Learning to improvise can be a journey of self-discovery. As you learn to trust and follow your spontaneous impulses you will discover the path to your own, musical heart! Inspired by the work of Rhiannon, this work is for singers who want to tap into their own unique sound and creative expression. Through circle singing, call and response, and a variety of group and solo exercises, you will experiment with the voice as instrument and discover the magic of improvisation. Other forms (such as writing, movement and text) will be incorportated to stoke the creative fires, as well as vocal technique, theory, rhythm and harmony to help lay a foundation for the music.

Weekly Classes

1.5 to 2 hour sessions generally run in a series of anywhere from six to twelve consecutive weeks.

Level One:   These classes explore improvisation as a vehicle to free the voice and spirit. For singers with basic skills in rhythm and pitch who are interested in learning to sing in a more spontaneous, playful way. We look at fundamentals of rhythm, harmony and vocal technique and experiement with a variety of approaches designed to by-pass the critic and encourage spontaneity and fun!

All Levels:   See Level One. Open to singers of all levels of singing experience who want to explore their voice in a new way.

Level Two:   Delving deeper into the principles covered in Level One, this class is for singers who are ready to be heard and want to stretch their personal edges! Participants should have good skills in rhythm and pitch and some experience improvising.

Advanced:   For experienced singers who are ready to risk and be challenged. More focus on theory, complex rhythms and harmonies, memorization and spontaneous composition. Classes include two or more sessions with instrumentalists.

Weekend and Week-long Intensives

For singers who would like to dive in and take advantage of the focus and continuity that a full weekend or week of singing provides. These workshops can be designed for singers of all levels, in or outside of Vancouver. A typical weekend format would run 7-9pm Friday, and 10am-5:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. For groups of 12 to 20 singers. An optional Thursday evening "Community Sing" (based on the "SongRise" style of spontaneously created music) is a good way to involve more people from the community. Week long workshops may be tailored to suit the group and location. Contact Laurel.

SKILL BUILDING INTENSIVES:

Elements of Rhythm
This workshop focuses on the building blocks of rhythm. Learn to clap notated rhythms, strengthen your time keeping ability and understanding of common time signatures.

Basic Harmony
The harmony class focuses on scales, interval training, and basic theory.
No experience is necesary for either of these classes.

Sightreading for Singers
The sight-reading class puts both rhythm and harmony knowledge together. Participants start by recognizing and singing intervals and then progress to sheet music. For participants who have not completed the rhythm and harmony classes, an understanding of basic rhythm, harmony and theory is required.