Past event: Sunday 23 February 2020

Guildford School of Acting

All together now!
with Chris Palmer and Janice Thompson

The day offers a mix of practical and classroom events, and deals with key issues for today’s singing teachers working within schools at a primary and secondary  level. The morning session deals with working on musical theatre repertoire in appropriate accents and the afternoon session covers working effectively with groups of students.

Morning with Chris Palmer: Voice and speech for musical theatre

• Breath and movement
• Using Tai-Chi movements to develop and expand breath support for lines.
• Exploring the use of accents – Cockney and American
• General tips and tricks for teaching in accents.
• Practical demonstration with GSA students.

Afternoon with Janice Thompson: All together now! – nurturing young singers within a group teaching situation

• Lesson management
• Core technical skills
• Musicianship
• Developmental skills – including ‘changing voices’
• Musical theatre performance skills
• Practical demonstrations using small groups of students.
  

Chris Palmer

Chris Palmer graduated from Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama specialising in educative theatre, then completed her training in advanced voice studies at Central School of Speech and Drama. As head of voice for the BA and MA programmes at Guildford School of Acting, she strives for vocal excellence.

She has worked as vocal coach on numerous shows including the west end production of Mamma Mia!, and has taught at many leading drama schools. At GSA, she has increased her department to cover the world of voiceovers and radio, winning the BBC Carlton Hobbs competition in 2011. She has coached in Norway and Geneva for the World Economic Forum and Global Fellowship, and was communications examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons. She has published articles for the Voice and Speech Trainers Association and the British Voice Association, and her research as course leader on GSA’s groundbreaking MA Practice of Voice and Singing course has led to a wider readership in the training of the singing and spoken voice.

Janice Thompson

Janice Thompson MA FISM LRAM ATCL is an accomplished singing teacher, vocal coach, mentor and accompanist who is at home working with singers of all voice types, ages and abilities.

Since the establishment of her Swindon singing studio in 1986, she has guided singers to success in performance, national competitions, examinations and vocal careers, using her own unique blend of singing techniques and vocal coaching styles,  Her skills and experience include the organisation of workshops and masterclasses for the benefit of her singers, working with aspiring singing teachers and choral conductors, and also vocal rehabilitation and adjudicating.

She has successfully coached singers towards vocal diplomas and graduation recitals, most recently for Bath Spa University.  Thanks to her professional support, numerous singers have achieved undergraduate and postgraduate places at music conservatoires and musical theatre colleges. Present and former students have appeared in west end musical and touring theatre, with leading national and international opera companies, in the British Youth Opera, in bands, in national youth choirs and youth musical theatre companies, at the Edinburgh Fringe and on cruise ships. Several are presently performing across Europe. Others are now singing teachers themselves in performing arts schools and music hubs.