| Originally published: May 5, 2020 Updated: January 08, 2021 |
Are You Free When You Sing?
“Being artistically free is trusting that if you open your wings – if you allow yourself to be exactly what you were meant to be – the wind will catch you. It may be clumsy at first, but it is what we are meant to do as creative people.”
Emily Braden may be an award-winning vocalist in New York City singing at historical venues such as the Blue Note and Birdland, but the freedom and artistry she expresses on stage didn’t always come easily. “When I started improvising in my junior high choir, I wasn’t necessarily very good at it. My ego tried to keep me from it, but the feeling of not being good couldn’t beat the feeling of soaring and connecting with music. Music is always there. I had to leave my ego and continue to do try. It was the only way to get better.”
Being “Artistically Free” is one of Singdaptive’s six value areas, and is about becoming more expressive and creative. To develop your creative tool box, instructor Emily Braden teaches musical exercises in band-leading, song interpretation, improvisation, arranging and song-writing. Check out what she says is the root of expressiveness:
“You are constantly being creative. Every time you form a sentence you are creating something out of nothing. Expressiveness is using your creativity to communicate what it is that you carry around inside – the fingerprint of who you are.”
To watch Emily’s introduction lesson on becoming Artistically Free sign up for your free basic account.
Put Content Online
Go Live on Insta! Go Live on FB! Gigging singers, Singdaptive Instructor Jaime Babbitt says you gotta put more content online.
Outstanding Performances
This is an example of when great acting and great singing meet in a great song. You’ll love this isolation performance by Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald of “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Sondheim’s 90th birthday live stream on Vox.
Singing in the Pandemic
Singers just want to be together! Find out what these choirs are doing to stay connected and creative during the pandemic.
Kathy Alexander is VP of Curriculum for Singdaptive. She was a staff writer for 6 years at VoiceCouncil Magazine and works for the University of Victoria as a practicum supervisor. Kathy is also a singer, vocal coach and choir director. Career highlights include guest appearances in Europe with Quannah Parker jazz fusion band in Norway, and back on the West Coast with Vision TV’s Let’s Sing Again, The Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra and the Victoria International Jazz Festival.
