The New Vocality
UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES
Contemporary Music Presentations & Workshops for Composers & Singers
Having worked in the contemporary music world for many years, I
notice an increasing gulf between what composers
are wanting to hear
and how singers are being taught to sing.
I see so many pieces of
music written for voices that
show little understanding of vocal production; and an equal
number of singers who are unable to tackle the demands made of
them by contemporary composers.
The result is that composers are turning out pieces that will
rarely, if ever, be performed, and
singers are not developing
the vocal flexibility they will need to survive in the
competitive
world of professional singing.
The idea of these
workshops is to encourage composers
and singers to work together in a two-way learning process.
Composing
-
Considerations and practicalities when writing for voices
-
What do composers want to hear?
-
What are singers prepared/able to sing?
-
Who are you writing for?
-
Stylistic considerations and extended vocal techniques
-
Amplification
-
Demonstrations and examples
Performing
-
Different types of vocal production
-
Practicalities of singing “contemporary” music
-
What composers want
-
Vocal limitations – real or perceived?
-
Are there “right” and “wrong” ways to sing?
-
Stylistic considerations
-
Microphone singing
Workshops might begin with a starter presentation to promote discussion and increase composers’ repertoire of vocal compositional techniques, as well as giving them a better understanding of their own music from a singer’s perspective. This could lead to a workshop to try out and discuss students’ works-in-progress, and possibly lead to a public performance of the completed compositions.
Members of Synergy Vocals are available to workshop student compositions, or we can provide coaching for student vocal ensembles working on their contemporaries’ latest projects.