In 1949, Joseph Campbell publish his seminal work “The Hero With A Thousand Faces” which explored the nature of stories and myths throughout the span of our civilisation.

He posits the theory that every story shares the same fundamental narrative structure - the story of the hero!

“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”

Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. 1st edition, Bollingen Foundation, 1949. 2nd edition, Princeton University Press. 3rd edition, New World Library, 2008.

In this session, Scott Harrison will explore the main aspects of Monomythic Story Structure and how this can be used as part of a comprehensive approach, to access better vocal, physical, and dramatic choices within Musical Theatre Singing Performance.

We will look at how you can apply this approach to students of different levels and ages, and how Karl Jung’s ‘archetypes’ that are used by Campbell are a useful starting point to character creation and initial decision making with regards to vocal qualities.

In this session, Scott will demonstrate the work with 2 different students, and participants will be encourage to take part in giving feedback to the students.

This session was originally scheduled to appear as Scott’s guest speaker presentation at Eurovox 2020 which was unfortunately cancelled by the current pandemic. So grab your chance to see this work online!

The second part of GUEST SPEAKER Kathy Taylor-Jones exploration into understanding the Psychology of us as performers and teachers. We will look at many issues we face in both roles and learn how to take care of our own mental health while teaching.

MORE TO COME ON THIS CLASS SOON!

This class is OPEN FOR BOOKING NOW! (Sunday 28th June)

This sessions GUEST SPEAKER will be Assistant Professor of Voice - Jessye DeSilva from Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music in the United States.
Jessye will be sharing their own journey as a non-binary teacher and performer.

We will discuss some of the ways in which music and vocal pedagogy have become difficult places for trans and genderqueer folks to navigate, as well as how we can make our own studios safe and welcoming spaces for singers of all gender identities.

Prepare to ask lots of questions on what will be a fascinating class.

This class will also look see Scott lead technical exercises for engaging with Popular Music styles and understanding the importance of how to help students find the ‘human’ in the song.

This class is OPEN FOR BOOKING NOW! (Sunday 14th June)

It is well-documented that singing is good for us.  We know that the physical act of singing releases endorphins and dopamine in the brain, and this has a positive effect on our mood.  The bonding experience felt by those who sing together in groups can be attributed to the release of oxytocin.  And singing is a ‘mindful’ activity, keeping us in the present.  We understand and accept the positive physical and psychological aspects of singing.

However, the singing experience can be a dichotomy.   No-one who sings professionally and teaches singing will be a stranger to some of the more complex psychological responses to singing.  Whether you are training the keen amateur soloist, or preparing a student for drama school & music college auditions, or even working with professionals – maybe you are one yourself – we cannot ignore the whole gamut of feelings and emotions that can be experienced by singers wishing to reach their full potential as a solo singer. 

Singing: A Healthy Activity and Bonding Experience - OR Detrimental To Our Mental Health?  Let’s get talking!

In the first of two sessions, Kathy Taylor-Jones explores the psychological journey of what it is to be a singer.  She will lead a discussion on the experiences of the training singer; ranging from feelings of anxiety around performing including the physical symptoms of anxiety and how this affects the voice; feelings of inadequacy, auditions nerves, feeling judged, concerns about vocal health, lack of motivation and momentum.  We will discuss these together and share ideas, hopefully discovering what in particular contributes towards these fears, and therefore steps we can hopefully take to – at the very least – lessen these anxieties, or even overcome them, in order to become more confident and emotive singing communicators.

Kathy Taylor-Jones is a singer, singing teacher/coach and mentor to many professional singers in the music theatre industry.  She has a Masters in Music Psychology from Sheffield University, and a specialism in the psychological impact of vocal trauma.  She has been researching performance anxiety for many years, and has been looking into how effective certain strategies can be, both as a singer and a teacher.

This class is OPEN FOR BOOKING NOW! (Sunday 31st May)

Scott will look at what we all learned in Classical Singing and how this connects or diverges from the concerns we have in Contemporary Commercial Music.

The session will focus on registration and the functionary and artistic importance of flexible singing in this area and how to achieve it within Singers.

The focus for the discussion group will be on Teaching Young/Growing Voices and how to facilitate best teaching practices in this context: How to look after the safety of young voices, how to expect them to change and so on.

This class is now SOLD OUT!

Scott will be introducing his personal pedagogy and going over important areas of concern when becoming an educator.

We will look at how our practice as teachers is as important as the practice our students must do.

Scott will also introduce a list of fundamental reading materials which will set teachers up with the security of knowledge and a wealth of resources to draw from as they go into their studio.

The discussion group will centre around finding suitable topics which are important to the group for future sessions.

Booking for this session is OPEN NOW!

CLICK HERE TO BOOK!