Call for Papers: RMA Postgraduate Study Day
Singing Education: Discourse and Terminology
Date: Thursday, 14 May 2026
Venue: Faculty of Music, Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, University of Oxford
Submit proposals by: 2 March 2026
Submit proposals via this online form<https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkcj1tN8Jm99DvFFtmSMq-S9UNFJUWVdEUEQ2UDdVVEJBWDU4VDU2UE05TS4u>
Invited Keynote Speaker:
Professor Nina Eidsheim (UCLA, Astor Visiting Lectureship at University of Oxford 2026)
This study day, supported by the Royal Musical Association and the University of Oxford Faculty of Music, examines the words we use in our singing cultures and pedagogies, exploring the vocal archetypes they create. We will dive into the varied terminologies used in the world of singing training and the discourse around it. The starting point for the day is that specialist language is designed to aid communication and make voice use more effective. Our focus is on the times in life that people experience their greatest development in singing, in terms of physical, cultural and musical growth and multiplicity of opportunities for vocal expression. We will discuss experiences of talking about voice, vocal development and singing: particularly how initial experiences influence vocal identity long-term.
The purpose of the study day is to bring stakeholders such as voice pedagogues, singers and musicologists together to converse, to understand the power of our specialist languages and to facilitate a discussion about archetypes in singing.
Areas of discussion may include, but are not limited to, vocal terminology and —
* identity formation in singing
* style/genre training
* physical perception of acoustic/physiological phenomena
* vocal timbre analysis
* accessibility
* historical pedagogies/literature
* methodologies of description
* vocal terminology amongst peers, in rehearsal and performance.
We invite proposals for 20-minute papers on any topic related to the discourse and terminology in singing education, independent of academic discipline. We also invite proposals for contributions to a themed panel or alternative presentation types such as a lecture-recital or pedagogical demonstration.
For a 20-minute paper, please include an abstract, 300 words maximum. For contributions to a themed panel, proposals should include a 150-word abstract and the proposed theme. Include a short biography of up to 150 words.
Submit your proposal via this online form<https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkcj1tN8Jm99DvFFtmSMq-S9UNFJUWVdEUEQ2UDdVVEJBWDU4VDU2UE05TS4u> by midnight (AoE) on Monday, 2 March 2026.
If you don't intend to present but would like to attend the Study Day, please register your interest on the form<https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkcj1tN8Jm99DvFFtmSMq-S9UNFJUWVdEUEQ2UDdVVEJBWDU4VDU2UE05TS4u>; you may also add topics you wish to be discussed. Further information regarding the registration and the programme will be circulated to those who have submitted this form and will be available via the RMA and Oxford Music Faculty website.
All proposals will receive a decision by Monday, 23 March 2026.
For any enquiries, please contact the Study Day organisers:
Jessica Edgar, University of Oxford (jessica.edgar@music.ox.ac.uk<mailto:jessica.edgar@music.ox.ac.uk>)
Richard Strivens, University of Bristol (richard.strivens@bristol.ac.uk<mailto:richard.strivens@bristol.ac.uk>)
