2020 Addison Street / Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 644-2020 / info@freightandsalvage.org
CircleSinging: The Next Generation w/ Michael Smolens
Saturday, September 18, 2:00-5:00 pm
*All levels are welcome. The set-up is simple: vocalists stand in a circle while the leader, who stands in the middle, creates a series of short, overlapping phrases for people to sing. Because the vocalists are grouped into sections, there's the built-in advantage of hearing your part sung by others, as well as the opportunity to harmonize a part. The vocal loops needn't become rigid because the leader is free to shape them, change them, or take them out entirely. There's also the opportunity for any vocalist to come into the center and improvise over the whole texture. After leading this kind of singing for decades, Michael's approach now incorporates three significant developments: How does this workshop work as a 'All Levels Welcome' workshop? Besides the group rhythm and vocal work, more beginning participants are gently guided into improvising while more advanced participants are coached in co-leading Some testimonials from the recent June 26th CircleSinging workshop at The Freight: "Before this class,I didn't know what CircleSinging was. Now I feel as though I could arrange a simple choral piece! What's more, me and my two friends sang, drummed, and played until midnight after the class. Talk about energy..." "The 'CircleSinging: The Next Generation' workshop at The Freight & Salvage was an absolute delight ! Michael Smolens' long teaching experience really showed in his ability to instantly gauge where each participant was in their "I have always enjoyed singing in a private setting, but after this workshop I feel that many of my inhibitions towards performing publicly have disappeared. As soon as Michael showed me a vocal technique concept, I got to apply it for an extended period of time that kept my voice from stressing out. For the first time I sang rhythmically challenging ideas and improvisations, and that felt awesome!" "Attending Michael's workshop opened me up to ever new possibilities for vocal exploration. The challenges were fun and kept me wanting to come back for more..." Michael Smolens has taught individuals and groups since 1974 and is adjunct faculty at Sonoma State and JFK Universities. He has been a vocal consultant for the A Capella Summit, College of Marin, City College of S.F., the award-winning "SoVoSo", Sue Walden's "Flash Family" Theater Company, and various festivals throughout the country. Michael has also performed and recorded with members of Bobby McFerrin's "Voicestra." He brings a unique combination of improvisational influences (jazz/theater/world musics) and technical approaches (Western/ North Indian) to create powerful, individualized results. As a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Michael leads five different project bands, including the ground-breaking vocal "Mirabai Ensemble." His compositions have been recorded by jazz legends Stefon Harris (vibes), Paul McCandless (reeds/winds), and Zakir Hussain (tabla). 
Listen to sample tracks from upcoming artists.
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"CircleSinging" is one of the most entertaining ways of singing with a group, and you can do this for hours and come away remarkably refreshed. Though its origins are very old, this style of singing has become much better known thanks to Bobby McFerrin. "CircleSinging" is great for building your listening and improvisation skills, and it has the advantage of not being style-specific, so the only limitation is your imagination. Lastly, it has inspired many a vocalist to create their own multi-layered pieces at home, or invite their friends to do more of this kind of singing on their own. 
