Happy New Year! Let's Sing!

Tomorrow is the last day of August, which means that the next day is September.  For many of us, September, more than January, marks the start of new things.  Why not make a "new year's" resolution for this season?  Come sing.  Diana, a mother and photographer by day,  is organizing the September 24th all-day Sing YourSelf workshop in Calgary.  Here's what she has to say about improv singing:

What can I say about Sing YourSelf?

1)      This workshop is a chance to practice improvising.  You learn or practice making harmony, making your own solo line, making vocal percussion, to listen to others and work in with them, and you learn to create and shape a composition of your own and put it out there to other vocalists.

2)      The focus of the workshop is to step out; make music ‘off the page and off the stage’ where anything goes and there are no wrong notes.

3)      The composition portion is designed to encourage participants to embrace the challenge of creating music in different parts and to hand it off to others to voice, then to listen to his/her OWN unique creation.  It is his/her song.  Entirely.

4)      Singers of all levels are welcome.  Even those who are not accustomed to singing harmony will be encouraged to give it a try.  Those who are familiar with making harmony will be able to enjoy making their OWN harmonies (we already know how to do it.  We just need to be given the chance).

5)      The high point for me is feeling a real freedom of expression.  Because it is an improvisation workshop, it is entirely creative.  It’s a lot of fun to get together with other people (musicians or not) and make music for the sake of making music.  It’s extremely liberating. 

6)      Sing YourSelf workshops are an opportunity to challenge yourself in a number of ways.  You get a chance to collaborate with other people at making extraordinary music.  You have the opportunity to meet people with similar interests.  You experience the exhilaration of soaring in song – a song you compose yourself, or a song you create with strangers.  This workshop taps into the music in our souls and it is wonderful to let it out! 

Maybe you sing while you’re cooking.  Maybe while driving the car (with the windows up or down?).  I sing while cleaning the house.  Maybe you sing to soothe a child.  Perhaps you’re a member of a choir.  Who hasn’t spent SOME time singing in the shower?  We all hum something now and again.  Sing YourSelf is a place where the songs of our soul have a chance to be heard, harmonized, supported and embraced – all IN THE MOMENT.  Nothing is rehearsed and it’s wonderfully energizing to see what comes out and to go with it.

So!  Come sing.  Make that resolution.  Try it out - you might be surprised!  And there is absolutely no pressure to "perform" or to "be perfect".  Be yourself.  Yourself is perfect.

Here are the dates:

Thursday September 8th in NW Calgary.  7:30 pm.  This will be a monthly drop-in gathering with a small suggested or pay what you can fee. Contact Diana at diana@slaters.ca

Friday September 16th in Canmore.  7:30 pm.  This will also be a monthly drop-in gathering with a small suggested or pay what you can fee.  Contact me.

Saturday September 24th in NW Calgary at St. David's United Church.  9 am - 9 pm.  Cost is $75.  Space is limited so get your name on the list!  Contact Diana at diana@slaters.ca

It's the end of the summer, but it's the start of the new year.  Let's sing.