We’ll let you know more over the next week or so, but first let’s introduce our new Registrar, Cordelia Lewis.

We like our people to have industry experience, and Cordelia (also know as Givvi) is an experienced vocalist and  highly-qualified vocal coach, holding both a BA and two VIDLA qualifications.

This is important, because it means that in her role as VIDLA’s Registrar, she will have a great depth of understanding of what our students want and need during the application and registration process. She has an in-depth knowledge of all of our courses, study units and systems, and is ideally placed to help applicants to choose the very best course for them.

Cordelia is also a Personal Tutor and will continue to mentor a portfolio of students as well as fulfilling the Registrar position. We are delighted to be welcoming her to this crucial role in the organisation!

I just want to start off by saying how pleased I am to be involved with Ria and VIDLA. She is a hugely inspirational person and I’m honoured to be a part of such a great team of people who are having an amazing impact on the world of singing and teaching.

So after a long time spent in the planning and development stages, we’re all set to start filming the new ‘Stage-fright to Superstar’ training programme this week! How cool is that?! To say I’m just a little bit excited about this would be a MASSIVE understatement and I want to share some of my excitement with you. Now’s probably a good time to let you know what it’s all about…

Well having spent a lot of time working with many different singers and musicians on stage and in the recording studio, I’ve been privileged to get to know some fascinating people, and also notice some interesting patterns between what makes a performance, and even a career, a successful one.

There is typically one thing that gets under the skin of most singers at some stage, and that thing is ‘fear’! Call it nerves, anxiety, stage-fright or whatever, in some shape or form it can have a big impact when it decides to show up. There are some of you I’m sure that feel it’s out of your control, and I want to tell you now that with a slight change of attitude and a curiosity to try something new, you can have all the control you need.

So as the title suggests, the programme teaches you a whole range of skills, techniques and exercises to be able to shift your thinking, control how you feel and perform at your peak time after time, with confidence, power and presence.

I want this training to be as thorough and as relevant as possible, so I really would encourage you to leave me your comments and suggestions on any specific areas that you maybe struggle with, and I’ll get them covered in the programme or answered on my blog in the next few weeks. Catch up with me on twitter and on my blog (www.ashleyrutter.com) and please let me know your thoughts.

I’m just off to chat with Steven Speilberg about the shoot now (obviously a joke but no harm in thinking big right?!) so catch up with you very soon!

Take care!

Ash

Distance Learning:

Courses can be started on any weekday other than Public Holidays, and can be completed in full from home. All students are assigned to an experienced Personal Tutor / Academic Advisor for the duration of their courses. Teaching skills are assessed in person by a senior lecturer, towards the end of each course. All courses are accredited.

Foundation Certificate in Contemporary Vocal Teaching. NEW! 

4 months, 15 credits – introduction to vocal teaching. 5 x GCSEs (or equivalent) at Grade C or above required, plus some performing experience. Applicants must be 17 or older.

Higher Certificate in Contemporary Vocal Teaching. NEW! 

6 months, 18 credits – for those starting out as vocal coaches, but wanting a little more depth than the Foundation Certificate. This course replaces the old-style Certificate in Contemporary Vocal Teaching. 5 x GCSEs at Grade C or above (or equivalent)  required, plus some performing experience. Applicants should be 18 or over.

Higher Certificate in Contemporary Vocal Teaching (Children & Adolescents) NEW! 

6 months, 18 credits. The same great foundation course in teaching, but geared specifically towards those age 18 or over who wish to teach children and adolescents. 5 x GCSEs (or equivalent) at Grade C or above required, plus some performing experience or previous experience in working with children.

Diploma: Running a Contemporary Choir. NEW! 

10 months, 24 credits. A start-to-finish guide in setting up and running a successful contemporary choir. Applicants will be expected to have Level 3 training at Grade B / Merit or over, in a relevant field, or equivalent non-UK qualifications.  Strong musical ability required. Available from Spring 2012. Applicants lacking the necessary qualifications can apply via the “Challenge Process’, demonstrating their experience and competence. Age 18 or over.

Diploma in Contemporary Vocal Teaching

10 months, 24 credits. One of our most popular courses. Applicants will be expected to have Level 3 training at Grade B / Merit or over, or equivalent non-UK qualifications.  Applicants lacking the necessary qualifications can apply via the “Challenge Process’, demonstrating their experience and competence. Age 18 or over.

Professional Diploma In Contemporary Vocal Teaching

15 months, 36 credits. Strong academic skills & performing experience required.

Advanced Professional Diploma in Contemporary Vocal Teaching

20 months, 48 credits. Excellent academic background and extensive performing experience required.

In addition to these great courses, we also offer an Associate Diploma and a Professional Diploma in Contemporary Vocals (these courses contain no teaching practise elements), allowing the student to study a range of vocal techniques, methods and pedagogies.

Skype & Online Courses

We offer a range of fabulous short courses working one-to-one with internationally-acclaimed tutors. More courses are being developed all the time.

Skype is an incredibly powerful teaching tool, very easy to use, and allows students to connect with extraordinary teachers worldwide. Regardless of where you are, if you have a broadband connection, you can work with our international practitioners, face to face, without having to leave your home!

Finding Your Real Voice with Dena Murray

8 weeks, 8 one-to-one lessons with Master Vocal Coach Dena Murray, leading to Teacher Certification in her well-established method.

Dena is based in California, and is the author of three best-selling books in vocal technique. With a BSc in Voice and Speech, 12 years as curriculum developer at the world-famous Musicians’ Institute in California, and having made the journey ‘from opera to pop’ as a vocalist, Dena is considered a Master Vocal Coach. Her empathetic approach has been highly praised by all who have studied with her. Suitable for beginners or those with a lot more experience, as Dena will tailor the course to suit your needs.

Toning for Singing with Hilary Canto

For those who would like to explore the voice from a natural / instinctive perspective, this fascinating 12-week foundation course takes the student  on a journey through the effect of sound on the mind and body. Hilary is a highly-qualified sound healer and nutritionist, and has a passion for helping people to discover the natural power within their voices. The course is suitable for people who have never sung, but would like to develop confidence in the sound that they make, and equally for experienced vocal coaches who would like to explore the voice in a whole new way. Students often describe this course as “life changing”. An intermediate / follow-on course in currently in development.

Ultimate Vocals (Key Concepts) with Ria Keen

Ria is the founder and Principal / CEO of VIDLA. This 6-week course offers you the opportunity to work one-to-one with an inspirational teacher whose techniques produce great results, fast! The course is an introduction to the Key Concepts of the Ultimate Vocals approach, and is suitable for everyone from complete beginners to highly experienced teachers. Ria believes in ‘training smart’ – and her Key Concepts course will give you access to a range of techniques that will continue to work throughout your career, and which grow with you.

Workshops & Residential Courses

There is no substitute for working face-to-face with great teachers, and so in 2012 we are planning a range of one-day workshops and short training intensives in a range of subjects:

Robert Lunte of the Vocalist Studio, Seattle, will be visiting the UK in the Spring of 2012. Don’t miss his incredible “Training Vocal Athletes” Masterclass in London, in collaboration with VIDLA. There will also be limited opportunities to train one-to-one with Robert while he is here.

Register your interest by emailing us on tvs@vidla.org

Hilary Canto will be offering a workshop in her “Toning for Singing” approach in the Spring. A wonderful opportunity to explore the natural voice with the lady herself! This is guaranteed to be a experience which strengthens your vocal platform, and changes your perception about the making of sound, and its effects on the mind, body and soul!

Register your interest by emailing hilary.canto@vidla.org, or by visiting her Toning for Singing page on Facebook.

We are also talking with our wonderful UK Patron Steve Balsamo about a Masterclass in overtone singing, in which he is an expert. Steve is also hoping to develop an online course with us, exploring sound healing. Watch this space!

In the meanwhile, you can purchase his beautiful overtoning CD “Harmonic Healer” here.

We will be inviting applications for The Steve Balsamo Scholarship from January. The scholarship covers course and book fees for one of our Certificate or Diploma courses, and is an extraordinary opportunity to study with VIDLA for free! Simply subscribe to this blog (top right) to be kept up to date with the application procedure.

The newest VIDLA Team Member is Ash Rutter, who specialises in overcoming confidence / anxiety / nervousness issues in singers, and whose ability to create a positive mindset in people is a huge gift.

Ash is currently working on his wonderful new programme “Stage Fright to Superstar” which will be available in course form, working with Ash himself, or as a series of downloads. The programme will be available from Spring 2012, and looks set to become an invaluable resource for singers and teachers alike.

Register your interest by emailing us on ash.rutter@vidla.org

As if that wasn’t enough, we are also putting into pace a range of residential teacher-training courses and singing workshops  for the coming year, in particular:

Teaching Children & Teenagers with James Gregory

Supercharge Your Teaching with Ria Keen (and an extended team)! 

West End Workshops with some of our amazing friends from the world of West End performance!

Phew! Well, there’s more, but you can only take in so much information at once, yes? If you are interested in any of our courses or other training opportunities, please email us using any of the email addresses given above, or on info@vidla.org.

James came to VIDLA already hugely qualified and experienced in his field, with a list of letters after his name almost as long as your arm! We were delighted when he came to study with us and even more thrilled when he completed his Associate Diploma in colours so glowing we practically needed sunglasses to assess his work!

James has since completed our online course Toning for Singing with Hilary Canto, and he continues to run his successful teaching studio in the West Midlands. You can catch up with James via his website http://jamespagregory.com

In the meanwhile The Boss is going to be meeting with James next week, to discuss his future involvement with VIDLA as a consultant practitioner. We can’t wait to say “Welcome to the Team”!

The scholarship will be awarded to ONE applicant only, and on this inaugural year will be available for one of the following courses:

Diploma in Contemporary Vocal Teaching

Diploma in Contemporary Vocals

Associate Diploma in Contemporary Vocals

The successful applicant will have his or her course fees paid in full, and will have the relevant key course texts supplied free of charge, plus the guidance of a highly-qualified Personal Tutor for the duration of the course.  We will be inviting applications from January 2012, and will release rules, application forms, terms and conditions at that time. The Scholarship will be awarded to potential students who would not otherwise be able to finance a course with us, and / or who show exceptional promise. Preference will be given to those who wish to teach vocals, or who already teach but lack a formal qualification.More details in January!

Having Steve on board with VIDLA is a wonderful thing in so many ways. Many of you will know him for having famously played the role of Jesus in the mid-90s revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, and it is his extraordinary voice that can be heard on the official cast recording from 1996. He is also a hugely accomplished singer /songwriter, and in recent years saw great success with his country rock band The Storys, who toured with the likes of Elton John, Joe Cocker, Katie Melua and a host of other big names. Steve is currently recording an album with singer / songwriter Rosalie Deighton.

What you may not know is that Steve is highly trained in and fascinated by healing through voice, and we are talking to him about future masterclasses, courses and recordings, plus potential collaborations with our existing voice / healing experts Hilary Canto and Paul Newham

We will be bring you some updates direct from Steve in the near future. VIDLA Principal Ria Keen met with him recently and reported that, not only is he charm personified, but also very excited to have the opportunity to develop aspects of his  work in co-operation with VIDLA.

James is a simply outstanding vocal coach and pedagogue who has trained at the highest levels in a wide range of vocal disciplines. Having completed his Associate Diploma, and ever hungry for more knowledge, he is currently studying with Hilary Canto on her Toning for Singing course.

To read more about James, or to train with him, please visit his website: http://jamespagregory.com

Making a decision as to who was to receive the award in this inaugural year (the award has been launched in celebration of our 10th anniversary) was difficult, as the standard of students in the last academic year has been higher than ever, and many were considered potential worthy winners. Eventually we whittled it down to three names, and after much deliberation, settled on James as the very best of a very fine field! The other two students who made it to our top three were Britt Packer (Worcester, UK) and Celeste Khanna (Dubai) who both did exemplary work in the Diploma in Contemporary Vocal Teaching.

Many congratulations to James!

Paul Newham is the author of “The Healing Voice”, “Therapeutic Voicework”, “Using Voice and Song in Therapy”, among many other scholarly works, and I am delighted to report that he has chosen VIDLA as the organisation through which he will continue to develop his work. Both VIDLA and Ria will be working in close partnership with Paul for the foreseeable future.

The first product to be launched will be with you before year’s end, and will be a downloadable, high-tech audio/visual product exploring “The Ingredients” – Paul’s baseline approach to vocal training. There are also plans to launch a range of courses based on Paul’s work, including the opportunity to train in voice-based therapy, an to explore the principles and practice of rescuing damaged or disturbed voices.

In 2012, Paul and Ria plan to develop a brand-new concept in voice training, combining his work and hers, and which will be accessible to everyone -  the man or woman in the street who just wants to sing for pleasure, as well as professional singers and singing teachers. Ria said yesterday that she is “delighted and honoured” to be working so closely with Paul, and is very much looking forward to both the partnership between VIDLA and Paul’s company (soon to be re-branded and re-launched), and indeed to developing the new training concept under a new umbrella, but again in partnership with and accredited by VIDLA.

Everyone at VIDLA would like to send a big “welcome!” to Paul. We are so thrilled to be working  with this  legend of voice research.

If you would like to come and see what it is all about, pop along to the ‘Open Day’ where you will have the opportunity to meet the Course Leader and other teachers, and discuss plans for the coming term.

September 10th 2011, 11.30am – 2.30pm
The Shirley Centre
274 Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull, B90 3AD

For more information, contact the Director of Youth Training,

Kirsty Mitchell: 0121 288 3830 / kirsty.mitchell@vidlakidz.co.uk

                         www.vidlakidz.co.uk

Rob’s outstandingFour Pillars of Singing system comprises DVDs, CDs and a book, includes 37 great vocal workouts with demonstrations and sing-a-long options, plus 22 high-quality DVD lectures and much, much more – all of which can be purchased in hard copy or download formats.

Rob also offers private and internet voice lessons, plus vocal training intensives,  all of which can also be purchased via The Vocalist Studio Store and which will soon be available via the main VIDLA site too!

We wish Rob and his associates the very best, and are currently developing a VIDLA-accredited TVS course which we are hoping to launch in the near future. This one has been a long time in the making, but that is because everything that we do at VIDLA, and everything that Rob does at TVS, must be of the highest standards. We’d rather have it right, than have it right now! We will let you know about the release date for what will be an incredible course, as soon as we can.

Meanwhile Rob is on tour again with his ‘Training Vocal Athletes’ tour throughout November. Dates are currently on the cards in France, Germany and Switzerland, and it looks like he’ll be heading back over to the UK in 2012.  If you’re a UK vocalist who would be interested in attending a workshop or one-to-one lessons with Rob around that time (and why wouldn’t you be?!) please register your interest by emailing us on tva@vidla.org