeners) listened to recordings that I made of my voice pre-chemotherapy, during, and postchemotherapy, and they rated specific vocal characteristics using devised rating scales. 

I describe how ABVD chemotherapy and antiemetic medications affect the following parameters of the voice: range, resonance through vowels with dynamic contrasts, and staccato to legato articulation through vocal exercises and one song. With the data, written feedback, and my personal experience, this study provides information to singers and singing teachers on the possible anticipated effects of ABVD chemotherapy on the singing voice and give insight into what vocal changes may occur during chemotherapy treatment and while taking antiemetic medication. 

Diversifying Studio Repertoire Assignments 
Presented by Eric Laine and James Rodriguez  

Diversifying repertoire choices in the applied studio has become an integral part of repertoire selections. Teachers and students alike are keener on identifying song choices of underrepresented composers that include women composers, living composers, and composers of color. Furthermore, students may seek repertoire by these composers to enter competitions, including those sponsored by NATS at the Regional and National levels. Aside from the Hall Johnson and Spiritual Competitions, students are more than likely to compete in the general National Student Auditions (NSA). An overview of art song trends in the NSA will be provided based on the main singing languages of English, Italian, German, and French. This will highlight where representation is strongest/weakest. Prominent publishers are releasing more and more publications, including anthologies, that aim to address the disparity of repertoire selections by these underrepresent composers. Teachers and students who are interested in exploring new repertoire may feel overwhelmed and have a hard time knowing where to begin. This presentation aims to provide teachers and students with an overview of these anthologies, while also identifying select pieces that serve students from beginner, intermediate, and advanced. A rubric will be provided that delineates what criteria were used to establish these categories and cover the major singing languages, including Spanish. Major composers covered will include Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Cecile Chaminade, Barbara Strozzi, Morfydd Owen, Florence Price, Shawn Okpebholo, and many others. 

Encounters with Opportunities: Neurodivergence in Singing Pathways
Presented by Celeste Morgan Thordarson and Kathryn Tremills 

As a neurodivergent multi-genre singer, music educator, choral conductor, and a music director of church choirs with ADHD and ASD, I have frequently encountered the opportunities to unravel the mysteries of teaching for effectiveness of neurodivergent learners and artists. In my experiences as an artist-educator-researcher-administrator, I have logged circumstances and created case scenarios involving shown symptoms of neurodivergence in artist-learners, with diagnoses of requirements and the application of specific tools to reach satisfying directions for deep learning and reliable, successful outcomes. This evidence-based research encompasses interpretive and descriptive phenomenological analysis, framed in situations that illustrate traditional capacities to respond, as well as recommended ways to reinforce enlightened learning and substantial alternatives toward consistent success. This presentation will isolate challenges regarding notational music learning, overcoming changes in sensation with pitches, registration, and resonance, navigating the interpretation of body language, the use of humour, and interpersonal communication management in the voice studio, in rehearsal, and in performance. The purpose of this presentation is to provide investigative tools and teaching resources for learning access that will nurture the widest spectrum of approaches for understanding and substantial learning for all. 

Weaving Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism (IDEA) into Applied Voice at a Primarily White Institution (PWI)
Presented by Laura Storm and Dana Zenobi 

This poster presents the results of a multi-year effort to weave Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism/Access (IDEA) elements more fully into applied voice study at the undergraduate level at an undergraduate program in the Midwestern United States. Presenters will share syllabus, assignments, challenges, and successes from two years’ efforts shifting to an intentional IDEA-oriented approach to lessons and studio voice class at a Primarily White Institution (PWI). Students engaged with guest presenters, audio and video materials, contextual readings, and library resources with the intent of immersing themselves more fully in the cultural and historical background related to a particular body of repertoire. Assignments included repertoire discovery projects, performance-based projects, identity-based self exploration, written reflections, and discussions of relevant themes. Repertoire studied in their applied voice lessons was selected from artists within the IDEA identity group, and work in the IDEA voice class informed the repertoire preparation these students undertook for their regular voice lessons and studio classes. 

This first section of IDEA voice focused on solo vocal music for the concert and opera stages by artists from the African Diaspora, and the presenters are grateful to Louise Toppin and The University of Michigan’s Singing Down the Barriers workshop for providing a rich array of resources that informed this first iteration of the course. Future sections of IDEA voice will follow a similar format and focus on repertoire from other under-represented communities, in response to requests from the student population. The larger curricular intention is to focus the fall semesters on deeper dives into underrepresented repertoire, while maintaining more traditional language, genre, and time period/style requirements for a Classically-based program in the spring semesters of the four and five-year degree plans. If selected, the presenters look forward to openly sharing their course materials, and connecting with other voice teachers engaged in similar work.