Welcome, fellow voice enthusiast!
I'm Melanie Tapson
and I'm so excited you're here...
...because I made this just for YOU.
Here's what MVP has meant to others...
I learned so much from you and had such a good time too! You have such a wealth of information to share and do so in such an enjoyable manner. I enjoyed your humor and hearing your client experiences. I felt very comfortable asking you questions and also safe responding to your questions. Thank-you for all you do in helping us be better SLPs.
Tami, SLP
(It) was fantastic. I can't say enough good things about it. I loved your energy talking about voice. What I liked most was the fact that you made it realistic based on your experience working with voice clients. I loved that way you used nontechnical words as much as possible, and were really down-to-earth; it helps digest the info needed.
Marsha, SLP
Melanie is one of those rare experts who combines deep clinical and technical knowledge with extensive real-world experience, which gives her credibility and perspective she generously shares. Melanie has many gifts, one of which is her ability to take complex information and make it accessible, practical and fun!
Alison Matthews, actor, voice artist, speech trainer
Are you the next MVP?!
Join us at a LIVE info session for a behind-the-scenes tour where you can ask Melanie questions to see if this could be the exciting next step on YOUR voice professional path!
COME TO THE INFO SESSION
I'm Melanie,
and I'm incredibly passionate
about all things voice!
As a professional singer, a voice teacher, and a clinical voice therapist, understanding the human voice has been my life's work.
But it hasn't always been an easy path unpacking the mysteries of this incredible instrument. As a performer, the demands of the job took their toll. My once-seemingly-invincible singing voice slowly became frighteningly unreliable, and my teaching voice was burning out faster than I could recover. I had no idea what was happening. I saw every kind of professional imaginable... and yet I still wasn't seeing the vocal results I desperately needed.
Refusing to give up, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I decided I would learn how to fix my voice myself, and that's when I started on the path to being a speech pathologist who does nothing but voice.
But it turns out that path wasn't straightforward either!
So I went on a self-directed hunt for answers.
Speech language pathology is profession with so many different rewarding areas of practice. But as a budding voice clinician, I felt like a lost sheep... at first, my fellow #voicegeeks were hard to find! The training we got in graduate school fell sorely short of answering my most pressing questions, and I felt like I was once again alone and adrift.
As soon as I graduated, I spent every waking moment and every dollar I earned traveling around taking weekend-long workshops and training courses, eager to fill in the gaps in my understanding, trying to drink it all in. The thing speech pathology gave me was access to a world of voice science I hadn't previously known... and that's when the real journey of learning began!
That's why I created MVP.
In all my travels, I couldn't find a single place where the spectrum of voice care - from prevention to rehabilitation to optimization, theory to practice - was presented in a comprehensive and practical way. Despite all the training I undertook, there were still very limited opportunities to practice what I was learning, and even fewer chances to get feedback and grow as a clinician under supportive guidance. I needed to learn in a space where my performance experience, my voice teacher training, and my clinical skills were all valuable.
So I've created that place for YOU, fellow voice enthusiast. It took spending countless years and dollars and travel miles, plus a lot of hard work, a little good luck, and some fierce tenacity to piece it all together. Welcome to a carefully curated, satisfyingly comprehensive, refreshingly practical mentorship program that welcomes both voice therapists and voice teachers alike, designed to help you fit it all together and then put it into practice - more intentionally, joyfully, confidently.
But HOW do I get confident working with challenging vocal problems?
It's actually a lot easier than you think!
You just need:
a strategy based on understanding the voice care spectrum
There's nothing about voice work that is "cookie-cutter". But that doesn't mean there aren't systems and frameworks you can depend upon to help you make sound, evidence-based choices! Learn how to take the guesswork out of voice work.
an inventory of techniques you can execute with confidence
The more challenging the voice problem, the more creative you'll need to get to solve it. A bottomless toolbox of techniques and exercises gives you unending opportunities to keep exploring with a client until you find what works.
the ability to create an individualized plan for any client
Evidence-based practice works - until it doesn't. There's always someone whose experience, context, or challenge is uniquely complex. Knowing how to pull from the wide world of voice to personalize a plan for every client is key.
That's why in MVP, you'll get:
a road map to help you make confident, evidence-based plans with ease
Pairing a deeper understanding the differences between normal & disordered voice with knowledge of the typical presentation and prognosis of different voice disorders helps you build a custom road map you can use to guide you through even the toughest vocal challenges.
a full toolbox of creative voice exercises & therapeutic techniques
Drawing from voice therapy, singing voice pedagogy, body/breath/somatic work, meta-therapy & counselling, vocology, research, behavioural science and so much more, you'll develop strategies, fine-tune techniques, and build a resource library to help you confidently offer creative solutions to all kinds of vocal problems.
the big picture approach needed to individualize voice care
Learning how to map robust data gathered from an in-depth assessment to a plan that will target each client's individual goals takes time and practice and develops through thoughtful discussion, knowledge translation, and skills practice with supportive feedback... And MVP brings all this to you.
Hear it from MVPs themselves!
We get you.
You didn't get a voice CFY.
You're an SLP who feels like you missed the chance for voice therapy mentorship because you didn't get a voice-specialized CFY, or your grad school voice course (and lack of voice placements) let you down big time. And now you feel like you're behind and you'll never catch up.
You want a safe space to level up your skills!
You don't know who to ask.
You have questions, but don't know where to go to find trusted answers. You're tired of asking in Facebook groups only to wind up just as uncertain about the answers. You wish you had colleagues you could discuss your challenging questions with, and get trusted answers.
You'd love to have an expert mentor to talk to!
You learned the WHAT, but wish you knew HOW.
You've read everything you can get your hands on. You've done journal groups and taken workshops and watched all the piecemeal continuing ed you can find. You just want to see it in action, but you can't find anyone who will let you observe.
You just need to try out techniques with supportive coaching!
The Three Pillars of MVP:
Content
a core curriculum you can access on demand that allows you to work through the foundational concepts at your level - wherever you are in your voice pro journey
🔸
home programming to help you digest what you're learning in manageable bites
🔸
resources for every part of your practice - including ones Melanie uses in her own successful voice clinic!
Community
a private space to continue the discussion and explore different perspectives between sessions with like-minded peers
🔸
support from fellow voice pros and your mentor, Melanie, as you grow and strengthen your voice pro skills
🔸
interprofessional and collaborative practice opportunities with a circle of trusted colleagues
Coaching
weekly live masterclasses featuring modeling, demonstrations, supported practice, and simulated patients
🔸
feedback on your skills to strengthen your practice and deepen your understanding as you show off what you're learning
🔸
homework activities, assessments, and case-based learning to help you consolidate your learning
MVP grads love feeling:
-
excited to take on new kinds of voice clients
-
eager to tackle the toughest voice challenges
-
delighted by how much easier everything feels
Take a look at what's inside!
Here's what we cover:
Voice Care
A to Z
Every semester, we'll cover the full spectrum of voice care and managing vocal injuries:
The "Before":
awareness, education, prevention
The "During":
rehabilitation, coaching, training
The "After":
habilitation, carryover, optimization
All Ages,
All Stages
Every semester, we also go both broad and deep into the world of voice and voice disorders. We cover:
all types of voice disorders
the entire lifespan
everything from assessment to treatment
carryover & fostering independence
interdisciplinary and collaborative practice
Your mentorship program
at a glance...
Term 1 (3 months)
Each semester is 3 months long to allow you the time to work through all the concepts we cover in voice and voice disorders from start to finish, assessment through treatment to carryover, across the lifespan, and in the context of a range of breakdowns in the voice production systems.
In your first 3 month semester, you'll work through core foundational content across voice habilitation and rehabilitation. You'll learn about the what and why, pausing to notice and fill in any gaps in your own practice. You'll get coaching and feedback as you develop your skills, and you'll get to watch second (and third...) term MVPs with more experience continue to build on what they did in their first term, too. You'll love feeling your confidence grow and you'll find yourself enjoying voice work even more!
Subsequent Terms
Most MVPs finish their first 3 month semester feeling proud, accomplished, confident... and also a little panicked at the idea of having to go it alone after just one trip through the content! That's why most MVPs take at least one more semester to get super confident in the skills they're practicing.
In the second 3 months, you'll add even more of the how, taking your practice deeper and allowing you opportunities to integrate and consolidate your knowledge as you get coaching and feedback from Melanie, your expert mentor. You'll feel more confident demonstrating in front of your friends, practicing on simulated clients, and your skills, abilities, and confidence will skyrocket! This practical layered approach to learning is how you'll build your confidence as you work towards independence and mastery.
The
Core Curriculum
Module 2:
Module 3:
Module 4:
* PLUS *
you also get
these BONUSES
because I want to make sure you feel confident in literally
any vocal scenario!
BONUS #1:
Workshops!
You'll get to attend ALL the live 90 minute workshops on specialty topics Melanie conducts during your term AND you'll also get access to the replay for on-demand review!
Workshops include topics like:
- muscle tension dysphonia
- gender affirming voice
- irritable larynx
- chronic cough
- vocal cord dysfunction
- singing voice therapy
- pediatrics
- hormones & voice
- presbyphonia
- puberphonia
BONUS #2:
Special Guests
Guest Presenters:
Expert voice pros including SLPs, singers, voice teachers, voice scientists, researchers, laryngologists and more join us each term to share their skills and knowledge.
Simulated Clients:
Much like med students get to practice their skills on mock clients, you'll also get the chance to walk real live voice users through education and exercises to practice your skills and develop your confidence!
BONUS #3:
Extra training modules!
Not only do you get more than 20 core curriculum modules, you ALSO get supplemental training in areas that will help your voice professional practice feel as easy and as joyful as the voice work!
Bonus training modules:
- goal writing & documentation
- report writing
- PRAAT voice analysis
- private practice support
... and more!
MVP gives you the support, the coaching, the practice, the mentorship, and the cheering squad you need to boost your confidence as a voice professional!
More voice care content than an SLP grad program includes... without the price of another degree!
You COULD cobble together all these components and pay for it all separately...
OR
You could come to MVP!
1. 20+ on-demand learning modules covering the foundations of assessment, treatment, carryover and accountability (value $2200 USD)
2. Two weekly live coaching masterclasses to give you feedback on your practice (value $4752)
3. Supplemental resources for every area, including research, tools, and client supports (value $500)
4. Weekly clinical consultation "AMA"-style office hours to get expert answers to your toughest case questions - plus a year's archive of previous cohorts' recordings (value $1440)
...and these additional bonuses:
BONUS 1! Free access to 6 live workshops on special topics plus access to the replay (value $300)
BONUS 2! Monthly expert guest lectures on a range of special topics and simulated clients for practical application (value $1200)
Total value = $10,392 USD
OR
MVP is for the most passionate, dedicated voice professionals
who are ready to deeply invest in their personal and professional development.
We so confident you'll love it here, we have no problem making bold guarantees.
THE WE-GET-THAT-SOMETIMES-LIFE-HAPPENS
48 HOUR MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
If you register, look around, and suddenly find yourself second-guessing your passion for voice, or if life happens and you unexpectedly have to pivot again (there's been a lot of that lately!), no worries. We've got you. That's why there's a 48-hour money-back guarantee.
THE I'D-FEEL-BETTER-WITH-AN-EXIT-STRATEGY
30 DAY EASY-OUT SAFETY NET
And if you wrap the first month and you're not totally in love with the program and you can't see MVP transforming your trajectory as a voice professional, you're also covered. You can take an exit ramp at the end of the first 30 days and leave us in the rear view mirror with no future obligation.
AND THE
BUT-HOW-COULD-I-ACTUALLY-MAKE-IT-HAPPEN
"AHA" MOMENT OF CLARITY
Worried you can't make this kind of investment in yourself right now?
This program can pay for itself!
Normally, you might not feel confident taking clients as you're still learning.
But previous MVPeeps have found that clients were excited to work inside a learning model with the support of a mentor, allowing the MVP to practice in real time with an expert second pair of eyes on their vocal challenge.
The client gets access to services at a rate that reflects the learning process, and the voice professional gets the support they deserve as they build their skills and confidence.
This is how a mentorship program like MVP can pay you back as you go.
I've Still Got Questions...
No problem. Check out these FAQs!
