Open Workshops in Vocal Tai Chi

Vocal Tai Chi originated from a question: “how can I improvise with my voice while meditating?” It sounds like a contradiction in terms because meditation is a 'non-doing' practice. However meditation is about being with yourself, your breath, voice, state, thought, feeling and mindful action. Meditation calls on your knowledge, awareness and presence. In Vocal Tai Chi we explore the notion of honest music. Tai Chi connects yin and yang, the soft and strong elements as natural life-flow, generating the subtle energy of ‘chi.’ This enlivens the whole body-mind system, and creativity arises. �Vocal Tai Chi helps expand and relax the voice through this grounding process. The work is based in vocal improvisation, a process of following threads of spontaneous inner music, both in groups and solos. Tai Chi principles are used in conjunction with an expanded map of the vocal range, while also connecting to a droning pitch-centre. Using the metaphor of a vocal house, ‘basement, ground, mezzanine and attic,’ the voice crosses thresholds beyond its usual range, through melodic and timbral explorations. As the voice opens, so do you. Bearing in mind meditation is a practice about being awake to many layers of consciousness, through the external world to an inner presence, in Vocal Tai Chi the voice acts as a measure, expression and embodiment of these layers. You move through vocal challenges as gateways to freedom, so vocal magic can arise as the singer and the song are not two.