Tuesday May 15th and Thursday May 17th

This week we finished up the Southern Dialect. Sounded pretty good everyone.

Our final will be on Tuesday, May 22nd from 11:50-1:50 in the theater. Please plan on staying the whole time.

For the final you need to choose the dialect you felt best at and memorize your lines from any of the scenes or monologues we did in class. Please don't bring in outside pieces, I've seen that it is best to work on something you have heard so you can get the correct sounds changes. (I'm going to be grading you on your sounds and volume, not your acting ability). After everyone performs their dialect pieces, there will be a short written final followed by a closing activity and discussion.

If you have extra credit or late work, it is all due on Tuesday.

Have a great weekend and see ya one last time on Tuesday!

Tuesday May 8th and Thursday May 10th

This week we finished the IPA for the southern scenes and began performing. We have one week left then our final will be on Tuesday May 22nd. Make sure you get the extra credit assignment and the final review (both on my website if you need a copy).

For Tuesday:
1. Type out your scene and do IPA changes

2. Work on memorizing the monologue or scene you will be doing for the performance part of the final

3. Practice your southern dialects

Thursday May 3

Today we jumped into the Southern Dialect y'all. Please listen to your cds, watch movies and work on this sound. Please finish the IPA on the 2 man scene and begin to do it on the scene that you will perform.

Have a lovely weekend.

Tuesday May 1st

Happy May Day!

Today was our final NYC day. Many of the performers sounded southern today. There is more mouth involvement, more pressure and forward placement in NYC, southern is lazy mouth....and speaking of Southern, we will jump in ya'all on Thursday.

Listen to your southern cds in preparation!

Thursday April 26th

We had so much fun today. Thanks everyone! Some great NYC dialects and scene work.

Keep working on this dialect and we'll see the final performances on Tuesday. Thursday we jump into Southern.

Thursday April 19th

We warmed up our NYC dialects with some games then did the IPA changes on the 2 man scene. I also handed out an extra credit written assignment due May 3rd.

We will begin performing these NYC scenes next week. Remember you must type up your lines from the scene and mark the IPA changes above the words.

For Tuesday: 

1. Practice your NYC dialect

2. Finish IPA on your scene if we didn't get to it

Enjoy this amazing weather!

Tuesday April 17th

Today we began the NYC dialect. We reviewed the packet and then began to speak in this dialect. We did the IPA changes on one of the scenes. You need to choose one of the three scene and rehearse with a new partner for your performance. Make sure you sign up for a performance date on Thursday if you don't have one yet.

For Thursday:

1. Do the IPA changes on the other two scenes

2. Practice this dialect

Thursday April 12th

We had our final RP day. Five groups performed their scenes. Nice work all.

At the end of class I handed out the NYC packet. Please read this over before class on Tuesday.

Have a great weekend.

Best,
Laura

Tuesday April 10th

Today in class we warmed up our RP then six group performed their scenes-sounding good everyone! Thursday will be our final RP day, next stop NYC.

Make sure to turn in your IPA sound changes over your scenes-due the day you perform.
Happy Birthday Shelli!

Stay dry and see ya Thursday.

April 5th

We continued to practice our RP accents, speaking common phrases in a circle. Try and find at least one phrase that can bring you back to the accent if you get off. Then we had three groups perform their RP scenes. Nice work guys!

For Tuesday: 

1. Do IPA on your scenes-make sure to type up your scene. (You only have to do IPA above your lines)

2. Keep practicing your RP

3. Make up diphthong quiz after class on Tuesday

Tuesday April 3rd

Welcome back everyone! Hope you had a nice break.

Today we jumped back into IPA-land and took the diphthong quiz. After that we reviewed the British (RP) dialect and then did the IPA vowel changes on the RP scenes. Finish these scenes with your partner, check them with me and then type up your lines, put the IPA vowel changes above each word. You will need to turn in the "score" of your scene on the day you perform it.

Here are the performance dates:

Thursday 4/5-James/Semhar,   Sondra/Megan,   Noah/Hanna

Tuesday 4/10-Clarissa/Ramona,  Tiffany/ Zach,  Jason/Stephanie,  Troy/Jason R,  Vasili/Alex,  Josh/Roger

Thursday 4/12- Josh/Steve,  Kyle/Doug,  Sam/Mia,  Mitchell/Andrew,  Mo/Semhar

For Thursday: 

1. Practice your scene in RP
2. Do the IPA extra credit and bring flash drive if you haven't!
3. If you have to do a make up quiz (vowel or diphthong) make sure you can stay after class on Thursday. I will stay from 2-2:30.

Thursday 3/22

In class we reviewed the long and short diphthongs then discussed learning a dialect. After that we jumped into RP land (upper class British dialect). We review the IPA changes and worked on sentences in partners. We will be speaking this dialect in class until we move onto NYC in April. At the end of class students partnered up and signed up for a date to perform a scene in this dialect. (Please choose one of the four in the back of the British Dialect packet).

For Tuesday 4/3:

1. Study diphthongs-quiz on 4/3
2. Practice RP dialect
3. Read/review the play: The Importance of Being Ernest
4. Watch movies/tv shows with RP (look in RP packet) and practice speaking every day!
5. Begin to do IPA changes above the RP scene you will be performing

Have a wonderful, restful break!!!

Tuesday March 20th

Happy Spring everyone. In honor of it we took a test....yeah! After reviewing the vowels, students took the IPA vowel quiz and voted to do the diphthong quiz after Spring Break. After reviewing the diphthongs, we did IPA transcription for a poem. We are moving into our first dialect-British. We will now be speaking only in this dialect during class.

For Thursday: 

1. Review the British(RP) packet

2. Read The Dialect handout

3. Study the diphthongs

4. Complete the IPA transcription on the battle cry for extra credit (due Tuesday after break)

Thursday March 15th

We reviewed all the vowels with students holding up the vowels. Nice work everyone. Hopefully it helped seeing the symbol while saying it together. Then we jumped into the long diphthongs, drew pictures and reviewed with classmate. Finally we reviewed the short/r diphthongs. These are tough guys, only way to really get them is to study, write flashcards and quiz yourself as much as possible.


For Tuesday: 

1. Study for vowel quiz

2. Read the Dialect handout

3. Review the diphthongs

4. Bring in a flash drive on Tuesday and give it to me, so I can give you the dialect audio files by Thursday.

Tuesday March 13th

In class we reviewed the front and mid vowels then looked at the back vowels. After reviewing all the vowels as a class we played "The IPA Game Show" and you all won 1 extra credit point. Nice work everyone! Great team names too. :-) We then had our final three students perform their poems. Yeah!

For Thursday: 

1. Review the long diphthongs and all the vowels

2. The IPA vowel quiz will be on Tuesday the 20th.

3. Bring me a flash drive so I can give you the dialect recordings.

Thursday March 8th

Today was our introduction to the IPA. We began with the front vowels then moved to the mid vowels. We then drew the symbols of each vowels on scratch paper and drew pictures and words that best represented the sound. The only way to really get this stuff down is by practice, so review as much as possible.

For Tuesday: 

1. Review front and mid vowels and complete pictures

2. Review back vowels

We will play an IPA vowel game in teams for extra credit, so come prepared on Tuesday. Have a lovely weekend!

Tuesday March 6th

We did a full body and voice warm up in class then three people worked on their poems. We are headed into IPA land for the next three weeks, so please bring your packets with you to class everyday.

You should have finished Freeing the Natural Voice and turned in your four response sheets, but if you have done done this you are welcome to do it at any time throughout the semester. I will always accept late work for half credit.

For Thursday: 

1. Read about front and mid vowels in the IPA packet

2. Roger, Megan and Josh will work on their poems in class

Tuesday 3/13 will be the final poem day-Aalia, Mo and Doug will perform. Mike, when you are healed up we will schedule yours.

Thursday March 1st

In class we worked on the full resonating latter-giving sound and movement as we climbed up our bodies. This is a great way to end a full warm up, imagining sound coming from all parts of your body.
I also handing out the "great IPA packet". Please begin to read this through, we will jump in next Thursday.

For Tuesday: 

1. Finish reading Freeing
Here are the people bringing in comments for an extra credit point: Steve, Roger, Sheli, Jason, Mike and Clarissa. Thanks guys!

2. Do RR#4 and turn in Tuesday

3. Read the first part of the IPA packet

Tuesday Feb 28th

On the final class in Feb we looked over the warm up handout and then did a quick standing warm up followed by skull resonance. After that we did some range work. Four students performed and worked on their poem.

For Thursday: 

1. Read through the warm up packet, we'll be doing page 2 warm up on Thursday.

2. Read Freeing-Response sheet #4 due next Tuesday.

3. Here's who is going on Thursday: Jason L., Mitchell, Kyle, Stephanie, Hannah

Here's the update dates for the rest of you (I added an additional day so we don't have too many people going on one day).

Tues 3/6-Steve, Andrew, Semhar, Alex
Thurs 3/8-Roger, Megan, Josh, Doug
Tues 3/13-Mo, Mike, Aalia

Thursday Feb 23rd

What a beautiful day. Thanks for coming to a dark stage and working with me.

Today we explored our sinus and nasal resonance and then did some range work. Then three students worked. Thanks so much for jumping in to this group and individual work. I know some of the individual exercises can be weird,  vulnerable and scary but there are meant to shake you open/awake/challenge you. Please also know that if an exercise feels unsafe or too uncomfortable, you can let me know and we'll just move onto something else. Having said that, I really do appreciate your bravery and hopefully you've made some discoveries by doing them as well as watching.


For Tuesday: 

1. Read to page 284 in Freeing

2. Complete response sheet #3

3. Bring in some comments-heck we might even have a discussion! :-)

Have a restful weekend and enjoy this weather.

Tuesday Feb 21st

Today was all about back, side and front rib action. Getting your ribs to fully open to your breath is necessary for full voice power and range. We did four different exercises, hopefully one or two really opened you up.

For Thursday: 

1. Read Freeing-RR #3 will be due Tues 2/28

2. Work on opening your ribs.

Thursday Feb 16th

Today we explored, in more detail, the chest, head and teeth resonators. After that we dived into a short review of all we've covered the past two weeks. Keep working outside of class to open up your lower breath and release your tension areas.

For Tuesday: 

1. Read to pg 184 (through chap 9)

2. Complete RR #2-turn in Tuesday


Here's the list individual work dates:
 
Tuesday 2/21                                     (10 minutes each)
James, Zach, Isaac and Mike

Thurs 2/23
Vasili, Troy, Noah and Sam 

Tuesday 2/28
Jason R, Jason L, Sondra, Mia

Thursday 3/1
Mitchell, Kyle, Stephanie, Hannah

Tuesday 3/6
Josh M, Steve, Andrew, Semhar

Thursday 3/8
Roger, Megan, Josh, Doug, Aalia

Tuesday Feb 14th

Happy Vday. We had a very loving class today. We worked on releasing our lower breath on the floor through shaking out our back, spine and bellies. Then we moved onto our jaw, tongue and soft palate. Finally we worked on opening up the throat area with sound.

Clarissa bravely started out the individual work with a wonderful poem. Thanks for jumping in so willingly Clarissa, great work!

For Thursday:
1. Continue to read Freeing-read to 180 for next Tuesday

2. Work your poem

3. Work your "problem areas" with exercises from the book-only way they will improve is with daily practice.

Here is who is going Thursday 2/16:

Sheli, Tiffani, Sean and Ramona

Tuesday 2/21-James, Zach, Isaac and Mike
Thurs 2/23-Vasili, Troy, Noah and Sam 
Tuesday 2/28-Jason R, Jason L, Sondra, Mia
Thursday 3/1-Mitchell, Kyle, Stephanie, Hannah
Tuesday 3/6-Josh M, Steve, Andrew, Semhar
Thursday 3/8-Roger, Megan, Josh, Doug

Thursday Feb 9th

Today we did a few rib exercises-feeling the ribs and then circus stretches. From there we moved on to feeling resonance/vibrations in our faces, chest, neck and skull. Finally we looked at our mouths, tongue, soft palate and worked on releasing our jaw.

For Tuesday: 

1. Read through chap 4 in Freeing
2. Do Reading Response Sheet #1
3. Find a short poem/sonnet and memorize for your individual work

These are the students going on Tuesday (not in this order)
Aalia, Sheli, Tiffani, Clarissa


Have a restful weekend everyone and work on getting that breath lower and in your back ribs!

Tuesday Feb 7th

Today we continued to explore our breath-"the fuel for our voice". We first worked with partners to discover where our "habitual" breathing" patterns are then we did some work on the foor moving our pelvis during inhalation to try and feel the breath low in our bodies.  We explored some different exercises to get the breath lower-panting like a dog, hanging and wrapping the arms and child's pose. We then released sound on "huh"- relaxed and coming from the center of our bodies.

Finally we did partner exercises for releasing tension in the neck and shoulder-"Puppet arms!" Thanks for jumping in everyone. Great work.

For Thursday: 
1. Read Voice handout
2. Bring a mirror in for class on Thursday
3. Continue reading Freeing (finish chap 4 by Tuesday the 14th and turn in response sheet #1)
4. Choose a poem (that you love) and memorize it. (At least 6 lines, no more than 10)

Thursday Feb 2nd

Great class everyone. Here is a quick recap: everyone drew "my voice as I would like it to be" and then "my voice as it is". Thanks to those of you who bravely got up and shared both pictures with the class. Then we discussed how the voice works and the process of speech. After that we introduced ourselves with our eyes closed.

 Once we moved into the theater we played a name game and moved into our first exploration of body and breath.

For Tuesday:
1. Buy Freeing the Natural Voice and read to page 41. Please bring in 2 comments/questions
2. Begin filling out reading response sheet #1
3. Look for a poem that you really respond to (like) and memorize it.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Blog!

This is where I will review what we did in class each day and post the HW for the following class. Please sign up to be a follower so you will get updates.

Thanks.

-Laura