Can’t sing? You’re the one we’re looking for…

press release from the Arts & Humanities Council:

The Guildhall School is looking for adult non-singers to participate in a new research project led by Research Fellow Dr Karen Wise. Finding a voice: The art and science of unlocking the potential of adult non-singers aims to understand the journey of learning to sing in adulthood, for people who think of themselves as unable to sing. The project is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, with a grant of £232, 547 (Full Economic Costing Figure – FEC).

Dr Karen Wise commented, “There are lots of opportunities these days for people to sing, and more and more of us are discovering the pleasure it can bring. Research shows that singing is good for our wellbeing. But a large percentage of people think of themselves as unable to sing, and avoid singing even though they would secretly like to. If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you. This project is an opportunity for people to explore the potential of their voice with enthusiastic, supportive teachers and workshop leaders. At the same time, they will help us discover valuable new knowledge about what it means to learn to sing as an adult, how singing skills develop, and the best ways of enabling that. ”

Starting in April 2016, Finding a Voice is a 33-month project focusing on people who are not singing, engaging them in specially designed programmes including individual and group sessions with experienced teachers. It combines psychological, educational and artistic research to give an integrated understanding of the journeys adult non-singers take in learning to sing, and the ways in which they can be supported. The project aims to investigate the best ways of helping non-singers engage in meaningful participation in singing and improve their skills, and to show what their developmental journeys look like.

You can register here to take part.