Current Director, The Art of Voice.Performer, Session Singer, AMEB examiner for Singing, SFL, Classical and Musical Theatre
Australia Freelance Voice Projects, Studio Sessions, ANU Magic Lantern Project, Music Theatre Projects Ltd - Millicent Armstrong Play Readings, Associate lecturer in Singing Performance, University of Newcastle NSW (Conservatoire), Australia.
Recent UK position/s(until 18/10/13 Associate lecturer in Singing Performance & Voice, PATS/Guildford School of ActingUniversity of SurreyVoice trainer –Presentation & Voice, Resonance Voice Training, LondonPhD p/t student, PATS, University of Surrey, UKSinging tutor –National Youth Choirs of GB
Qualifications PhD (current/pending) Macquarie University NSWMRes (Macquarie University) Singing with technologyMAVS (Central School of Speech and Drama) Voice & SingingPGCE 7307, Teaching Certificate, Stage 1, Fareham College, HampshirePG Dip Opera - Royal College of MusicARCM performance Diploma - SingingRCM undergraduate music performance certificateCMV New York – Jeanie LoVetri (Facilitator/teacher)Estill voice training systems
Performance Experience International Singer / actor / recording artist with various Companies / Concerts / Festivals / Radio and Television in the UK / Europe and Australia, to include; Artichoke Productions http://diningwithalice.co.uk/the-show/, Sky Arts, Salisbury Festival, Lumiere & Son Theatre Company, Kingston Festival of the Voice, Henley Festival, New English Opera, Spaghetti Opera Fleet Street, Pavilion Opera, Opera South, Surrey Opera Group, Three Choirs Festival, Royal Albert Hall, Martina Franca Opera Festival, Channel 4 TV, BBC TV, ICA London, Australian Opera, Queensland Theatre Company, Opera Queensland, La Boite Theatre, Meryl Tankard Dance Company ABC, Brisbane Festival, Sydney Festival, ABC TV, SBS TV, Australia.
Teaching Experience Singing tutor P/T Jazz & CMM (1991-94) Southern Cross University, Lismore NSWSinging tutor PT – Jazz & CMM (1994-97) Queensland Conservatorium of Music, AustraliaSinging, Voice & Performance tutor PT (1998-2000) Fareham College, UKSinging Performance Associate, MA performance supervision PT (2002-07) Kingston Upon Thames UniversitySinging Performance and music tutor PT (2003-05) ACM GuildfordSinging/voice tutor PATS University of Surrey inc. Guildford School of Acting (2003-13) (teaching undergraduate music, singing /phonetics/performance & masters music theatre / acting)Phonetics tutor (2005-08) Vocal Process-Kayes/FisherVoice trainer (2008- current) Resonance Voice Training LTD www.resonancevoice.com Voice & Accent Associate (2011-13) GSA University of SurreyVoice/singing tutor, UON Newcastle (2013-17)AMEB Examiner- NSW and ACT
Teaching areas Jazz / Classical / Music Theatre / Contemporary popular singing tuitionPostgraduate research supervision MA Voice teachingAccent training and phoneticsPerformance theory and practicePractice-based research (performance)Singing performance master classes
Membership of Professional Bodies British Voice Association (full)British Actors EquityAustralian Actors Equity (past)ANATS & AVA (full)NATS
Research interests Vocal performance & teachingVocal pedagogyVoice physiologyVoice and accent coachingInteractive multimedia performanceVoice computer analysisVoice studies focusing on affect utterance
Current / Recent Projects Solo Voice Album Frank Millward SongsMagic Lantern Project, National Art School conference performance, collaboration with ANU Art School, Voice ArtistPACT Martin Del Almo Voice Coaching Magpie Memories Voice Coach/co-director, loopingLooping in a Post Pop idiom – working with TC Helicon / foot pedal on Art SongThe Museum of Hope – experimental jazz fusion ensemble (2016-) Frank Millward and Ray Alldridg Conversations with my Voice- a one-woman performance, collaboration with Professor Roderick Millward (composer / technical) Kingston Upon Thames University, using digital media analysis of the vocal folds as a part of my current PhD research. (Performances at the Brisbane Festival and Northern New South Wales –October 2012) The Visual Voice - a collaborative project with ENT consultant Mr John Rubin and Professor Roderick Millward- investigates the working possibilities of the MAX/MSP Jitter interface applications for presenting works that explore ideas about affect utterance, the voice and live interactive abstract audio-visual representation in performance. Works produced include - From Anger To Sadness #1, #2, #3, #4. See - www.thevisualvoice.co.uk From Anger to Sadness –see previous Hendon School London, June 2012, collaborative vocal coach on community site specific performance
Publications, Article & Reviews THESIS – MQ Uni MRes Singing and technologyANATS studio article for AV magazine 2017/18Springer - The Visceral Voice: breath and the politics of vocalisation, Springer, New York. Co-authored with Professor Millward 2016BVA review article ‘I see a voice; practical acoustics for singing’ membership magazine (2012)ISM concert reviews, ISM members magazine, Yehudi Menuhin Platform Concerts (2009-10)THESIS – CSSD London ‘Sung accent/dialect in Music TheatreAcademy of Contemporary Music (ACM) Guildford in-house published courses in music aural, theory and music listening (2004-06)Book review – Kayes ‘Singing and the Actor’ ANATS Australia magazine (2003)
Commissioned works – collaboration
Brisbane Festival of the Arts, Australia (2012)Conversations with my Voice – Multimedia performance (one woman show)
Arts Council Kingston - (2009) ‘The Visual Voice’ Interactive Multimedia voice activated installation Picker Gallery – performer.
National Review of Live Art Glasgow - (2009) ‘From Anger to Sadness #3’ Interactive multimedia performance work for solo soprano and projections -performer.
Net Vo Tech - (2007)‘From Anger To Sadness #1’ for Chamber Choir and Solo Soprano and Multimedia Projections York University -performer.
Arts Council Kingston - (2007) ‘The Lament of Lucy Vaughn-Harding’ a Song cycle for Soprano and Piano – Festival of the Voice – performer, co-writer text.
Awards / funding / competitions
ABC – PhD performance funding - UNIS (2012)
Arts Council Kingston - (2007) ‘The Lament of Lucy Vaughn-Harding’ a Song cycle for Soprano and Piano – Festival Of The Voice - Heather Keens text / performer. Co-funding with composer Professor Roderick Millward
Sempre Award – York Pas 3-(2006)
Finalist Van Lawrence Award – British Voice Association (2002)
Australia Council Grant-European Concert Tour of songs by Australian composers (1993)
Finalist Metropolitan Opera Award, Sydney Australia (1988)
Arts Council of Great Britain ‘Henry and Lily Davis’ Funding – Norina / Don Pasquale (1984)
H.C.C. scholarship for post-graduate Opera studies (1980 - 82)
Austrian Government Scholarship to study Lieder at the Saltzburg Mozarteum (1981)
Clytie Mundy Song Prize RCM
Major Van Someren Godfrey Memorial prize RCM (1980)
Dorothy Silk Singing Prize RCM (1979)
Gilbenkian"Junior Exhibition " Scholarship Hampshire County Council (1968)
Conference Papers and Conference Performance and Interviews
Operatic voice and Looping-(2019) ANATS CONFERENCE
The Visceral Voice - Breath and the Politics of Vocalization – (2016) Co-author – Professor Roderick (Frank) Millward, HCI International Conference, Toronto, Canada
The pedagogical approaches and adaptions used, when working with a
young, male, visually impaired from birth, singing student, in a one-to-one studio situation – (2016)
Working with Voice and Singing in Music Theatre training, using the 'Wobble Board' for key postural and breath awareness techniques in dynamic neuromuscular stabilization and balance for effective voicing.
(2015) WAAPA< Perth. The inaugural Asia Pacific conference, Australasian Overtures.
Conversations with my Voice - (2012) Multi-media performance at Surrey University, Social Studies and Arts Digital Media Conference, UK & Brisbane festival Fringe Australia
Interview with a Diva - (2011) ANATS Conference Australia - Featured conference interviewer with Lisa Gasteen OA
From Anger To Sadness #4 - (2011) Multimedia work for solo soprano & projections 2011 – presented as a performance at TaPRA (Theatre and Performance Research Association) conference Kingston University
From Anger To Sadness #2 – (2007) Goldsmiths University Intimacy Conference - Multimedia work for solo soprano and double screen projections
Singing in accent- PAS3-06 (2006) voice conference paper, York – Professor David Howard York University
From Anger To Sadness #2 – (2007) Goldsmiths University Intimacy Conference - Multimedia work for solo soprano and double screen projections
Vocal Folds In Motion – (2007) ‘Nasendoscopy’ video images and sounds of the vocal folds engaged in emotive utterances - images and sounds used to make interactive audio-visual art works. The project is on going, a collaboration with ENT specialist Mr John Rubin. First presented as a commission by Professor David Howard - NetVoTech - York University, PAS3 conference, York (2006).
Australian Opera – (1988) DVD. Die Meistersingers Von Nürenburg, conductor Sir Charles Mackerras
Various CD & DVD personal archival performances, also ‘Lumiere & Son’ shows archival at the Victoria and Albert Museum
(1998-2013) Television –various including singing soundtrack artist on Michael Wood documentaries, written by composer Howard Davidson, Channel 4 and BBC UK.
I have known Heather since we studied together in 2001 on our MA Voice at Central School of Speech and Drama. Following graduation and while continuing her work as a singing teacher and voice coach she began to work for Resonance Voice Training Ltd. For 7 years she was a Lead Associate of the company working on contracts at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and The Wellcome Trust in London, as well as for other clients. With SHL/CEB she was part of a team that was invited to Stockholm to train.
She was fundamental to the credibility of the company as it became established. Her professional singing qualifications and experience soon matched by those for spoken voice. She is much missed.
She is a superb teacher and coach. She quickly builds trust and rapport and always leaves her clients feeling confident in their enhanced skills.
Dr Jenevora Williams
Singing Teacher and Author
Heather Keens had seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm for working with voices. Her detailed anatomical knowledge and its application had led her to her unique workshop approach addressing presentation skills and the speaking voice in the workplace. Her experience and empathy has enabled her to make a contribution over many years to the singing teaching within the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. Her specialist research into phonetics and dialect made her the obvious choice as a lecturer in the Guildford School of Acting. Heather is also a consummate performer; her extensive repertoire ranges from all styles of classical singing through to Avant Garde, Musical Theatre, Jazz and other contemporary styles. She has given practical workshops and masterclasses in these, ranging from Jazz singing at the Yehudi Menuhin School to Musical Theatre at Surrey University. I have worked alongside Heather for many years in several of these contexts and I am constantly amazed and impressed by her imagination and understanding.
