Singing Lessons & Vocal Confidence Voice Coaching. Brighton & Hove,East Sussex BN3 (NLP & Alexander Technique)

Training Provided by Alan Mars What do I offer and what is my background? What happens in a typical lesson? Who do I teach? Further information and contact detailsWhat do I offer and what is my background? I can help you to free your singing voice - to sing with greater ease, clarity, resonance and power. I can help you reduce performance nerves and to develop increasing confidence as an amateur of professional performer. I have been teaching since 1982 and have taught a combination of Alexander Technique, NLP, voice-work and singing at some of London's top drama and music schools- the Arts Educational Drama School, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal College of Music. "In my twenty three years at the Royal College of Music, nearly every one of my students has been advised at our first meeting to put their name down for Alexander lessons! It is the perfect starting-point for learning about the physical facts of the art of singing and how to put them into practice." Professor Lyndon Van Der Pump- Professor of Singing, Royal College of Music What happens in a typical lesson? Vocal placement & posture Pitch & volume Rhythm & smoothness Understanding the story Internal stage management Alexander Technique active resting positionVocal placement & posture. The lessons starts with gentle vocal exercises based around gentle humming and open vowel sounds. This is accompanied by delicate Alexander Technique hands-on guidance to improve posture, poise and vocal placement. Please see below for an article and link on Alexander Technique & Voice. Pitch & volume. Using simple scales to smoothly lower and raise the pitch of your voice whilst maintaining awareness of posture and alignment. Exercises for making a smooth transition from quieter to louder and back again to quieter volume. Gradually extending your vocal range and comfort zone. Rhythm & smoothness. Working with the text of songs and poetry to develop rhythm, pace and smoothness in the vocal line. Understanding the story. Understanding the song text. Bringing the story to life in your own mind and in the mind of the audience. Internal stage management. Confidence boosting techniques and mental rehearsal skills drawn from the worlds of psychology, physiology and the theatre Alexander Technique, NLP, energy and breathing awareness etc. Please see below for an article and link on NLP & Voice. Alexander Technique active resting position. The number one favourite exercise of my drama and music students over the years! Why? It yields benefits way out of proportion to any effort that you put in. In addition to being restful for the spine and soothing for bad backs it is also a great stress alleviator. Not to mention being a great position from which to do some of your vocal exercises. N. B. I am not a pianist and do not provide piano accompaniment for songs. I do play Celtic harp and can provide a basic accompaniment for folk songs, pop, ballads etc. I also have good microphones and amplification for those who would like to sing with a backing track. Who do I teach? Anyone who wants to free their voice. I have taught everyone from the so-called 'tone-deaf' to principal solists at the ENO and Covent Garden: Those who just want to give their voice a spring-clean; the brave 'non-singer' who wants to take the plunge; amateur and professional choral singers; pop-singers; actors and opera singers who just want to get that extra edge. Further information and contact details: Contact: Alan Mars, 26 Ventnor Villas, Hove, BN3 3DE Phone: 01273 747 289 or 07930 323 057 Web: www. thetechnique. co. uk Individual Sessions: 37 pounds per individual lesson (50 minutes). 185 per block of 6 lessons paid in advance.

Singing Lessons & Vocal Confidence Voice Coaching. Brighton & Hove,East Sussex BN3 (NLP & Alexander Technique) ARTICLES ON SINGING (please follow links):

Some Talk of Alexander - a brief introduction to Alexander Technique for singers

Nerve Endings & the Ring of Confidence - an introduction to some simple NLP confidence boosting techniques

We Are All Born Singers - NLP, simple anatomy of the voice, encouragement for beginners & "non-singers"

SOME TALK of ALEXANDER

Straining for notes, both high and low, breathing difficulties, lack of resonance, hoarseness: these are just some of the difficulties that beset the choral singer. The Alexander Technique can be of enormous value...

Potted Alexander F. M. Alexander (1869-1955) was an actor who suffered from recurrent hoarseness and breathing difficulties. Having unsuccessfully tried the medical treatments available at the time, Alexander studied by himself, over a period of seven years, in a three-way system of mirrors to find out what he was doing that caused him to lose his voice. He noticed a tendency to stiffen his neck and pull his head back and down. This habit initiated a pattern of misdirected effort through his whole body. He eventually developed an approach that involved momentarily pausing and releasing his habitual tension and then 'directing' himself into an easier, co-ordinated state. Alexander went on to teach, using a combination of gentle manual guidance and verbal instruction to give his students a direct experience of using their bodies in a more co-ordinated way.
For the rest of this article please paste this link into your browser - http://alanmars. wordpress. com/ 2008/ 10/ 22/ alexander-technique-choral-singing-brighton-hove-uk/

NERVE ENDINGS & THE RING OF CONFIDENCE

Most singers experience some anxiety at the prospect of performing or auditioning. Celtic harp player Alan Mars suggests some simple methods of transforming stress into confidence and excitement. The performing world is full of remedies for nerves, from the lucky rabbits foot (not so lucky for the rabbit perhaps) to Luciano Pavarotti's gracefully flourished handkerchief Ultimately, the luckiest charm you have is a harmonious relationship between mind, body and voice. A little adrenaline can be the fuel that turns a merely adequate performance into an exhilarating experience for both singer and audience. But what can you do if you have rehearsed your material thoroughly and you still feel the kind of anxiety that turns performance into panic?
For the rest of this article please paste this link into your browser - http://alanmars. wordpress. com/ 2009/ 03/ 03/ the-ring-of-confidence/

WE ARE ALL BORN SINGERS

When we think of the word "health" we may also think of "happiness". And from happiness it is a short leap of the imagination to song and celebration. And just as happiness can lead to song, so also can singing can chase away the blues at the beginning, middle or the end of the day. It re-establishes a full, easy pattern of breathing and encourages release of the muscular system, with all the attendant benefits of stress alleviation. It is a way of expressing your feelings and of linking up with other people and the world around you. For many people who would love to sing regularly, however, the opportunity simply eludes them, the last time they may have sung in a group may have been at nursery school
For the rest of this article please paste this link into your browser - http://thetechnique. co. uk/ bornsingers. htm

About The Training Provider: Alan Mars

More Singing Training - Lessons and Courses Training from Alan Mars

• Singing Lessons & Alexander Technique. London Brighton & Hove BN
• VOICE, SINGING & ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE - Day Workshop in Brighton & Hove. BN2 BN3