- Join your voice with other singers to improvise a cappella music
- Learn body-mind practices to overcome inhibitions and nerves
- Expand your musical ‘palette’ with new tools and skills
2023 dates coming soon!
Write us at vocalimprov@soundyourvoice.uk to register your interest.
“I loved it so much, I couldn’t ever have guessed how healing it would be. I found so much more confidence to experiment. It was brilliant, musically engaging and such a wonderfully held safe space. You two are absolutely brilliant!” Freya
Let your voice fly free
Would you love to be more free, confident and expressive when you sing?
If you’re a singer who’s drawn to improvisation or jamming, but tends to hold back in front of others, this course is designed to help you set your voice free.
You could be a shy, bedroom-based singer who’s scared to be heard by others, or a performing vocalist longing to take risks and ad lib on stage. During this six-week journey, we’ll explore how improvised singing within a safe, supportive group can help you expand the boundaries of your comfort zone, develop trust in your voice and allow more of your own unique expression to be heard.
Join us to explore ways of making spontaneous music together, using our voices as instruments. Equip yourself with the ‘improviser’s toolkit’ of melody, harmony, rhythm and sound. Learn ways to calm your nervous system, deal with your inner critic and reconnect with your innate sense of confidence.
This course is designed to help you embrace your own voice and experience singing with more openness and confidence, so you can start sharing your full self-expression in public.
Who’s this course for?
This course is for creative singers who are drawn to improvisation, but struggle at some level to sing freely and spontaneously in front of others.
You might have tried vocal improvisation before, but if not, you’re likely someone whose creativity comes out in one or more of the following ways:
- You make up tunes in the shower
- You play with melodies when you’re singing along to the songs you listen to
- You write songs or other music
- You improvise on a musical instrument
Maybe you’re someone who struggles with nerves when singing in public. You may be frustrated by the effect of nerves on your voice – the wobbles, tension and loss of control. If you are a performing vocalist, maybe you feel trapped in ‘sticking to the script’ and can’t quite dare to break free.
Whether your ambition is to improvise on stage or just sing freely in front of friends, you long to let go when sharing music with others.
Our aim is not only to teach you improvisation skills and tools, but to help you experience yourself in a new way: as a more confident, vibrant singer who can share themselves more fully in song.
“Was expecting it to be intimidating and all about singing perfectly and beautifully as individuals, and so pleased it was none of these things!” Sarah
Do I need to know music theory?
Our group will include students from various musical backgrounds, and we want everyone to feel supported and included. You don’t have to have studied music theory or be able to read sheet music to take part, as long as you can make up simple tunes or musical phrases.
All skills will be taught in an accessible way. There will be handouts with notation for those who find sheet music helpful, and alternative resources for those who don’t.
What will I learn and experience?
The course will focus on three main themes:
- Body-mind practices for singers
- Building musical and vocal skills
- Collaborative Vocal Improvisation – where we’ll explore different ways to improvise as a group and put everything else we’ve learned into practice
Collaborative Vocal Improvisation (CVI) is typically made up of looping, interlocking patterns to which you can add harmonies, rhythm, bass and solo – all with the voice. Taking part in CVI is not just a magical experience in itself, but can greatly benefit other areas of your musical life too. It can spark inspiration for songwriting as well as teaching you how to collaborate with band members or musicians on a deeper level.
Most people associate improvisation with Jazz, but CVI isn’t just for Jazz singers. The music we create together can sound like any contemporary music genre, or none. The only way of knowing exactly what our group improvisations will sound like is to come along and experience them for yourself!
“I never thought I could create music and now I think I could even create a song!” Eva
“I’ve sung all my life and been part of various choirs, but this course was a completely unique experience for me. It felt like I was connecting with something ancient, and intrinsically human. I loved singing in a circle, creating music spontaneously, and listening to others and finding ways to respond in the moment.” Claire
Grow in confidence
During the course you’ll work on growing your confidence and freeing yourself from nerves, via:
- Mindfulness and embodiment exercises
- Journalling and group reflection
- A culture of safety, support, curiosity and play
- Opportunities to practice soloing if you wish
We are limiting our group size to 12 students. This number is enough to give us a rich group sound, while giving you the chance to get to know everyone and keeping sessions personal and intimate.
“I feel more confident, not only to sing but in social situations in general. I appreciate myself more, I learnt self compassion, not to compare with others and to not be judgemental with myself.” Eva
Gain new tools and skills
The course is designed to help you develop your vocal musicianship to give you a range of options when you improvise. You’ll learn and practise:
- Foundational skills for Collaborative Vocal Improvisation (what needs to be in place for the music to emerge and flow)
- A playful approach to making different vocal tones and textures
- Rhythm skills and how to root yourself in a rhythm
- Creating melodies and ways to progress them
- How to harmonically complement a melody
- How to improvise with words and syllables
- How to value mistakes and use them for improvisation
- How to use silence as a creative tool
“It was warm, supportive, safe, enjoyable and I loved the balance of technique, meditation and improv.” Sarah
To help you carry on nurturing your creative voice after the course is over, you’ll also learn how to set yourself up with a nourishing practice routine.
On the final Thursday we’re extending the session time to give us a full day together. To celebrate each person’s unique voice and expression, everyone will have a chance to lead a group improvisation and solo if they wish.
Price
£ 550 Standard | £ 450 Students
- 22 hours of group coaching
- Additional resources: handouts, audios and videos
- Home practice exercises
- WhatsApp group for accountability and support
For adults (18+)
Maximum 12 students
“It literally freed my voice!” Gillian
If you have any questions we’d love to connect with you to answer them. You can send us an email at vocalimprov@soundyourvoice.uk
Meet your facilitators
Lise is the founder of Sound Your Voice, a Bristol-based vocal studio supporting singers of all levels to develop their vocal technique, improvisation and songwriting.
Since 2019 she has trained with world-class vocal coaches at the Institute for Vocal Advancement (IVA). She is certified as a singer and music teacher in Jazz and Contemporary Music, and also studied Music and Movement Education/Rhythmics at Vienna’s University of Music and Performing Arts.
Lise records and performs with her band under the stage name of Lil Maxine. She has collaborated with various renowned artists in the fields of Jazz, World and Theatre.
“Brilliant, magnificent, sensitive and highly competent in the way Lise brings out the best in me as a singer and performer!“ Jakob Beubler, singer and actor
Danielle is a creative vocalist, vocal improvisation facilitator and coach. Operating under the name Bird Flies Free, she empowers performance-shy singers to become confident vocal improvisers. Danielle dedicated herself to the study and practice of Collaborative Vocal Improvisation after falling in love with this artform four years ago. She has taken extended courses in vocal improvisation with Briony Greenhill and Emma Coleman, and trained as a CVI and circlesong facilitator with Guillermo Rozenthuler.
As an improviser, songwriter and piano player, Danielle has been on her own journey to overcome performance anxiety. She now uses the wisdom and empathy she’s gained to support other singers who aspire to find true freedom in their voice.
“I felt entirely safe and held in Danielle’s workshop and I didn’t ever feel exposed or on the spot. Danielle is a wonderful facilitator who created a space that was fun and playful but also tender and open.” Amy Lawrence, singer, songwriter and performing artist
What about Covid?
We recognise that Covid-19 remains a threat to our health. As facilitators we will be taking steps to mitigate the risks, and we will be asking all of our students to support us in this to make our sessions safer for everyone.
You can read our full Covid policy, as well as our Cancellation and Refund Policy, by clicking below.
Covid policy
NB This policy was revised in September 2022, in line with Government advice at that time. We’ll be keeping a close eye on infection rates and Government guidance so that we can adapt this policy if necessary. If we need to make any changes to the arrangements below we’ll make sure we keep the group well informed.
If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19, please avoid coming to our group sessions until you no longer feel unwell. Remember that there may be members of the group at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell with COVID-19, so let’s try to avoid spreading the virus between us. If you need to miss a session for any reason, there will be a video to watch to help you catch up.
We’ll be meeting in an indoor space, which we’ll ventilate by opening windows and doors. We will be balancing the need for fresh air with keeping everyone at a comfortable temperature.
What happens if local or national restrictions return?
Should the Government decide to reintroduce Covid restrictions that make it impossible for us to meet in person, we would cancel the course.
If these restrictions were announced before the course started, you’d be entitled to a refund of the full course fee.
If these restrictions were announced once the course had started, you’d be entitled to a partial refund to reflect how much of the course had already taken place.
In the unlucky scenario that both of us facilitators (Danielle and Lise) caught a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19 and were unable to deliver part of the course, we’d attempt to find alternative dates that worked for everyone. If this was not possible we’d give you a partial refund to reflect how much of the course had already taken place.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Cancellation and refunds
It’s your consumer right to cancel within 14 days of booking your place. If you book more than 14 days before the course starts, and decide to cancel within the 14-day ‘cooling off period’, you will get a full refund of the fee you paid for the course.
If you book less than 14 days before the course starts, and you cancel within the cooling off period but after the course has started, you’ll get a partial refund to reflect the proportion of the course which has already taken place.
Your booking may be officially cancelled via:
- this online booking system or
- email: vocalimprov@soundyourvoice.uk
Note that the course fee isn’t transferable.
Organisers’ cancellation
Danielle and Lise are fully committed to delivering this course, but if for any reason we should have to cancel we would either seek to find alternative dates that worked for everyone OR refund you.
If we cancelled before the course had started you would be eligible for a full refund of the course fee.
If we cancelled once the course had started you would be eligible for a refund that reflected the proportion of the course which had already taken place.
FAQ
Questions
Is your course suitable for beginner singers?
No, if you’re new to singing this isn’t the course for you. You’ll need to feel comfortable with singing to take part and get all the benefits. You should be able to sing in tune and come up with your own simple musical phrases, at a minimum.
If you are a beginner and you’d love to explore your voice and improve your singing skills, Lise would be very happy to support you with one-to-one voice lessons. You can book a 60-minute taster session here.
Do I need to know music theory, or be able to read sheet music?
Our group will include students from various musical backgrounds, and we want everyone to feel supported and included. You don’t have to have studied music theory or be able to read sheet music to take part, as long as you can make up simple tunes or musical phrases.
All skills will be taught in an accessible way. There will be handouts with notation for those who find sheet music helpful, and alternative resources for those who don’t.
Can I still join the course if I can’t make it to every session?
In short, yes you can.
As long as you’re healthy and well we do encourage you to come to all six sessions so that you can get the most out of the course. Ideally we will all show up consistently because that will deepen the group experience and help us to grow and develop together. However, if you can’t make it to a session for any reason, don’t worry – there will be a way for you to catch up on the topics you’ve missed.
After each session we’ll send out a short video and supporting resources. That way, everyone will have a record of the learning material, and anyone who missed the session will be able to keep up to speed.
Our final session together will be a full-day celebration of our creativity and each person’s unique voice. We don’t plan to teach any new tools or concepts on this day, but we will still send out a final video.
Is this course about Jazz improvisation?
This isn’t a jazz improvisation course, it’s a broader course that’s relevant to singers across all genres of contemporary music. The music we’ll create together could sound like any contemporary music genre, or none.
Ready to free your voice?
If you’re feeling the call to join us, we can’t wait to meet you and your voice! We’re excited to improvise with you, and to hear the song that only you can sing.
If you have any questions we’d love to connect with you to answer them. You can send us an email at vocalimprov@soundyourvoice.uk