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.