Upcoming Courses

Online and In-Person Training
Virtual Voice Teacher Training with Dr. Kari Ragan

Supervised Practicum Course for Voice Teachers

Singing Voice Specialist Practicum (Working with Singers with an Injured Voice)

6 weeks- Mondays, May 13-June 24 9:00-10:30 a.m. PDT, USA. (No class Memorial Day Monday, May 27). Cost: $650 Teacher Participant/$450 Observer (payment installment available).

Next Regular Practicum Summer or Fall 2024 Please reach out if interested

The SVS practicum is designed with a similar structure as described below for the regular practicum. The SVS has the added structure of case presentation, which means to report MD/laryngologist and SLP diagnosis and present how those findings are currently impacting vocal function in the singer. There will be discussions around the clinical SVS  and voice teacher SVS scope of practice. The core content of the course is the practicum aspect of observing a portion of a session with the singer and being guided in how to approach facilitating vocal efficiency in the context of the injury.

The online supervised teacher training practicum will focus on the effective application of the principles of voice production. It is designed to provide teacher feedback during lessons. Teachers will learn a structured approach to diagnosing vocal challenges and devising vocal tasks to train efficient singing. It will be highly customized, depending on the needs of the select group of teachers, and will include a great deal of discussion, observation, and interaction. The SVS Practicum will include voice teacher participants presenting case studies for those working in affiliation with a medical team to rehabilitate singers with an injured voice. The regular practicum does not include that aspect. Courses are:

  • Fully online
  • Live classes led by author, singer and voice pedagogue Dr. Kari Ragan
  • Classes will be recorded and available to watch on catch-up if you have to miss but strongly encouraged to attend each session with camera on.
  • Upon completion of the course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion

The course is designed to replicate the supervised practicum of training a particular expertise found in many other fields. It’s for voice teachers wanting real-time feedback for diagnosing vocal challenges and strategizing solutions through a systematic approach to voice. There are only 6 spaces available to teachers wishing to participate in the supervised practicum in order to enhance the individual experience. Unlimited additional spaces are available to observational attendees.

Why take this course?

Do you wish you’d have had a Voice Teacher Practicum during your training? Perhaps you’ve spent a great deal of time studying the principles of voice production and now want real-time, hands-on feedback and experience? Maybe there are particular vocal challenges your student is having, and you would like feedback on designing vocal tasks to guide a corrective solution?

The course answers all of the above questions and much more. Based on Dr Ragan’s book A Systematic Approach to Voice: The Art of Studio Application, this course brings those pages into a real-time experience.

Knowledge of anatomy, physiology, acoustics and cognition, and familiarity with the functions of voice production as they apply to the musical genre(s) of their students should be at the core of any singing teacher’s pedagogy. Learning the art of teaching those principles is the next critical step in the process.

Participating teachers will have the opportunity to share a portion of a video recorded voice lesson or invite their singer/student for a real-time experience. Any vocal genres and styles are welcome. Teachers will learn a structured approach to aural and visual cues during their students’ voice lessons in order to devise vocal tasks for training efficient singing.

There are only 6 spaces available to teachers wishing to participate in the supervised practicum to ensure that there is a great deal of time for feedback and discussion! Unlimited additional spaces are available to observational attendees.

How the course works

  • Signing up as a participating teacher includes presenting a portion of a video recorded voice lesson or inviting the singer in real-time (it is anticipated that the participating teachers will attend in real-time with their cameras on)
  • Each participating teacher will be given a time slot twice during the course. They may feature the same student twice or feature two different students.
  • The slot (generally 40 minutes) will be used to play a portion of the student’s lesson. This may be a continuous portion of the lesson or may be made up of different parts of the lesson (other parts can be skipped through if using a video recorded lesson)
  • In order to leave plenty of time for feedback and discussion, guidelines recommend playing a 12 to 15-minute segment
  • Participating teachers will also receive written feedback