Vocal-First Workshop
Choosing a song:
Correct length per Job’s Daughter competition guidelines
Theme or character you can relate to
Suits your vocal range and the quality of your voice
Finding your vocal range
Where to find karaoke music:
How to use Amazon or WalMart.com: Search for the title of the song + karaoke (example – “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Karaoke”)and download an mp3 file to your computer (usually costs about $0.99 – will need a credit card to purchase).
How to burn the music to a cd using your computer.
Note: I don’t recommend singing acapella. You can pull it off if you know the song extremely well, but you’ll sound better with music virtually every time.
Sheet Music:
How many copies and/or original copies do you need for the judges?
Where to find sheet music – we use MR Music on Dorsett near 270 or Shattinger’s which is off Broadway close to Anheuser-Busch Brewery. We usually call them first and ask if they have the music and then, if they do, ask them to hold 1 or 2 copies of it (depending on how many we need for competition) in our name.
What to Wear:
Wearing a costume to match your character (For example: You and a friend could wear Glinda and Elpheba costumes for your “For Good” duet.)
Comfortable yet professional look- Jobie appropriate semi-formal attire (Don’t wear heels unless you can walk comfortably in them.)
Poise While Performing:
How to stand-using good posture
Support yourself (hold your stomach muscles) and open your chest.
Breath control-take deep breathes. Think about expanding your stomach instead of your chest as you sing.
Moving only when your character wants to
Where to focus your eyes (decide when you want to make eye contact with the judges).
What to Eat Beforehand:
Eat healthy food, but no dairy products. Try not to eat immediately before you sing.
Drink lots of water!
Sick the Day of Competition?
Drink even more water.
Try drinking hot tea with honey or gargling salt water.
Don’t over practice-you’ll wear out your voice. However, warm-up like usual before you perform.
Humming as part of your warm-up might help if you have a nasal voice.
How to Warm-Up:
Scales, octaves, tongue twisters, etc. You want to warm-up your vocal chords and your tongue. Diction is as important as vocal range.
Sing through your song, preferably with your music so you can stay on pitch.
Practicing:
Try to breathe at a rest, during a pause in the lyrics, or at some other sensible place. Don’t breathe in the middle of a word or phrase.
Project your voice! Don’t let the size of the room dictate how much you project.
Stay in character and stay focused. Keep going if you mess up, and try not to fidget.
Enjoy yourself, and portray the message of the song.
Keep in mind what the judges are looking for. Reference sample score sheets.
Note: You need to decide how much of your song you would like to perform at the workshop performance. If you are not ready to sing the whole song, maybe sing a verse and the chorus.
Note: These agendas were for workshops I hosted to help me earn my Girl Scout Gold Award (an 80 hour service project). If you participated in these workshops, please leave a comment so I'll know you were here. Thank you!
~Brianna :-)
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