Choral Workshops

For choirs, singers and musicians of all levels:

Suba Sankaran is an internationally renowned, award-winning choral director, arranger composer and clinician. She has given vocal workshops and clinics in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, at the Alberta Choral Federation, Ontario Vocal Festival and the American Guild of Music, to name a few. Her compositions and arrangements have earned her many accolades and awards including the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, CARA (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards) and the prestigious DORA Maver Moore award for composition and sound design.

With the exception of the choir-specific workshop (entitled 'Choral Clinic'), all workshops can be tailored to suit the needs of small
or large ensembles and music classes, suitable for all age levels and abilities. 

Vocal Percussion:  The Art of Noise-Making

A hands-on workshop creating percussion sounds using the voice.  This is a useful tool for small and large vocal ensembles to aid in keeping the rhythm intact and steady, or to simply add variety to any given song.   Sounds include Latin/African percussion, traditional drum kit sounds and south Indian vocal percussion.  Instruments can be acquired to show/imitate sounds; and visual/notational aids of drum ensemble and unison patterns may be included for extended workshops.

Rounds, Rhythms and Circle Songs:  An Approach to Vocal Group Improvisation

This workshop can include physical, breathing and vocal exercises to begin.  Various rounds and multi-layered rhythms will be taught in a call-and-response fashion.  The Circle Song is a vocal group improvisation extracted from the aforementioned rounds and rhythms.   Informally performed in a circle, various vocal ideas (melody, harmony, rhythmic variance, ostinato patterns, basslines, chord progressions, theme and variation) are arranged by the leader and incorporated/improvised by the singers.

Jazz Improvisation:  An Approach to Scat Singing

This workshop discusses the basic blues form, chord progressions and basic blues scale.  Melodic, rhythmic and harmonic patterns will be presented in call-and-response fashion.  Scat singing (improvised sound syllables sung within the structural framework of the song) will be introduced.  A vocabulary list of commonly used scat syllables and list of recommended scat singers will be provided.

Warm Up Exercises:  Tricks, Tips and Techniques

Physical exercises - Concentrating on the upper half of the body, singers will be taken through several exercises to engage the head, neck, shoulders, chest cavity and torso, paying special attention to balance (Yoga-related), stress release, and connecting all exercises through the breath. 

Breathing exercises - These exercises include the rationing of the breath, engaging the diaphragm and concentrating on staying relaxed in the body while testing the limits of air supply.

Vocal exercises - These include a wide range of various exercises serving different purposes, i.e., activating the resonators and nasal cavity, minimal jaw movement, expanding range, dynamic contrasts and projection, ear-training exercises, part-singing exercises (similar to rounds, but built on Bach counterpoint and voice-leading, using scales, arpeggios and modes).

The A Cappella Evolution:  The Musical History of Vocal Ensemble Singing

The history of vocal ensembles punctuated by specific musical example, from renaissance to gospel and barbershop to doowop.

Soprano or Alto Vocal Production Workshop

This workshop focuses on the most common challenges and solutions for soprano or alto (or both) vocal (choral) production.

Jazz Styles Workshop

A progressive workshop on some basic elements of performing jazz music, i.e., a basic survey (types of jazz, repertoire, ornaments, swing, scat singing, etc.).

South Indian Music Workshop

A workshop on some of the distinctive elements of singing south Indian music, i.e., scales/modes, vocal tone, western influences, microtonal inflections, rhythms, vocal percussion.

Early Music Workshop

A workshop on the basics of early western choral music; its form and content and how it has shaped contemporary and modern functional harmony.

Choral Clinic

This workshop is designed to help choirs with specific songs within their repertoire. Songs of the choir’s/director’s choosing will be workshopped through a brief rehearsal and observation period followed by a hands-on clinic with the choir to give suggestions on how to improve upon vocal techniques, i.e., pitch, blend, balance, style, phrasing, etc..