The Small Magician

Vocal resources for you to explore at home, in your own time

Guided practice sessions to help you understand your voice, reduce the impacts of stress, and foster a growing sense of calm and wellbeing in your daily life.

Created by Scottish Opera's Education Artist in Residence Lea Shaw and supported by Scottish Opera, The Small Magician is a new, trauma-aware, inclusive, accessible series of vocal education resources in the form of workbooks, and audio and video guides. Designed to be a safe way for you to explore and foster curiosity - using your voice as a form of play - these resources are open to all and free of charge.

Guided by classic pedagogy, scientific research, and Yoga and embodiment practices, The Small Magician aims to empower you to embrace your speaking and singing voice, as part of a wider sense of well-being and an awareness of mental and physical health.  


Please note The Small Magician is not a medically led programme and is delivered by a trained opera singer. If you have any concerns about the suitability of the course please consult your doctor or medical professional.

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What makes The Small Magician accessible?

Its language

The Small Magician was created to be gender and ability-inclusive, down to how notated exercises are presented - via notation, literal description, and solfege.

Its format

The written resources are presented in PDF form so they are easily accessible and printable if desired, and in Plain Text with image descriptions to enable the use of screen-reading tech. The resources are also available in audio and video format for those who prefer these as mode of practice.

Its content

The Small Magician provides a digestible quantity of exercises for each of the 7 topics, with the structure and time needed to work through a session being flexible. 

What make The Small Magician trauma-aware and responsive?

Anyone coming to the project, either as a facilitator or as a participant, will have their own complex history. That history does not have to be shared with anyone to be valid, and the impacts they feel do not need to be justified.  

Knowing this, the language of the project is open, encouraging, and positive, and there is a large emphasis placed on participants' personal sovereignty, autonomy, and intuitive practice.

By being aware of all of this, The Small Magician can respond to the needs of participants by providing tools that can be of use, and by having a clear practice of open, non-judgemental communication, creating resources in direct response to these needs as they are shared.  

What makes The Small Magician playful?

The Small Magician originates from the idea that working with voice, and developing its connection to the body and mind can be a magical experience. It encourages participants to approach their own voice with curiosity, and to get messy with it! Every voice is valid, and every method of engaging with voice is valid.

Research bibliography

BOOKS AND OTHER PHYSICAL RESOURCES


SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE OF THE VOICE 

Brodnitz, F., 1971. Hormones and the human voice. Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine.

Cazden, J., 2017. Stalking the calm buzz: how the polyvagal theory links stage presence, mammal evolution, and the root of the vocal nerve. Voice and Speech Review, 11, pp. 1-22.

Porges, S.W., 2011. The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation. W.W. Norton & Company.

Porges, S.W., 2017. The Pocket Guide to Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe. W.W. Norton & Company.

STRESS AND TRAUMATIC ACTIVATION IN THE VOICE

Giddens, C., Barron, K.W., Byrd-Craven, J., Clark, K., Winter, A., 2013. Vocal indices of stress: A review. Journal of Voice: Official Journal of the Voice Foundation.

Perrine, B.L., 2018. The influence of stress on the voice. Doctoral Dissertation. Bowling Green State University.

Rothschild, B., 2000. The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment. W.W. Norton & Company.

HOLISTIC APPROACHES TO TRAUMATIC RECOVERY

Blackwell, K., Decolonizing the Body: Healing, Body-Centered practices for Women of Colour to Reclaim Confidence, Dignity, and Self-Worth. New Harbinger Publications.

Fay, D., 2017. Attachment-Based Yoga & Meditation for Trauma Recovery: Simple, Safe, and Effective Practices for Therapy. W.W. Norton & Company.

Turner, J., 2020. Embodied Healing: Survivor and Facilitator Voices from the Practice of Trauma Sensitive Yoga. North Atlantic Books.

Swami, R., Ballentine, R. M.D., Hymes, A. M.D., 1990. Science of Breath: A Practical Guide. Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy USA.

TRANSITIONING VOICES 

Aguirre, R., 2018. Finding the trans voice: A review of the literature on accommodating transgender singers. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 37(1), pp. 36-41.

Onyegbule, A., Ufearo, C.S., 2024. The impact of singing on oestrogen and progesterone release among women. [research article] International Journal of Science and Research Archive.

DIGITAL RESOURCES


SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE OF THE VOICE 

Goldsmiths, University of London, (n.d.). Why does singing make us feel good? Available at: https://www.gold.ac.uk/news/why-does-singing-make-us-feel-good/

Hall, C.N., (n.d.). Exploring the brain: A tour of the structures and cells of the nervous system. Available at: https://openpress.sussex.ac.uk/introductiontobiologicalpsychology/chapter/exploring-the-brain-a-tour-of-the-structures-and-cells-of-the-nervous-system/

Ong, P., 2023. ‘What Distinguishes Singing as a Unique Form of Expression?’, Indonesian Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Technology, Vol. 1, No. 9. Available at: https://journal.formosapublisher.org/index.php/marcopolo/article/view/6552/6609

Papageorgi, I., Saunders, J., Himonides, E., Welch, G.F., 2022. ‘Singing and Social Identity in Young Children’, Frontiers in Psychology, 13. Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.823229/full

Pawley, A. and Müllensiefen, D., 2012. ‘The Science of Singing Along: A Quantitative Field Study on Sing-along Behavior in the North of England’, Psychology of Music. Available at: http://www.doc.gold.ac.uk/~mas03dm/papers/PawleyMullensiefen_Singalong_2012.pdf

The London Singing Institute.. What happens when we sing? Available at: https://www.londonsinginginstitute.co.uk/what-happens-when-we-sing/

The Voice Foundation, 2024. Breakdowns that result in voice disorders. Available at: https://voicefoundation.org/health-science/voice-disorders/anatomy-physiology-of-voice-production/breakdowns-result-voice-disorders/

The Voice Foundation, 2024. Understanding voice production. Available at: https://voicefoundation.org/health-science/voice-disorders/anatomy-physiology-of-voice-production/understanding-voice-production/

STRESS AND TRAUMATIC ACTIVATION IN THE VOICE

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, (n.d.). Resilience. Available at: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/resilience/

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, (n.d.). Toxic Stress. Available at: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/toxic-stress/

Koelsch, S., Offermanns, K. and Franzke, P., 2011. ‘Music in the treatment of affective disorders: An exploratory investigation of a new method for music-therapeutic research’, Frontiers in Psychology, 2(164). Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00164/full

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), 2013. ‘Understanding the Impact of Trauma’, In: J.L. Longe, ed. The Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health, 3rd ed. Detroit: Gale. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207191/

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), 2013. ‘Trauma-Specific Services’, In: J.L. Longe, ed. The Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health, 3rd ed. Detroit: Gale. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207184/

Sapolsky, R.M., 2004. ‘Stress and cognition’, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 6(6), pp. 573-584. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2747525/

Sharma, A., Madaan, V. and Petty, F., 2006. ‘Exercise for mental health’, Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 8(2), pp. 106-107. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193654/

Van Puyvelde, M., Neyt, X., McGlone, F., Pattyn, N., 2018. ‘Voice Stress Analysis: A New Framework for Voice and Effort in Human Performance’, Frontiers in Psychology, 9. Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01994/full

HOLISTIC APPROACHES TO TRAUMATIC RECOVERY

Brown, R.P. and Gerbarg, P.L., 2012. ‘Sudarshan Kriya yogic breathing in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and depression: Part II—clinical applications and guidelines’, Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 18(5), pp. 711-717. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3573542/

Cramer, H., Anheyer, D., Saha, F.J. and Dobos, G., 2017. ‘Yoga for posttraumatic stress disorder—A systematic review and meta-analysis’, Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 22(4), pp. 931-945. Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2156587217730934

Harvard Health Publishing, 2023. ‘What is somatic therapy?’, Harvard Health Blog. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-somatic-therapy-202307072951#:~:text=A%20somatic%20therapist%20helps%20people,but%20aren't%20household%20terms

Kharya, C. and Jaryal, A.K., 2015. ‘Effect of controlled breathing exercises on the psychological status and the cardiac autonomic tone: Sudarshan Kriya and Prana-Yoga’. ResearchGate. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chhaya-Kharya/publication/275357657_Effect_of_controlled_breathing_exercises_on_the_psychological_status_and_the_cardiac_autonomic_tone_Sudarshan_Kriya_and_Prana-Yoga/links/55c2421608aea2d9bdbfe4fa/Effect-of-controlled-breathing-exercises-on-the-psychological-status-and-the-cardiac-autonomic-tone-Sudarshan-Kriya-and-Prana-Yoga.pdf

Klatte, M.A. and Parker, D., 2020. ‘The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in reducing stress and anxiety among healthcare professionals: A systematic review’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(4), 1178. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7024865/

Reddy, K.S., Singh, M., Singh, R., and Singh, P., 2016. ‘Role of Yoga and Meditation in management of cardiovascular diseases’, National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 6(3), pp. 201-204. Available at: https://njppp.com/fulltext/28-1476538333.pdf

Seppälä, E.M., Nitschke, J.B., Tudorascu, D.L., Hayes, A., Goldstein, M.R., Nguyen, D.T., Perlman, D., Davidson, R.J. and Marquez, B.M., 2014. ‘Breathing-based meditation decreases posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in U.S. military veterans: A randomized controlled longitudinal study’, Journal of Traumatic Stress, 27(4), pp. 397-405. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4215954/

Sivaramakrishnan, D., Fitzsimons, C., Kelly, P., Ludwig, K., Mutrie, N., Saunders, D.H. and Baker, G., 2019. ‘The effects of yoga compared to active and inactive controls on physical function and health-related quality of life in older adults – systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials’, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 16(1), p. 1. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6971819/

TRANSITIONING VOICES 

Beilby, R., 2021. Singing and the premenstrual voice. Bast Training. Available at: https://www.basttraining.com/singing-and-the-premenstrual-voice/#:~:text=Often%20referred%20to%20as%20the,mucus%2C%20hoarseness%20and%20throat%20pain

Bos, A.H., Bozeman, J., 2022. Singing Through Change: Women’s Voices in Midlife, Menopause, and Beyond. National Association of Teachers of Singing. Available at: https://www.nats.org/_Library/ICVT_2022_Vienna_/Bos_AH_final.pdf

De Souza, F.L., Alves, D. and Oliveira, G., 2022. ‘Aging voice and menopause: A review of hormonal changes and vocal implications’, Musicae Scientiae, 27(2), pp. 234-247. Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10298649211047884

Gelfer, M.P., Schofield, K.J. and Ehrlich, R.S., 2013. ‘Intonation and gender perception: Applications for transgender speakers’. ResearchGate. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257461448_Intonation_and_Gender_Perception_Applications_for_Transgender_Speakers

Guimarães, I., Lopes, L.W., and Vieira, V., 2016. ‘Voice and hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle’, Journal of Voice, 30(6), pp. 765.e1-765.e8. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27234008/

Healthnews, 2023. Menopause and voice changes: What women need to know. Available at: https://healthnews.com/womens-health/menopause/menopause-and-voice-changes-what-women-need-to-know/

Kadakia, S., Carlson, D. and Sataloff, R.T., 2013. ‘The effect of hormones on the voice’, Journal of Singing, National Association of Teachers of Singing, May/June issue. Available at: https://www.nats.org/_Library/Kennedy_JOS_Files_2013/JOS-069-5-2013-571.pdf

Linville, L.J. and Redden, H.M., 2023. ‘The impact of pitch training on gender perception in transgender individuals’, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 66(6), pp. 2231-2245. Available at: https://pubs.asha.org/doi/full/10.1044/2023_JSLHR-23-00042

Meurer, M.C., Garcez, C.M., and Simões-Zenari, M., 2014. ‘Effects of hormonal changes on the voice in postmenopausal women: A literature review’, Journal of Voice, 28(3), pp. 396.e1-396.e8. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3991439/

Mount, H.K., Park, J.A. and Larson, K., 2023. ‘Evaluating the effectiveness of voice therapy in transgender male-to-female patients’, The Laryngoscope, 133(7), pp. 1604-1612. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lary.29281

Nursing in Practice, 2023. Menopause, confidence loss, and the voice. Available at: https://www.nursinginpractice.com/clinical/womens-health/menopause-confidence-loss-and-the-voice/

Reid, R., 2023. ‘3 common problems of singing through menopause’, Rebecca Reid Vocal Studio. Available at: https://www.rebeccareidvocalstudio.com/post/3-common-problems-of-singing-through-menopause

Reid, R., 2023. ‘Singing for menopausal women’, Rebecca Reid Vocal Studio. Available at: https://www.rebeccareidvocalstudio.com/post/singing-for-menopausal-women

Rousseau, B., Cohen, S.M., Ziegler, A. and Garrett, C.G., 2017. ‘Impact of menopause on the singing voice: A scoping review’, Journal of Voice, 31(6), pp. 683.e1-683.e8. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5568722/

Santos, T.M., Amaral, M.F., and Andrade, C.R.F., 2023. ‘Acoustic analysis of voice in transgender women’, Audiology - Communication Research, 28, e2322. Available at: https://www.scielo.br/j/acr/a/HhbqrNwXPhBnCGQ4bJGzN5c/?format=html&lang=en

Sharma, D.K., Kumar, V., and Gupta, M., 2019. ‘Voice feminization therapy for transgender women: A comprehensive approach’, International Journal of Head and Neck Surgery, 10(3), pp. 129-134. Available at: https://www.ijhns.com/doi/pdf/10.5005/jp-journals-10001-1448

Williams, N., 2015. ‘Vocal health during hormonal changes: A study of professional female singers’, CORE. Available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/41230355.pdf

Videos and Podcasts


Stef Sanjati Voice Training 101 (for trans women)  (2022) YouTube Video. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6eTvS2wIUc 

Trans Voice Lessons (Vivienne) Voice Training and the Myth of Opposition (2021) YouTube Video. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-Lj_aNOnQ0 

Trans Voice Lessons (Zheanna) MtF 5 Year Voice Transition Timeline  (2023) YouTube Video. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2txYhkmhVts 

Empowerment Solutions, 2024. From Panic to Peace: Harnessing the Parasympathetic Nervous System.  Dr. Friedemann Shaub, MD, PhD. Empowerment Solutions with Dr. Friedemann [podcast]. 24 July 2024. Available at: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/empowerment-solutions-with-dr-friedemann/id1490645122?i=1000657271986

The Biology of Trauma, 2024.  How Does Trauma manifest in the body? Interview with Dr. Gabor Mate. Interviewed by Dr. Amie Apigian. The Biology of Trauma with Dr. Aimie [podcast]. 3 August 2024. Available at: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-biology-of-trauma-with-dr-aimie/id1658593616?i=1000627185419

The Thinking Voice, 2024. The Phonotrauma Conversation. Discussion between Dr. Jenevorah Williams, Robert Sussuma, and Stephen King. The Thinking Voice [podcast]. 17 July 2024. Available at: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-thinking-voice/id1581567371?i=1000656364243

Visceral Voice Podcast, 2024.  Peri thru Post Menopause. Interview with Susan Eichhorn Young, Interviewed by Christine Schneider. The Visceral Voice Podcast . 14 July 2024. Available at: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-visceral-voice-podcast/id1460732338?i=1000650347656

About Lea Shaw

Lea Shaw is an award-winning Black/BIPOC Mezzo-soprano from Colorado. She now lives and works in Scotland as an Emerging Artist for Scottish Opera. An alumnus of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, she received her BMus with Distinction of the First Class, a Masters of Music, and a Masters of Opera from the Alexander Gibson Opera School, with the guidance of Helen Lawson, Susan Bullock, and Rachel Nicholls. 

An accomplished soloist in opera, concert and improvisation, she has performed both locally and worldwide with repertoire spanning from Handel and Bach’s oratorios and operas and the works of Mozart, Rossini, Purcell, Strauss, and Humperdinck, to the works of Britten, Korngold, Bernstein, Vaughan Williams, Ravel, Turnage, Eastman, and Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire and Maxwell Davies’ The Medium. She has worked with Marin Alsop, Martyn Brabbins, John Butt, Sir Andrew Davies, Sir Thomas Allen, and Dame Janet Baker, and has created works with Stuart Macrae and James Macmillan in close collaboration.   

As one Scottish Opera's Emerging Artists 2021-23, then Associate Artist 2023-24, she travelled Scotland with their Opera Highlights tour (Autumn 2021 and Spring 2024), and appeared on the main stage as Hermia (A Midsummer Night's Dream) The Neighbour (Mavra), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Paquette (Candide), Niña (Ainadamar), Suor Zelatrice (Suor Angelica), Mercedes (Carmen), and Flora (La Traviata). She is Scottish Opera's Education Artist in Residence for 2024-25.  

A sought-after contemporary musician and collaborative artist/storyteller, she is passionate about the ways in which music can instigate social change and start conversations about the problems we face in contemporary life. She collaborates regularly with living composers and artists to create new works and installations on these subjects. She creates immersive performance experiences that highlight the universal communicative nature of the human voice and draw light to the lesser spoken about aspects of living in the Anthropocene. Taking up the mantle of a role model for future generations of young Black and BIPOC musicians, she strives to make contemporary music and opera accessible to all.   

Read more about Lea on her website>>

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