Recent threads on "blue books revisited (Rise Up Singing)", and "songs to warm up a song circle" prompted me to complain about people coming to song circle not prepared or able to sing a song and the misuse of the blue book. Then I thought: Why complain? Why not do something about it? I am retired, and certainly have the time, and I have a fair background in singing (studied voice for 7 yrs), music theory (some college courses), and performance (at Northwest Folklife Festival, open mics, Irish sessions). So how about doing a workshop or series of classes on singing folk music?

I have only participated in one singing workshop, which I found less than satisfying - the instructor, a fine Irish singer, spent most of the time singing her songs and explaining them, but very little time was given to singing by  the participants or instruction in how to sing, learn, or perform a song. As a fiddle player I have participated in many fiddle workshops where time was spent learning several tunes by ear, phrasing and bowing patterns, ornamentation, and sometimes even technique. Could this model be used in a singing workshop?

So my questions for this thread are: How would one organize such a workshop (classes)? Are there any good models and/or materials available? What topics to cover? How to present the subject (what works best, or doesn't work)? Examples of the best workshops you have attended? What would fellow Mudcaters be interested in learning at a singing workshop?

Some topics I might cover include:

1. The very basics of vocal technique - breathing, relaxation, resonance, projection, etc. Although I have experienced much of this in voice study, I am not trained in vocal instruction and don't feel qualified to do more than a brief elementary presentation.

2. Basic music theory - the key (tonic), intervals, scales (major, minor, modals, etc.), elementary harmony, etc.

3. Ear training. - how to learn a tune by ear, repeat short strings of notes, learn a tune phrase by phrase, recognize the tonic, scale or mode, dominant, sub-dominant, etc.

4. Words - how to fit words to melody, phrasing, variation in melody with different words (verses), etc.

5. Memorization - tricks to memorize tune and start the tune in an appropriate key (or change if necessary), tricks to memorize the words (something I still have trouble with!).

6. Repertoire building - sources (the Mudcat, etc.), recordings, etc.

7. Performance - how to polish a song for performance, relaxation techniques before and during performance, how to connect with audience, mic techniques (I still don't like microphones, prefer unamplified acoustic under suitable conditions), tricks to recall tune and beginning words in a session when many other tunes and songs are going around.

8. Session etiquette.

I would place emphasis on unaccompanied singing and learning by ear - learning the song first without accompaniment and later adding it (only if it improves or adds to the presentation of the song) (music - notes and words - would be provided only at the end of the workshop or class session).

Thanks for your comments, ideas or advice.

Cheers, S. in Seattle