This singing class will begin by lining out familiar techniques we commonly use for communicating emotion in speech. That done, we’ll look for places to use them in songs. Simple. But, there is some alchemy to this. To do this effectively, we need both singer and audience. And to allow us all the privacy and freedom to enter the work, the only person to speak to or comment on the singer who is working will be the instructor. In and out of class.
In the spirit of play, we will rotate through singers one at a time. Participants will have the opportunity to sing a verse or two, and then at my suggestion, to try out small, specific changes in the delivery of a particular line. With the rest of the class as an audience, we will all get to feel how those small changes affect the emotional power of the song.
Over the course of the workshop, both the singer and audience will develop an appreciation for the emotive power of specific techniques, as small changes in phrasing/delivery affect how we hear the song.