Professional Voice Practice - MA / MFA / PgDip

This module informs and underpins the practical work of the modules Practical Voice, Voice and Text and Singing.  The Anatomy and Physiology lectures in the early weeks of the course are designed to inform the student’s understanding of healthy vocal use and of the physical/vocal conditions that need to be in place for the voice to function which is the focus of the practical work throughout the year.

Practical Phonetics provides a theoretical underpinning for the work with language of the Voice and Text module and also introduces another important area of work for the voice practitioner which deals with the accents and dialects of spoken English.  Practical Phonetics will provide the student with the tools of research, analysis and practice necessary in order to acquire other accents and will provide them with strategies useful for the teaching of accent and dialect work.

Combined with the Voice and Text and Singing modules, this module forms the foundation of the student’s deeper understanding of voice work and provides him/her with a range of physiologically and imaginatively based approaches to working with the voice, simultaneously enabling his/her own voice to develop in terms of clarity, range, expressivity  and  power. 

Emphasis is placed on a practical, personal exploration of voice work and upon personal, reflective practice. By exploring all the elements of healthy vocal use him/herself, the student acquires an understanding of how the voice functions and of the physical/vocal conditions that need to be in place in order for the voice to function optimally and expressively.

Combined with the Practical Voice and Singing modules, this module forms the foundation for a deeper understanding of voice work and provides you with a range of approaches to the interpretation and speaking of densely coded texts simultaneously enabling your voice to develop in terms of clarity, range, expressivity and power.

To engage with the work to the fullest extent, you need to learn and present texts within the class so that an experiential understanding of the imaginative and technical demands of interpreting texts is developed. As graduates of the course, you will be working with actors, actors in training, or other students of voice, so it is important that you have some direct experience of performing, in a safe and supportive environment in order to understand the challenges that face the performer or presenter.

At a time when professional performers are increasingly required to sing as well as speak, this module aims to provide you with insights, techniques and the diagnostic tools that will enable you to address the issues that may arise when a performer is required to move seamlessly from speech to song and from sung text back to spoken text.

Combined with the Practical Voice and Voice and Text modules, this module contributes to your deeper understanding of voice work and provides you with a range of imaginative and physiologically based approaches to working with the voice, simultaneously enabling your own voice to develop in terms of clarity, range, expressivity and power.  In exploring all the elements of healthy vocal use in practice you acquire an understanding of the physical/vocal conditions that need to be in place in order for your voice to function optimally in moving from spoken to sung text.  Care is taken to emphasise and to clarify the relationship between the function of the voice when speaking and when singing, and the differences and similarities of these vocal functions.  The aim is to provide you with a deeper understanding of these two vocal activities, and an awareness of the inter-relationship between them.

This module provides opportunities for you to explore the various philosophical and ethical issues relating to the contexts within which you may work as a voice professional, simultaneously providing you with the theoretical foundation you will need in order to teach.

The module proceeds through the first three terms of the course and is delivered through a range of teaching modes, including lectures, seminars and student-led practical sessions.  In the third term, the pedagogy class feeds into your Placement experience, providing a useful forum for debate and discussion.

This module spans the programme and the Major Project, delivered in Term 4, represents the culmination of your journey on the course.  It is the point in the course when you have the opportunity to reflect on all you have learnt thus far in order to initiate lines of enquiry and personal strategies through which to develop your own ideas as a foundation for future work in the field.

Much of the work of the Major Project is self-directed. You are encouraged to undertake research-through-practice and create a performance-based major project. You may choose to include a written component by way of evaluating their practice or you may choose to perform and be examined through a viva voce examination. There are a range of options for submission, laid out below and in the module brief.

This module informs and underpins the practical work of the modules Practical Voice, Voice and Text and Singing.  The Anatomy and Physiology lectures in the early weeks of the course are designed to inform the student’s understanding of healthy vocal use and of the physical/vocal conditions that need to be in place for the voice to function which is the focus of the practical work throughout the year.

Practical Phonetics provides a theoretical underpinning for the work with language of the Voice and Text module and also introduces another important area of work for the voice practitioner which deals with the accents and dialects of spoken English.  Practical Phonetics will provide the student with the tools of research, analysis and practice necessary in order to acquire other accents and will provide them with strategies useful for the teaching of accent and dialect work.

Combined with the Voice and Text and Singing modules, this module forms the foundation of the student’s deeper understanding of voice work and provides him/her with a range of physiologically and imaginatively based approaches to working with the voice, simultaneously enabling his/her own voice to develop in terms of clarity, range, expressivity  and  power. 

Emphasis is placed on a practical, personal exploration of voice work and upon personal, reflective practice. By exploring all the elements of healthy vocal use him/herself, the student acquires an understanding of how the voice functions and of the physical/vocal conditions that need to be in place in order for the voice to function optimally and expressively.

Combined with the Practical Voice and Singing modules, this module forms the foundation for a deeper understanding of voice work and provides you with a range of approaches to the interpretation and speaking of densely coded texts simultaneously enabling your voice to develop in terms of clarity, range, expressivity and power.

To engage with the work to the fullest extent, you need to learn and present texts within the class so that an experiential understanding of the imaginative and technical demands of interpreting texts is developed. As graduates of the course, you will be working with actors, actors in training, or other students of voice, so it is important that you have some direct experience of performing, in a safe and supportive environment in order to understand the challenges that face the performer or presenter.

At a time when professional performers are increasingly required to sing as well as speak, this module aims to provide you with insights, techniques and the diagnostic tools that will enable you to address the issues that may arise when a performer is required to move seamlessly from speech to song and from sung text back to spoken text.

Combined with the Practical Voice and Voice and Text modules, this module contributes to your deeper understanding of voice work and provides you with a range of imaginative and physiologically based approaches to working with the voice, simultaneously enabling your own voice to develop in terms of clarity, range, expressivity and power.  In exploring all the elements of healthy vocal use in practice you acquire an understanding of the physical/vocal conditions that need to be in place in order for your voice to function optimally in moving from spoken to sung text.  Care is taken to emphasise and to clarify the relationship between the function of the voice when speaking and when singing, and the differences and similarities of these vocal functions.  The aim is to provide you with a deeper understanding of these two vocal activities, and an awareness of the inter-relationship between them.

This module provides opportunities for you to explore the various philosophical and ethical issues relating to the contexts within which you may work as a voice professional, simultaneously providing you with the theoretical foundation you will need in order to teach.

The module proceeds through the first three terms of the course and is delivered through a range of teaching modes, including lectures, seminars and student-led practical sessions.  In the third term, the pedagogy class feeds into your Placement experience, providing a useful forum for debate and discussion.

This module spans the programme and the Major Project, delivered in Term 4, represents the culmination of your journey on the course.  It is the point in the course when you have the opportunity to reflect on all you have learnt thus far in order to initiate lines of enquiry and personal strategies through which to develop your own ideas as a foundation for future work in the field.

Much of the work of the Major Project is self-directed. You are encouraged to undertake research-through-practice and create a performance-based major project. You may choose to include a written component by way of evaluating their practice or you may choose to perform and be examined through a viva voce examination. There are a range of options for submission, laid out below and in the module brief.

This module provides opportunities for you to deepen your knowledge and understanding of practical voice teaching.

The course provides you with a weekly opportunity to continue to explore your own vocal practice, through a two-hour practical session. You will be assigned, or you may request, a personal voice tutor. This may be one of the permanent voice staff of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, or it may be a voice practitioner of some standing who works for another institution or company. (If opting to work with someone outside the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, additional costs must be borne by you.)

This module provides an opportunity for you to reflect on and appraise your developing professional identity in the context of a placement opportunity within the Birmingham Conservatoire.

The module is delivered in the second term of the course and is delivered through a range of teaching modes, including tutorials and student-led practical sessions. This is a further opportunity to respond to the professional challenges posed by the role of the voice practitioner in a professional context after the work of Pedagogy & Placement 1.

This module provides an opportunity for you to engage in practically oriented action research in the context of a work or placement opportunity, either within the Birmingham Conservatoire or at another institution.

The module is delivered in the final term of the course and is delivered mainly through tutorials, student-led practical sessions, and teaching observations. This is a further opportunity to respond to the professional challenges posed by the role of the voice practitioner in a professional context after the work of Pedagogy & Placement 1 and 2.

This module seeks to provide you with the opportunity to consider ways in which you can develop your professional profile. You will be encouraged to play to your own strengths and to identify your own goals and career path.

In the context of a series of master classes and workshops designed to cover a range of professional contexts and personal management skills, you will reflect on your own current and potential practice, your particular skill set and your career goals and produce a professional portfolio.