Singing & Dancing
At the same time! Not always. But often.
I've recently explored the profound, often overlooked, power of vocal training and dance. From musical theater to chorus to follow-along dance workouts and focused breath work, music is becoming essential to my artistry.
#MyFirstTimeYodeling & Character
In Willy Wonka, songs required character, not just notes. Taking a yodeling lesson with Briget Boyle was so helpful for finding my chest to head vocal transition and playing with that agility. It took a lot to learn just the concept and then putting it to a choreographed sequence proved quite the challenge. Loved every bit of it!
Anything Goes Chorus: The Art of Blending
The Anything Goes Choir in Oakland, led by Ellen Robinson for over 40 years, taught me a different musical discipline: collective harmony. My first time learning jazz arrangements, blending was a constant effort to listen for members on the other side of the room just as much as my own section being in key and in tune. What a brain & body workout - extremely worth it. Join in next session!
R&M, Zumba, the World!
After a few years of dedicated morning reset time with Rhythm & Motion, I craved more dance training and wanted to up the ante for my 🧠 while giving back to my community. I unexpectedly found myself studying (and memorizing) even more music - now with phrase pattern recognition and expressive movement added in (a glance here, a flourish there) to cue the anticipated sequence. Internalizing all these things took a lot of patience and some very wise guidance (thank you, Stephanie!) so I’m proud to say I’m regularly leading classes each week! Join my WhatsApp Group to check out my next dance party!
Building Skills: Keep Strengthening Those Muscles
My instrument's development continued with an outstanding Breath & Body for Actors Workshop with DeAnna Driscoll at Empowerhouse Acting Studio. This intensive, based on the Lucid Body technique, explored a psycho-physical approach to harmonize body and breath. It really improved my awareness of where my voice was traveling to and what condition my instrument was in to get it out there. So stoked to return to this studio that has taught me so much!
The Challenge and Reward of Musicality in Performance
I’m grateful to develop these skills this year upon the foundation built in writing and acting since 2020. I am beginning to sense what the future holds when joining read-throughs of new musicals (kudos to Patricia!); reading the original book, watching all the films, and tech week rehearsals for a childhood favorite; and collecting the intentions I want to incorporate into my own writing. I’ve loved embodying the melody, rhythm, and expression! Going beyond the script and the emotional truth, and saying it through the body. So magical. So wild. Tell us about your adventures!