Meaningful Consent in Singing Spaces – 13 January – Live Office Hours with Dr. Shannon Coates

One of the things I’m taking with me into 2023 (see 4th Jan’s post for a refresher of ALL of the things) is the concept that, due to the student-teacher power dynamic in most singing (and, frankly, performing) spaces, it is generally not possible to have meaningful consent for touching. And I often get pushback from voice teachers and coaches when I say that effective pedagogy rarely includes touching the singers we work with … So let’s unpack that a little bit, shall we?