Learn Performance, Speaking and Improvisation Skills: a Roundup
Speakers
There is a huge amount of similarity between the skills needed for singing and those for speaking in public. Voice projection and tonal variety are crucial particularly when giving presentations with technical details, to a mixed audience. We will include work on your posture so that you present as relaxed, natural and open. Singing is both life affirming and confidence building. We sing through texts, exploring the possibilities of language, learning how to work with articulation and rhythm. Frankly – if you can sing it you can definitely speak it! See Public Speaking for more info.
Singers
I will show you how to reduce and re-channel performance nerves by teaching you anxiety reducing and self care skills, how to focus and how to move. You will learn how to recreate a song, to make it come alive. Once you know how to make your performance work you’ll find a whole new pleasure in connecting with your audience. See singing lessons for more info.
Many of my non professional students have taken the Trinity Performance certificates. They are a great way to focus your training, to build confidence give you a real sense of achievement. Students generally do very well!
Yogis and Yoga Teachers
I can show you how to develop your own unique style. We’ll go over how to project the voice distinctly and encouragingly in class. You will find ways to speak with clarity and authority while moving. For years I taught the lovely Indaba Yoga teacher trainees.
You can also learn and improve your chanting skills. You can improvise and develop your own chants for yoga classes and meditation workshops. I have also taught meditators who use singing bowls, drums and also harmonium.
Ashleigh performing at the Scolt Head
Singer-songwriters
“This training has completely transformed my life. To know I can perform these songs so well means the world to me”
Whether you sing and play guitar or piano I can help you with breathing, posture and alignment issues, vocal production and how to perform your own songs. I also provide performance opportunities.
Choir members
Singing in a choir is not as easy as we might think. Many choir leaders are now auditioning their members. This can cause real worry. Sometimes hearing everyone else’s singing can be off-putting. Sight singing can be a nightmare and the breathing often becomes high and snatched. We can go over basic sight singing, tuning, breathing and listening skills to give you increased confidence and restore vocal health.
“I feel so much more confident. I’m not intimidated any more and can sing out.”
“I’ve learned how to sing my part while also listening to others.”
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Improvisation skills
I can teach you vocal improvisation techniques so that singing becomes just as natural to you as breathing. You’ll also have some theatrical improvisation training to help you become a confident performer.
I’ve improvised songs for meditation workshops and art installations. However, anyone can make a little song. Why not try it out?
Here are some songs which I once made with jazz pianist Tom Donald. Please follow this link for some clips of an improvisation concert we performed together. Students brought poems (including their own) and we improvised songs there and then. It was a great evening.
We took it in turns to start and neither of us knew what each of us had in mind. We continued to work in this way. No dots on the page to follow but by simply listening and following whatever path seemed to open up we created a little musical journey. I hope you enjoy them and feel inspired to give it a go yourself.
A little album of improvised songs is available on Spotify.