Ep.216 Dialects and Accents in the Singing Studio: Challenges & Choices with Louisa Morgan

25/06/2025 57 min
Ep.216 Dialects and Accents in the Singing Studio: Challenges & Choices with Louisa Morgan

Listen "Ep.216 Dialects and Accents in the Singing Studio: Challenges & Choices with Louisa Morgan"

Episode Synopsis

How do actors convincingly switch accents, and what happens when singing enters the mix? Voice teacher, researcher and spoken voice expert Louisa Morgan returns to explore the rich world of accents and dialects—from phonetics and oral posture to emotional authenticity and ethical considerations. Louisa dives into the challenges singers face when shifting from speech to song in character, how to manage biases, and why understanding your own “home” sounds is key.WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST 2:35 What actually are accents and dialects?7:37 What makes an accent easier vs difficult to learn?15:05 How can we understand accent mapping?22:51 Speaking Vs Singing in an accent30:58 What are the challenges of teaching a singer who has a different accent to you?36:09 What ethical considerations are required?41:16 Getting to grips with IPA46:32 Louisa’s favourite resources48:29 Live accent and dialect coachingAbout the presenter click HERERELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS Singing Teachers Talk Podcast Ep.109 Mastering ‘Acting Through Song’ Techniques to Elevate Musical Theatre PerformanceVoice Study CentreGuildford School of ActingIPASinging Teachers Talk Ep.151 How to Sing with TwangSinging Teachers Talk Ep.194 From Jersey to Bali: Relocating a Singing Teaching BusinessHow to Do Accents by Edda Sharpe and Jan Hayden RowlesKnight ThompsonPhonetics by J D O’ConnorThe Experiencing Accents Book Knight ThompsonPhonetics by Peter RoachAccents and Dialects for Stage and Screen by Paul MeierInternational Dialects of English ArchiveKilling EveEstillVASTA Conference ABOUT THE GUESTLouisa Morgan is a lecturer, voice teacher, and researcher specialising in spoken and sung emotion. She teaches with the Voice Study Centre (as Spoken Voice Lead) and she is also completing a PhD in emotion in Acting Through Song with Guildford School of Acting. Louisa has taught at institutions including Italia Conti and the Cygnet Training Theatre, alongside 15 years of private coaching. She holds an MA in Vocal Pedagogy, a diploma in Acting with Directing, and a BA in English and Literary Studies. Louisa is a Vocal Process accredited teacher and former editor of AOTOS. She has presented at PEVoC and will speak at the 2025 VASTA conference. SEE FULL BIO 🎁 Free Resource: Get your copy of How to Assess the Singer’s Voice with Confidence — a practical guide to help you understand what’s going on in any singer’s voice. >>> DOWNLOAD HERE At BAST Training, we help singers turn their experience into a meaningful teaching career. Building the confidence, knowledge, and real-world skills to teach with confidence, clarity, and compassion. “The BAST Advanced Foundation has given me more than the tools I need to teach — it’s given me confidence, a community, and a future.” Jess McGlinchey, UK Start with the foundations >>> ENROL NOW basttraining.com | Updates | Email Us | Free Group

More episodes of the podcast Singing Teachers Talk