Ep.236 The Academic Path to Pop-Rock with Becky Morton
Manage episode 519051139 series 3593489
In this episode, Becky Morton, Principal of Further Education at ACM and Alexa explore what the FE academic route can offer young singers stepping into today’s music industry. Becky shares curriculum structure with project-based training, and how this helps students to build both industry awareness and artist identity. The pair dig into why early professional habits matter, how the diploma pathway compares to traditional A-levels, and what young performers gain from learning to work with producers, bands and music businesses in a real-world environment. Becky also talks about current vocal trends, the technical demands of pop-rock singing, and how ACM is adapting its teaching to industry changes, including the rise of AI.
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?
03:50 The role of Principle of FE at the Academy of Contemporary Music
5:00 Benefits and challenges of an academic route into music
10:13 A look at technique for pop-rock
12:50 Defining the pop-rock aesthetic
15:14 Artists to study in this genre
18:16 How important is music theory and sight singing?
22:54 2025 vocal and musical trends
30:56 What Becky wishes every singer understood
About the presenter HERE
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.231 Evolving Vocal Trends: Training Functional Registration in Contemporary Commercial Music
Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.222 The Rise of AI: What it Means for Singers & Teachers with Singing Teachers Talk - Ep,226 The Rise of AI: Practical Tools and Strategies for the Singing Teachers
Follow Becky’s Bands: The Likeness; Two’s Up; The Hooch Toots
ABOUT THE GUEST
Rebecca Morton, Principal of FE at ACM, is a professional musician, vocal coach, and musical director with 20+ years of experience. She has collaborated with artists such as Adrian Smith, Imogen Heap, and Alexander O’Neal, and toured as the solo backing vocalist for Hitomi Yaida across major UK and Japanese arenas. Her work includes recordings with Crispian Mills, Mattafix, cast albums, and dance releases with EMI and Hed Kandi. A vocal coach since 2002, she has supported artists like James Toseland and Marlon Roudette. Holding a Masters in Music Psychology, she champions passion, reliability, and excellence at ACM.
SEE FULL BIO HERE
Instagram: @acm_ldn
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235 episodes