Upcoming Courses

Virtual Voice Teacher Training with Dr. Kari Ragan

Course #1: Singing Voice Specialist Practicum (Working with Singers with an Injured Voice)

6 weeks- Mondays, September 16-October 21 at 9:00-10:30 a.m. PDT, USA. Cost: $650 Teacher Participant/$450 Observer (payment installment available).

Course #2: Practicum for Voice Teachers

4 weeks-Thursdays, October 10-October 31 at 9:00-11:00 a.m. PDT, USA. Cost: $550 Teacher Participant/$450 Observer (payment installment available).

SVS PRACTICUM

The SVS practicum is designed with a similar structure as described below for the regular practicum. The SVS practicum has the added structure of case presentation. Registrants (SLPs and voice teachers) will report the medical findings by the voice team (Laryngologist and SLP)  and present how those findings are currently impacting the singer’s vocal function. There will be discussions around the clinical SVS  and voice teacher SVS scope of practice. The core content of the course is the practicum; presenting a portion of the singer’s lesson (recorded or live) and being guided on how to approach facilitating vocal efficiency through vocal tasks in the context of the singer’s injury or pathology.

PRACTICUMS

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

Reviews

“The Singing Voice Specialist practicum provided me with invaluable insights into evaluating and treating singers with vocal injuries. Dr. Ragan’s comprehensive model, featuring individual case presentations, personalized verbal and written feedback, colleague observations, and group discussions, is an exemplary platform for fostering both knowledge acquisition and skill development. Each session left me with fresh ideas, expanded vocabulary, and practical techniques that I was able to implement immediately both within an interdisciplinary medical model and personal teaching model. I highly recommend this practicum to anyone dedicated to preserving, rehabilitating, and enhancing vocal health and performance.” Abbey Carlson, M.S., CCC-SLP

“Dr. Ragan is an incredible pedagogue and teacher, but she has also pioneered the field of singing voice rehabilitation. Despite being one of the first to dig deeper into this type of work, she is always current in research and best practice, and is incredibly and wonderfully humble and kind in how she approaches instructing the next era of SVSs. In Dr. Ragan’s course, you will not only receive the benefit of her masterfully detailed yet approachable and most importantly, functional textbook, but you will also partake in hands-on teaching and learning, which again puts the focus on functional application of skills. This forum style is radically helpful in the way that it places transference of skills above intellectualizing concepts, after the initial understanding of anatomy/physiology has been had. This course is a must-have in the toolbox of any SVS.” MS, MM, CCC-SLP

“Dr. Ragan’s decades of experience and extensive knowledge of physiology and research was exactly what I was looking for to enrich my knowledge of vocal rehabilitation in singers. As an early career SLP, it was invaluable for me to be observed and have feedback on my work in a supportive and kind environment. It’s so rare to find opportunities like this when you leave university, but so vital to break out of the unhelpful patterns that develop over time. The singing instructor’s perspective is the missing piece to the voice SLP’s education, and Dr. Ragan’s practicum is unmatched in what is offered in the field today. Not one to miss!” Olivia Boddicker, B.M., M.A, CCC-SLP