Kari Ragan, DMA​​

Singer, author, and voice pedagogue, Kari Ragan holds degrees from the University of Washington (DMA), and Indiana University (MM, BM). In 2012, Dr. Ragan was the recipient of the Van. L. Lawrence Award. This prestigious award, presented jointly by The Voice Foundation and the National Association of Teachers of Singing, afforded her the opportunity to research cool-down physiology for singers. Dr. Ragan was also the recipient of the NATS Foundation Pedagogy Award (2009), earned the NYSTA Distinguished Voice Professional Certificate (2009), the Wicklund Singing Voice Specialist Certificate (2010), and was selected to be a Master Teacher for the NATS Intern Program (2021). As a singing voice rehabilitation specialist (SVS), Dr. Ragan works in affiliation with the University of Washington Laryngology program to help rehabilitate singers with injured voices. She has maintained a thriving Independent Voice Studio for nearly forty years and served as Artist in Residence at the University of Washington School of Music teaching Applied Voice, Voice Pedagogy, and more. Dr. Ragan serves as the NATS Advancement Committee Chair and on the NATS/Rowman & Littlefield Editorial Board, and is the moderator of NATS Chats, a national monthly webinar. Dr. Ragan will serve as Program Chair of the 2025 International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT) to be held in Toronto, Canada. She is the co-founder and organizer of the Northwest Voice: Art and Science of the Performing Voice Conference, a multi-disciplinary meeting held annually in Seattle, Washington. Plural Publishing released her book A Systematic Approach to Voice: The Art of Studio Application in 2020. Other publications and information can be found at KariRagan.com.

​  Presentation: Bridging the Gap: Musical and Pedagogical Terms for Voice Care   Professionals

  This presentation will outlines musical and pedagogical terms to improve communication between the voice team, voice teacher, and   singer during a medical evaluation. The terms used are informed by known current principles of voice production. Voice science provides a   pedagogical framework through five voice systems: respiration, phonation, registration, articulation, and resonance; this same   framework creates a bridge between singers and medical voice professionals by providing shared common language and science-informed   definitions.

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Financial Disclosure: Dr. Ragan receives royalties from her book "A Systematic Approach to Voice: The Art of Studio Application" published by Plural Publishing. 

Non-Financial Disclosure: Dr. Ragan is a member of the conference planning committee. She has no other non-financial relationships to disclose.