An Audience with Orgena Rose and Teik Poi Tan

Decolonising the Voice Studio

Racially Inclusive Teaching Practices

Moderated by Jenna Brown

22nd June 2025, 6pm UK time

This event is free for VHE Members and £10 for non-members. 30-days access to the catchup recording is available.

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Teik Poi Tan

Teik Poi Tan is a Malaysian vocal technician, Musikgeragoge (specialist in music education for older adults), and inclusive voice educator. He specializes in accessible vocal training across Western classical and Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM), supporting singers, educators, and choir directors.

Tan studied at the University of Science Malaysia and earned advanced degrees in vocal performance and pedagogy from the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, followed by a PhD focused on motor learning in vocal instruction.

Active in both research and teaching, he leads workshops across Europe and Asia, combining voice science with practical strategies. He has collaborated with soloists, educators, and choirs, contributing to performances recognized internationally. His initiatives include work with JeKits, CCM belting workshops, and presentations such as the 2023 Voice Congress in Karlsruhe.

He has lectured at the University of Malaysia Sarawak on topics like voice anatomy, singing styles, and belting techniques. His recent work focuses on group singing for older adults, especially those with dementia, exploring its impact on engagement and emotional well-being.

Orgena Rose

Orgena Rose is an award winning, international, powerhouse vocalist, composer, arranger, director, producer, playright, best selling author, TV presenter and social entrepreneur who has appeared on Broadway, Carnegie Hall, Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, Royal Opera House, Oprah, Bristol Old Vic, Bristol Beacon, St George’s Bristol, Today, Conan, Tedx, PBS, and the BBC. She has opened the stage ahead of legends such as Sir Elton John, and has sung with artists such as Patti Labelle, Lea Michele and Audra McDonald. She has worked with top companies such as Disney, Universal, and Sony and has original music in movies, TV commercials and businesses.

Orgena is a renowned vocal coach and has over 25 years as an educator in the arts at colleges, universities and organisations internationally. She’s been the Vocal Director for Disney and numerous choirs and shares her Rose Voice Method™ in Rapid Voice Transformation™ workshops that have empowered thousands of voices around the world to sing their soul song on The Voice, American Idol, Broadway, and in their local choirs. She is the founder of Singing For Wellbeing™ which was created to improve your wellbeing through singing. She has been on a mission to share these tools and help everyone to know that can they sing and it provides a powerful key to their wellbeing.

Jenna Brown, Moderator

Jenna Brown is a British classical mezzo-soprano working in solo concert and consort work. She is a qualified voice rehabilitation specialist, and runs Bristol Voice Care providing teaching, rehabilitation and vocal massage. She holds an MSc in Education from Oxford where she focused on Inclusive Practice when teaching children and young people. Jenna also completed an MA in voice pedagogy with Voice Study Centre, where her researched focused on the ethics of singing teaching and voice rehabilitation. Jenna is currently a UKRI ESRC funded doctoral researcher at the Institute of Education, University College London. With a first degree in Theology and Philosophy, her work explores philosophical approach to voice pedagogy and voice science. Jenna is an editorial board member and peer reviewer for Music Scientiae, The Journal of Voice, Voice and Speech Review and The Cambridge Educational e-Journal. She is also Editor and trustee for the UK Association of Teachers of Singing, and a research group associate for the British Voice Association. Jenna has published in all the major voice journals, as well as other international philosophy, and music education journals. She regularly presents and lectures internationally at conferences, workshops and University post-graduate courses. She is a founder members of the Transformational Voice Research Network, which advocates for a multi-disciplinary and inclusive approach to voice research and practice.

Decolonising the Voice Studio

In order to create inclusive singing studios, consideration needs to be given to diverse areas of life. This talk considers the process of Decolonisation in singing teaching. Decolonisation involves challenging and dismantling Eurocentric norms that dominate much of our vocal teaching and, arguably society at large.
The call to decolonise voice pedagogy recognises that all peoples and all musics are valuable and should have a place in our curriculums. A decolonised singing studio is one that values diverse vocal traditions, techniques, and aesthetics from around the world, not just Western classical standards. However, there are many questions about how this can be achieved. What musics should we sing? How can we teach traditions outside western classical music? Is there some music that some people should not be singing? What is the line between culturally appropriating musics and participating in music from cultural traditions other than your own?
This talk explores how decolonising practices can help ensure that singers are taught in ways that honour their unique vocal identities, reducing harm caused by forcing voices into unsuitable techniques, as well as considering how singing teachers can critically reflect on their current practice, grow and develop their techniques and strategies and prioritise the needs, experiences and traditions of their students.
22nd June 2025, 6pm UK time

This event is free for VHE Members and £10 for non-members. 30-day access to the catch-up recording is available.

Book Now