Warm Ups and Workouts: Monday 9th September 2013: Unit and Project Briefing

Monday 9^th September 2013

Unit and Project Briefing

We started our first project today for our singing unit “Singing Skills for Actors and Dancers”. Actors and dancers will require singing as an important skill in their careers as many roles may include the actor and/or dancer to sing in a performance, therefore, having knowledge to develop musicality is important, even if the actor or dancer doesn’t consider themselves a musicians.

Developing confidence and technique as singers is important to a performer and this unit aims to accomplish these. We will be doing this by learning vocal warm ups, exercises and singings games. The project will also include ensemble and solo performances delivered using strong characterisation to portray emotion during the performance.

Our first project is “Warm Ups and Workouts”. This project will set up some basic principles to gradually develop our singing ability in preparation for the next projects. Our lecturer (singing coach) will be focusing on good vocal technique and a clear knowledge of how to look after the voice by using the strategies given to avoid problems with overuse and misuse of the voice. Practising these strategies will take place during class but sustaining this and developing further will need practise outside of class.

We will be taking place in a series of workshops, which will include:

• Warm Ups
• Technical Exercises
• Singing Games
• Rounds
• Partner Songs
• Call and Response Exercises

We will develop key aural skills that are vital when learning songs by ear with the help from our lecturer. Accuracy is important during repetition of musical phrases to extend and develop our aural memory and an awareness of accurate intonation. At least two of our individual attempts will be recorded when repeating musical phrases at the beginning and then nearer the end. These will be posted on the blog.

Our final session will be recorded on video but our lecturer may choose to record various other sessions if the work is of a high standard. These videos will be included on this blog I will keep alongside my individual recordings, videos and descriptions of additional exercises we undertake in other projects.

This blog will allow me to post reflective comments and targets relating specifically to the work throughout the course.

To make sure I reflect and improve so I can achieve the best to my ability, I will include:

• Positives
• Improvements
• Aims

I’m really hoping this project will help me with confidence and knowledge of how to use my voice correctly and efficiently. I’m also looking forward to using my acting skills whilst singing to create a better performance!