Welcome to the world’s first and only certification program that offers training in teaching, singing and Alexander Technique!
Dear Fellow Teacher,
On behalf of our entire faculty, let me say thank you for your interest in the TVF Foundations Teacher Certification Program!
This rigorous yet flexible training program for voice teachers, vocal coaches, choral educators, Alexander teachers (and trainees) consists of applying the ground-breaking discoveries of F.M. Alexander (the originator of the Alexander Technique) to teaching, singing, learning and performing. The program offers three sequential levels of training for teachers:
During each level of training you be empowered to give your teaching and singing gifts generously and freely to the world by learning how to remove the interfering factors (whether they be physical, mental or emotional) that get in the way of joyful teaching and connected singing. By the end of the program, you will possess a rich and varied set of practical tools that will allow you and your students to experience greater freedom, ease and confidence in any teaching, singing or life situation.
Since launching this program (which was previously known as TVF Pro), it’s been thrilling to watch our students make surprising and unexpected discoveries about what’s possible with their teaching and singing. I am extremely proud of our students and how they are awakening to the fullest version of their most authentic creative selves, as teaching and vocal artists.
On this page you will find information about the curriculum, what the program entails and how certification works. If you are excited by what you see here, I invite you to join us for our next training.
To Your Teaching Success!
With Music & Love, Peter Jacobson Founder & Executive Director Total Vocal Freedom for Singers
The TVF Foundations Teacher Certification Program will benefit many areas of your life:
Rachel Sitomer Program Graduate (TVF Pro) Singer & Voice Teacher in Annapolis, Maryland
NOTE: Only Level I is being offered at this time. Level II & III will be offered in late 2020 or early 2021.
This program will train you as a TVF Foundations Certified Teacher in 3 levels and will allow you to use any and all TVF Alexander techniques, methods, and exercises. Your Level I certification will mean that you have a basic yet solid intellectual and practical understanding of F.M. Alexander’s discoveries and their application to teaching.
This program does not qualify you as a teacher of the Alexander Technique.
However, the TVF Pro Teacher Training Program, which is by application and invitation only, does provide additional levels of training beyond this program that lead to becoming a fully-certified TVF Pro Alexander teacher. In order to be eligible for this program, you must have at least completed Level I of the TVF Foundations Teacher Certification Program.
NOTE: Each level will be relatively the same cost as Level I (i.e. the price will not increase dramatically for Level II and III)
Program Scholarships – Limited scholarships funding is available. If you're interested in being considered for a scholarship, please send us a message.
If you have questions, please reach out to us. We're here to help!
Start a chat with us on Facebook!
Prefer to send an email? No problem!
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The TVF Foundations Certification Program (Old)https://totalvocalfreedom.com/tvf-foundations-certification-program/ Tue, 28 Mar 2017 17:13:10 +0000
https://totalvocalfreedom.com/?page_id=24698 <![CDATA[
"In just one level, my voice has been transformed from what it was. I relish the fact that this is only the beginning of those transformations. Now I have so much joy in creating music with my voice and I look forward to what the next level of change will be!”
Midge McMoyer Smith Program Graduate Singer & Teacher in Houston, Texas
Dear Fellow Singer and/or Teacher,
Thank you for your interest in the TVF Foundations Certification Program (formerly known as TVF Pro)!
This rigorous yet flexible training program is for voice teachers, vocal coaches, choral educators, and singers (of all levels) to help you dramatically improve the quality of your singing and teaching and connect you to your deeper purpose as a singer, performer and vocal educator. The core of the program consists of applying the ground-breaking discoveries of F.M. Alexander (the originator of the Alexander Technique) to singing, learning, teaching and performing. The TVF Foundations Certification Program, which combines the convenience of online coursework with the power and impact of live training, offers three sequential levels of training:
During each level of training you be empowered to give your musical gifts generously and freely to the world by learning how to remove the interfering factors (whether they be physical, mental or emotional) that get in the way of connected and joyful singing and teaching. By the end of the program, you will possess a rich and varied set of practical tools that will allow you to experience greater freedom, ease and confidence in any situation you encounter in your singing practice, teaching and life.
Since launching this program, it’s been thrilling to watch our students make surprising and unexpected discoveries about what’s possible with their singing and teaching. I am extremely proud of our students and how they are awakening to the fullest version of their most authentic creative selves.
On this page you will find information about the Foundations curriculum, what the program entails and how certification works. If you are excited by what you read here, I invite you to register for our online course or join us at one our upcoming live trainings.
To Your Singing and Teaching Success!
With Music and Love,
Peter Jacobson Founder & Executive Director Total Vocal Freedom for Singers
NOTE: Level II & III are not being offered at this time. Level II will be offered in mid-2020 and Level III in late 2020.
There are two main parts to each level of the program: online coursework and live training. See below for more specific certification requirements. There are two ways to participate in our live trainings:
Same curriculum, same faculty, different setting and structure (the workshops & retreats are longer periods of time and include meals & lodging).
These training weekends will follow this schedule:
Register Now for a 3-Day Live Training Weekend
Jillian Finnamore Program Graduate Singer & Voice Teacher in Berlin, Germany
The TVF Foundations Certification Training Program will benefit many areas of your life:
Rachel Sitomer Program Graduate Singer & Voice Teacher in Annapolis, Maryland
Level I is about learning and applying the foundational principles of TVF Alexander work to singing, teaching and other activities of living.
This level will form the basis for all other work you do in TVF.
The overarching goal is to for you to discover the magnificent design of the total mind-body-voice system in order to get the most out of your singing, teaching and life.
You will learn:
In this event, like all TVF programs, you will be learning Integrative Alexander Technique, meaning that you will mainly learn the foundational principles experientially in movement and activity. This is a key distinction for those that have only had traditional chair-and-table Alexander lessons.
Required readings for this level are: Your Body, Your Voice by Ted Dimon and Body Learning by Michael Gelb.
Here is a basic outline of the Level I Live curriculum:
"I have become aware of movements I have made my entire life and how wonderful and amazing our bodies are. I have found as I delve into this new way of thinking, or relearning my body map, that there so many more parts to it than I was aware. The body is truly an amazing design and I am excited to keep exploring!”
Jamey Ruiz McClellan Program Graduate Singer & Voice Teacher in Vancouver, Washington
Philosopher John Dewey was a student of F.M. Alexander and said that the Alexander Technique, “…bears the same relation to education that education itself bears to all other human activities.”
In other words, the Alexander Technique is a powerful tool that you can use to powerfully enhance your own learning, allowing you to become a more facile and effective learner of any skill or activity. In this level you will learn a conscious and constructive approach to learning in which “how” you do something is as important as “what” you do, dramatically increasing the effectiveness of your practice time.
In addition, you will explore some of the latest research from the field of neuroscience that shows how the brain’s ability to change itself (known as brain plasticity) can benefit your practicing and performing.
“This was a really useful level for me, as I was able to realize that I can chunk my practice time into something useful regardless of how much time I have in a day, and it ‘counts’. I often placed a lot of pressure on myself to be super thorough in my practice and if I didn’t follow my own method, I would get upset with myself and then avoid practice altogether. For me, learning how to focus on the parts of a particular song or memorization that I’m finding difficult to get maximum results (the whole 80/20 principle), was HUGE. I now practice something every day (based on my own priorities of what is coming up for me) and have developed pretty good habits in how to learn music. I no longer judge myself if I am not feeling well and can’t sing per say, but there is always something I can do to move myself forward as a singer, whether it be watching videos of great singers, reading, translating, thinking about dramatic intent and character or the nuggets of wisdom that my many teachers have instilled in me as a singer. I also find days where my voice isn’t feeling great, that I can speak rhythms, think about my coordination and do many other things that help me learn the music.”
Melanie Anderson Program Graduate Singer & Voice Teacher in Ottawa, Canada
We all know the feeling of watching a great performer in action. It’s a magical thing, where time stops and the world stands still.
The question is – are greater performers born or made? Though some people are natural born performers, the truth is that anyone can grow into a great musical communicator by nurturing a set of performance skills that are innate within all human beings.
During this level, we will take the mystery out of performing and learn skills to consistently perform at peak levels while connecting with the audience on a deeper, more profound level. You will also learn how to create, develop and refine constructive performance plans in your singing practice that will reliably support you to realize your goals and desires in any performing situation.
`You will also learn how to combine total mind-body-voice awareness with a deep and practical understanding of how to use the music itself as a guide towards psychophysical and creative freedom. You will discover how great musical artists coordinate their entire selves to create freedom and beauty in sound regardless of style or genre.
“In this level, I feel like I finally started to feel like I maybe I know what I’m doing when I audition. (Imagine that!) Tapping into my desire to sing was a key step that I had been missing. Obviously, I knew that I loved singing, but that was never my main thought when I went to sing before a panel of judges. Renewing that desire, and realizing that I had a choice of whether or not to sing at all made it much more clear to me that this is what I want to be doing. When I allowed myself to feel that love and to truly want to communicate it, I actually enjoyed auditioning! Yes, auditioning can be frustrating, but like Alexander realized, “his desire was stronger than his frustrations.” Also, allowing myself to feel “performance readiness” rather than trying to shut that off has helped tremendously. Before, I had felt that nervousness and immediately thought that I shouldn’t feel that way and tried with all my might to not be nervous. Clearly, that doesn’t work. Starting to learn how to turn “performance anxiety” into “performance readiness” was pretty life-changing for me.”
–Rachel Sitomer, Soprano and TVF Pro Graduate
NOTE: Level II & III are not being offered at this time but will follow the same basic certification structure as Level I.
This 15-class course will help you lay a solid foundation for lasting vocal freedom. You’ll learn the foundations principles of the TVF Alexander approach and the practical application of those principles to singing, performing, teaching or anything in your life that’s important to you. Class recordings of course, which took place in January 2020, are ready and available for you to watch at anytime.
You have two options to meet your Level I live training requirement:
The live trainings are designed to help you deepen the work you do in your online classes by giving you a 3-dimensional, in-person experience of the Level I curriculum. You will have the opportunity to work with TVF faculty to practically apply TVF Foundations principles to your singing and performing. This will include the added benefit of touch communication, a powerful aspect of TVF Alexander work. These weekend trainings are not only designed to be educational but a whole lot of fun too as we usually include some sort of fun group social activity, such as attending an opera, musical, concert, or comedy club.
See the "Upcoming Level I Live Trainings" near the top of the page for more information about dates, locations and schedules for our current live training weekends.
To receive your Level I certification there will be a few other requirements to complete:
If you have questions about the TVF Foundations Certification Program, send us a message.
This program will train you as a TVF-Certified Singer, Coach and Teacher and will allow you to use any and all TVF techniques, methods, and exercises. Your certification will mean that you have an intellectual and practical understanding of the F.M. Alexander’s discoveries (along with the other program topics to study) and their direct application to the art and craft of singing and voice teaching.
This program does not qualify you as a teacher of the Alexander Technique.
However, the TVF Pro Teacher Training Program does provide additional levels of training beyond this program that lead to becoming a TVF Alexander teacher.
The TVF Foundations Certification Program are both prerequisites and requirements to join further levels of training and so the transition will be smooth and seamless.
NOTE: Each level will be relatively the same cost as Level I (i.e. the price will not increase dramatically for Level II and III) There are three components to your TVF Foundations Level I Certification Tuition:
The cost for the TVF Online Foundations Course – Level I is $295. How to Save $100: You can bundle the live training weekend and the online Foundations course and save $100 (choose this option at checkout).
These fees vary depending on if your choose to do a 3-day training weekend or participate in a retreat The training weekends are $895. How to Save $250: If you register before March 1st, you can get the early-bird discount of $250.
When you are ready to take your 30-minute assessment you will pay a $100 assessment fee. How to Save $50: The first 20 people to go through Level I will get a 50% reduction of their assessment fee.
NOTE: This amount does NOT include travel, lodging and meals (lodging and meals are included in the winter/summer workshops & retreats). We offer many special deals and offers so though this is the "sticker price" you will likely not pay this full amount (especially if you register early).
Limited scholarships funding is available. If you're interested in being considered for a scholarship, please send us a message.
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