Classes & Workshops

Are you a singer? Have you always wanted to sing but something was keeping you from giving it a go? Are you a more seasoned vocalist but perhaps a bit rusty and want to get back to basics, get back in touch with your body and breath – and perhaps even learn a thing or two about harmony? This course is for you.

This course will spend the first three weeks focusing on vocal technique – breath mechanics, vowel study, how to properly warm up and what to be listening for in our own voices.  The second half of the course will be focused on song study, performance, recording, harmony and anything else specific that students are interested to work on during our time together.

We will learn:

• Breath and Singing Exploration
  Will discuss the mechanics of the singing body, how the body and the breath support the larynx.  We will learn some basic exercises we can do to best promote good breathing practices as well as how breath mapping is as important as learning the melody and lyrics when learning a song.
  
•  Vowel Purity and Enunciation
  In singing – the Consonants tell the story while the Vowels detail the emotion.  We will explore this philosophy and learn exercises to learn about vowel purity.
• Runs, Riffs and Melisma
  Putting together our breath work and vowel work to learn about flexibility, how to stay in tune while navigating quicker and more impressive phrasing.  We will also work on vocal improvisation and how we can become more comfortable with it.
• Group Song Study
  We will put together the technique we have been practicing to work on a group vocal piece via SoundTrap.  We will learn how to make harmonies sound solid when working with different timbres of voice as well as how to do harmony and doubling on your own, and what to listen for to make your tracks sound exactly how you like.
  
• Individual Song Study
  We will use the last two classes to workshop individual pieces for each other. Each student will have the option of (1) Performing live for their class and receiving constructive feedback and a chance to workshop with the group or (2) pre-recording a performance or track on video or just audio via Soundtrap and receiving constructive feedback and a chance to workshop with the group.

About the instructor:

Kritty Uranowski is a vocalist and coach based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She has worked for nearly 20 years in film, television, studio and stage work – most notably in the 2007 film “Hairspray” and for many years as the voice of Home Hardware and their jingle.  Her most recent work as a vocal director and singer is on the acclaimed 2020 release Heavy Light by 4AD artist U.S. Girls.

Kritty loves to find what is special about each individual singer’s voice and give them to tools to bring out the best in their vocals while not stripping away what makes their voice special.

Music in video games takes all shapes and sizes, and we will be investigating how you can use free, browser based programs to design your own music to be used in games. Some games use bleeps and bloops to make a level more exciting, and some use moody guitar to tell a story.

.We will learn:

• An introduction to Beepbox
• Exploring different sounds
• Exploring different moods
• How many songs does it take to make a short game?
• Sound Effects
• Additional Tools for Simple Game Design

About the instructor:

Ruune, is a multi-genre performance artist, game designer, and music educator living and creating work in Portland, OR. They have been on tour all over the country playing drums for hip hop acts, bass for punk bands, and singing their own blend of witchy pop and folk songs. Ruune loves telling stories, finding as many ways to do so as possible, and helping other folks feel empowered to tell their own stories through creative mediums.

This series of workshops is for anyone who loves those often elusive low sounds that happen somewhere between the drums and the guitars and wants to learn a bit more about them! ZERO prior knowledge necessary! You will also get the chance to shape the course yourself by suggesting songs you’d like to learn! 

All the basic essentials for playing and understanding the bass guitar will be covered in this course INCLUDING:

• Learning RIFFS, CHORD PROGRESSIONS and FUN MUSICAL TRICKS for getting you started!
• Developing your own unique sound using your own creativity
• Technical names and parts of the instrument
• How to tune the bass
• Pointers on getting around the fretboard

About the instructor:

Jodi is a musician and educator based in York, UK. They have been playing guitar and bass for around 15 years and completed a degree in Popular Music Performance in 2015. After 5 years of teaching professionally, they still get a kick out of sharing the joy music can bring to people! Jodi believes teaching should be about sharing our collective knowledge and skills, giving anyone who wants them the tools to learn and grow as individuals, showing them that its never too late to start learning something new!

As well as teaching, Jodi has recorded bass with Daniel Versus The World and Neil Singh and toured Europe as a session player for Personal Best at the end of 2019. They also teach drums, do session work and perform internationally with Colour Me Wednesday and BYENARY. Jodi has worked with First Timers Fest and Girls Rock London as a music tutor and organizer since 2017.