About Nicola

Teacher and Director

Director of the Embodima School and originator of the evidence-based motor training system for singers in training, Nicola is a multi-facetted practitioner with extensive cross-disciplinary training and a deep skill set across singing, language, performance, medicine, anatomy and body-based practice. As well as music, she has literary and medical backgrounds and is an expert pedagogue with both PGCE, PCE and an MA in Education.

Nicola has had a fantastic teaching career working with some truly great singers and performers, being the vocal coach at Billy Elliot the Musical for 10 years (Leeds and London). She is currently Lecturer in Song at Pembroke College Oxford. Previously she has been the vocal coach at Oxford Brookes University, at Sheffield University, at Westminster College of Educatio and at Brasenose College and Exeter College choirs, Oxford

She has run courses for lecturers in speech, language, presentation and performance skills, mentored and trained speakers in a variety of languages, and was the Oxford Summer Schools lecturer in speech and presentation. She has lectured and workshopped at numerous voice organisations in the UK and abroad (Oxford May Music, Three Choirs Festival, Tetbury Music Festival and more) and presented her research at voice conferences nationally and internationally.

Writing

Nicola has written two books about poetry and music for singers – The Wordsmith’s Guide: Poetry, Music and Imagination. For many years she was a columnist in The Singer and Classical Music magazines. As a former journalist she has also written for other music-related media such as British Music magazine, BBC History magazine, and a variety of newspapers, journals, BBC and local radio on matters of words and music.

Nicola co-wrote the anatomy book ‘A Singer’s Guide to the Larynx’ with Dr Alan Watson and, after 12 years’ testing, research and study, was able to complete the Embodima_^TM protocol, course and workbook.

She has written and directed a number of shows and is an Art Council-funded performer.

Find out more at: www.nicolaharrison.co.uk

Students

Her students continue to win international prizes, scholarships, and have won Olivier Awards, MBE and BEM awards, performed at the Royal Variety show, had Oscar nominations, toured the world, and sung in a private audience with the late Queen. Some are now starring actors and actresses with major film careers. She has worked in senior schools, community groups such as the WEA, University of Sheffield and Further and Higher Ed (Oxford). She has also worked in the public and private sector with young professional singers, adults, the elderly, students with extreme learning difficulties or with dyslexia, dyspraxia and ASD. She has a thriving teaching practice and teaches in London and globally online.

Academic

Oxford University – English BA, MA

BSc in Nursing at Westminster Hospital, specialism ENT, Voice Clinic

PGCE, PCE and MA in Education, Oxford Brookes University

Scholarships: Sonnebourne Singing Scholarship, Leaver’s Scholarship, Major County Award (City of London), Wolfson Prize for academic excellence (Westminster Hospital)

Embodima

Embodima began in 2011 when Nicola started researching the anatomical connections between voice and body in the hugely physical act of singing. Curious to find a way of activating muscle coordinations that are not under our conscious control, she began a research programme that looked at the neuroscience of singing at UCH, then dug deep into functional anatomy with Dr Alan Watson at Cardiff University, with long periods spent in the human dissection labs, looking at the shape and direction of muscles, and in the brain labs discussing and setting up ways to test muscle activity in singers. Preliminary work with the Embodima visual cues and gestures was piloted by the world–leading choir Cantamus, volunteers from Schola Cantorum and other Oxford University choirs. Some of these choirs also provided subjects for the preliminary tests at UCH, with volunteers from ENO, and later RWCMD.

From here, Nicola went on to the full scientific testing of Embodima, working with neuroscientists and anatomists Dr Alan Watson, Professor Damon Hoad, with input from Professors John Stein and John Rothwell.