Welcome to Swing Week Vocals Class!

I’m looking forward to meeting, hearing and working with you at this year’s Swing Week at Augusta.  This letter will give you some information about what to expect and how to be prepared for our class. 

“A picture is worth a thousand words.”  Every song tells a story leaving you with your own ‘picture’ or ‘impression’ of that story.  If melody is the canvas, the lyric paints the picture.  How the two are brought together creates an original moment, your original moment, to express a composer’s thoughts.  We’re going to find that moment in you.

During the week, this class will focus on:

• Vocal Techniques – breathing, intonation, how to sing without damaging your voice, finding your range and ‘wheelhouse’ (where most comfortable).
• Rehearsal Techniques - warming up exercises, working a cappella, with a recording or with an instrument.
• Song Selection – what best suits your ‘wheelhouse’ and your style.
• Musical Awareness – understanding the music, how to prepare yourself and your music for your accompaniment: music theory basics so you can always know your key.
• Creating Your Own Style – how to make a song your own by interpretation, presentation and getting comfortable with melody improvisation.
• Working With A Sound System – working with a microphone, adjusting the sound for you, working with a monitor: learning to use these tools to improve your performance while protecting your voice.

Once the week starts, you will have the opportunity to purchase (the small fee is just to cover printing) a group of songs to learn that all of the students at Swing Week will be working on.  This gives us the opportunity to have all instrumentalists and vocalists perform together.   Makes for great jam sessions!

Please bring:

• Comfortable clothing – classes are very casual and the evenings are filled with jam sessions, dancing and concerts.  You’ll have your own performance at the end of the week, so bring something special for that if you’d like.
• Water bottle – hydration, hydration, hydration, the singer’s ‘magic bullet’
• Music – please bring 2 pieces in your current repertoire, or that you’re very familiar with and are looking to add to your personal song list.  We’ll need the music, even if it’s not in your key (although that would be best).  Any other music you love would be great to have on hand as well.

Most importantly, this is your week to learn, grow and shine.  We’re gonna have fun!

If you have any questions, please email me:   suematthewsmusic@gmail.com.

Best,
Sue Matthews