Ms Nicola Harrison
Hi, I’m a professional singer, author and vocal coach specialising in vocal anatomy, examining poetry and music interface in performance and creating original shows across text and musical genres. I am an Arts Council funded artist and my performance work has been commissioned by music festivals theatres and arts projects. I love the diversity of my creative and pedagogical output, and that Pembroke offers me the generous base to widen that into research projects and invention. I collaborate with other universities and music colleges to evolve motor training programmes for singers. I'm also a university lecturer and teacher trainer.
Nicola Harrison, mezzo-soprano, is a passionate teacher of singing with a strong interest in all aspects of singing and performance from anatomy to artistry, and all that lies between. Her unique portfolio of skills in vocal, literary, medical, musical and pedagogical disciplines, and her joint expertise as both a creative and an academic writer come together in the Embodima system.
With specialisms in anatomy, ENT and voice clinic following a degree in Nursing, a second degree in English from University of Oxford , PGCE and MA in Education and career as singer, performer and vocal pedagogue, her research into the vocal instrument, focusing on clarifying the language we use to teach singing and the use of imagery in accessing the muscles of vocal support has been presented nationally and internationally
Her specialism in poetry and music was fostered by an MA in English Literature and has led to an extensive portfolio of original writing, with multiple shows of words, song and music arranged for small bands and ensembles, a touring company, and two published books of poetry. She is much in demand as both a singer and performance poet, with Arts Council funded tours and collaborations with outstanding artists.
She has written two books about poetry and music for singers – The Wordsmith’s Guide: Poetry, Music and Imagination. For many years she wrote a personal column in The Singer and Classical Music Magazine about poetry and music and performance. As a former journalist she has also written for other music-related media such as British Music magazine, BBC History magazine, and a plethora of newspapers, journals and radio on matters of words and music.
Nicola co-wrote the vocal anatomy book ‘A Singer’s Guide to the Larynx’ with neuroanatomist Dr Alan Watson, with whom she collaborated in her extensive 10 year research programme into motor training for singers, with support from University of Oxford, University of Wales, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. This research was the basis for two cutting edge motor training programmes (Embodima TM and The Embotube) for singers that are now being used across the world.
She is currently retained Lecturer in Singing and Interpretation at Pembroke College Oxford, where she teaches singing to music undergraduates and graduates with a strong focus on vocal anatomy and technique. Previous students have won international prizes, scholarships, Olivier Awards, performed at the Royal Variety show, sung in a private audience for the Queen and had Oscar nominations. She has also taught the students of several Oxford University choirs, and was involved in setting up the singing course at the Billy Elliot Academy in Leeds, and teaching the Billy Elliot boys for 5 years in Leeds and London at LSMT.
AUTHOR of The Wordsmith’s Guide to English Song Vols 1 & 2 2016
Author of The Singer’s Guide to the Larynx 2020
Author of The Becoming 2018
Ms Nicola Harrison
Hi, I’m a professional singer, author and vocal coach specialising in vocal anatomy, examining poetry and music interface in performance and creating original shows across text and musical genres. I am an Arts Council funded artist and my performance work has been commissioned by music festivals theatres and arts projects. I love the diversity of my creative and pedagogical output, and that Pembroke offers me the generous base to widen that into research projects and invention. I collaborate with other universities and music colleges to evolve motor training programmes for singers. I'm also a university lecturer and teacher trainer.
Nicola Harrison, mezzo-soprano, is a passionate teacher of singing with a strong interest in all aspects of singing and performance from anatomy to artistry, and all that lies between. Her unique portfolio of skills in vocal, literary, medical, musical and pedagogical disciplines, and her joint expertise as both a creative and an academic writer come together in the Embodima system.
With specialisms in anatomy, ENT and voice clinic following a degree in Nursing, a second degree in English from University of Oxford , PGCE and MA in Education and career as singer, performer and vocal pedagogue, her research into the vocal instrument, focusing on clarifying the language we use to teach singing and the use of imagery in accessing the muscles of vocal support has been presented nationally and internationally
Her specialism in poetry and music was fostered by an MA in English Literature and has led to an extensive portfolio of original writing, with multiple shows of words, song and music arranged for small bands and ensembles, a touring company, and two published books of poetry. She is much in demand as both a singer and performance poet, with Arts Council funded tours and collaborations with outstanding artists.
She has written two books about poetry and music for singers – The Wordsmith’s Guide: Poetry, Music and Imagination. For many years she wrote a personal column in The Singer and Classical Music Magazine about poetry and music and performance. As a former journalist she has also written for other music-related media such as British Music magazine, BBC History magazine, and a plethora of newspapers, journals and radio on matters of words and music.
Nicola co-wrote the vocal anatomy book ‘A Singer’s Guide to the Larynx’ with neuroanatomist Dr Alan Watson, with whom she collaborated in her extensive 10 year research programme into motor training for singers, with support from University of Oxford, University of Wales, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. This research was the basis for two cutting edge motor training programmes (Embodima TM and The Embotube) for singers that are now being used across the world.
She is currently retained Lecturer in Singing and Interpretation at Pembroke College Oxford, where she teaches singing to music undergraduates and graduates with a strong focus on vocal anatomy and technique. Previous students have won international prizes, scholarships, Olivier Awards, performed at the Royal Variety show, sung in a private audience for the Queen and had Oscar nominations. She has also taught the students of several Oxford University choirs, and was involved in setting up the singing course at the Billy Elliot Academy in Leeds, and teaching the Billy Elliot boys for 5 years in Leeds and London at LSMT.
AUTHOR of The Wordsmith’s Guide to English Song Vols 1 & 2 2016
Author of The Singer’s Guide to the Larynx 2020
Author of The Becoming 2018