Circlesinging and Collaborative Vocal Improvisation Training for Vocal Leaders, November 2024

Throughout the training, a group of singers and song leaders will have the chance to explore together and deepen different forms and models of collaborative vocal improvisation, including circlesinging.

Every song leader will have the opportunity to lead and be led by others, as well as acquire some fundamental tools to develop their own improvisational language and musicianship, and gain confidence in group-leading skills.

These four days are an invitation for everyone to go deeply into their personal practice and explore together from their differences, openly sharing strengths and challenges, inventiveness and resources.

The purpose of the training is for participants to incorporate vocal improvisation and circlesinging into their life, work and community: singing group, school, nursery, retirement home, SEN setting, community choir, spiritual practice, or just with a group of keen and adventurous friends.

Another aim is to expand beyond their personal practice as vocal improvisers and cultivate the skills for leading spontaneous singing activities with diverse communities and encourage connection and wellbeing in others.

There will be diverse exercises and games in the areas of rhythm, melody construction, use of invented language, harmony and tone quality. We will explore circlesinging and VoiceOrchestra techniques, grooves and harmonic sequences with two distinct and complementary objectives:

-to create strong, supportive, interesting backgrounds for the singers to explore and develop solo improvisation.

-to empower singers to create, orchestrate and conduct their own circlesongs and other forms of collaborative music.

Elements of the programme:

Bringing people together and into an open state. Many ways in.

Circlesinging. Learning from participants, making efficient patterns, conducting, flexibility, form, song architecture…

CVI listening- space- my vocal identity and style- invented language- body rhythm and sound- models and forms