Practical Score Markings
with Gary D. Cannon
Thursday, September 3, 2020 | 6:00 PM (Pacific Time) | Zoom Webinar
We've all sat through a rehearsal when the conductor mostly reviews material from previous weeks. With an improved system of marking your scores, you'll be able to improve your self-reliance as a choral singer. Various methods will be discussed to quickly notate elements such as rhythm, pitch, language, dynamics, phrasing, and ensemble. Bring your sharpened pencil!
Download the handouts or the slide deck.
Survival Tactics for Long Rehearsals
with Melissa Plagemann
Thursday, September 24, 2020 | 4:00 PM (Pacific Time) | Zoom Webinar
Most choirs, for better or worse, rehearse for two hours or longer, and usually the singers are seated most of the time. This places special physical demands on the body, the voice, and the mind. This webinar will help you to navigate those challenges, especially as pertains to breathing, but also posture, vocal rest, and hydration.
Download the handouts or the slide deck.
Rehearsing at Home
with Melissa Plagemann
Friday, March 5, 2021 | 4:00 AM (Pacific Time) | Zoom Webinar
Your conductor suggests that you work on your music at home. But how? There is much you can do to reinforce what you learn in rehearsal, even if you don't play piano. The Internet has various helpful aids, and there are ways you can study your score's rhythm, text, and even pitches without any additional tools. Learn these techniques of self-sufficiency from Melissa Plagemann, one of the Northwest's leading mezzo-sopranos.
Vocal Emergencies
with Ryan Bede
Monday, April 12, 2021 | 4:00 AM (Pacific Time) | Zoom Webinar
It has happened to the best of us. We prepare the music well, and prepare ourselves well, but then something unforeseen happens. Maybe it's just before a rehearsal, or even while singing during rehearsal, or (horror of horrors!) during the concert itself. The cause can be illness, vocal fatigue, diet, allergies, weather, or a host of other emergencies. Noted baritone Ryan Bede will teach simple techniques you can use to help get your voice back on track in a moment's notice.
Download the handouts or the slide deck.
Following Different Conductors
with Gary D. Cannon
Saturday, April 23, 2022 | 11:00 AM (Pacific Time) | Zoom Webinar
Have you ever shown up for a rehearsal with a new conductor and thought: “How am I supposed to follow them?” While every conductor’s goal is to convey the music effectively, some employ unorthodox gestural techniques or communicative approaches that aren’t intuitive to all musicians. Conductor and singer Gary D. Cannon, who has successfully sung under many such conductors, will offer suggestions of how the singer can help to overcome communicative barriers with their conductor.
Vehicular Warm-Ups
with Ryan Bede
Friday, March 31, 2023 | 7:00 PM (Pacific Time) | Zoom Webinar
Like every dutiful chorister, you want to be able to sing your best the moment you arrive at rehearsal. Sometimes your director will warm up the choir, but you may not always find those exercises to be sufficient for your personal preferences. Enter baritone extraordinaire Ryan Bede, to teach you warm-up exercises that are suitable for your car—maybe even while you’re on the road!
Download the handout or the slide deck.
This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Washington State Arts Commission, in addition to the National Endowment for the Arts, 4-Culture, the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, and many generous donors.