Episode Details
Back to EpisodesEp.231 Evolving Vocal Trends: Training Functional Registration in Contemporary Commercial Music with April Young
Description
Who decides what’s in when it comes to singing styles — how do voice teachers keep up? In this fun and insightful episode, Alexa chats with April Young about how changing trends in pop, musical theatre, and CCM are reshaping vocal training. From falsetto and belt to the science of registers and resonance, we explore how singers can stay healthy, expressive, and ahead of the curve. Perfect for voice teachers, performers, and anyone curious about the ever-evolving art of singing.
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?
2:25 What are the current trends in 2025?
6:20 How does one laryngeal register impact the other?
10:46 Visible, audible and sensory clues of TA dominance
12:43 Does imitation have limitation?
15:05 Visible, audible and sensory clues of CT dominance
16:33 The best time to train vocal registers
20:45 Acoustic register shifts and choosing the best vowel
25:58 Training registers alongside trends
45:16 Changing trends in CCM and impacts on the studio
About the presenter HERE
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS
‘Mixed Up and Upside Down - Underdeveloped Registers in Men and Women Due to Vocal Trends in Popular Music: Turning Two Pedagogic Challenges into Opportunities in Today's Voice Studio’ by April Young
William Venard
Singing Teachers Talk Ep.152 ‘Tomato, Tomahto’: Understanding Singing Terminology
Singing Teachers Talk Ep.133 Mastering Belt in Musical Theatre
Singing Teachers Talk Ep.200 The Secret to Powerful Belting and Seamless Mixing
Singing Teachers Talk Ep.146 How to Understand and Apply Vocal Acoustic Pedagogy
Singing Teachers Talk Ep.172 Understanding Acoustic Registers
The Systematic Approach to Voice Dr Kari Ragan
The Structure of Singing Richard Miller
Hoberman Sphere
Singing Teachers Talk Ep.151 How to Sing with Twang
ABOUT THE GUEST
April Young runs a voice studio in Spokane, WA, where she specializes in classical, music theater and CCM techniques and repertoire. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music (Voice Performance), an MVP (Master of Voice Pedagogy), and has served on the faculty of three area schools. In addition to her teaching, April is a soloist and choral conductor.
Her performance experience spans recital, oratorio, and music theater and her session work includes vocals for a title in the Myst computer game series. A published writer, she has contributed to the Journal of Singing through the National Association of Teachers of Singing, authoring an article on vocal trends in popular music and the evolving opportunities these present for voice teachers.
A lifelong learner, April is currently interested in the role voice teachers play in recovery from injuries that impact the singing voice, and she believes that the best teachers never stop being students themselves.
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