On a sunny Saturday in November, Encore! members and other singers from the Cowichan Valley gathered at the Duncan United Church for an inspiring workshop with Dr Adam Con. Dr Con is a highly experienced choir director and music educator, specializing in connecting the physical and emotional features of our body with the music the voice makes. He employs a deep, personal knowledge of martial arts and Eastern medicine to explain nuances in vocal production.
With great humour, Dr Con guided the singers in an invigorating warm-up, teaching us how the body can become a single, highly tuned vocal instrument. This warm-up involved such activities as Bear Scratching Tree with Butt and Singer Slathering Body with Chocolate and Caramel.
At the morning session with just Encore! singers, Dr Con worked closely with the Encore! director, Christine Dandy, exploring conducting techniques that improve the choral sound.
In the afternoon, when the group of singers doubled, Dr Con put us through our paces--literally. As we sight-read a piece of music, we walked the rhythm of our parts around the room. We discovered a beautiful sound can be made while walking in seeming chaos.
The day ended with Dr Con working with the male singers only. Dr Con helped the men locate and express the male voice. He especially focused on moving smoothly through the vocal range.
Many thanks to organizers Ann Yelland and Heather MacGregor for planning an eventful and informative day!
With great humour, Dr Con guided the singers in an invigorating warm-up, teaching us how the body can become a single, highly tuned vocal instrument. This warm-up involved such activities as Bear Scratching Tree with Butt and Singer Slathering Body with Chocolate and Caramel.
At the morning session with just Encore! singers, Dr Con worked closely with the Encore! director, Christine Dandy, exploring conducting techniques that improve the choral sound.
In the afternoon, when the group of singers doubled, Dr Con put us through our paces--literally. As we sight-read a piece of music, we walked the rhythm of our parts around the room. We discovered a beautiful sound can be made while walking in seeming chaos.
The day ended with Dr Con working with the male singers only. Dr Con helped the men locate and express the male voice. He especially focused on moving smoothly through the vocal range.
Many thanks to organizers Ann Yelland and Heather MacGregor for planning an eventful and informative day!
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