Vanessa Dinning and Martha Howe, will present interactive workshops regarding developing and mature voices, respectively. Do you encourage or discourage imitation in your young singers? What help is there for a wobble? What can we learn from dialect methodologies? What should you pay attention to around hormone replacement therapies and surgeries that may bring on early menopause? Should you even consider going into great detail about vocal health with young singers? Why does pitch start to slide? With the right care, and knowing what to expect down the road, you can keep your voice as long as you wish and help others extend their vocal abilities.
MORNING SESSION 9:30 PM - 12:00 PM
The Developing Voice with Vanessa Dinning
Dialect, acting, and voice coach, Vanessa Dinning, will present an interactive session utilizing more voice and breath than singing, and talk about vocal health in children’s voices and in voices that are growing and changing -- puberty, but also older. Having taught at several drama schools in the UK helping prepare and nurture young voices for a lifetime treading the boards, Vanessa is excited to share her experiences, ideas, knowledge, and tips with you. She’s currently working on Billy Elliot for San Diego Musical Theatre as the dialect coach and is working with young actors age 8-15, as well as the adult cast, and will share some of the challenges she is facing not just as dialect coach but in helping the actors, especially the children, learn to use their voices, emotionally connect, and to effectively tell their story.
We’ll discuss in great detail vocal health in children’s voice and in voices that are growing and changing (puberty and also older). We’ll discover what we can learn from dialect methodologies. As well, we’ll simplify the process of checking in with young students about what excites them, motivates them, and why they want to sing. This presentation will include tips for relaxation, encouraging young participants to know their bodies, and address the question of learning by copying -- and the pros and cons of both.
LUNCH BREAK 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
AFTERNOON SESSION 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
The Maturing Voice with Martha Howe
When we are born, our larynges are up behind our noses before they begin their journey down into the throat. Of course there are major changes with rapid growth during puberty, then in our thirties our larynges strengthen and begin to ossify. That process continues and from the 5th decade onward, there are distinct vocal challenges brought on by menopause, pharmaceuticals, time, neural changes, and the long term effects of life-time habits. Martha Howe will be presenting practical information about these changes and sharing vocal and physical exercises that high-profile teachers, physicians and clinicians use to stabilize the larynx, expand vocal range, and keep older singers singing comfortably and well.
This information can be used by young teachers for their older students, and by older teachers who are experiencing these changes themselves as well as working with older students. What can be done about the gravelly sound in the lower passaggio? What help is there for a wobble? What should you pay attention to around hormone replacement therapies and surgeries that may bring on early menopause? Why does pitch start to slide? What role do the B vitamins play? With the right care, and knowing what to expect down the road, you can keep your voice as long as you wish and help others extend their vocal abilities.