12-26-2013, 02:15 AM
Singing with Courage
A Workshop with Jon Arterton
January 27 – February 1, 2014
Kalani Retreat Center, Pahoa, The Big Island
February 3-7, 2014
Makawao Union Church, Paia, Maui
www.SingingWithCourage.com
Contact Jon at jon@jonandjames.com
Each of us has a beautiful voice inside somewhere, waiting to be released. When we begin to quiet the thoughts of self-doubt and criticism that hold us back and learn to sing joyously from the heart, miracles happen. We make connection with our inner selves and discover how truly amazing we are! The "Singing with Courage" workshop gently guides us to finding our voices as we open our mouths and make sounds in a safe, supportive environment. We sing group songs together; we improvise and experiment; we laugh a lot. Since we all learn from each other, the workshop benefits experienced singers and beginners alike. Those who were told not to sing as children are especially encouraged to attend.
Let’s face it, singing can be an incredibly scary experience - it’s so fraught with opportunities to make a “fool” of oneself! As children most of us sang with joyous abandon, but somewhere along the line we became less spontaneous and more self-conscious. Now, when we even think about singing in front of other people, most of us begin to hear little voices of self-doubt and fear whispering in our ears: “you’re not good enough, you’re not good enough.” There are few other life experiences that make us feel so vulnerable. And yet, I’ve discovered that most people really want to be able to sing, and that virtually everyone has a beautiful voice inside somewhere waiting to be released.
One of the great joys of leading singing workshops is that I never know in advance what is going happen! Every single one I’ve ever given has been unique, and every single one has been interesting and a great deal of fun; and they’ve all had moments that were (dare I say?) profound in one way or another. That’s why I like to say that my workshops are about much more than “mere” singing – they’re about taking the risk to become more fully ourselves.
We always ease into things gently, sitting in a circle and singing familiar old songs with each other. We tell our stories, we express our fears and we laugh a lot. We gradually begin to feel more comfortable and safe. We begin to realize that everyone else in the room is confronting similar terrors. We feel supported. There are no mistakes. And then it gradually starts to happen - protective shells start to fall away. And soon we begin to witness little miracles as our fellow singers confront their fears, one sound at a time. This gives each of us the courage to take risks. The emotional and physical issues that have kept us from singing as joyously as we might begin to fade. Breakthroughs happen.
I think that the ultimate goal of learning how to sing is to reach a point where we can sing in front of other people without fear – a little excitement yes, but not fear. Only then can we quiet those well-entrenched little voices in our ear and concentrate on what we’re trying convey in the song. When we get to that point, we realize that we’ve only been able to do this because we’ve developed a vocal technique for ourselves that is dependable and secure. We can stop worrying, and just sing. So it’s natural that technical issues of vocal technique like relaxation, breath control, placement and registers arise. I’m told that I have a gift for knowing what suggestions to give people to help them. I might tell one person to relax the jaw, the soft palate or the back of the tongue; and the next person to connect with the floor. I might tell one person to sing to the back of the room; and the next person to sing to a point right in front of them. I might tell one person to close their eyes; and the next person to make eye contact with everyone. I might tell one person to think only about the words; and the next person to forget them. It varies. Sometimes the results are startling.
Singing well is a life-long pursuit. There is always more to learn. So, while my workshops don’t create the world’s best singers overnight, they do give people a foundation on which to build. And in the process, we have a wonderful time together. – Jon Arterton
JON ARTERTON began his musical journey as a choirboy at Washington's National Cathedral. He was twice a Tanglewood Vocal Fellow at the Boston Symphony’s Berkshire Music Festival, and holds a Master's Degree in choral conducting and voice from The New England Conservatory of Music. He also holds an MFA in Acting from Smith College, and has performed in hundreds of plays and musicals, including on Broadway in The Utter Glory of Morissey Hall. He was the founder and musical arranger of The Flirtations, the proudly gay a cappella group seen on HBO, Good Morning America and in the film Philadelphia. He conducts The Outer Cape Chorale, a 140-voice community chorus in Provincetown, Massachusetts he began in 2002. He also gives periodic workshops called “Singing with Courage!”. He recently took fifth place in a national competition to collaborate with cellist Yo-Yo Ma in a performance of Dona Nobis Pacem. He and his husband James Mack have recently released their first CD together entitled Legally Married … and the sky didn’t fall!
A Workshop with Jon Arterton
January 27 – February 1, 2014
Kalani Retreat Center, Pahoa, The Big Island
February 3-7, 2014
Makawao Union Church, Paia, Maui
www.SingingWithCourage.com
Contact Jon at jon@jonandjames.com
Each of us has a beautiful voice inside somewhere, waiting to be released. When we begin to quiet the thoughts of self-doubt and criticism that hold us back and learn to sing joyously from the heart, miracles happen. We make connection with our inner selves and discover how truly amazing we are! The "Singing with Courage" workshop gently guides us to finding our voices as we open our mouths and make sounds in a safe, supportive environment. We sing group songs together; we improvise and experiment; we laugh a lot. Since we all learn from each other, the workshop benefits experienced singers and beginners alike. Those who were told not to sing as children are especially encouraged to attend.
Let’s face it, singing can be an incredibly scary experience - it’s so fraught with opportunities to make a “fool” of oneself! As children most of us sang with joyous abandon, but somewhere along the line we became less spontaneous and more self-conscious. Now, when we even think about singing in front of other people, most of us begin to hear little voices of self-doubt and fear whispering in our ears: “you’re not good enough, you’re not good enough.” There are few other life experiences that make us feel so vulnerable. And yet, I’ve discovered that most people really want to be able to sing, and that virtually everyone has a beautiful voice inside somewhere waiting to be released.
One of the great joys of leading singing workshops is that I never know in advance what is going happen! Every single one I’ve ever given has been unique, and every single one has been interesting and a great deal of fun; and they’ve all had moments that were (dare I say?) profound in one way or another. That’s why I like to say that my workshops are about much more than “mere” singing – they’re about taking the risk to become more fully ourselves.
We always ease into things gently, sitting in a circle and singing familiar old songs with each other. We tell our stories, we express our fears and we laugh a lot. We gradually begin to feel more comfortable and safe. We begin to realize that everyone else in the room is confronting similar terrors. We feel supported. There are no mistakes. And then it gradually starts to happen - protective shells start to fall away. And soon we begin to witness little miracles as our fellow singers confront their fears, one sound at a time. This gives each of us the courage to take risks. The emotional and physical issues that have kept us from singing as joyously as we might begin to fade. Breakthroughs happen.
I think that the ultimate goal of learning how to sing is to reach a point where we can sing in front of other people without fear – a little excitement yes, but not fear. Only then can we quiet those well-entrenched little voices in our ear and concentrate on what we’re trying convey in the song. When we get to that point, we realize that we’ve only been able to do this because we’ve developed a vocal technique for ourselves that is dependable and secure. We can stop worrying, and just sing. So it’s natural that technical issues of vocal technique like relaxation, breath control, placement and registers arise. I’m told that I have a gift for knowing what suggestions to give people to help them. I might tell one person to relax the jaw, the soft palate or the back of the tongue; and the next person to connect with the floor. I might tell one person to sing to the back of the room; and the next person to sing to a point right in front of them. I might tell one person to close their eyes; and the next person to make eye contact with everyone. I might tell one person to think only about the words; and the next person to forget them. It varies. Sometimes the results are startling.
Singing well is a life-long pursuit. There is always more to learn. So, while my workshops don’t create the world’s best singers overnight, they do give people a foundation on which to build. And in the process, we have a wonderful time together. – Jon Arterton
JON ARTERTON began his musical journey as a choirboy at Washington's National Cathedral. He was twice a Tanglewood Vocal Fellow at the Boston Symphony’s Berkshire Music Festival, and holds a Master's Degree in choral conducting and voice from The New England Conservatory of Music. He also holds an MFA in Acting from Smith College, and has performed in hundreds of plays and musicals, including on Broadway in The Utter Glory of Morissey Hall. He was the founder and musical arranger of The Flirtations, the proudly gay a cappella group seen on HBO, Good Morning America and in the film Philadelphia. He conducts The Outer Cape Chorale, a 140-voice community chorus in Provincetown, Massachusetts he began in 2002. He also gives periodic workshops called “Singing with Courage!”. He recently took fifth place in a national competition to collaborate with cellist Yo-Yo Ma in a performance of Dona Nobis Pacem. He and his husband James Mack have recently released their first CD together entitled Legally Married … and the sky didn’t fall!