Jean McClelland will teach Awakening Your True Voice: Health and Vitality through Better Breathing, live on Zoom on six consecutive Mondays, November 1 through December 7, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at The Open Center. Anyone interested in learning more about the course can attend a free intro session on October 24 at 6 p.m. 

“There is no greater joy than to use our voices in a way that is powerful, spontaneous and fully expressive,” McClelland says. “Developing a physical understanding of voice and breath support helps us release inhibiting vocal and physical tension to become more musical singers and more engaging speakers.” 

In her course, students discover a voice that is spontaneous and free while strengthening their breathing, body, and voice through the integration of the Alexander Technique with Carl Stough’s Principles of Breathing Coordination. 

“This virtual course creates a supportive environment in which self-consciousness dissolves and your true voice emerges,” she says. “Singing of easy folk songs and spirituals and spoken text will help you experience the joy of self-expression.” 

There is no vocal experience necessary to enroll in Awakening Your True Voice. In fact, McClelland calls it “the perfect course for those who have been told they cannot sing or who have lost their joy of singing or who experience vocal fatigue, tension, hoarseness or who suffer from conditions such as spasmodic dysphonia.” It’s also beneficial for those with breathing problems and conditions such as asthma, shortness of breath, COPD or sleep apnea, she says.

For registration and information, visit