2022 Online Course Descriptions

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Courses will meet 2-3 hours synchronously on the days and times stated below. Each faculty will provide asynchronous material each week consisting of  a varied menu of lectures, listening, reading, etc. to round out the class hours for each course. 

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The Vocal Athletes Guide to Vocal Wellness and Fitness

Taught by Marci Rosenberg, CCC-SLP

Starts Wednesday July 7 Eastern Standard Time at 7:00 pm

Meets at the same day & time once a week for 3 weeks-7th, 14th and 21st

Additionally ALL classes will congregate on Friday at 7pm each week for a Masterclass with Matt & CCM Faculty

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"Marci's "Vocal Athlete" course was the highlight of the 2020 CCM Institute for me.  The course content, of course, was relevant, accessible, and targeted for voice teachers who want to be responsible stewards of their students' vocal resources. The balance of lecture/slides and open discussion was perfect, and kept the "room" feeling engaged and cordial, even in the "Brady-Bunch" world of online learning!

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David Glasgow

2020 Participant

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This course will provide a comprehensive guide for any singer and singing teacher wanting to maximize vocal fitness and prevent vocal injury. At the end of this course, participants will have a solid understanding of general vocal health, risk factors for vocal injury and how to stay vocally healthy. Additionally, participants will have a general framework for understanding how exercise physiology principles can be applied to vocal conditioning and strengthening. Participants will be provided numerous  strategies and exercises to optimize vocal training and performance. This course will include asynchronous lecture, in addition to a significant amount of real-time virtual workshops, discussion, and Q&A.

 

Included within this course are:

• A comprehensive overview of vocal health including risk factors for injury, vocal myths and truths, and how to manage illness when singing

• Introduction of key exercise physiology principles and how these apply to voice training

• A comprehensive introduction to semi occluded vocal tract exercises (SOVT) and how to use when training voice.. 

• Common issues with voice fatigue will be discussed including how to identify, manage and prevent 

• Live interactive workshops will allow participants to learn numerous variations of exercise physiology concepts and SOVT exercises including when and how to use them in a studio setting.  

 

The Vocal Athlete, 2nd Ed (or 1st Ed) is strongly recommended. 

This course will dovetail perfectly into Dr. Wendy LeBorgne’s Voice Disorders course. 

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Training Original Artists

Team taught by Jessica Baldwin and Julie Dean

Starts Friday July 9th Eastern Standard Time at 10:00 am

Meets at the same day & time once a week for 3 weeks-9th, 16th and 23rd

Additionally ALL classes will congregate on Friday at 7pm each week for a Masterclass with Matt & CCM Faculty

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"If you are an artist yourself learning to teach what you already do or a more traditional teacher wanting to learn how to help your contemporary students to excel, you will gain valuable tools that are immediately applicableto your teaching!"

 

Julie Kinscheck

2020 Participant

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Working with artists who create their own music requires a mindset and skill set that is different from working with singers who sing standard repertoire. In this class, you’ll learn how to adapt your teaching to popular music learning styles. You’ll also learn how to build their toolbox with skills such as songwriting, technology, entrepreneurship, ear training, and singing harmony. 

 

In a combination of lecture, discussion, and workshopping, we will:

 

• Learn the different needs of a professional artist and a budding amateur artist that needs more direction. 

• Expand your ear training skills to include the learning methods of popular musicians. We’ll cover imitation, learning without sheet music, and teaching harmony by ear.  

• Learn basic songwriting skills to help you guide your budding artists, as well as more advanced skills to explore songwriting for your more advanced clients, and also for your own artistry. 

• Learn the skills of a self-promoting artist, including branding and marketing, finding venues, booking gigs, using technology and gear, communicating with sound engineers for both live and recorded performances, and making home audio and video recordings. 

• Learn how to help an artist choose cover songs, and how to use cover songs as a tool for artistic development.

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Inside Out - an Artist’s journey to Authenticity

Taught by Marcelle Gauvin

Starts Tuesday July 6th Eastern Standard Time at 7PM

Meets at the same day & time once a week for 3 weeks-6, 13, 20

Additionally ALL classes will congregate on Friday at 7pm each week for a Masterclass with Matt & CCM Faculty

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"If you ever feel lost as an artist, wondering who you are, what you and your music stand for, or where you want to go, do yourself a favor and work with Marcelle and her authenticity process. You will be transformed!"

 

Jessica Pawlitzki

2020 Participant

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In today's world where social media is the beacon of popular opinion, many artists are lost in a sea of comparison, self-doubt, and negative judgment. Measuring creative work through the vantage point of others stifles the process and leaves an artist in an endless quest for approval from outside sources. Voice teachers who are able to help their performers navigate these waters are rare and the world needs more of them. The good news is anyone can learn how to access and express their authentic self. Once you have discovered it for yourself, you can then be a guide for others.

 

In this course, we examine the external societal and self-imposed expectations common to many artists and begin to release them by embarking on a creative musical process. The goal is to re-connect the artist with the initial creative spark that fueled their inspiration and free the authentic voice that mirrors who they are.  

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This course will consist of weekly class meetings, discussion groups, recorded lectures, and informal self-tapes. Participants will:

• Examine Asinine Societal and Self-Imposed Expectations

• Learn to set an intention

• Learn to select songs or write original material that reflects artistic intent 

• Use journaling as a means of self-reflection

• Discuss technical and stylistic considerations that can enhance authentic communication

 

The course will culminate in a recorded or live performance. ​​

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Fundamentals of Functional Training

Taught by Dr. Matt Edwards

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Starts Monday July 5th Eastern Standard Time at 7:00pm

Meets at the same day & time once a week for 3 weeks-5th, 12th and 19th

Additionally ALL classes will congregate on Friday at 7pm each week for a Masterclass with Matt & CCM Faculty

 

"Any opportunity you get to work with Matt, TAKE IT! He is a masterclass in just being

an educator. He has an energy that invites you to learn and know more. He knows what he is talking about and is able to explain function of the voice that transcends Classical and CCM voice studies. He also keeps it fresh and meets the demand of today’s world of vocal pedagogy."

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Darnell Thomas

2020 Participant

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Register, vowel, and intensity.

 

Using only these three tools, voice teachers can achieve amazing results for all styles of singing IF the teacher has an accurate body map and understanding of the biomechanics of vocal production.

 

In this course, led by Artistic Director Matt Edwards and assisted by Jessica Baldwin, teachers will learn how to:

• address each of these elements with evidence-based tools.

• At the end of this course, participants will be able to balance registration,

• troubleshoot vowels

• and vary airflow/pressure throughout the vocal range. 

 

Course material will be delivered through a combination of recorded lectures, discussion groups, reading materials, and weekly class meetings and breakouts with the faculty to discuss the topics and answer questions. 

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Bridging  Classical to CCM Voice Training

Taught by Dr. Kathryn Green and  Ed Reisert

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Starts Thursday July 8th Eastern Standard Time at 7:00 pm

Meets at the same day & time once a week for 3 weeks-8th, 15th and 22nd

Additionally ALL classes will congregate on Friday at 7pm each week for a Masterclass with Matt & CCM Faculty

 

"This class was clearly organized, efficiently managed, and packed with actionable ideas that I started using with my students before the course was even complete! I look forward to the next time I can take a course with them!"

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Dr Lisa Neher

2020 Participant

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Are you swimming in the world of pop, rock, country, R&B etc. with a classically trained skill set?

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How does the classical singing teacher translate their training to the tools and skills needed to reach the 21st century CCM singer?

 

In this course, we will be exploring the functional aspects of CCM singing and how historical concepts of vocal production can intersect with the training of the CCM voice in a relevant way.

 

The course will consist of:

• lectures on breathing, resonance, and registration for the CCM singer

• class discussion around subjects ranging from: 

  • How does twang relate to ring?

  • Why the tracheal pull is not a belter's best friend

• breakout sessions to work on specific voice techniques with Ed Reisert assisting

• asynchronous content that supports our time together

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Musical Theatre Styles 

Taught by Edrie Means-Weekly

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Starts Saturday July 3rd Eastern Standard Time at 10:00 am

Meets at the same day & time once a week for 3 weeks-3rd, 10th and 17th

Additionally ALL classes will congregate on Friday at 7pm each week for a Masterclass with Matt & CCM Faculty

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"I am thrilled that I was able to take the course online this year, Edrie

has encyclopedic knowledge of the subject and this an outstanding and

inspiring teacher. "

 

Barbara DeMaio

2020 Participant

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Edrie Means Weekly has decades of professional performance and Musical Theatre teaching experience under her belt. This course highlights her special brand of training the CCM styles. She focuses on genres found in musical theatre and performance practices that are essential for musical theatre singers today.

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The course will also have masterclasses working on individual song styles, with Edrie.  Course topics include: 

• The vocal ingredients for various musical theatre styles, including Pop/Rock, Jazz/Blues, Country/Bluegrass, R&B, Gospel, Belt/Character, Legit.

• How the larynx, soft palate, tongue, jaw and lips function in these various styles.

• Treatment of vowels and consonants. 

• How to apply the use of vocal stylisms (bends, cry, fry, growls, onsets, releases, screams, slides, etc.) while maintaining healthy vocal function in these styles.

•  Explore through songs various styles.

• Tools for acting the song borrowed from traditional acting approaches​

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The Injured Singing Voice: Tools for Every Singing Teacher

Taught by Dr. Wendy LeBorgne, CCC-SLP

Starts July 7th Wednesday at 10am Eastern Standard Time

Meets at the same day & time once a week for 3 weeks)

Additionally ALL classes will congregate on Friday at 7pm each week for a Masterclass with Matt & CCM Faculty

 

"This class gave me the tools I need to guide my students to the right resources.

It also gave me further insight into what an SLP does and the value that pursuing

a career as an SLP could have as a voice teacher. Additionally, I feel better equipped

to maintain my own vocal health. I am thankful for the insights that Wendy shared

with us."

 

Vandi Enzor

2020 Participant

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​Every singing teacher aims to have vocally “healthy” students. This course provides participants with a means to prevent, identify and understand potential vocal injury in singers. Each participant will complete a systematic singing voice evaluation and create an appropriate plan for referral and/or singing training. Participants will also acquire appropriate strategies for studio singing post-vocal injury. This is a workshop-style course with multimedia, including video examples, audio examples and performance/assessment.

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Voice Science Bootcamp

Taught by Dr. David Meyer

Starts Saturday July 3rd Eastern Standard Time at 7:00 pm

Meets at the same day & time once a week for 3 weeks-3rd, 10th and 17th

Additionally ALL classes will congregate on Friday at 7pm each week for a Masterclass with Matt & CCM Faculty

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"I would highly recommend Dr. Meyer’s course to anyone interested in furthering their knowledge about voice science. He made, what can be a daunting area for many voice teachers, really accessible, applicable and enjoyable!"

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Amber Mogg Cathey

2020 Participant

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Are you a budding voice-geek, but you have formant-phobia?

A raw recruit voice teacher terrified of spectrograms?

If that describes you, then DROP DOWN AND GIVE ME TWENTY!!

 

For many teachers, science in singing is just techno-jargon. In this introductory course we will be exploring the basics of voice science that can immediately help your work with singers. The course will consist of lectures on the nature of sound, hearing, aerodynamics, physiology, and functional singing.

 

Class discussion on subjects ranging from:

• Making invisible things (e.g. air,sound, etc.) visible

• What is formant tuning?

• How can psychological research improve our teaching?

• Using spectrograms and simple, inexpensive technological tools

• Breakout sessions to play with and reinforce class content

• Asynchronous content that supports our time together

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Training the Young Singer

Taught by Ed Reisert

Starts Monday July 5th Eastern Standard Time at 1:00 pm

Meets at the same day & time once a week for 3 weeks-5th, 12th and 19th

Additionally ALL classes will congregate on Friday at 7pm each week for a Masterclass with Matt & CCM Faculty

 

The course will help any voice teacher who works with young voices. At the end of the course, you will expand your tool kit for working with students in private studios, choirs, and small ensembles. Functional, developmentally appropriate voice training strategies will be the foundation of this course. Training the Young Singer will include asynchronous lectures, discussion groups, and Q&A sessions.   

In addition, we will cover topics such as:

·       Managing the changing voice

·       Selecting age-appropriate repertoire

·       Collaborating with the stakeholders in a developing singer’s musical life

·       Preparing a student for a lifetime of music making

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Musical Theater Repertoire Intensive

Taught by Patrick Brady

July 3rd, Saturday at 1pm Easter Standard Time

Meets at the same day & time once a week for 3 weeks-

Additionally ALL classes will congregate on Friday at 7pm each week for a Masterclass with Matt & CCM Faculty

 

This course will examine the canon of musical theatre through a historical lens, concentrating on identifying important genres, songwriters and common musical stylistic features inherent to each era. Although our emphasis will be on shows and songs from plot-driven musicals (with original scores), the proliferation of modern musicals using pre-existing pop hits will also be surveyed. You will learn how to build and prepare a professional Musical Theatre ‘audition book’ that takes in the perspective of the musical director, the performer and the audition pianist – with an emphasis on structuring strong ‘16-bar’ audition cuts and effective musical introductions and musical endings to the song.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

• The student will assess and evaluate a variety of historically important musical and cultural traditions that have led to the creation of the contemporary art form of MT.

• The student will be able to identify all the major eras of Musical Theatre from the last 100 years.

• The student will be able to slot major composers and/or shows into each era and have a basic understanding of their musical, lyrical and stylistic characteristics.

• The student will be able to identify important songs from the general repertoire and also consider songs that might work well for auditions.   Songs that ‘cut well’.  The student will be able structure theatrical and exciting cuts that would show the student off to their best advantage in an audition situation.

• By the end, the full class will create a comprehensive listing of @200 of the most important songs of the Musical Theatre Repertoire (including pop songs) – with general background info AND informative commentary (both pro and con) regarding the songs’ viability in a singers’ general repertory and suitability for specific auditions.

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BAM! The Roots of Black American music

Taught by Alison Crockett

Tuesday at 1pm - July 6th, 13th, 20th

Meets at the same day & time once a week for 3 weeks-

Additionally ALL classes will congregate on Friday at 7pm each week for a Masterclass with Matt & CCM Faculty

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This class takes you on a journey which explores significant 20th century contemporary commercial music artists in the jazz, blues, gospel and R&B styles. By analyzing singers within each of these genres, participants will develop an understanding of the technical, rhythmic and melodic considerations that define each of these idioms. Participants will leave this course with concrete tools to utilize in their own singing, increasing their interpretive skills and confidence in approaching these genres. You will learn:

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• How rhythm and groove affects your art form

• Vocal registration in Black music styles and how to use each register authentically

• Phrasing and lyrical development, how different genres make different choices

• How to utilize past and present singers’ strategies to create your own unique sound

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Teaching Pop/Rock Styles

Taught by Melissa Foster

Friday at 1pm - July 9th, 16th, 23rd

Meets at the same day & time once a week for 3 weeks-

Additionally ALL classes will congregate on Friday at 7pm each week for a Masterclass with Matt & CCM Faculty

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Approaching genres with Historical and Cultural Awareness, Vocal Health, and Authenticity for both commercial and musical theatre venues. Find your authentic way into singing Pop/Rock Styles through technical tools and appreciation for cultural roots.  

 

The birth of Pop/Rock music is deeply rooted in historical events and cultural issues. Whether you are recording in a studio, gigging, or auditioning for Pop/Rock musicals, understanding the implications of these cultural moments is imperative to bringing your work to life. Combine this with an understanding of how changes at the vocal fold level and in the vocal tract affect voice production, and you will be able to produce authentic performances time and again without vocal strain. By the end of this course, participants will know how to research the historical and cultural elements of their favorite songs, how to teach and execute common stylistic traits, and how to bring Doo-Wop, Rock, Motown, Pop/Rock, R&B, and Hip-Hop/Rap styles to life. 

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In this course, you will learn: 

• Historical, cultural, and stylistic elements of genres that exist in Pop/Rock musicals 

• How to find your own unique way into the style with authenticity and appreciation for the art form

• How to analyze various forms of popular music and identify specific stylistic elements necessary to approach these forms in musical theatre 

• The vocal elements necessary for singing different genres such as Doo-Wop, Motown, Rock, Disco-pop, R&B, and Rap

• Functional adjustments necessary at the vocal fold level and in the vocal tract

• Diction, flow, onset, and offset techniques necessary to create stylistic sounds

• How to sing and/or teach vocal effects (i.e. creak, growl, riff, breathiness, slide, cry, twang, slurs) while maintain healthy vocal function

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