Exciting news: Enrolment is open for BAST’s new course, a vocational diploma that will give you the confidence to teach professionally in the classroom, at a performing arts school or in your own studio.
BAST Training is best known for its flagship 20-Hour course, which covers the fundamentals of singing teaching.
Over the past 11 years, hundreds of people have completed the 20-Hour course. Many have gone on to develop successful coaching careers, such as Josh Alamu (whose clients include Rita Ora and Little Mix) and Nicole Gill. Other past students combine vocal coaching with performing, such as Denosh Bennett (backing vocalist for Robbie Williams) and West End performer Hannah Lindsey.
Building on this international success, BAST is now introducing a second course for people wanting to study singing teaching in greater depth – the Level 5 Extended Diploma for Creative Industries Practitioners (Teaching).
BAST founder Line Hilton recently shared details of the new course on the Singing Teachers Talk podcast. Here’s a rundown of what she had to say.
What is BAST’s Level 5 Extended Diploma for Creative Industries (Teaching)?
It’s a vocational qualification equivalent to second year university (120 credits). The course consists of six units, each taking 11 weeks to complete, although you can study more than one unit at a time.
The awarding body for the Level 5 Extended Diploma is RSL Awards.
What subjects does the new singing teaching course cover?
The wide-ranging course covers vocal anatomy and physiology, teaching strategies and lesson planning, health and wellbeing, group and collaborative teaching, developing a career portfolio, business development and marketing, and much, much more!
Do you need a qualification to teach singing?
In short, no. “The singing teaching sector is unregulated, so you could go out and start teaching without anything behind you,” Line says.
“But nowadays, a lot of performing arts schools are looking for people who have a qualification. Obviously, if you’re going for a teaching job and you have a singing teaching qualification, you’ll probably have the edge over someone who doesn’t.”
For many singers, it’s also a matter of confidence. They feel a duty of care towards their students and want to feel confident that their teaching methods are safe, especially when working with young or sick voices.
Who is the new course aimed at?
“It’s aimed at singers who want to become great singing teachers,” Line says. “It’s for those who want to understand how to take a good history, assess the voice, and care for the voice.
“If you want to do classroom teaching, workshops or collaborative work, it’s for you. It’s also for people who are not quite sure what direction they want their career to take. They’ll get the opportunity to explore the possibilities out there for a singer and singing teacher and how that might work for them.
“It’s also for people who want to understand better how to build a successful business. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how great you are as a teacher, if nobody knows about you, then they’re not going to come, and you’re not going to earn any income.”
What experience do you need to sign up for the course?
The Level 5 course is not suitable for beginner singers. “It’s for anybody with several years of singing experience behind them,” Line says.
“It’s also for people who want to fill in gaps. Maybe they have good knowledge in one area but don’t know how to teach in the classroom setting. Or maybe they understand certain principles about teaching voice, but there are gaps in their knowledge that they want to fill.”
How is the course delivered?
Teaching is online through a platform called Canvas. Each unit involves 10 guided learning hours a week.
Is the new qualification suitable for people who have completed BAST’s 20-Hour course?
The new course will build on what’s in the 20-Hour course. If you’ve done the 20-Hour course in the past few years, BAST will take the price of that course off the course fees for the Level 5 qualification.
Is the 20-Hour course still available?
You betcha! “We’re not stopping the 20-Hour course. The new course is an addition for people who want to go down a more formal route.”
Learn more
Listen to Line’s full interview on the Singing Teachers Talk podcast.
Read more
Discover more about the Level 5 qualification here.
Talk to BAST Training
If you’d like to talk to someone about the new course, email us at info@basttraining.com to arrange a time for a telephone chat or complete this application form.
