IMPORTANT NOTICE
Due to unforeseen conflicts, we are having to cancel the Voice Teacher Workshop on August 3rd and are hoping to reschedule it to a later date. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience!
Due to unforeseen conflicts, we are having to cancel the Voice Teacher Workshop on August 3rd and are hoping to reschedule it to a later date. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience!
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What better way to start the new school year than to spend a day with other voice teachers in the area, sharing ideas and music?
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We invite you to join us in a day of sharing sessions, where the primary focus will be to share music to expand our individual music libraries. By the end of the workshop day, we hope that every participant will have dozens of new song ideas and vocal exercises to use in the coming year. But through these sessions, we also hope that we will be able to build a network of teachers who support one another in our like-minded goals.
READ BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS!
READ BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS!
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DETAILS
Date: Wednesday, August 3rd, 8:30am-4:00pm (POSTPONED) Location: Wylie High School Choir Room Sponsored by: Wylie ISD Fine Arts Organizers: Karen Gonzalez, Mandie McMurdie, Kathy French COST & REGISTRATION This event is free of charge, but registration is required. You may register HERE. Coffee and a light breakfast will be provided, and box lunches will be available to pre-order. SESSION SCHEDULE 8:30am - Introductions and Instructions 9:00am -10:30am - Session 1- Vocal Exercises and warm-ups 10:30am - 12:00pm - Session 2 - Beginner solo music and repertoire for the unchanged voice 12:00pm - 1:00pm - Lunch 1:00pm - 2:30pm - Session 3 - UIL Solo and Ensemble Repertoire 2:30pm - 4:00pm - Session 4 - Musical Theater Repertoire |
HOW THE SHARING SESSIONS WILL WORK
The workshop day will be divided into four sessions: Vocal Exercises and warm-ups, Beginner Solo Music and Repertoire for the Unchanged Voice, UIL Appropriate Solo and Ensemble Repertoire, and Musical Theater Repertoire. The sessions will be participant-led, and all are invited to share and discuss.
When selecting music to share, think about your go-to pieces that you love using and why you feel it is an important addition to every voice teacher’s library. We encourage you to share, even if you think it is a song we all already know and use. What may be a standard for you might be something another teacher has never heard before. However, as you are thinking about what to share, also consider breaking away from the more traditionally popular works, and share those hidden gems that others may not know. As much as we value selections from books such as the 24 Italian Songs and Arias, and Folk Songs for Solo Singer, there is a world of unexplored music that is equally as enriching and appropriate for our students.
PREPARING YOUR SELECTIONS
We ask that all teachers be prepared with at least one song per voice part, per genre. However, it is not necessary to have songs for everything! Bring what you can.
- Because of copyright, we will not be handing out copies of music or sharing digital files. Instead, please bring an original (or single copy) of the music you would like to share. We will use a projector to enlarge it for the room to view as you present the song. If the music you have is digital, there will be a way to project your music via your phone or device.
- We want every participant to leave the workshop with a database of all the songs that were shared. Please add the songs you will be sharing into this SHARED GOOGLE DOC. There is a separate sheet for each genre we will be covering in the workshops. Please add your songs to the correct sheet, and fill in as much of the information on each song as you can. Our hope is that this spreadsheet can continue to expand, even after the workshop, and it can be a continual and ever-growing resource as we seek out the best music for our students.
- Although we encourage every workshop participant to share, it is not a requirement. If you would like to sit-in and learn from others without contributing, that is okay, although please remember the more we share, the more we all gain from this workshop.
PRESENTING YOUR SELECTIONS
Each person will have an opportunity to present during these sessions, and it is up to you how you would like to present.
Some ideas are:
- Play a video or audio recording of the song. This can be a professional recording, YouTube recording, or even a recording of one of your students. You will be able to connect your device to a speaker and/or TV screen so that all may view and listen.
- You yourself may perform it. You can provide pre-recorded music or arrange for another participant to accompany.
- Lead the participants in a read-through. You can provide pre-recorded music or arrange for another participant to accompany.
- Simply discuss the song and its value without a demonstration.
- Due to time constraints we may not be able to spend a whole lot of time with each piece. We plan to be efficient with time, but we appreciate your flexibility in this matter!
SHARING AND PRESENTING VOCAL EXERCISES
Participants are encouraged to bring vocal exercises relating, but not limited to: proper breathing technique (diaphragmatic breathing), smoothing out the passagio between chest and falsetto in men, flexibility and agility exercises, finding optimal head resonance, belting exercises, finding mixed voice, extending high range, exercises to reduce tension (tongue, jaw, neck, etc.) and SOVT exercises.
We ask that you provide copies of the exercises you are sharing, so that every participant has them to take home. (We will send out a rough participant count in advance so you can make copies.) OR you may upload PDFs of your exercises into a SHARED GOOGLE FOLDER that all participants will have access to. (This is the preferred method.) When adding to the shared drive, please make sure the title includes a brief description of the exercise, as well as your last name.
VOLUNTEER BACKGROUND CHECK
Because it is possible that students might be on campus during this time, it is required for all participants to fill out a WISD standard BACKGROUND CHECK. Please complete no later than July 31st.
KINDNESS AND CONSIDERATION DISCLAIMER
We approach this opportunity with the utmost respect and consideration for every participant, regardless of their level of experience, schools of thought, or teaching philosophies. We expect all participants to be encouraging and respectful as we share in these sessions, and offer the same kindness you would expect in return.
QUESTIONS: Please contact us at [email protected]
We look forward to seeing you in August!
- Karen, Mandie and Kathy