Saturday, October 6, 2007
Renaissance Denver Hotel

Singers’ Retreat - Morning

Schedule
9:00 – 9:50

Let’s Get Warmed up! – Mary Louise Burke
Start your day with an energizing, informative vocal warm up with Mary Louise Burke, an expert in vocal performance and the psychology and physiology of the singing voice. Burke emphasizes our ability to be our own best vocal teacher, and encourages us all to find our "authentic voice" through a combination of vocal technique, energy exercises, and best of all, releasing the joy of making sounds with the very best instrument--our own voice!

10:00 – 10:50
Vocal Techniques for the Female Singer – MB Krueger
This session will provide tips and tricks for healthy vocal technique for sopranos and altos, including use of head voice and chest voice, efficient breathing and support, finding more resonance in the voice, changing vocal timbre, and more.

Vocal Techniques for the Male Singer – David Farwig
This session will provide an overview of basic, healthy vocal production for male voices in the choral setting including includes topics in posture, breathing, and vocal production, resonance, placement dynamic control and more.

11:00 – 11:50
Diction for the Choral Singer – MB Krueger
Make good diction a part of the music making process. Learn how to use diction and vowel shape to enhance tuning, tone quality, clarity, and expression in your singing.

Discovering STYLE in Choral Music – David Farwig
This session will take a look at different musical styles found in choral literature through the ages, discovering techniques for singing different styles using examples from various periods in music history.

SOSPIRATION - Breathing for Life (Breathing Exercises for Strength and Relaxation) –
Gary Madison
Participants in this workshop will explore use of the singer’s breath in a serious of exercises, both vocal and non-vocal, designed to increase capacity, relaxation, and an awareness of the musculature used for effective breathing technique. Sospir is the Italian word for "sigh". Mr. Madison has taught vocal technique and breath support for singers for many years, but it wasn’t until he began to use breathing techniques as a form of pain management for cancer patients that he dubbed his methods, "Sospiration - Breathing for Life." The workshop is fun, relaxing and exhilarating at the same time, and beneficial to singers as well as "silent" partners. Some of the exercises are done lying on the floor, please dress accordingly.

Lunch on your own

Singers’ Retreat – Afternoon

2:00 – 2:50
A Hands-On Approach To Vocal Development – Michael Todd Krueger
For individual singers in a group setting, this session will focus on the development of the individual voice through a process that develops kinesthetic awareness.

Choral Movement is Fun...Really! – Sheila Tallmon
Choreography, choralography, dance, movement: whatever you call it, some singers love it and some singers dread it. This workshop is intended to help singers feel more comfortable and confident with onstage movement, by working with many commonly-employed movement steps and gestures in the context of several different musical styles. Sheila Tallmon has developed a positive and affirming approach to teaching movement in her work with many of the Colorado GALA Choruses.

Creating a Circle of Sound – Celeste Niehaus
Know and trust your own voice as you collaborate with others. This workshop will allow you to create an improvisational piece as a way of connecting with each other and conveying a particular intention. A cappella, fun and sometimes wild, singing this way can open you to new possibilities in sound and style.

3:00 – 3:50
Vocal Jazz – Michael Todd Krueger
Do you want to perform vocal jazz and don’t know where to start or need new jazz rehearsal techniques? This session will cover the development of smaller vocal jazz ensembles and effective vocal jazz rehearsal techniques.

SOSPIRATION - Breathing for Life (The Singers Breath) – Gary Madison
This session will build on the morning session at 11:00 and will address more advanced exercises that apply the techniques to actual sound and vocal exercises. This session is applicable to people who attended the earlier session and those that didn’t.

Choral Movement is Fun...Really! - Sheila Tallmon
Choreography, choralography, dance, movement: whatever you call it, some singers love it and some singers dread it. This workshop is intended to help singers feel more comfortable and confident with onstage movement, by working with many commonly-employed movement steps and gestures in the context of several different musical styles. Sheila Tallmon has developed a positive and affirming approach to teaching movement in her work with many of the Colorado GALA Choruses.

Creating a Circle of Sound – Celeste Niehaus
Know and trust your own voice as you collaborate with others. This workshop will allow you to create an improvisational piece as a way of connecting with each other and conveying a particular intention. A cappella, fun and sometimes wild, singing this way can open you to new possibilities in sound and style.

4:00 – 5:00
Put It All Together! – Timothy Seelig
Let’s have fun while we wrap up the day with Timothy Seelig to reinforce techniques and ideas shared during the retreat. This session will send you on your way with renewed energy and skills as a great singer. One thing is for sure, you will have a lot of fun with Tim!