MEET YOUR TRAINERS

Only certified trainers are allowed to teach Vocal Combat Technique.

They have years of experience, and have undergone rigorous training.

Vocal combat technique

teacher trainers

Katelyn Reid, Voice Health Expert (BFA, MA, CCC-SLP)

Katelyn is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati: College Conservatory of Music's (CCM) Dramatic Performance Program. During her time as an undergraduate student she developed a deep interest and passion for all things voice and speech.
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Upon graduation, she was offered a position as Adjunct Faculty teaching Voice and Speech for CCM’s Nationally Ranked Musical Theater Program, where she discovered not only a passion for teaching in general, but an aptitude for vocal and dialect coaching as well.
Noting the unique challenges faced by performers, singers and public speakers, Katelyn enrolled in a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology with a focus in Voice Disorders.
At present Katelyn practices as a Voice Pathologist for UC Health’s nationally ranked ENT department, as well continuing to teach as Adjunct Faculty at CCM - often working to help students overcome vocal impediments in the process. Katelyn also works as a Freelance Vocal Coach specializing in accents, dialects and vocal projection. Her combined experience as performer, pathologist and teacher allows her to not only understand the intricacies of vocal issues on an anatomical level, but to passionately appreciate the uniqueness and importance of the voice as an art.
D'Arcy Smith, Creator of Vocal Combat Technique (BFA, MFA)

D’Arcy Smith is a Professor of Voice, Speech and Dialects at The University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music. He brings over 20 years of experience as a professional actor, coach and teacher of performers.
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He was a resident voice, text and dialect coach at the Guthrie Theater and has worked as a teacher and voice/dialect coach in the United States, U.K., Canada and New Zealand. He has also worked as a voice and dialect coach with many professional theaters coaching over 90 professional productions.
He has used his vocal combat techniques in numerous professional productions and alongside fight coaches. He has trained extensively in a variety of voice techniques to help serve every level and voice type.
Sammi Grant (BFA, MFA)

Sammi is a Chicago-based dialect and voiceover coach. She is an Adjunct Professor of Performance at The Theatre School at DePaul University.
She holds an MFA with Distinction in Voice Studies from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and is a Certified Teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork.

VCT CERTIFIED

TRAINERS AND COACHES

2024 COHORT

Susan Bamford Caleo (she/her)

Susan is a performer and voice teacher based in Naarm/Melbourne. She excited by experiments in transdisciplinary musical composition and exploratory performance with a focus on embodied, extended and extreme physiovocal work.
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Susan currently teaches Voice (speech and singing) privately and at Victorian College of the Arts and JMC Melbourne. She has taught and coached Voice at institutions including Melbourne University, Federation University, Victoria University, La Mama and the National Theatre. She has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Voice Studies from the Victorian College of the Arts and is the first accredited Roy Hart Centre Voice Teacher in Australia.
LISA DALLINGER (BA, MA)

Lisa Dallinger is a Melbourne based performer, and voice and dialect coach. After completing undergraduate studies in Acting from the University of Ballarat (Now Federation University), Lisa went on to further study at the University of Melbourne and Victorian College of the Arts (VCA); she holds a Masters of Teaching (encompassing a Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching Shakespeare) as well as a Post-Graduate Diploma in Voice Studies.
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In addition to coaching privately and on production, Lisa tutors for VCA and Federation University. She is a core ensemble member of 'Girls Act Good', in which she creates, performs and coaches regularly.
Laura Farrell (BFA, MFA)

Laura (she/her) is a Voice and Dialect Coach living and working on Gadigal land in Sydney, Australia.
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She is a graduate of NIDA (MFA) and the Victorian College of the Arts (BFA). Laura is the resident vocal coach at Belvoir St Theatre and a lecturer for NIDA’s BFA and Diploma actor training programs.
Jean Goodwin (BFA)

Jean is a Dialect Coach and Lecturer in Voice with 17 years’ experience across film, tv and theatre. Jean has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in Theatre Practice (Voice development and dialect acquisition) from the University of Melbourne (VCA).
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Recent voice and dialect coaching work includes: Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon Prime); OIL (Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA) 2018/19 tour North by Northwest (Melbourne Theatre Company, Kay & McLean Productions); Arbus and West(Melbourne Theatre Company); Storm Boy (Melbourne Theatre Company); Lovesong (Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre); The Antipodes (Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre); INCOGNITO (Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre).
Jean is a Lecturer and Coordinator of Voice in the Bachelor of Arts (Acting) and the Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre) at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).
Simon Masterton (MFA)

Born in Scotland, Simon now lives in Sydney, Australia, where he is Head of Voice at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. He teaches accents, voice, acting and text work both locally and internationally to undergraduates, graduates, professional actors, and teachers in training. Simon is a certified Knight Thompson Speechwork trainer.
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Simon an Master of Arts in French and Spanish from Cambridge University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Music Theatre from the Royal Academy of Music, and a Master of Fine Arts in Voice from NIDA. Simon is a certified teacher of Knight Thompson Speechwork. He is currently pursuing a Master of Education at UNSW and is training to become a certified Vocal Combat Technique instructor.
STEVEN RIMKE (BA, MFA)

Steven Rimke is an Assistant Professor at Utah Valley University where he teaches accents, acting, phonetics, Shakespeare, vocal extremes, and voice for the stage. Prior to joining UVU, Steven worked at Pennsylvania State University as an Assistant Professor and the University of Cincinnati as an Adjunct Professor. His areas of research expand into accents, bridging acting and voice training, and rebuilding theatre curriculum. He holds his MFA in Voice Studies from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and a BFA in Acting with a minor in Greek and Roman Studies from the University of Calgary, in Alberta Canada.
Jeremy Sortore, MM, MFA (he/him)

Jeremy has over two decades of experience offering collaborative instruction to actors and other performing artists. As an educator/clinician with international experience and a coach for Tony Award-winning regional theaters, Jeremy is focused on actor-centered processes that emphasize collaboration, consent, curiosity, and community.
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Currently on the theatre faculty at the University of Michigan, Jeremy is a member of the National Alliance of Acting Teachers, an Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework®, a Certified Teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork, a PAVA-Recognized Vocologist, and an Associate Faculty member with Theatrical Intimacy Education.

VCT CERTIFIED

TRAINERS AND COACHES

2023 COHORT

Kate Glasheen (MFA)

Kate is an Equity actor, voiceover artist, dialect coach, and voice & speech specialist. She is Head of the BFA Acting program at Texas State University.
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MFA Voice Studies - The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, University of London. Member: AEA, SAG/AFTRA, Voice & Speech Trainers Association (VASTA), and The Alba Method Association.
Sammi Grant (BFA, MFA)

Sammi is a Chicago-based dialect and voiceover coach. She is an Adjunct Professor of Performance at The Theatre School at DePaul University.
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She holds an MFA with Distinction in Voice Studies from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and is a Certified Teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork.
Julia Lenardon (BFA, MFA)

Julia is a Professional Voice/Speech/Dialect/English Clarification teacher and coach for film/tv, theatre, private students and corporate clients. She has worked on all the Ubisoft Assassin Creed Games since BROTHERHOOD plus PROJECT ROCKET and SKULL AND BONES as dialect and language coach and voice actor.
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Other video game coaching work includes: Supermassive Games LITTLE HOPE and HOUSE OF ASHES and Tripwire MANEATER. Other voice work includes: “Queen Elizabeth” in the game CIVILIZATION V. Selected Film/tv Coaching: Hidden Assets (Amazon); Fairyland and Cat Person (for Emilia Jones), Three Pines (Amazon) The Umbrella Academy, Locke & Key Season (Netflix), On Becoming A God in Central Florida, Cardinal, X-Men: Apocalypse & Dark Phoenix and Brooklyn. Selected Theatre Coaching: Associate Voice Coach for NYC Broadway Production Matilda, the Musical at the Shubert Theatre; Associate Voice Coach for Tamburlaine at Theatre for a New Audience TFANA(Off-Broadway); English Clarification for La Belle et La Bête 4Dart Theatre/BAM NYC; for Gad Elmaleh at Carnegie Hall debut; Gabriel Dumont’s Wild West (National Arts Centre, Ottawa); The Other Side of the Moon/The Andersen Project (World Tour for Yves Jacques, director: Robert LePage); Indecent (Studio180/Mirvish, Toronto), Boy Falls from the Sky (Past/Present-Mirvish, Toronto);
Ashleigh Reade (BFA, MFA)

Ashleigh Reade is an Assistant Professor of Voice and Speech at Boston University, and designed and teaches the Vocal Production course at Harvard Summer School.
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Ashleigh Reade is an Assistant Professor of Voice and Speech at Boston University's College of Fine Arts. Prior to joining BU, she was an Assistant Professor of Theater at the Boston Conservatory, where she taught Fitzmaurice Voicework and Knight-Thompson Speechwork. She also designed and teaches the Vocal Production course for Harvard Summer School and Harvard Extension School, and served on the theater faculties of Dean College, Salem State University, and Bunker Hill Community College. She has taught masterclasses for UMass Boston, Boston University's College of Communication, Loyola Marymount, CCM, Boston Conservatory, Harvard University, Broadway Artist’s Alliance, Lyric Stage, and The Moscow Art Theater School. Coaching credits include Moonbox Theater, Wheelock Theater, Boston Playwright's Theater, Brandeis University, The American Repertory Theater, as well as multiple productions with the Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University and the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club.
Ashleigh's performance credits the national tour of Roger’s and Hammerstein’s STATE FAIR, Sacramento Music Circus, Papermill Playhouse, Surflight Theater, Seven Angels Theater, and West Virginia Public Theater. Ashleigh has also originated lead roles in four new musicals, performing at the Producer’s Club, Ars Nova, and The York. In 2020, Ashleigh and her partner started indie-rock band Your Local Dance Hall.
Ashleigh is a Certified Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework and a 23-24 Fellow in the Inclusive Pedagogy Institute at Boston University's Center for Teaching and Learning. She has received two Dean’s Commendation Awards from Harvard Extension School, and ten Certificates of Teaching Excellence from the Derek Bok Center at Harvard University. Member, VASTA, AEA, Yoga Alliance (E-RYT 200). BFA, Boston Conservatory, MFA, Harvard University/M.X.A.T., Certificate in Classical Acting, LAMDA.
Siobhan Richardson

Siobhan Richardson brings decades of experience as an award-winning Fight Director, Intimacy Director and Coordinator and actor/fighter/singer/dancer.
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Her teaching experience also spans decades, having taught stage combat and intimacy across Canada, USA and Europe.
Chaslee Schweitzer (BA, MFA)

Chaslee is an Assistant Professor of Voice at Oklahoma City University. She is a voice, speech, and text coach and has a background as an actor. She completed her MFA in Theatre Voice Pedagogy from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, AB Canada.
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She is an Associate Instructor of the Emotional Body Method for teaching emotional effector patterns. Her research into heightened emotional states and the voice brought her to Vocal Combat Technique. She has also taught in the theatre programs at Miami University in Oxford, OH and University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM).
Michael Shipley (BFA, MFA)

Michael is an Assistant Professor of Acting and Voice at Utah State University.
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He holds an MFA from the American Conservatory Theatre, an MS from Stanford University, and is certified in both Fitzmaurice Voicework ® and Knight-Thompson Speechwork®. Michael is a member of Actors’ Equity, VASTA, and ATHE.