Concert Schedule FAQs Workshops
10th Sister Singers Network National Women's Choral FestivalOur Kind of Sound * Chicago * July 1-July 4, 2010
WORKSHOP
DESCRIPTIONS
| NOTE: Only registered Sister Singers Network Festival ~ Our Kind of Sound ~ Chicago 2010 ~ participants were allowed entry to these sessions. |
Thursday,
7/1/2010
1:30pm - 2:45pm
Mundelein Center Room 506
The
Jazz Singer Born In You
Jazz is singing in the pouring rain. Jazz is the sun sliding down an
unseen shoot. When asked about playing jazz, Dizzie Gillespie responded
“It's taken me all my life to learn what not to play.” How do we
learn to sing in a jazz style, either as a group or as individuals? The basic
answer involves learning improvisation, harmonics, rhythms and arrangements, so
this session will explore what takes a piece of music out of the realm of the
ordinary and into a jazz or swing sensibility. We will work with known classics
and also turn one or two old standards into our own jazz renditions. Jazz music
has got to have that "thing." And as Miles Davis would say “You
have to be born with it. You can't even buy it. If you could buy it, they'd
have it at the next Newport festival.” Now's the time to discover your
inner jazz singer!
Karen Mooney,
Artemis Singers - Karen
has worked as a musician in a variety of settings with many different
combinations of performers. She was the featured vocalist in the trio Radical
Nuances, performing, among other things, an alternative interpretation of
Rhapsody in Blue. She also spent four years experimenting with inventive
compositions in a slightly more standard rock/pop band. Karen has always
brought a unique sensibility and sensitivity to her presentations, never losing
her vision of music as a constantly changing and emerging art form.
1:30pm - 2:45pm
Mundelein Center Room 514
Strong
Voices: Women's Choruses Singing for Social Justice
This workshop will begin with a brief history of women’s choruses
and the connection between women's music of the 1960s and 1970s and the rise of
the modern women's choral movement. Following this brief overview, I will share
what I have learned in interviews with members of women’s choruses around
the country, including questions about the relationship of their chorus members
to one another and to their audiences. We will examine decision-making as it
affects the structure, logistics,and repertoire of choruses, and how issues of
race, class, and especially sexual identity have worked themselves out in your
chorus. In addition, we'll consider what social justice means to your choruses.
In the course of sharing what I have learned from these interviews, we'll look
at a few especially powerful and revealing stories that illustrate the power of
singing together for members of women’s choruses, and the connections
they feel with their audiences and with the community. I will then open the
workshop to discussion among participants and invite you to share your own
stories in order to see how your experiences reflect, contradict, mirror or
otherwise connect with the stories I have described. Finally, we will see how
we can support one another as singers and activists. What advice can women in
choruses that have been around for a while give to newer choruses, and what
questions do these newer choruses have for women who have been singing in
choruses for some time? Since this workshop is part of my ongoing research, I
will be happy to share the results with participants, and, if they so desire,
also keep them apprised of the progress of my book.
Rita Kissen,
Women in Harmony - Rita
is a retired Professor of Education and Women's Studies at the University of
Southern Maine and a member of Women in Harmony, a 55-voice women's chorus
based in Southern Maine. Both her academic interests and her social activism
have focused on ending homophobia and giving voice to lesbian and gay
educators. Rita is currently at work on a book describing women's choruses
during the past 30 years: their history and origins in the second wave of the
women's movement; their struggles with identity, class and race; their mission
and functioning, and the effect they have on the women who sing in them and on
the audiences who hear them. Most of all, Rita is interested in how women's
choruses combine excellent singing with a commitment to social justice. She has
previously published two books: The
Last Closet: The Real Lives of Lesbian and Gay Teachers (1996) and Getting Ready for Benjamin: Preparing Teachers for
Sexual Diversity in the Classroom (2001).
Thursday, 7/1/2010
1:30pm - 3:00pm
Mundelein Center Room 519
Your
Inner Creator: Making Original Works for Performance
Do singers need to be relegated to a life of expressing the creativity of
OTHER people? No! We are all born with a capacity to create original artworks
(e.g., songs, visual art, dance, poetry, monologues). Such creativity is not
the province of an elite few but rather an inherent part of being human. Learn
how the Indianapolis Women's Chorus encourages chorus members to prepare and
perform original works in concerts. Hear from the chorus director about the
birth of the program (inspired by Sound Circle’s "On Bodies")
and the “creator process” used by the chorus since 2006. Hear from
chorus members who will share their own journeys and discoveries.
Pam Blevins Hinkle,
Indianapolis Women's Chorus - Pam
has been Artistic Director of the Indianapolis Women's Chorus since 1996. She
facilitates workshops in creativity, improvisation, chant and more, and she has
worked with chorus members to pioneer a process that encourages chorus members
to create and present original works.
1:30pm - 3:00pm
Mundelein Center 14th Floor
How
to Stay Relaxed and Improve Your Voice
Our voices sound best when we're relaxed, yet we know that everything
about the experience of performing conspires against the feeling and sound we
want. This workshop will teach you how to develop habits of ease and relaxed
vocal resonance--even in tight situations. We’ll draw from actors’
voice and body training to learn new methods of kinesthetic awareness
throughout vocal ranges.
Marla Beth Elliott,
The Righteous Mothers - Marla
Beth is a singer/songwriter with The Righteous Mothers. She teaches choral
music and performance studies at The Evergreen State College in Olympia,
Washington, and has taught voice privately for over 20 years. Marla holds an
M.F.A. degree from the University of Washington.
8:00am - 9:30am
Mundelein Center Room 514
Sister
Singers Network Meeting
This meeting of the membership will discuss ongoing network business. Each
chorus is asked to send one or two representatives to the meeting, amd everyone
is welcome. Topics of discussion will include planning for a 2011 SSN meeting
to be hosted by Sistrum (in Lansing, MI), a 2012 meeting to be hosted by MUSE
(in Cincinnati) during the World Choir Games, and future festivals. As with all
SSN festivals, when and where the next festival happens depends on you. We are
hoping a chorus will step forward this week and announce that it is considering
hosting a Sister Singers Network Festival in 2014. Coffee and rolls will be provided for this meeting.
Facilitator: Janice
Scalza, Grand
Rapids Women's Chorus
8:30am - 9:45am
Mundelein Center Room 519
Talking
About Choral Sound
This workshop will include a short presentation followed by group
discussion, addressing questions such as What sound do you want for your
ensemble and why? What sound do you like? What sound does your personal
physique and bearing naturally call forth? What kind of relationship do you
want the audience to have with the sound? What ensembles are models for you in
regard to their sound and why? This workshop is not about how to create a particular
sound; it's about knowing what you want and why. It's easy for conductors,
especially of community choruses, to spend all their available rehearsal time
correcting pitches and rhythms. Chorus life is so much more dynamic when the
director has a strong concept of sound quality and a knowledge of how to
achieve the sound. This workshop is intended as a discussion opportunity,
primarily for directors.
Sue Coffee,
Resonance Women's Chorus - Sue
is the founding Artistic Director of Resonance, the 100-voice Women's Chorus of
Boulder, which made its debut in 2003, and Sound Circle, a women's a cappella
ensemble, currently celebrating its 10th Anniversary season. She directed the
Denver Gay Men's Chorus from 1999 to 2005. Sue has served GALA Choruses on the
Board of Directors and numerous advisory committees and has presented workshops
at GALA Choruses events on topics including long-range artistic planning,
mission and relevance, and musical excellence. With Sound Circle and the Denver
Gay Men's Chorus, she has performed and collaborated with other GALA member
choruses across the country. Her ensembles are known for their supportive
collaboration with composers, performers, and other organizations locally.
8:30am - 10:30am
Simpson Multi-Purpose Room
Frame
Drums for Choral Accompaniment
Since ancient times, the frame drum has been used primarily by women in
ecstatic ritual, meditation, ceremony and song to craft connections with self
and community. This hand held drum can be used as a choral accompaniment
instrument providing a rich, rhythmic sound in a small, yet powerful drum. Come
experience an introduction to this dynamic practice. Learn the five basic
strokes and simple rhythms that can initiate you into the world of frame drums.
No prior drumming experience necessary; appropriate drums will be provided for
use.
Barb Pitcher,
Grand Rapids Women's Chorus - Barb
has been playing drums over 40 years and has studied world drums for many years
with master drum teachers. Her focus on the frame drum began in 1997, and she
has studied extensively with Layne Redmond and Glen Velez. As a performing
artist, Barb has worked with many artists including the Grand Rapids
Women’s Chorus, Ubaka Hill and the Shape Shifters, and with Layne at the Percussive
Arts Society International Convention. She has also collaborated with Layne to
produce a concert with 35 frame drummers at the historic Howmet Theater. Barb
teaches frame drum workshops at music festivals and conferences in the upper
Midwest. Seeking to make the ancient art of frame drumming accessible to anyone
who is drawn to this tradition, Barb's teaching style can incorporate both
beginners and more advanced students, allowing everyone to experience the
powerful, diverse rhythmic culture created when we drum together. For booking
information, contact Barb at oakdrum@earthlink.net, www.cybeles.com, or
Facebook, Frame Drums of Cybele.
9:15am - 10:30am
Mundelein Center 14th Floor
Building
Strong Choral Communities One Decision at a Time
This panel discussion will present the stories of three different choirs
as they explore diverse choir structures, decision-making, and the issues that
come with being a creative women's group operating in the nonprofit world.
Joni Wamer,
Indianapolis Women's Chorus; Diana Porter, MUSE,
Cincinnati Women's Choir; Joyce Metayer and Althea Gonzalez (Moderator),
Womansong -
All panelists have been involved in
organizational development within their choirs.
9:30am - 12:00pm
Mundelein Center Room 506
Influence
Changes Everything: How Conductors Can Create Momentum and Achieve Success (and
still sleep at night)
There are many pieces to the
puzzle in the life of a choral conductor. Repertoire, management, rehearsal
planning, audience building . . . the list is long and ever-changing. And while
each of these pieces can be viewed separately, studied and researched and
improved by a wealth of resources and colored by experience, the missing puzzle
piece—the one that brings everything together into a meaningful
whole—often eludes even the most seasoned conductor. How can conductors
create an environment where there is always a sense of momentum, where ensemble
members take ownership of their experience, and where success, defined in
multiple ways, can be achieved without compromising relationships or damaging
the character or spirit of your ensemble? How can we learn to use our influence
to create an artistic and personal experience which will be savored in the
moment and remembered for a lifetime?
Dr. Ramona M. Wis,
North Central College, Naperville, IL - Dr.
Ramona M. Wis is the Mimi Rolland Distinguished Professor in the Fine Arts and
Professor of Music at North Central College in Naperville, IL where she
conducts the Chamber Singers and Women's Chorale, teaches courses in
conducting, methods, and servant leadership, and is Chair of the Department of
Music. Dr. Wis is a highly sought-after festival conductor and public speaker,
former President of Illinois ACDA, and the author of The Conductor as Leader: Principles of Leadership Applied to
Life on the Podium. She holds degrees
from the University of Illinois, Northern Illinois University. and Northwestern
University and has conducted and performed in academic, professional, and
community organizations for more than 30 years.
10:00am - 12:00pm
Mundelein Center Room 519
Music
in the Moment: Discovering Improvisation
Discover your OWN music and explore music-making as a profound and wildly
fun means of self expression. Through simple games and exercises, you'll
discover the sounds, rhythms, and yes--the magic--that is inside of you. No
previous experience in improvisation is needed . . . only the willingness to
laugh and let go.
Pam Blevins Hinkle,
Indianapolis Women's Chorus - Pam
has been artistic director of the Indianapolis Women’s Chorus since 1996.
She is also an instrumentalist, workshop facilitator, and director of the
Spirit & Place Festival. Pam performs with “Thin Air,” a
5-piece ensemble that creates fully improvised performances from a rich vocal
and instrumental palette, including accordion, cello, clarinet, flute, hang
drum, percussion, piano, and violin. Pam studied improvisation with David
Darling in the Musician and Leadership Certification Program of Music For
People. She has facilitated numerous workshops on improvisation and currently
teaches a class called “Music in the Moment” at the Indiana
Women’s Prison.
10:30am - 12:00pm
Mundelein Center Room 514
Old
Pride: Embracing Our Years Over 60 -- Womyn Only
This workshop will examine how to better challenge ageism and the
marketing efforts that tell us that we should look young, act young, think
young, and be young.
Jan Griesinger,
Calliope Feminist Choir - At
age 67, Jan is the National Co-Director of Old Lesbians Organizing for Change
(OLOC); co-founder of and singer in Calliope Feminist Choir (Athens, OH), and
co-founder and resident of Susan B. Anthony Memorial UnRest Home Womyn's Land
Trust.
10:45am - 12:00pm
Mundelein Center 14th Floor
Commissioning
for Dummies
This workship will deal with how to commission a composer, including the
time line of commissioning, choosing a composer, finding money, working with
contracts, choosing text, and the collaboration process.
Meredith Bowen, Sistrum, Lansing Women's Chorus - See
Meredith's bio for 7/4/10 workshop on conducting.
Jenni Brandon
Composer - See Jenni's bio
for 7/3/10 workshop on composition.
10:45am - 12:00pm
Simpson Multi-Purpose Room
Calming
Your Pre-Concert Jitters
We will use guided imagery, body awareness, and simple movements to center
and calm our minds and bodies. Experience a variety of techniques in order to
find what works for you.
Sue Emmert, RN, MS,
Sistrum, Lansing Women's Chorus - Sue
has been working with individuals and groups for many years, focusing on
relieving stress and promoting well-being. She is also certified in therapeutic
bodywork and works with people who have pain and other chronic health issues.
8:30am - 10:15am
Mundelein Center Room 506
Music
Reading for Non-Readers
This interactive
workshop will focus on the basics of reading music. We will start with simple
concepts and progress to more complex concepts as workshop participants are
ready. We will use familiar songs and SSN Festival mass chorus pieces to
demonstrate the concepts we are learning. (In addition to the 20 participants,
choral directors are welcome to attend this workshop as non-participating
observers.)
Cindy Bizzell,
Common Woman Chorus - Cindy
joined the Common Woman Chorus (CWC) as a singer in 1992, becoming its Artistic
Director (AD) in 2000. As AD, Cindy has worked to develop CWC members as
musicians and performers. She holds an undergraduate degree in Music Education
and a graduate degree in Counseling. In her day job, she administers training
and education programs for the North Carolina Judicial Branch.
8:45am - 10:15am
Mundelein Center Room 514
Chorus
Management Bootcamp
Running your chorus as a volunteer or part-timer can be an overwhelming
task requiring many different kinds of expertise. This workshop will include
topics such as marketing, administrative basics (financial management,
membership tracking, banking and insurance), and fundraising.
Robin L. Godfrey,
Athena's Fire - Robin
serves as General Manager of GALA Choruses, maintains a private accounting
practice, and serves as an adjunct faculty member at Chatham University. Prior
to beginning her work in arts management with the Renaissance City Choirs in
2002, Robin had 25 years of experience in accounting and finance, primarily in
electric power and its related industries. She resides in Pittsburgh with her
partner, Amy, and their golden retriever, Hank.
9:00am - 10:30am
Simpson Multi-Purpose Room
The
Women's Choral Movement, What's Ahead, and the Joyous Road We've Traveled
Together!
The topic of this workshop will be to decipher how we’ve moved ahead
from Women’s Music (c 1973–1993), into our lively [on-going]
Women’s Choral Music Movement. The exuberant energy we felt from those
early heady, activist days was unforgettable. We found a lot lacking, so we
founded our own organizations, and created space for the music we wanted to
make. Women’s choirs were founded all over the country, some have
discontinued, and many more have begun in recent years. We Sister Singers are
still making music! Has our choir membership changed? Have our communities
changed? Has our programming changed? Has our audience changed? What does
survival and relevance look like today? What social change movements are we
connected to? Who are we now and what can we learn from one another as we grow
and negotiate these challenging times—now headed into the fifth decade of
the Women’s Choral Movement?
Facilitator and
Panelist: Catherine Roma, DMA, MUSE, Cincinnati's Women's Choir - An
avid lover of women's voices in all their vibrancy and depth, Dr. Catherine
Roma has been involved with the women's choral movement since 1974 when she
started her first women's choir in Madison, WI, as a masters student in choral
conducting. In the summer of 1975, Cathy moved to Philadelphia to teach and
started Anna Crusis Women's Choir, which she directed for eight years. Then
Cathy traveled to Cincinnati to pursue doctoral studies at the College
Conservatory of Music where she started MUSE, Cincinnati's Women's Choir.
Twenty-seven years later Cathy is still enamored with women, and women singing,
and commissioning women to write for women's voices. Learn more at the MUSE
website www.musechoir.org.
Panelists: Sue Coffee, Resonance Women’s Chorus; Joan Szymko, Aurora Chorus and
Jacqueline Coren, Anna Crusis Women's Choir
9:00am - 10:30am
McCormick Lounge (Coffey Hall)
Exercises
in Movement Solfege and Sight-Singing
No chairs and no shoes! Come make the world of solfege and sight-singing a
little bit less mysterious and more FUN. Using techniques from Dalcroze
eurhythmics, we will use our whole bodies (not just our voices) to gain a
better understanding of music.
Erica Olden and
Andres Cladera, Renaissance
City Women's Choir -
Erica and Andres are professional musicians from
Pittsburgh. Both are accomplished classical musicians - Erica has performed
leading roles with opera companies across the country and Andres, in addition to
serving as Artistic Director of The Renaissance City Women's Choir, has
conducted numerous operatic, symphonic and classical music productions in the
U.S. Both are teachers who incorporate the approach of Jaques-Dalcroze
eurhythmics in their teaching. Since meeting many years ago in the graduate
music program at Carnegie Mellon University, Andres and Erica have founded The
Microscopic Opera Company, whose focus is on presenting modern and new chamber
operas in Pittsburgh. Please visit www.microscopicopera.org for more
information.
10:30am - 12:00pm Mundelein
Center 14th Floor
By
Women, For Women: Choral Works for Women's Voices Composed and Texted by Women
Throughout history, men have composed quality works for women’s
voices, and that quantity of work is well-represented in repertoire lists,
concert programs, and available recordings. But what about works by women
composers, or those with texts by women authors? What about music written by
women, for women? Additionally, there is the issue of performing subject matter
and content that can best support the emotional, psychological, and social
development of well-rounded, independent women. This interest session will be a
valuable resource for all conductors of women’s voices – to assist
in the programming of a wide variety of quality repertoire by women composers
and poets.
Shelbie L. Wahl,
Indianapolis Civic Theatre - Shelbie
received a Doctor of Arts in Choral Conducting from Ball State University, with
a secondary degree emphasis in Music Education. Shelbie conducted the Ball
State Women’s Chorus for three years, served as Assistant Conductor of
both the Chamber and Concert Choirs, and taught Introductory Conducting. She
also holds an M.M. in Choral Conducting from Butler University. Shelbie is now
in her ninth season as Musical Director and Conductor at Indianapolis Civic
Theatre.
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10:30am - 12:00pm
Mundelein Center Room 506
Professional
Fundraising Tips
This workshop will explore essential topics for a successful fundraising
campaign. We will look at readiness for grant seeking; grant research and
writing; and donor cultivation. The workshop will give participants an
opportunity to think about what’s special about their organization and
how to turn their uniqueness into funds.
Jenny Clarke,
Melodia Women's Choir of NYC - Jenny's
career in arts administration and producing includes both grant making and
fundraising. She is currently the Manager of Grant Making programs for the
American Music Center in New York, providing grants that assist composers in
the realization of their work. In addition, in her capacity as director of The
Arts Business, she has provided fundraising services to numerous arts organizations
both large and small. In 2003, Jenny combined her lifelong love of choral
singing and her career as an arts administrator to form Melodia Women’s
Choir of NYC.
10:30am - 12:00pm
Mundelein Center Room 514
Open
Forum Composition Seminar
This workshop is designed to look at six individual composers’ works
in an open forum; however, everyone is invited to sit in. Jenni will look at
compositions written by the six composers and give them feedback on their music
and score preparation. The six composers will bring copies of their scores
(vocal/choral or instrumental) to share with the other participants who are
auditing the workshop so that they may get tips and ideas for composing by
looking at the composers’ works. The six composers will be asked to bring
11 copies of ONE score and a CD recording of their work; however, if it is a
choral work, all composers and participants may be asked to sing the work! An
accompanist will be provided. Each of the six composers will sign up for a 15-minute
slot to work with Jenni in this public forum. Please contact Jenni@jennibrandon.com today to
sign-up to be one of the six composers!
Jenni Brandon,
Composer - Jenni
Brandon (b. 1977) is an award-winning composer of solo, vocal, choral, chamber,
and orchestral music. Her compositions have been commissioned, performed, and
recorded by a wide variety of ensembles in venues across the world, including
Carnegie Hall. Jenni is also active as a conductor and mezzo-soprano,
frequently making guest appearances. Her first self-produced CD, Songs of California: Music for Winds and Piano, was released in 2010. Please visit
www.jennibrandon.com.
10:45am - 12:00pm
McCormick Lounge (Coffee Hall)
Yes
or No? Conflict Resolution and Gaining Consensus -- Womyn Only
A group of strong-minded women present unique challenges and frustrations
to those who want decisions made quickly. When disagreements arise, there are
alternatives to a stalemate. Conflict resolution and gaining consensus will be
explored and practiced by the participants with Kathie and Sue leading the
session.
Kathie Spegal and Sue
Searing, Amasong: Champaign-Urbana's Premiere Lesbian Feminist Chorus
- Kathie is the current convener and has been on the
board for a total of 10 years. She has worked for various not-for-profits and
is a singer with Amasong. Sue is a librarian at the University of Illinois. She
has served as convener of Amasong for three years.
10:45am - 12:00pm
Simpson Multi-Purpose Room
Feel
Like Going On: The Legacy of the MUSE New Spirituals Project
MUSE has made a strong commitment to becoming a diverse choir. We are
women loving women: lesbian, bi-sexual and hetero-sexual. We range in age from
22 to over 70. We started with two women of color and now have twenty women of
color in the choir. This workshop will open with a 20-minute DVD: I Feel Like Going On: The Legacy of the MUSE
New Spirituals Project, which tells some of MUSE's history. Participants
will have time to work in groups to explore ways to build community while
becoming more diverse.
Diana Porter and
members of MUSE, MUSE,
Cincinnati's Women's Choir - Diana is a founding member of
MUSE. She says that she has "been a part of the journey of our choir to realize
our philosophy of 'musical excellence and social change.'" Diana's
twenty-minute DVD tells the story of MUSE's work to become a more diverse
choir. Members of MUSE will join Diana in sharing their stories.
8:30am - 10:15am
Mundelein Center 14th Floor
Music
Sharing
Discover new music to add to your chorus libraries and share some of your
favorites! Directors have been asked to bring a 3-inch binder filled with music
that has worked well for their chorus over the years, as well as some of their
more recent concert programs. These binders will be on display during the
workshop for your perusal. Directors will be highlighting specific pieces of
music and we’ll have the opportunity to do a little singing.
Katy Clusen,
Artemis Singers - Katy
has participated as a director of Artemis Singers for at least the past 10
years. Directing the chorus for the Sister Singers Network Festival in Grand
Rapids was thrilling and life-changing for her. A few weeks after that festival
she took the position of music teacher at the elementary school where she had
been a classroom teacher. Katy still teaches music on the South Side of Chicago
and has had a successful year that included performing for Mayor Daley with her
drum ensemble and children's chorus.
Meredith Bowen
Sistrum, Lansing Women's Chorus (See Meredith's bio
for 7/4/10 workshop on conducting)
9:00am - 10:15am
McCormick Lounge (Coffey Hall)
Movement
with Singing
-- Womyn
Only
Walk, clap, stomp, sing—all at the same time! Get comfortable in
your skin and stretch yourself with the joy of movement. We'll learn a few
simple songs to get movin' on. Wheelchair, walker, and cane singers welcome
too.
Debbie Nordeen,
Womansong - Having
directed and performed in professional theatre, Debbie believes life should be
lived not as a soap opera but as a musical comedy, complete with singing and
dancing, with all conflicts resolved into a happy ending. A favorite quote of
Debbie's is "If you can walk, you can dance; if you can talk, you can
sing." Debbie enjoys Nia, African dancing, and walking 10,000 steps a day.
A music education graduate from Northern Illinois University, she is a vocal
instructor in Asheville, NC, living part time in Meherabad, India. Debbie has
directed Womansong since 1994.
9:00am - 10:15am
Mundelein Center Room 506
Old-Timey
Spirituals
While taking a sabbatical from teaching in the mid 1980s, Cathy returned
to her mother’s ancestral rural South Carolina home where she realized
the rich song traditions all around her. Remembering that her mother had sung
many southern folk songs and African American spirituals to her as a child,
Cathy contacted some of the older women in the African-American community and
was graciously welcomed into their homes where she collected their
"old-timey spirituals," recording these powerfully rich sessions. We
will hear some of these recordings, then learn a few, adding harmonies and
weaving parts into the songs as we go. These "old-timey spirituals"
have a power and beauty that Cathy says make her "very proud of our
American musical heritage!"
Cathy Riley - As a
child, Cathy studied piano, guitar, and voice. She has been performing and
teaching music for 40 years. More recently, Cathy began composing music with
inspirational themes. She has made 2 CDs and is currently working on a
children’s CD. She has collaborated with Asheville puppeteer and
Womansong member Lisa Sturz, writing music for three of Lisa’s puppet shows.
She also directs a sacred music choir, showcasing her original music and
arranging and including music of other Asheville songwriters. She continues to
teach and perform locally.
9:00am - 10:15am
Mundelein Center 14th Floor
Singing
and Sharing Rounds
This workshop is just for the fun of singing together in the round.
(Canons are OK too!) Please bring the words (and music, if you'd like) to a
favorite round or two. I hope many participants will bring a favorite round to
lead and share. I'd suggest enlisting other singers from your chorus to learn
the round, so 3 or 4 people can present, teach, and lead the round.
Julie Levy-Weston and
friends from Sistrum, Sistrum,
Lansing Women's Chorus - Julie been singing rounds since her
early days on family car trips ("Across the Fields of Gold and Green . .
.") She has been a member of Sistrum, Lansing Women's Chorus since the
fall of 2006. When not singing, Julie may be found contra dancing, knitting,
quilting, baking—and, yes, working—at the Michigan State University
Museum.
9:00am - 10:30am
Simpson Multi-Purpose Room
Guest
Artists: Working in Harmony
Any chorus, of any size, can bring a guest artist to their town. We will
cover the basics of how to do it as well as how to make it fun and profitable,
maximizing the benefits and addressing the specific needs and desires of your
group. Time permitting, we will work together on the beginnings of a song and
show how it can be the cornerstone of your next guest artist extravaganza.
Cris Williamson
- Cris is a singer/songwriter who became a key player in
the genre known as Women's Music after her recording The Changer and the Changed became, for many, the soundtrack of that movement. Cris has more than 30
albums in her catalog, with a memoir and three more recordings in the works.
Sunny Hall and Kathie
Michael Crescendo:
The Tampa Bay Women's Chorus - Sunny is the Artistic Director of Crescendo and
has brought many guest artists to the stage with her chorus. Kathie,
Crescendo's Production Coordinator, has worked on the logistical side of
incorporating guest artists into chorus performances.
10:30am - 11:45am
Mundelein Center 14th Floor
World
Choir Games 2012
Held every two years in cities
around the globe, the World Choir Games (WCG) are known as "The Olympics
of Choral Music," honoring the history and international flavor of choirs
with peaceful celebration and friendly competition
(www.cincyusa.com/worldchoirgames). The World Choir Games, a biannual event
dating back to 2000, will take place in the USA for the first time in July of
2012. The city of Cincinnati has been chosen to host the event. MUSE's Cathy
Roma serves on a planning committee for the event, and she will travel to Shaozing,
China, later this July to witness the Games. Julie Brock, SSN Steering
Committee member, would like any and all interested SSN choirs and individuals
to participate in or experience the 2012 Games in Cincinnati. Please join us at
this workshop as we try to better explain the WCG and give you an opportunity
to share with us your ideas for and interest in joining us in Cincinnati in
2012!
Dr. Catherine Roma,
MUSE, Cincinnati's Women's Choir - See
Cathy's bio for 7/3/10 workshop on the women's choral movement.
Julie Brock
MUSE, Cincinnati's Women's Choir- Julie is a singing
member of MUSE and the PR/Marketing Representative for the Sister Singers
Network.
10:30am - 11:45am
Mundelein Center Room 506
It's
All About the Ictus . . . and Other Conducting Basics
This workshop will be a conducting class for the beginning conductor in
all of us. Topics covered will include score study, gesture/pattern, and
breathing. Warning: you will conduct in this class.
Meredith Bowen,
Sistrum, Lansing Women's Chorus - Meredith
has been the Artistic Director of Sistrum, Lansing Women's Chorus since 2001.
Highlights from the past seasons include producing two CDs Sweet Women and Dancing
Naked at the Edge of Dawn, spearheading
Sistrum's first commissioned work, and conducting multiple collaboration
concerts. In addition to her work with Sistrum, Meredith is also Music Director
of the Battle Creek Girls Chorus in Battle Creek, MI, and serves as adjunct
faculty at Lansing Community College. She holds a M.M. in Choral Conducting
from Michigan State University, and a B.S. in Music Education from West Chester
University, PA.
10:30am - 11:45am
Mundelein Center Room 514
Participatory
Decision Making
This workshop will examine effective and sustainable group
decision-making. How do you invite participation while also making decisions
that the group will support? How long should group discussion go on? How can
you know when a decision is weak and unlikely to be upheld? How can we ensure
that our groups make strong, lasting decisions? We'll hear from both former and
current Common Woman Chorus board members about their group decision-making
experiences.
Cindy Bizzell,
Artistic Director and members of the Common Woman Chorus,
Common Woman Chorus - See
Cindy's bio for 7/3/10 workshop on music reading for non-readers.
10:30am - 12:00pm
McCormick Lounge (Coffey Hall)
Song
Arrangement, A Group Process
This will be an interactive workshop where we will take a well known song
and work with the participants to arrange the song in a new and interesting way
for a vocal group or choir. We will demonstrate how The Righteous Mothers
transform a song through vocal and instrumental arrangement into a unique
piece. Come prepared to sing and have 
fun!
Lisa Brodoff, Wendy
Crocker, Clare Meeker, Marla Beth Elliott of The Righteous Mothers - The
Righteous Mothers are four funny, philosophical female folk-rock musicians who
have been one of the Northwest’s foremost musical performing groups for
the past 29 years. They whip their audience into a frenzy with zany original
music, witty theatrics, and mind-boggling, intricate vocal harmonies. The
Righteous Mothers grab hearts and funny bones with songs about ice cream, labor
pains, annoying dreams and Supreme Court decisions. They surprise and delight
young and old, gay and straight, male and female with their quirky humor and
open hearts.
11:45am – 1:15pm Location
TBD
Directors’
Roundtable Lunch
Informal discussion with other directors on topics such as how directors
address common issues (e.g., individual singing problems, singers engaging with
the audience, rehearsal structures, etc.), new member recruitment/retention,
distributing music through downloads, and educational resources for directors
and copyrights/permissions. Box lunches
will be provided for anyone who has pre-purchased their Sunday lunch meal
ticket. Contact festival@sistersingers.net
if you need to order one.
Facilitators: Lori
Tennenhouse, Grand
Rapids Women's Chorus and Meredith Bowen
Sistrum, Lansing Women's Chorus