I'm running a second round of my "Exploring vocal improvisation" course, starting Nov 5th. The first round has been awesome so far! Everyone has been amazed at how well they can actually flow when given the right space and encouragement. The group has been a real mix of complete beginners, experienced freestylers, opera singers, working mums...but all with one thing in common... they love music!

Here's one students thoughts:

"so 2 weeks into the course and it has been really good. bein a bit of a freestyler and poet i was really intrigued about the course.and already the confidence in my singin and freestylin has increased a plenty and just learnin from someone with plenty of live on stage experience has been super helpful. its been good usin the loop station and nice to be in such a diverse group - opera singers, singer songwriters, freestylers, soul divas - thats been good too to also see other styles. in short its been worth every penny but the proof will be in my lyrical pudding so you'll be able to judge next time ya see me - live up on stage, no longer afraid, raisin up the vibe like a sunshine ray...."

-- Craig Reynolds (Poet/Freestyler/Body English)

The course will take place each thursday from 7pm-9pm at Artist Studios Bristol in Stokes Croft. The course will last 4 weeks and costs £60. Next start date Nov 5th

If I get enough interest I will start a second course on a different day. Get in touch: Call Billy on 07935 243844 for more info, or email: billysalisbury AT gmail.com

Join the Facebook Group to keep up to date with developments: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=131550652861

Course Description:

Improvisation is often considered one of the hardest things to master, and yet it is the skill that requires the least effort! How can that be? Well, it is my opinion that good vocal improv is something that happens when you stop trying. When you completely relax and let the music take over your body. But that’s easier said than done! We are so caught up in our own expectations of how we should sound, that we tend to freeze up whenever we try to improvise. We are afraid that what comes out of our mouths won’t be good enough, that people will laugh, or simply that it’s safer to practice something first!

So if you can’t force improv, what’s the purpose of this course? Well, although it’s true that you can’t learn improv as a step by step process, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t tricks and techniques that can help you along the way. This course aims to give you the opportunity and encouragement to explore a variety of different approaches to improv, under the guidance of an experienced tutor.

On this course students will have the chance to explore many different aspects of vocal improv, from scatting and freestyling to live loop sampling, all with the goal of learning to free up the creative voice that lies within all of us. Topics covered include:

Tapping into your musical memory (finding melodies)
Learning your instrument (the voice!)
Scatting
Using mistakes to your advantage

Loop Pedals
Building a track with layered vocals
Using percussive sounds
Beatboxing

Lyrical improvisation (Freestyling)
Approaches to rhyming
Where to place rhymes
Letting the rhyme lead the story
Lyrical syncopation

The course is suitable for students of all abilities, and while the course will certainly improve your ability to improvise, the focus of the course is on using improv to have fun and express yourself!

About the Tutor:

Billy Salisbury is a singer songwriter who performs under the name The Undercover Hippy. He is well known for his ability to improvise songs on the fly, often from words thrown by audience members, and he is as comfortable rapping hip-hop as he is singing the blues! Billy has been running courses for over 10 years and has designed courses for colleges and universities in Singapore and the U.S. To hear his music visit www.undercoverhippy.com

Summary:

Day: Thursday
Time: 7pm - 9pm
Duration: 4 weeks
Place: Artist Studios Bristol, 10 King Sq. Ave., Bristol, BS2 8HU
Cost: £60
Website: www.artiststudiosbristol.com
phone: Billy 07935 243844
email: billysalisbury AT gmail.com

Hope to see you there!

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