Dr. Kari Ragan, is a voice teacher and rehab specialist, Master Teacher for National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Intern Program, co-founder of Northwest Voice Conference. She joins Alexa to discuss NATS’ mission, benefits of membership, and the upcoming conference. Also, insights on NATS International Congress of Voice Teachers 2025

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) supports singing teachers with resources, networking, and professional development, promoting excellence in vocal instruction through conferences, workshops, publications, and certification programs.
• NATS Chat offers live online discussions for voice teachers and singers on diverse topics like vocal technique, repertoire, teaching, and business strategies. Hosted by NATS member Kari Ragan, it features prominent guests from the industry.
• The International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT), is a global event facilitated by NATS and other associations, offers masterclasses and sessions for voice teachers worldwide. The next event is ICVT Toronto 2025, hosted by NATS, The Royal Conservatory, and University of Toronto Faculty of Music, from July 31 to August 3.

BEST MOMENTS 

“It’s where I came out of the mindset of wanting to be a singer to wanting to be a teacher”

“We believe in moving the profession forward”

“It can be so overwhelming with what we’re expected to know nowadays”

EPISODE RESOURCES 

Guest Website:

• KariRagan.com

Social Media:

• Facebook: @Voice Studio of Dr. Kari Ragan

Relevant Links & Mentions: 

• National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS): nats.org
• NATS International Congress of Voice Teachers Conference 2025: nats.org/icvt2025.html
• NATS Chat Archives: nats.org/nats-chat-transcript-archive.html
• NATS Chat Youtube Platform: youtube.com/officialnats
• The work of Scott McCoy
• Kerrie Obert: obertvoicestudios.com/ & portal.getvocal-now.com/pages/home
• The work of Dr Marco Guzman 
• The Efficacy of Vocal Cool-down Exercises by Dr Kari Ragan: kariragan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/The-Efficacy-of-Vocal-Cool-Down-Exercises-JOS-2018.pdf
• The work of Lynn Helding: lynnhelding.com
• The work of Lynn Maxfield  
• The work of Marci Rosenberg: marci-rosenberg.com
• The work of Leda Scearce
• The work of Peggy Baroody
• The work of Karen Brunssen 
• So You Want to Sing Musical Theatre by Amanda Flynn 
• A Systematic Approach to Voice: The Art of Studio Application by Dr Kari Ragan
• Singing Voice Rehabilitation: A Guide for the Voice Teacher and Speech-Language Pathologist by Karen Wicklund 
• NorthWest Voice: NWVoice.org
• The work of Martin Nevdahl 
• The work of Albert L Merati 
• The work of Dr Ingo Titze
• Dr H Steven Sims
• John Henny: johnhenny.com
• The Fall Voice Conference: fallvoice.org
• The Voice Foundation: voicefoundation.org
• Pan American Vocology Association (PAVA): pavavocology.org
• The work of Ian Howell 
• Vocology in Practice: vocologyinpractice.org
• (Podcast) Singing Teachers Talk Podcast: 154 Managing Imposter Syndrome, Low Confidence and Overwhelm as Singing Teachers with Alexa Terry:linktr.ee/basttraining?utm_source & youtube.com/@SingingTeachersTalk/videos

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ABOUT THE GUEST 

Kari Ragan, DMA, MM, BM, is an accomplished singing voice rehabilitation specialist and educator. With numerous awards and affiliations, including the University of Washington Laryngology program, she’s known for her book “A Systematic Approach to Voice ” and co-founding the Northwest Voice Conference.