by Gary Powell Click Here to See all the Photos
I spent June 17-19, 2005 as guest faculty at the Oklahoma Arts Institute, a multi-disciplinary program for the development of young artists. There were some 40 singers present, each of whom had won a seat at OAI through audition. The singers’ first week was spent in the very capable hands of Dr. Lynn Gackle from the University of South Florida. I attended her concert with these singers the night I arrived. They were wonderfully rehearsed and created music of real beauty. Dr. Gackle bravely repositioned the singers for each piece, creating a different aural experience for the audience throughout the concert.
As is usually the case, I was invited to bring an experience and overview of what is expected of singers in
actual recording sessions. Briefly, this is about creating exercises that deepen the relationship between a singer’s ear and their voice.
In contrast to traditional choral singing, I work to create and define what happens between the notes more than the tone or sonority of the voice. One might think of it as developing a horizontal perspective more than a vertical one. This is greatly oversimplifying, but I’ll write a book on this later.
Also, the singers play a very important role by taking part in creating “vocal gestures” themselves. This singing-with-style thing asks for individuals to step out of the choir, improvise, then allow us to audition, sculpt and choose what we like. The next stop after identifying the style for a given word or phrase is for the rest of the group to quickly assimilate what they’ve just heard into an ensemble sound.
Can this be taught in a few hours of rehearsal? Of course not, but it CAN help a singer learn about their own talent, aptitude and interest in this style of singing. These kind of exercises are best achieved after the trust of the group has been established.
My gratitude to these young singers in allowing me to work in a similar fashion to how I interact with professional singers. I would not have expected to have taken such direct and blunt liberties with high-school singers. Nonetheless, I found these young singers up for the task. I got excited by the sound we created together and I hope some of them did as well. Thank you all for a wonderful experience and to Matthew (our producer).
Special thanks to choral accompanist, Jennifer Carr, for her warmth and support of me and the singers both. Also, thank you to Andrew Stewart (wow, what a voice) and Lauren Stewart, (who I didn’t get to hear sing) for their help in making my life and stay so easy and enjoyable. Also, I would like to thank Nance Diamond and Robin Huston for such a beautifully organized arts event!
THE SINGERS of the OKLAHOMA ARTS INSTITUTE
Patrick Ahern, Charles Barraclough, Jeff Beioncik, Jed Boyd, Jillian Bumpas, Ryan Carr, Erik Collins, Mason Combes, Halen Dahl, Anderson Daniel, Charlotte Daniel, Sarah Duval, Andra Erbar, Kirk Forthman, Alexandra French, Jason Gadberry, Brain Gaylor, Henry Gorton, Brittney Green, Elizabeth Greuel, Eric Hamilton, Brian Hasse, Keaton Hasty, Amanda Hayes, Charla Henderson, Kristen Jackson, Kyle Leapline, Emily Lott, Samantha Mason, Virginia Mather, Chris McAbery, Susanna McDaniel, Alison McMahan, Evan Mustard, Bailey Perkins, Drew Pierce, Nicole Pride, Nicole Pride, Joshua Seals, Matthew Stensrud, Brett Terry, kyle Torbert, Sarah Torneten, Amanda Underwood, Kaylee Vardeman, Kaylee Vardeman, Scott Whisenhunt, Thomas Williams, Ryan Wood
by Gary Powell Click Here to See all the Photos
I spent June 17-19, 2005 as guest faculty at the Oklahoma Arts Institute, a multi-disciplinary program for the development of young artists. There were some 40 singers present, each of whom had won a seat at OAI through audition. The singers’ first week was spent in the very capable hands of Dr. Lynn Gackle from the University of South Florida. I attended her concert with these singers the night I arrived. They were wonderfully rehearsed and created music of real beauty. Dr. Gackle bravely repositioned the singers for each piece, creating a different aural experience for the audience throughout the concert.
As is usually the case, I was invited to bring an experience and overview of what is expected of singers in actual recording sessions. Briefly, this is about creating exercises that deepen the relationship between a singer’s ear and their voice.
In contrast to traditional choral singing, I work to create and define what happens between the notes more than the tone or sonority of the voice. One might think of it as developing a horizontal perspective more than a vertical one. This is greatly oversimplifying, but I’ll write a book on this later.
Also, the singers play a very important role by taking part in creating “vocal gestures” themselves. This singing-with-style thing asks for individuals to step out of the choir, improvise, then allow us to audition, sculpt and choose what we like. The next stop after identifying the style for a given word or phrase is for the rest of the group to quickly assimilate what they’ve just heard into an ensemble sound.
Can this be taught in a few hours of rehearsal? Of course not, but it CAN help a singer learn about their own talent, aptitude and interest in this style of singing. These kind of exercises are best achieved after the trust of the group has been established.
My gratitude to these young singers in allowing me to work in a similar fashion to how I interact with professional singers. I would not have expected to have taken such direct and blunt liberties with high-school singers. Nonetheless, I found these young singers up for the task. I got excited by the sound we created together and I hope some of them did as well. Thank you all for a wonderful experience and to Matthew (our producer).
Special thanks to choral accompanist, Jennifer Carr, for her warmth and support of me and the singers both. Also, thank you to Andrew Stewart (wow, what a voice) and Lauren Stewart, (who I didn’t get to hear sing) for their help in making my life and stay so easy and enjoyable. Also, I would like to thank Nance Diamond and Robin Huston for such a beautifully organized arts event!
THE SINGERS of the OKLAHOMA ARTS INSTITUTE
Patrick Ahern, Charles Barraclough, Jeff Beioncik, Jed Boyd, Jillian Bumpas, Ryan Carr, Erik Collins, Mason Combes, Halen Dahl, Anderson Daniel, Charlotte Daniel, Sarah Duval, Andra Erbar, Kirk Forthman, Alexandra French, Jason Gadberry, Brain Gaylor, Henry Gorton, Brittney Green, Elizabeth Greuel, Eric Hamilton, Brian Hasse, Keaton Hasty, Amanda Hayes, Charla Henderson, Kristen Jackson, Kyle Leapline, Emily Lott, Samantha Mason, Virginia Mather, Chris McAbery, Susanna McDaniel, Alison McMahan, Evan Mustard, Bailey Perkins, Drew Pierce, Nicole Pride, Nicole Pride, Joshua Seals, Matthew Stensrud, Brett Terry, kyle Torbert, Sarah Torneten, Amanda Underwood, Kaylee Vardeman, Kaylee Vardeman, Scott Whisenhunt, Thomas Williams, Ryan Wood
by Gary Powell
Session photos from the Parents’ Choice Award Winning Record, “A Bug’s Life Sing Along”.
Robin Huston is the Vice President of Programs at the Oklahoma Arts Institute
I discovered Robin Huston as a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin when she auditioned for the vocal group under my direction there. There are very specific skills needed for recording studio session singers. That vocal group, “Ensemble 109”, was designed to teach singers how to survive and even prosper in that environment. Since our first meeting in 1986, Robin has earned well over 100 credits as a solo performer, half of which have been for Walt Disney Records here in my studio.
Robin invited me to teach a choral seminar for high-school singers at the Quartz Mountain Arts and Conference Center of the Oklahoma Arts Institute on June 18-19, 2005. Hopefully, these young singers will get to hear Robin perform. She is a “first-call” session singer and long-time friend and colleague. She has all the talent and skills that these young choral singers would want to emulate if deciding to start a recording career. Thank you, Robin!!!!
by Gary Powell
Session photos from the Parents’ Choice Award Winning Record, “A Bug’s Life Sing Along”.
Robin Huston is the Vice President of Programs at the Oklahoma Arts Institute
I discovered Robin Huston as a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin when she auditioned for the vocal group under my direction there. There are very specific skills needed for recording studio session singers. That vocal group, “Ensemble 109”, was designed to teach singers how to survive and even prosper in that environment. Since our first meeting in 1986, Robin has earned well over 100 credits as a solo performer, half of which have been for Walt Disney Records here in my studio.
Robin invited me to teach a choral seminar for high-school singers at the Quartz Mountain Arts and Conference Center of the Oklahoma Arts Institute on June 18-19, 2005. Hopefully, these young singers will get to hear Robin perform. She is a “first-call” session singer and long-time friend and colleague. She has all the talent and skills that these young choral singers would want to emulate if deciding to start a recording career. Thank you, Robin!!!!