Visit Verlene's class schedule to find out times and dates.
Harmony Singing I $105
In this class you will learn how to sing harmonies! Each class session
will include some listening and ear-training exercises and some of the chord
basics necessary to build harmonies. By the end of this five-week course,
you’ll be singing harmonies to some familiar tunes. Handouts and a
practice CD are included in the class fee.
Harmony Singing II $105
For those who have some experience already in harmonizing and know basic
chord theory, this class will go a step further by harmonizing outside of
the basic three note chord. It will include creating counter melodies
and some simple jazz harmony. Handouts and a practice CD are included
in the class fee.
Sightsinging Made Simple $105
In this class you will learn the Sol-feg system of sightsinging (that’s Do
Re Mi, etc.) You’ll be given exercises for learning the syllables used,
and for learning all of the intervals of the major scale. You’ll learn
how to recognize the key from the key signature, and how to “find Do” in
any key. The goal by the end of the five week course is to be able
to sightsing a number of melodies from the “Name that Tune” handout.
Handouts and a practice CD are included in the class fee.
The “Sing-Along” Harper $100 (plus
opt. purchase of book)
In this class we’ll use the Rise Up Singing book to learn how to “jam” along
with a song circle on popular sing-along songs. We’ll also use a few
pop tunes that I will bring in as handouts. You’ll learn how to “comp
chords” in a variety of rhythm patterns to play along with the singers and
guitarists in a group setting. You can of course also use these patterns
to accompany your own singing or another singer or instrumentalist!
If you don’t have a copy of Rise Up Singing, you can order one from me ahead
of time and I’ll have your copy at the first class – and you can reimburse
me then.
Cool Chords and Groovy Rhythms $100 (plus
opt. purchase of book)
This is lever harp workshop. We’ll use my book, Cool Chords and Groovy
Rhythms to learn how to play modern sounding arrangements on lever harp.
If you don’t already have a copy of the book, let me know in advance and
I’ll bring a copy for you to purchase ($20, tx incl) at the first class session.
In this workshop, we’ll start with how chords function in a major key, and
then go on to learn how to extend the triad to make modern jazzy chords.
We’ll also cover rhythms of jazz, pop, blues and gospel.
Songwriting I $100
This class covers the basics on how to construct a song. This includes
lyrics, melodies, and chords. We’ll look at song forms, as well
as song styles. Each week there will be a brief in-class writing exercise
and a take-home project that will build your writing skills. You will
also have the opportunity to work on a song that is an ongoing work-in-progress
throughout the five-week course. Each week you will apply another element
of songwriting. The goal is for each class member to have written a
song that is in a finished form by the end of the five weeks. Individuals
in the class will have the option to ask for input during the class time
on their work-in-progress or homework assignment.
Songwriting II $100
A continuation of Songwriting I, this class will dig in deeper to understand
what makes a song lyric work – how to include a “hook” in the lyrics as well
as the melody, how to match the lyrical content and verbal style to the musical
style, and how consonants and vowels effect both the meaning and the "sing-ability"
of the song. There will be assignments throughout the five weeks and
the goal is to have a minimum of five songs in some stage of completion by
the end of the course.
Songwriting III $100
This class is for songwriters who already know the basics about form, melody,
lyric writing, and chords. We’ll discuss some of the finer points of
lyric writing, melodies, and chords, and spend most of the time working with
songs brought in by class members. The goal here is for each
class member to finesse a song that was already in some kind of finished
form before the beginning of the first class. We'll also cover how
to register for copyright.
Performance & Stagemanship $110 (only
4 weeks)
In this class we’ll work on presentation skills such as how to introduce yourself
and your songs, how to interact with the audience, what to do with the microphones,
how to interact with the sound crew, and how to deliver your song effectively.
Each week, we will cover the how-to’s and you’ll get some practice with each
of these aspects. We'll videotape each week, and on the fourth week,
each will have an opportunity to put it all together in a 10 minute "show."
Have songs prepared to perform for this part. Bring a blank VCR tape
if you would like a copy of the tape.
Vocal Styliazation $100
This class is for singers of all levels who are intested in exploring the
various elements of vocal style. These include vocal timbre and registration,
vibrato, pronunuciation, phrasing, and ornamentation. We'll cover each
element and apply them to several styles including: jazz, pop, blues, country,
folk, and rock. There will be time allowed to help each individual with their
own personal style, as well as to be coached in particular styles.