Step 5 Towards Creating a 'Body Out' Opera

Laying Foundations

I'm looking again at my plan for this 5th workshop, Saturday's (22nd October 2011).  I think the women who come to the workshops understand what my enquiry is, but I think I'd better make sure it's clear in all our minds what we're about to undertake and why it is different from conventional singing workshops and master classes.  It may be necessary to state what the workshop is not about, in order to have a preferred focus on what it is about.  I'll ask the attendees what they think the workshop is about which will be really interesting.  As far as I know there won't be any other Bel Canto or classically trained singers attending but there are people who are comfortable with singing in their preferred styles and that's the experience I'd like to build upon - only short-lived self-consciousness which can melt away to allow fun and spontaneity whilst learning happens despite ourselves!  Does that make sense?

Statement of Interests and Exploration


Back in April this year I was preparing a very short performance piece for assessment at the end of our vocal production module.  We were all asked to write a 'Statement of Interests and Exploration'.  I think it spells out what we'll cover in POWOW's vocal production workshop:-

When I began my studies at Dartington College of Arts I was training in bel canto singing techniques.  One of my ambitions is to compose and devise a collaborative, semi improvised opera about older women and for older women, (including myself), to perform.  My experiences during my studies at University College Falmouth incorporating Dartington College of Arts, whether gained in workshops, tutorials, lectures or elsewhere during my life as a student, allow me to access and assess which tools could be useful to that goal.

During TP201 Theatre Improvisation module I was surprised to feel, for the first time since I was a child, how strongly physical improvisation techniques prepare the body to sing with power, vibrancy, subtlety and energy.   It became my enquiry to investigate how bel canto singing and operatic performance could be created from a continuum of authentic movement and other theatre improvisation activity.  By the end of that module that I considered I had become an experimental classical singer.

Through TP203 (Vocal Production module) and since encountering Pip Jones’ physical and vocal warm up exercises I have been surprised, yet again, at the improvement in my singing which is particularly evident in areas of spontaneity, communication and authenticity and support.  I am making further investigations through practical exercises and sessions with an Alexander teacher into micro movements and the effect they have on my voice. 

In my two minute assessed solo for this module I would like to try to incorporate aspects of the palette Pip has guided and supported us to explore; movement and stillness, sound and silence.  I also will also explore posture and breath when this helps to generate sonic output or disrupts it.  I particularly enjoy the additional palette provide by the Laban movement qualities and will try to utilise some of them including slashing, floating and pressing amongst others.  I will play with exploration into seeing when sounds and/or gestures can replace the need for text and to make conscious decisions about spoken text, both for its sonic qualities and its role in narration.  I will aim to explore types of breath, connectivity, disconnection, selective use of muscles, resonators, morphing of sound, diversity of timbre, pitch, vocal onset and idiomatic use of instrument to convey genre and stereotypes.

I am not a dancer or particularly fluid mover, (I suffer with joint pain in shoulders and knees), I will try to explore movement, space, layers, tempo and Laban qualities within my physical limitations.  

Kim
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