Grasping at Straws
with Dr Lynn Maxfield and Dr Kari Ragan
Sunday 3rd November, 6pm – 7:30 pm GMT
Sunday 3rd November, 6pm – 7:30 pm GMT
Sunday 3rd November, 6pm – 7:30 pm GMT
Not all SOVT exercises are created equal. We know there is a wealth of evidence to support the use of SOVT exercises in voice training, voice therapy and other contexts, but how can we judiciously choose the exercise that will serve the needs of our students best?
Grasping at Straws will be presented by two of the world’s leading voice teachers and pedagogues, Dr Kari Ragan and Dr Lynn Maxfield. Together they have decades of experience as researchers, voice teachers and teacher trainers.
Confused about straw size?
Confused about straws in general?
This presentation will give a real boost to your knowledge base and deepen your understanding of the tools you already have in your teaching toolkit.
Maxfield holds a PhD in voice pedagogy and an MA in voice performance from the University of Iowa. Prior to joining the NCVS, he taught voice and voice science/pedagogy at Eastern Connecticut State University, Knox College, Monmouth College, and Carl Sandburg College.
His opera credits include Tamino and Monastotos in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Sam Polk in Floyd’s Susannah, Orpheus in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, and Guglielmo in Donizetti’s Viva La Mamma. A champion of new music, Maxfield appeared in an Eastern-Iowa tour of Eric Chasalow’s 2007 opera, The Puzzlemaster and participated in the premier of several new orchestrations of the 26 Italian Songs and Arias by Galesburg, IL composer Daniel Godsil.
Kari Ragan is a voice pedagogue, Singing Voice Specialist (SVS), author, and soprano, recognized for her contributions to vocal pedagogy and voice science. She received the prestigious Van L. Lawrence Fellowship in 2012, awarded jointly by The Voice Foundation and the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) for excellence in teaching and voice research. Dr. Ragan holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in vocal performance from the University of Washington, and both a Master and Bachelor of Music from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Since 2010, Dr. Ragan has been part of the University of Washington’s voice faculty, teaching a range of subjects including vocal pedagogy and diction. She also works with the UW Laryngology Program as an SVS, helping rehabilitate injured singers. Her independent voice studio has thrived for over 40 years, where she specializes in cross-training singers across various genres. Her students have achieved success in opera, musical theatre, and major vocal competitions.
Dr. Ragan is a frequent presenter and workshop leader for numerous esteemed organizations such as NATS, the Pan American Vocology Association (PAVA), and the International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT). She co-founded the Northwest Voice Conference and has held leadership roles in several professional organizations. Additionally, she is the author of A Systematic Approach to Voice: The Art of Studio Application, published in 2020, and will serve as voice faculty at the St. Andrews Pedagogy Course in Scotland in 2024. Since 2011, she has moderated NATS Chat, a popular online platform for voice professionals.