Tutors: Yvette Riby-Williams and Bruno Heinen
Led by the world renowned ‘Boxettes’ singer Yvette Riby-Williams and critically acclaimed pianist and composer Bruno Heinen, this week will be a fun, friendly crash course in song writing, song interpretation and vocal technique. Aimed at singers aged 15 and up, we will be looking at how to interpret songs in a number of styles and genres, all aspects of song and lyric writing as well vocal techniques and warm ups. The end of the 6 day course will culminate in a performance at the Vortex on the 16th August.
Daily 10.30am – 3.30pm. Social until 6pm. Performance on Friday 6.30pm and Saturday afternoon.
Who is it for?
- For ages 15 and upwards
- Singers from all musical backgrounds are welcome
- Ability level: all abilities are welcome, you do not need to be a virtuoso – however you do need to able to hold a tune and have a basic knowledge of keys.
- Singers looking for new ways to expand repertoire, write songs and improve singing technique.
What will we do?
- We will be looking at building warm up routines, and good vocal technique to build healthy stronger voices
- We will work on pieces you like to sing, bringing them to life in different versions.
- Bruno Heinen will be accompanying all students on piano.
- We will look at the song writing process; song form, structure, lyric writing, constructing fitting melodies
- Re-harmonisation; different ways to make the chords of a song your own
- You will have the opportunity to improvise (if you so wish)
- We will work towards performing our material at the end of the week
About the Tutors
Yvette Riby-Williams
Yvette Riby-Williams appeared twice as a soloist at the royal Albert Hall before the age of twenty-one. Since then she has performed with a number of well-known musicians including Imogen Heap, Shlomo, Seb Rochford and Jarvis Cocker. In the last years she has made a name for herself in the beatbox and a’cappella circles with the ‘Boxettes’ selling out venues such as the Jazz Cafe, Cargo and the South Bank as well as performing in festivals all over the world. She is an experienced music educator, promoting creative learning for all ages.
Bruno Heinen
Bruno Heinen is a London based contemporary pianist, composer, bandleader and educator. Bruno has released two albums on the forward looking Babel Label (‘Twinkle Twinkle’ and ‘Tierkries’) and is in the process of recording his third (‘Postcard to Bill Evans’ feat Kristian Borring). He has performed in venues and festivals including the South Bank Centre, Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club, the Shanghai World Music Festival, the London Jazz Festival and the Rest Is Noise Festival – South Bank. Now teaching at the Centre for Young Musicians, Bruno has led many bands and taught students of all ages for many years. He also teaches Jazz harmony to the classical piano students at the Guildhall every year as well as leading small bands made up of Jazz Undergraduates.
“Erudition, eclectic studies and a jazz sensibility make Heinen the kind of newcomer who repositions the goalposts.” **** John Fordham – Guardian