Day 14 of 365 - The Joy of Singing - Part 2
I met Jocelyn Rasmussen five or six years ago or so at a nearby café. She overheard a conversation I was having with some friends, and being at the next table asked if she could join in. She had hopes to start meeting with people in groups for inspired conversation. I gave her my email to be notified. In those early meetings we learned that Jocelyn had lived and worked in New York city for many years as both a singer and a vocal coach.
She was offering private voice coaching here, as well as group lessons. She had plenty of experience with both and in fact, published a book entitled Meant To Be Heard to share about how her learning about the voice and vocal coaching techniques had evolved. She describes it as the art of transformational voice work and it truly is.
Although I had been aware of her group classes for awhile it took me some time to have the courage to join and to start singing again. At first I felt quite intimidated because many of the other participants seemed much more vocally experienced. She used to do separate groupings for those who performed publicly and those who did not, but over time decided to blend the students.
The format of her classes is to start with a group vocal warm up, followed by each student having an opportunity to sing the song of their choice a few times and receive individual coaching for their voice. The group setting provides a performance opportunity in a safe environment. We learn a lot from listening to the coaching for each student which is a great additional benefit. Jocelyn also hires an amazing accompanist, Marque Smith, for her classes so she can give each individual singer her full attention. Marque can improvise and transpose keys of songs spontaneously and can play just about any music we bring to class!
One of the reasons I joined these classes was to improve the stamina of my voice. In my former professional career I spent large parts of my day talking with clients or colleagues. After I left that full time work my life became much quieter. In recent years I had found that if I were talking for an extended time in a social setting and particularly a noisy environment where I needed to speak up, it wasn't long before my throat became irritated and my voice a bit hoarse.
In my classes I have learned so much about how the voice works, where it resonates and how the use of breath influences it. This has helped me with both my speaking and singing voice. Additionally, we learn about the energetics of the voice and how that influences performance. It's quite a fascinating process to observe in others and experience in myself.
I've been going to these classes for a few years now, on an every other week basis in the fall, winter and spring for terms of six classes each. I have tried a variety of songs and have purchased or borrowed songbooks for new repertoire. Some songs haven't been good choices for me and others have been amazing. Either way, I keep learning more about my own voice and how I use it to express myself. Sometimes at the end of a term we have a pot luck dinner and performance evening. We invite supportive friends and family members to come and hear us sing.
This experience has renewed my joy of singing for the pleasure of it, even if I never join another choir. Without a doubt it contributes to my health and vitality. If you are interested in learning more about Jocelyn's approach please visit her website, www.meanttobeheard.com She also coaches students by Skype appointments.
She was offering private voice coaching here, as well as group lessons. She had plenty of experience with both and in fact, published a book entitled Meant To Be Heard to share about how her learning about the voice and vocal coaching techniques had evolved. She describes it as the art of transformational voice work and it truly is.
Although I had been aware of her group classes for awhile it took me some time to have the courage to join and to start singing again. At first I felt quite intimidated because many of the other participants seemed much more vocally experienced. She used to do separate groupings for those who performed publicly and those who did not, but over time decided to blend the students.
The format of her classes is to start with a group vocal warm up, followed by each student having an opportunity to sing the song of their choice a few times and receive individual coaching for their voice. The group setting provides a performance opportunity in a safe environment. We learn a lot from listening to the coaching for each student which is a great additional benefit. Jocelyn also hires an amazing accompanist, Marque Smith, for her classes so she can give each individual singer her full attention. Marque can improvise and transpose keys of songs spontaneously and can play just about any music we bring to class!
One of the reasons I joined these classes was to improve the stamina of my voice. In my former professional career I spent large parts of my day talking with clients or colleagues. After I left that full time work my life became much quieter. In recent years I had found that if I were talking for an extended time in a social setting and particularly a noisy environment where I needed to speak up, it wasn't long before my throat became irritated and my voice a bit hoarse.
In my classes I have learned so much about how the voice works, where it resonates and how the use of breath influences it. This has helped me with both my speaking and singing voice. Additionally, we learn about the energetics of the voice and how that influences performance. It's quite a fascinating process to observe in others and experience in myself.
I've been going to these classes for a few years now, on an every other week basis in the fall, winter and spring for terms of six classes each. I have tried a variety of songs and have purchased or borrowed songbooks for new repertoire. Some songs haven't been good choices for me and others have been amazing. Either way, I keep learning more about my own voice and how I use it to express myself. Sometimes at the end of a term we have a pot luck dinner and performance evening. We invite supportive friends and family members to come and hear us sing.
This experience has renewed my joy of singing for the pleasure of it, even if I never join another choir. Without a doubt it contributes to my health and vitality. If you are interested in learning more about Jocelyn's approach please visit her website, www.meanttobeheard.com She also coaches students by Skype appointments.
Jocelyn's classes are such an incredibly scary but feel-good experience, all at the same time. When she educated us about how singers share their energy with their audience, it has completely changed my appreciation of live music. Driving to London/from Stratford and doing a challenging class (extra challenging/fatiguing for me because of my hearing deficits) never left me depleted of energy. It was always the exact opposite which is PROOF of how it contributes to health and vitality IMO!
ReplyDeleteI know Susan; I feel that too. I've missed your presence in classes and hope you will be able to come again sometime.
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