
REGISTER | SCHEDULE | PRESENTERS | HOTEL
2026 Winter Workshop Schedule
- Saturday, January 3: Registration opens at 8 a.m. Sessions 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET
- Sunday, January 4: Registration opens at 8 a.m. Sessions 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET with NATSAA Finals in the evening
- Monday, January 5: Registration opens at 9 a.m. Sessions 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET with NMTC Finals in the evening
A note from the Vice President for Workshops
Placeholder text. With "Voices Uplifted," we celebrate diversity and inclusivity in voice teaching. This year’s program is thoughtfully curated to reflect the vast array of perspectives within the field. With topics including disability and neurodiversity, mentorship, equitable pedagogy in diverse communities, transgender voices, somatic practices, youth voice development, vocal health, and innovative approaches to voice science and pedagogy, we are honored to host a global lineup of presenters. Each of them will bring unique insights to create a vibrant and memorable conference experience.
Sincerely,

Kevin Wilson
VP for Workshops
SESSION TITLES + DESCRIPTIONS
 Speaking the Same Language: Aligning Voice Pedagogy Terminology posted on 4:33 PM, August 28, 2025
|
Presented by Emily Siar
Voice teachers have no shortage of ways to describe the act of singing. How do we make sure we’re on the same page to best serve our students? This session explores foundational terminology in voice pedagogy related to respiration, registration, and resonance. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the semantics behind these systems, leaving them better equipped to engage in informed, collaborative dialogue with colleagues and students.
|
 Hearing Singing: A Guide to Functional Listening posted on 4:31 PM, August 28, 2025
|
Presented by Ian Howell
Timbre is often dismissed as too subjective to have pedagogical utility. However, long-established psychoacoustic phenomena may be directly connected to real and repeatable functional coordinations in a singing voice. This presentation focuses on these simple aspects of timbre that will dependably occur when the trained ear is stimulated by specific kinds of sound waves. These aspects of sound then become both a sign that a given function has occurred and also a stimulus to generate that function.
|
 Hysterical for Hysteresis: Harnessing Its Transformative Potential in the Training of Crossover and Commercial Music Singers posted on 4:30 PM, August 28, 2025
|
Presented by Mike Ruckles
Hysteresis describes how a system’s current state/function is strongly influenced by its previous state/function. In this session, we will explore the effects of hysteresis on the singing voice, and how we can harness its properties to our students’ great benefit in the studio. These tools become especially powerful in training the crossover singer who seeks to navigate dramatic shifts in their singing attractor states (e.g. Verdi to Schwartz). This session will also feature a masterclass component, offering practical context and application.
|
 Tools for Navigating a Path for Success: Rehabilitation to Habilitation posted on 4:40 PM, August 28, 2025
|
Presented by Leda Scearce
Having a voice disorder can be a challenging experience for singers. However, with the support of an expert vocal health team, the singer can usually recover. This workshop will explore the journey of the singer from the point they first experience symptoms, through the evaluation process, rehabilitation, and finally the return to typical vocal activities, emphasizing important tools for the singing teacher as they navigate that path with their student. The workshop will include didactic instruction as well as hands-on, interactive experiences.
|
 What’s in your Book? Using developmental repertoire to train versatile musical theatre singers posted on 4:39 PM, August 28, 2025
|
Presented by Mary Saunders Barton
Participants will all join in to experiment with different sounds and to sing short cuts of songs ranging from beginner to advanced. We will focus on contrasting periods, styles, and timbres. Bring your playful self into the room!
|
 Twang Farm: Phonemic Prompts for Vocal Versatility and Problem Solving posted on 4:38 PM, August 28, 2025
|
Presented by Tom Burke
In this workshop, you’ll discover a novel approach to helping students access a wider range of voice qualities easily using “magic words”—phonemic prompts designed to efficiently establish the vocal fold, vocal tract, and velar configurations needed for speaking and singing across different qualities and registers.
|
 Mapping the Movements of Singing posted on 4:45 PM, August 28, 2025
|
Presented by Melissa Malde
In this interactive session, participants will explore how to make healthy and efficient movement choices that promote artistic freedom in their singing.
|