The Gospel Choir Sound: A Practical Pedagogical Exploration
Tuesday 30th April 2024, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM (London Time)
'The Gospel Choir Sound: A Practical Pedagogical Exploration' is a course that is meant to help all types of singers and voices understand some of the essential methods behind the gospel choir sound in the African-American church and to hopefully have the ability to access and make use of these tactics and techniques in a tangible and efficient way.
In this course, we will discuss some of the basic terminology and history of the gospel choir in the African-American church while exploring basic pedagogical facets that can help clarify how gospel choirs sing. We will also explore how some words that are often used in the gospel choir setting can sound and be more familiar than you think. We will take a look at how these similar terms can help demystify the bridge of separation in terms of musical and vocal production between this genre and other genres.
Additionally, we will examine how these pedagogical facets are sometimes adjusted due to regional or aesthetic differences as well as define the different voice parts, the theoretical phonatory production of these parts/sections, and how these parts can slightly differ from the traditional system of voice classification.
..and, if time allows, we may even formulate a gospel choir during the course and learn a small portion of a song in the logistical and environmental settings that many gospel choirs typically learn music in.
Jaron M. LeGrair
Jaron M. LeGrair is a singer, voice researcher, voice teacher, music director, professor, educator, author, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, he founded the Jaron M. LeGrair Studio, an international studio that specialises in providing voice training and goods for vocal health for singers and speakers.
Sorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.
Thursday 2nd May 2024
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
(London Time)
The Effect of Body Alignment on Voice Production
Jennie Morton
Voice production involves not just the respiratory and laryngeal mechanisms, but all of the structures of the body. This session will deepen your understanding of the role of whole body mechanics in voice production and give you practical tools and strategies to assess and address issues of body alignment for yourself and your students.
Tuesday 7th May 2024
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Parallels in learning to talk and sing: Social mechanisms of vocal learning in baby humans and songbirds
Michael Goldstein
To gain a better understanding of the development and evolution of vocal learning, we will examine the processes by which birds learn to sing and human infants learn to talk.
Thursday 9th May 2024
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
On the Nose: Nasality as Percept and Physical Reality
Nicholas Perna
This course will address three perspectives on nasality: distinctions between nasal airflow and audio signal (velopharyngeal opening) and perception; deciphering between the two timbral qualities commonly related to nasality - twang and honk - and which are related to velopharyngeal opening; and the pedagogic usefulness of velopharyngeal opening to reduce laryngeal instabilities near points of registration shifts.