Vocal Technique: Foundations (Online)
10-week Online Short Course
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Overview
This 10-week online class take place on Teams and Zoom.
This course introduces students to the foundations of vocal techniques and explores practical ways to develop their vocal and singing skills, while enhancing their knowledge of how to safely sing and care for their voice.
Whether you are new to singing and want to know more about where to start, or you have experience but would like to delve deeper into the techniques and exercises required to maintain your singing practice, this course will leave you with a foundational understanding of the voice and how it works.
Led by experienced vocal coach and performer, Katie Barnett, throughout the 10-weeks students will partake in practical exercises, lectures and discussions to challenge and inform their vocal technique in a creative, supportive and encouraging environment.
By the end of the course, students will learn:
- The foundations of basic vocal techniques such as breathwork, vocal registers, tone and pitch
- Warm up and cool-down exercises
- How to care for their voice
- How to produce safe and healthy sounds
The course will allow for group work, and time-permitting, 1:1 opportunities for feedback from lecturer and peers throughout. This course may be useful for those who wish to enhance their existing skills, pursue a pathway to further training or build their confidence in their singing and vocal abilities.
Courses you may be interested in
We run a variety of different courses throughout the year, and update our programme regularly – you can find all courses by clicking here.
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Contact us
If you have any questions about this course before you book it, please get in touch with us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk.
The important details
Age:
16+
Cost:
£220
Date:
5 October - 7 December 2026
Time:
Mondays, 6pm - 8pm
Venue:
Online
Course Information
There are no formal entry requirements, however students should be comfortable singing (even if only in the shower!) to benefit from the course fully.
No preparation is required for this course, however it is useful to choose a song and a singer that you love which can be used and referred to during the course.
We ask that students have a drinking straw and a cup of water each week for exercises.
Katie Barnett
Katie is a professional performer and vocal coach based in Glasgow, Scotland with ten years of teaching experience. She specialises in working with clients within the performing arts industry, but enjoys coaching people of all abilities and at all stages of their singing journeys.
Katie has worked as a vocal mentor on several productions, including the recent US Tour of Islander the Musical and Thank U, Next with the National Theatre of Scotland. One of her voice lessons was filmed for an episode of BBC’s Panorama, exploring how singing can aid long covid recovery. She continues to offer her expertise as an experienced panellist for drama school auditions, and has been a guest lecturer on the BA Musical Theatre course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Katie is an associate of Valentine Voice Care in Glasgow, where she benefits from working alongside vocal care experts of many disciplines. She is committed to expanding her training, and is a graduate of the Evolve teacher training course led by renowned vocal coach Chris Johnson. She is currently training as a Vocal Habilitation Professional with Vocal Health Education.
Katie believes in creating a safe, creative space for people to explore their voices without judgement and fear, and tailors her sessions as she believes singing is not one size fits all.
This course will run in-person on Mondays evenings for 10-weeks from 5 October – 7 December 2026, 6pm – 8pm.
The course fee is £220 which is the equivalent to £22 per session, and can be paid in full or in instalments before the course end date.
Further Information
We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:
Agnes Allan Bursary
Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.
The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in drama, music, production or screen.
Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.
James McAvoy Drama Scholarships
BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.
James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.
The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.
You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.
We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.
You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.
Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.
Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.
Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.
Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.
Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk
Summer Schools
summerschools@rcs.ac.uk
Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk
Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk
