Singing Education: Discourse and Terminology
RMA Postgraduate Voice and Singing Study Day
Keynote Speaker: Professor Nina Eidsheim (UCLA, Astor Visiting Lectureship at University of Oxford 2026)
This study day, supported by the Royal Musical Association and the Oxford University Faculty of Music, examines the words we use in our singing cultures and pedagogies, exploring the vocal archetypes they create. We will dive into the varied terminologies used in the world of singing training and the discourse around it. The starting point for the day is that specialist language is designed to aid communication and make voice use more effective. Our focus is on the times in life that people experience their greatest development in singing, in terms of physical, cultural and musical growth and multiplicity of opportunities for vocal expression. We will discuss experiences of talking about voice, vocal development and singing: particularly how initial experiences influence vocal identity long-term.
The purpose of the study day is to bring stakeholders such as voice pedagogues, singers and musicologists together to converse, to understand the power of our specialist languages and to facilitate a discussion about archetypes in singing.
Schedule:
9:30 Registration opens at Faculty of Music
10:15 Welcome (Seminar room, faculty of music)
10:30 Session 1
Presentation 1: Joan O'Malley (Technological University Dublin Conservatoire)
"Communicating Concepts in Classical Singing: Teaching Vocal Onset"
Presentation 2: Jenna Brown (University College London)
"Metaphor as Discourse in Singing Education: Knowledge, Power and Identity"
Presentation 3: Bradley Hoover (University of Oxford)
"The Ninth Chord: François Delsarte and the Synthesis of Vocal Science"
12:00 Lunch (provided)
13:00 Session 2
Presentation 4: Kate Poon (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
"Singing Along the Road of Life: Developing an Elderly Pedagogical Language through Choral Rehearsals-as-Performance in Hong Kong"
Presentation 5: Fatima Volkovskii Barajas (independent researcher)
"Between Bel Canto and Popular Song: Vocal Terminology in Early Spanish Recordings"
Presentation 6: Charlotte Xerri (Chichester University)
"Finding Your Voice as a Lab Rat: The Inevitable Consequence of 25 Years Teaching the Estill Voice Model"
14:30 Coffee Break
15:00 Keynote - Prof. Nina Eidsheim (Cinema)
16:00 Tea and biscuits (Faculty Main Space)
16:30 Roundtable Discussion (Seminar Room)
18:00 Wine Reception (Faculty Main Space)
19:15 Optional dinner with Faculty students (Gino's Italian Restaurant)
Key dates:
Registration deadline: Friday 8 May
Online presenters video presentation deadline: Sunday 10 May
Presenter slides due: Tuesday 12 May
Directions/Travel:
The Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities is a 20-minute walk from Oxford's train station. It is a 10-minute walk from the Gloucester Green Bus Station, with easy access from London and other destinations.
The Schwarzman Centre has two entrances, and the main atrium is open to the public. Proceed to the welcome desk where you will be directed to the Faculty of Music. Conference registration is essential as the building requires access to enter the Faculty of Music. The Study Day will take place in the Faculty of Music on the first floor of the Schwarzman Centre. Volunteers will guide you towards the Faculty of Music.
Accommodation suggestions:
If you would like to stay over in Oxford the night before or the night of the conference, there are some nearby accommodation options.
University Rooms: Stay in an Oxford college room for affordable rates. Various locations.
Rewley House: Short walk from the Faculty of Music, run by the University.
Jericho Hotel: Short walk from the Faculty of Music, private affordable hotel.
Please contact Jessica Edgar (jessica.edgar@music.ox.ac.uk) or Richard Strivens (richard.strivens@bristol.ac.uk) with any questions.