Overview

Every Trainer, at any level, is considered to be certified by Estill Voice International, LLC (EVI) and are members of the Estill Voice Training® (EVT) Community.   Only persons contracted as staff members for EVI are permitted to claim in writing and all forms of advertising that they work for EVI.  As certified members of the EVT Community, we support the guiding principles of Estill Voice Training®:

  • Everyone has a beautiful voice.
  • We have no aesthetic bias so long as vocal health is maintained.
  • Voice training is best accomplished when the disciplines of Craft, Artistry and Performance Magic are separated.
  • We honor the personal vocal goals of our students and clients.

As individuals move through the levels of certification in EVT, they are required to work with multiple Estill Mentor and Course Instructors (EMCIs). When we attend courses or work with different EMCIs, we encounter new perspectives on “Craft” and gain a deeper understanding of the Estill Voice Model. As EFPs, EMTs, and EMCIs, we are lifelong learners, gaining new perspectives each time we teach and observe. EMCIs have proven their skills in the “Artistry” of applying Figure solutions to the challenges in vocal health, performance, and pedagogy. There is “Magic” in the multi-faceted ways we learn from one another when our minds remain open to encountering the Estill Voice Model as presented in the hands and voices of our colleagues.

Acknowledgement

When we enter the process of EVT certification, we bring with us the concepts and exercises we have encountered in the past. Many of us come with formal credentials in other pedagogical, therapeutic, or body-work disciplines. EVI & the EVT Community respect the good intentions of our peer associations and methodologies and impose no loyalty or exclusivity agreements on those who hold certification in EVT. However, EVT lessons, classes, workshops, or courses should be presented this free of confounding influences. Any information outside of the Estill Voice Model drawn into an EVT presentation should be kept to a minimum and clearly identified and attributed to its source.

The following standards reflect the core value that we will treat our students and professional peers as we would like to be treated ourselves.

In regard to Respect, we will:

  • Provide services to our students, clients, and mentorees without consideration of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, disability, or national origin.
  • Create a safe learning and work environment for our students, mentorees and colleagues by maintaining professional decorum with patterns of speech and behavior free of any words or actions that might be interpreted as harassment, disrespect, or threats to an individual’s rights, physical, and mental boundaries.
  • Protect the privacy and confidentiality of all who seek vocal training from us, whether in private or course settings, obtaining informed consent prior to use of an individual’s name, face, or audio/video recording in any public forum including social media.
  • Accept our Estill colleagues as professional associates without prejudice as to the conditions of their certification (date, time, country, or mentor), nor their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, disability, or national origin.
  • Maintain a professional demeanor when speaking or writing about our EVT Community and non-EVT Community colleagues, especially when engaging in professional activities, conferences, or participating in social media contexts where a negative or disparaging comment might misrepresent the EVT Community or be thought of as a position held by Estill Voice International, LLC.

In regard to Fairness, we will:

  • Clearly represent our level of certification and work with individuals and groups within the privilege boundaries of that level.
  • Exercise care in making predictive statements regarding the process and potential outcome of services rendered, so that goals and expectations are realistic and attainable.
  • Teach Estill Voice Training® free of confusion from other pedagogical or body-work approaches when individuals approach us specifically for Estill Voice Training® instruction.
  • Discuss fees and financial arrangements prior to service provision, in a professional manner without hesitation or equivocation.
  • Freely recommend our Estill Community colleagues to our students/clients, based on our personal experience of their skills as teachers of Estill Voice Training®, refraining from judgments based on the opinions of others.

In regard to Peer Relationships, we will:

  • Promote the services of Estill Community colleagues when we are unable to take advantage of professional opportunities.
  • Communicate openly with EVT colleagues when approached by students or mentorees wishing to transition from one certified Trainer to another so that the transition is handled with transparency and sensitivity.
  • Freely and directly approach our EVT Community colleagues with any questions or concerns, be they our own or those brought to us by others, to better understand local practices, clear up misunderstandings, and avoid the spread of gossip and rumor.
  • Demonstrate respect for our EVT Community colleagues by charging fees for lessons, courses, and certification activities that are comparable with local economic standards. We will not unfairly compete with our colleagues in the EVT Community whether we are at home or traveling into a new region.