Virtual Workshop Weekend for singers: Sing Joyfully 2020

This year, in the wake of COVID-19 and the uncertainty that it has created for singers getting together, I decided to make 2020 my year of delivering my regular workshop courses online. 

Residential weekends at Dartington Hall, form part of my teaching year structure. Situated near Totnes in South Devon, the Dartington Hall ethos provides the perfect vibe for such valuable learning exchanges to happen. The workshop weekends run in March (Love Your Voice) for solo singers, and October (Sing Joyfully) for ensemble singers.

Thanks to the pandemic, I’ve been on a learning curve of my own since March, reconfiguring my music studio, learning more about the tech requirements for teaching, and leading online. Little did I know how eerily on-point my post of January this year, where I welcomed applications for my ‘Love Your Voice’ course at Dartington Hall. This is how I opened the post:

“Teaching is more than imparting knowledge, it is inspiring change. Learning is more than absorbing facts, it is acquiring understanding.”

William Arthur Ward

and ...

Where the mentor provides a thought-provoking, boundary-busting structure to learning practices, so the student is encouraged to open themselves up to new ideas and patterns of work.

There is co-operative freedom to inspire. Magical when you experience it.

I like the idea of boundary-busting and inspiring change. 

There is always a buzz of excitement in the months leading up to each of these events. It is very rewarding to watch returning singers, who in the normal turn of events, allow Dartington’s beautiful surroundings to feed their soul with each repeated experience, to hear their voices GROW in confidence and enjoyment in what they can do.

This year, Virtual Sing Joyfully 2020 will be no different. I rise to the challenge of taking the whole music-making/ensemble-collaboration experience online and will deliver the course content, working with participating singers right into the safety of their home.

My workshop weekends are immersive, by design. The best experiences are those borne out of an eagerness to learn. Good preparation is key - only then can each singer give wholeheartedly to the group as a whole.

The Dartington ethos, learning by doing, fits the bill completely. The magic will still weave its spell.

Come and join us; click the link and register your interest.

You’ll find more info/details about the planned event and in early August I will share final timetable details as to what to expect from the weekend as a whole. 

Please note, the deadline for applications will be 28 August 2020, latest.

Thanks to my lovely friend and musician Paul Hornsby (fellow ex-dart too) for the first post image above. More examples of his excellent work can be found at www.hornsbyphotography.com or www.joatamon.photos.