As the summer wound its way toward July, we found ourselves on the West Coast, traveling north before we ultimately headed south to Los Angeles. Three workshops in two weeks started in Portland, OR, at Portland State University. The gathering of college professors and graduate students from several of Oregon’s higher education institutions made for a knowledgeable, and engaged group. We particularly enjoyed the vocal analyzer sessions at the end, with world-class operatic voices.
Two days later we were presenting at Fremont Abbey in Seattle. This workshop was tooled specifically for people from the Contemporary Commercial Music side of the voice world, and included a range of voice users from actors and spoken word poets, to death metal, jazz, and pop musicians, and even a choral representative. The conversations illuminated the varied vocal needs in the CCM community, and we were able to work with professional actors and jazz singers on the voice analyzer, which revealed some interesting information. The after-workshop was especially fun. These two workshops back-to-back demonstrated how a vocological approach to singing allows for people of all styles to find healthy, meaningful choices with their instrument, and shows how excited they become about their options.
See what some of the participants thought about the workshops!
| "I really enjoyed the information, and most of all the conversation about method, how a student learns, and empowering students. I really thought it was a great seminar, and I would definitely recommend it! " Harry Baechtel Assistant Professor in Voice, Singer Portland, OR "I loved putting into practice what I learned, and started warming up with the straw right away…I learned how to sing without getting as tired, and how to get better sound with less work." AnnieScott Rogers Actor, San Francisco, CA "I thought it was an stellar experience and I learned a lot to help me improve my singing." Alvin Huie Retired, choir member, San Francisco, CA "Excellent teaching, blending art and science." Charles Seagrave Inventor retired, choir member San Rafael, CA | "What was my favorite part? Straw phonation! It was a great experience learning the inner workings of the voice musculature, breathing, the way sound hits the ear, and the newest groundbreaking information on sound waves." Fawn Ledesma Actor, Seattle, WA " Very positive, interesting and educational." Steven Moore Volunteer Coordinator, Seattle, WA "Intensely interesting, a great deal to absorb but fun…Voice warmups and health, singing with the choir, learning anatomy, and singing examples by instructors." Liz Nolan Retired newspaperwoman San Francisco, CA |
A week passed before we worked with the Calvary Presbyterian Church choir. Being a choir-focused workshop, we trimmed a little information, and amped up the participation. The results were wonderful. A multi-generational group of singers regularly applied voice science concepts quickly and with predictable, noticeable, measurable results. They were also incredibly generous, and loads of fun to spend the day with.
Special thanks to our hosts Richard Poppino (Portland State), Fremont Abbey (Seattle), and Michael Connelly (Calvary Presbyterian). We really appreciate your interest in supporting VoiceScienceWorks!
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