In 1972, a leading European technical university - comparable to Cambridge’s M.I.T - teamed up with a group of American researchers and top voice coaches. This collaboration lasted for over fifteen years and focused on the goal of re-examining the foundations of both modern and traditional voice training. The results were astounding - for the first time we came to understand with precision and certainty what specific exercises, including the traditional Bel Canto Training, do, why they work and why others do not. This work created a complete set of tools that allows the singer to sing with much greater efficiency, a greater range of pitch and emotion and to stay on pitch without having to think about it. The Functional Voice Training method has produced singers whose voices have continually improved over time, enabling both perfect vocal health and a hugely extended career span.

Unlike many vocal therapy methods that provide damage control or injury recovery, Functional Voice Training focuses on building the best possible instrument, one that can musically and emotionally excite the audience and communicate with the greatest possible efficiency. The discovery of the singer formants lets us now explain and train the properties of the voice that create those magical moments when the listener feels truly touched and moved by the performance.