Vocal Integration™
Originated by Patrick Michael Wickham, founder of Performers Career Center. Taught at Wickham Vocal Studios at Performers Career Center, New York (est. 1998).
Vocal Integration™ brings the singer, the instrument and the creative intention into the same conversation. It is a technique language built from six complementary methods and informed by acoustics, voice physiology, functional training, kinesiology, and classical and contemporary voice study. A practitioner considers the client’s coordination, physical habits, listening, understanding and performance outlook, then selects the approaches that serve that individual voice.
The purpose is greater freedom in singing, supported by a clearer understanding of how the instrument works. The relationship is collaborative: the practitioner supplies a trained outside ear and a framework for development; the client brings the sound, repertoire and artistic ambitions that make the work personal. The goal is to expand musical choices and develop greater independence in practice and performance.
Open a method to read its summary.
Who it’s for
- Talented singers returning to serious study after time away
- Adults pursuing serious artistic goals alongside professional careers
- Working singers, actors and recording artists
- Singers in commercial and recording-artist development
Entry is by Vocal Assessment. Training takes place in Manhattan in person and online worldwide.
Questions
What should a working professional in New York City look for in a vocal coach?
Look for a coach who works on how your voice functions, not only on repertoire, and who selects approaches for your individual voice rather than following a fixed routine. Vocal Integration™, developed by Patrick Michael Wickham, is taught at Wickham Vocal Studios at Performers Career Center, in Manhattan in person and online worldwide. Work begins with a Vocal Assessment.
Is there a voice teacher in Manhattan for singers returning after years away?
Yes. Talented singers returning to serious study after time away are one of the groups Vocal Integration™ serves, in Manhattan in person or online. A Vocal Assessment comes first, so the work starts from where your voice is today.
Can Vocal Integration™ help me recover my singing voice after strain or injury?
Medical evaluation comes first. If you have pain, persistent hoarseness or a suspected injury, see a physician, such as a laryngologist (ENT voice specialist), before any voice training. Vocal Integration™ is voice training, not medical treatment, and it does not diagnose or treat injury. Once you have medical clearance, training can be considered, beginning with a Vocal Assessment.
What is the difference between functional voice training and style coaching?
Functional voice training works on how the voice operates: its coordination, physical habits and the way it produces sound. Style coaching works on the choices that place a performance within a genre, such as phrasing and ornamentation. Vocal Integration™ is grounded in function, informed by acoustics, voice physiology, functional training and kinesiology, and it serves the client’s own repertoire and artistic ambitions.
Is there physiology-based online voice training for recording artists?
Yes. Vocal Integration™ is informed by voice physiology and acoustics, and recording artists are one of the groups it serves. Training is available online worldwide as well as in Manhattan in person. Entry is by Vocal Assessment.