If you want to provide a challenging, changing and fun interactive day for your company, a Choir Workshop could offer a new and invigorating approach.

No previous singing experience is needed for all your team members to feel included and to benefit fully from the experience.

Sandra Smith works with other experienced conductors specialising in working with amateur singers. They understand the nervousness of new singers, the excitement of discovery, and the courage and commitment that is needed from them to deliver a unified choral sound. All these are substantial challenges that are inherent in choral singing, and work as strong metaphors for team building, calling upon good presentation and effective communication skills.

Singing together as a choir has a dynamic and exhilarating effect on people’s confidence and personal esteem...

It unifies and strengthens the group and can give an enriching sense of accomplishment. It requires all members of the choir to share the responsibility of the end result. By developing patience and attentive, accurate listening and co-operation skills, both within their own sections and as a choir, they are able to achieve the blended, cohesive sound that good choral singing requires.

Furthermore, singers need to take direction – and be able to repeat and apply that direction when required. Going it alone doesn’t work for the group!

Through singing together, everyone leaves feeling they've achieved something – both personally and as a team. Plus…...it's great fun!

We can cater for all abilities
Of course, not all members of your work team will be new to singing: some may feel quite confident in their abilities. Here we can teach a different repertoire from that which they are probably used to.
Material influenced by soul, blues and folk styles can be chosen to give these singers a different, perhaps more contemporary experience – and also there is often the opportunity for soloists to decorate and improvise over these pieces.
Sandra can work with both soloist and chorus showing how to produce the right vocal style to match the music, and to create an authentic exciting colour.

What the Contemporary Choral Academy can offer:

The Breathing Easy workshop
This one-day course run by Sandra Smith offers:

• Practical, useful exercises that change old habitual, anxious habits of breathing.
• Anatomically accurate examples, showing how breathing works at its best, and why it often doesn’t.
• How the 'fight of flight' reflex can be effectively managed and kept for emergencies only.
• How to use breathing techniques, when speaking in public or doing presentations, to control nerves and increase projection. With specific exercises.
• How to use breathing awareness to reduce conflict and increase communication.

The Choir Skills workshop
A one-day course run by Sandra Smith and assistants – suitable for 30-50 people.

• Learn some great songs, as well as vocal and breathing techniques and presentation skills, to make a choir out of your team. An informal presentation at the end of the day can be included.

The Choir Fun-day
A one-day workshop run by Sandra (and an assistant/conductor) – suitable for big groups of 50 or more people.

• For the Choir Fun-day we work with simple songs to have fun with – and with a minimum of technical work to learn. A rewarding day experiencing how enjoyable singing in a choir with friends and colleagues can be! An informal presentation at the end of the day can be included.

Singing, public speaking & presentation skills workshop
Through regular feedback throughout this one-day course run by Sandra, participants learn how:

• A confident posture and walk can make a big difference to your entry on stage and how you are received by your listeners.
• Good vocal, facial and bodily expression are all crucial elements for successful presentation and communication.
• Controlling your nerves (and hence your audience) through good breathing practise is crucial – we explain and demonstrate how it’s done!