Vocal Program, August 4-10, 2024
Instructors: Sheila Jordan & Amy London
Audition Info (first time applicants) Register
NOTE: First-time applicants, please send your audition recordings before registering.
The VJC Jazz Vocal Program was initiated in 1997 by NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan and expanded in 2001 to include Jay Clayton. This year we will have Amy London complementing and supporting Sheila Jordan. Their supportive system gives singers the tools to develop self-confidence on the stage, lead a band, and interpret music so that their delivery is both personal and informed by the jazz lineage. One of the primary objectives is to provide an encouraging atmosphere for singers to develop their craft. Sheila and Amy’s syllabus and the structure of the program provide lots of opportunities to sing with a wide range of others including a strong, in-house rhythm section.
Friday’s final concert will give each person the opportunity to perform in a concert with either (your choice) a professional jazz rhythm section or a faculty-coached, participant ensemble.
Topics covered:
- Warming up
- Applying theoretical concepts into practical applications
- Intonation
- Phrasing, swing and rhythm
- Jazz History (lots of first-hand narratives)
- Jazz and Great American Songbook repertoire
- Working with and leading a band
- Finding the best key that suits both your voice and the musical Selection
- Improvising
- Free-form
- Over chord changes
- Scat singing and syllables
Sheila Jordan and Amy London create a safe place for emerging and professional vocalists to develop their skills, make mistakes and discover their authentic selves.
