Hey y'all,
Tom Troyer here. I'm thrilled to invite you to a special voice master class with Elena DeAngelis. She has been my voice coach for a year and she agreed to share her insights for songwriters and performers at our monthly Back Table NSAI Chapter meeting.
We'll follow a "masterclass" format where she will work one on one with individuals in a group setting. Sign up in advance. Bring a song to perform that you feel you are "growing into". Expect to perform 2-3 minutes, receive advice and support, and then with Elena's help see how you can reach for that high note or lean into that challenging passage with confidence.
Elena will give a general introduction about her philosophy and approach to voice. This introduction will help provide a common vocabulary and set expectations for the class. Then we will have time for 5 - 7 sessions. 15 - 20 minutes each.
Here's a little about Elena.
"Recognized as a commanding entertainer to the core, Elena is frequently engaged to perform in concerts, presenting opera and classical singing to new audiences as though it were cabaret. She was featured at Salem College’s Visiting Artist series in Winston Salem, NC for several seasons, as well as at area Shepherd’s Centers, Church clubs, and retirement communities. Audiences respond to her effortless ability to draw them in to her performance, no matter the genre she is singing.
When not singing, Elena maintains an active teaching studio through the Music Center at City Arts in downtown Greensboro, NC. Her students range from amateur to professional, and she regularly has a waiting list for new students.
Elena is most recently a student of the famed Swiss bass-baritone Francois Loup. Her vocal studies began while in high school, having studied with Kathryn Flloyd Camacho. She went on to study with an impressive list of teachers including Barbara Ann Peters, Barbara Caprilli, Dwayne Jorgenson, Virginia Davidson, Louisa Jonason, Robert Wells, Nancy Schiller, and Nancy Walker. Additionally, she has coached with Andrew Harley, Beaumont and Evangeline Glass, Bodo Iges, Arlene Shrut, Elizabeth Bice and Valery Ryvkin."
Full disclosure, I worked with Elena because I wanted to extend my "useable range" and confidence where I typically would lean into falsetto. I also wanted to work on my lower register. She helped me understand how vowel sounds impact intonation and tonal quality and resonance. I feel improved confidence as a singer and as a public speaker because of the time I've spent working with Elena. I no longer rely simply on technological production techniques (e.g. compressors, eq, effects, auto-tune) I have a broader tool kit with which to achieve more dynamic range and control of my voice. As coordinator of NSAI and curator of the Silo Series I see many ways this opportunity can serve the songwriter scene as a "tune up" experience and provide value for more than just our regular NSAI attendees. This "Masterclass" welcome to anyone. Whether you are gigging regularly, working full time as a studio singer, trying to break into the scene, or in a band regardless of genre come and gain insights into how your most important instrument works. Think of this as the kind of yearly setup you might get on your main guitar...Elena will help "set up" your voice.
This is a free opportunity and an enormous value you won't want to miss. Even if you observe from the sidelines you're going to want to take notes and find new ways to approach singing.
Join us at 7 pm.
Cheers,
Tom Troyer
