Review - VCE Masterclass for Students and Teachers!
VCE Singing Masterclass for Students and Teachers - New Classical and Contemporary Popular Syllabus.
Mentone Grammar School
Sunday May 20th, 2007.
In front of an audience of 25, Kathryn Sadler and Wendy Todd presented an educational and informative session introduced by Carole McKenzie,Vice President of ANATS(Vic).
Pianists Susan Crawshaw and Lewis Plumridge accompanied VCE students.
Erin, Lucinda, Kate, Taya, Ellen, Laura, Chantelle, Ann Marie, Spencer and Lucy who presented a wide variety of songs from Mozart (Un Moto Di Gioa), Sullivan(A Simple Sailor) Faure (En Priere), Bononcini(Per la Gloria), Rodger(What’s the Use of Wond’ring) and Grever(What a Difference a Day Makes).
Kate and Wendy skilfully honed in on specific areas to improve each performance. Suggestions made included:
- Each person will have an optimum number of performances they must present before feeling comfortable singing in front of an audience. Use each one - take as many opportunities to perform as possible to get your quota!
- Pitch begins in your head – prepare before you make sound!
- Strong consonants
- Strong posture
- Silent intake of breath
- Breathe early
- When executing semiquaver runs, remove the ‘h’ from each note
- If you make a mistake don’t give yourself away – keep acting!
- Dress for the occasion
- Practise ornaments as staccato on a vowel to secure pitches, then join them on a single vowel before adding words
- Exaggerate dynamics
- Only use nasal twang for character voices in music theatre
- Don’t be afraid to use speech quality in contemporary repertoire
Wendy Todd (Victorian ANATS President) prepared a handout on the differences between the old and new contemporary voice syllabus. Any ANATS members who would like a copy of this, please email jcaire@alphalink.com.au and one will be forwarded to you.