Ian MacDonald is a singer and specialist voice coach for BAPAM.

VoiceSkills; an Ian MacDonald and Sef Hill collaboration.

See website for full details and how to book: www.voiceskills.org.uk

The Classical Voice

The Lady Chapel, St Peter’s Church, Kennington Lane SE11 5HY – 0790 4691850

10am – 5pm, Saturday, 18^th September 2010 – Booking NOW!

10am – 5pm, Saturday, 15^th January 2011

10am – 5pm, Saturday, 16^th April 2011

The Musical Theatre Voice

The Concert Artistes’ Association, 20 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9HP – 0790 469 1850

10am – 5pm, Sunday, 10^th October 2010 – Booking NOW!

10am – 5pm, Sunday, 23^rd January 2011

10am – 5pm, Sunday, 10^th April 2011

Introductory Workshop and Short Course

In Aid of UNICEF Pakistan Flood Children’s Appeal

£25 Minimum ~ Workshop Fees will be Donated & Added to by Gift Aid

Saturday 18 September ~ 2.0pm – 4.30pm

Small Group max 6 ~ so it is essential to enrol in advance

As the group is small, you will be able to experience some individual hands-on work with an experienced teacher.

• Experiential Games
• Demonstrations and Discussion
• Hands-on Work
• Refreshments Organic / Fairtrade

You will be asked to lie on the floor and to take your shoes off.  Please wear loose trousers and comfortable clothing without hoodies.

Reduced rate 1:1 Follow-up Lesson is available to participants

http://www.hilaryking.net/alexander-technique/workshops/

Short Introductory Course ~ £60

Linked to the UNICEF Workshop, which could also form the first session of this

4 week Introductory Course:

Saturdays (18), 25 September, 2, 9 October ~ 2.0 – 4.0pm

A separate fee is required for the extra 3 sessions, which are not part of the fund-raising.

Book Workshop & Course Together ~ £75

(£25 still goes to UNICEF)

This course offers you a cost-effective way to extend your learning of the Technique and is only available to participants of the UNICEF Workshop or a previous Intro Workshop.

Further Information and Booking: www.hilaryking.net

Book Workshop & Course Together ~ £75

(£25 still goes to UNICEF)

The aim of the survey is to learn about performers’ experiences at the clinic and in the months afterwards, and whether or not visiting BAPAM has been helpful. We hope the survey will enable us to assess BAPAM’s services, highlight any aspects that we may need to improve, and provide a broad understanding of the most effective treatment and care for performers’ health problems. The survey results will also help us design a routine follow-up questionnaire for all performers visiting BAPAM in future.

Participation is voluntary.

The survey is being co-ordinated by BAPAM’s Dan Hayhurst and Dr Deborah Charnock, a Trustee and Chair of BAPAM’s research group. Deborah will be conducting the interviews: she is an experienced researcher and has developed BAPAM’s Research Policy, and will ensure that any information you provide is kept strictly confidential and is anonymised in any analysis and report arising from the survey.

Want free advice on injury prevention and hearing protection from a world class musician?

Janet Horvath, the associate principal cello of the Minnesota Orchestra, author of  the book, Playing (Less) Hurt -An Injury Prevention Guide for Musicians, and long time member of the Performing Arts Medical Association, contacted BAPAM to tell us about her imminent Playing(Less)Hurt seminar.

The Minnesota Orchestra is performing at the Proms and while in London, Janet will be giving one of her seminars on injury prevention and hearing protection.

The workshop will take place at  the Westminster Reference Library of the Performing Arts on Friday August 27th, 2:00 to 4:00 pm, 35 St Martins St. London WC2H 7HP (Leicester Square Tube).
The seminar is pertinent to all instrumentalists in any genre and at any level, and the teachers and health professionals who work with them.

The talk is free and open to the public. For more information please see Janet Horvath’s website.

CALL FOR PAPERS

ISPS 2011
Models of Performance

24 | 27 August 2011
Toronto | Canada

www.performancescience.org

The next International Symposium on Performance Science will be hosted by the University of Toronto on 24-27 August 2011.

The ISPS 2011 theme, Models of Performance, is intended to encourage discussion and debate on issues ranging from ‘models’ of good practice (e.g. research into inspirational performers, teachers, or learners) to scientific ‘models’ of performance processes and products. Specific research topics, fields of study, and methodological approaches have been left open intentionally to encourage interdisciplinary exchange.

Submissions detailing original research are invited from across the performing arts, as well as the natural, social, and applied sciences. Those whose primary interests lie outside of the arts, but whose work nonetheless offers implications for the performing arts and/or for performing artists, are also encouraged to submit proposals.

KEY DATES

1 December 2010: Paper/poster abstract submission deadline
1 February 2011: Notification of submission decision
1 March 2011: End of early registration
15 April 2011: Deadline for papers for the ISPS proceedings
24 August 2011: Start of ISPS 2011

SUBMISSIONS

Submissions are invited for

- Spoken papers
- Poster presentations
- Symposia and workshops

Detailed instructions for submissions are available via the conference website: www.performancescience.org. Submissions should be made electronically to cps@rcm.ac.uk by 1 December 2010.

GRADUATE AWARD

The Scientific Committee is keen to encourage the attendance of students, as well as established researchers and practitioners. Therefore, the ISPS 2011 Graduate Award will be offered to one graduate student to present a keynote paper at the conference.

REVIEW PROCESS

Each submission will be reviewed anonymously by the Scientific Committee according to its originality, importance, clarity, and interdisciplinarity. Corresponding authors will be notified by email of the Committee’s decision by 1 February 2011.

CONFERENCE PUBLICATION

Accepted paper, poster, and symposium/workshop submissions will be published as 6-page papers in the Proceedings of ISPS 2011 (complete with ISBN), available in hardcopy at the conference and subsequently downloadable via the conference website. Details of the procedure and format for submitting published papers will be provided when authors receive notification of acceptance. Final papers for publication will be due on 15 April 2011.

REGISTRATION

Full and one-day registration options are available. Members of the following affiliated societies are eligible for a registration discount:

- European Association of Conservatoires (AEC)
- International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS)
- International Society for Music Education (ISME)
- Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA)
- Society for Music Perception and Cognition (SMPC)

Online registration will open on 1 December 2010.

For further information about the venue, submissions, graduate award, and registration, visit the conference website: www.performancescience.org.

The official language of the conference is English.

Vocal health is about mind and body as well as voice!

Whatever your style of singing and whatever your repertoire, you should take a holistic approach to your practising and performing. Here are a few tried-and-tested tips for you to keep in mind at all times.

1.    Always warm up physically before you sing. In particular, stretch and loosen up your neck, shoulders, and upper back. This doesn’t have to take a long time, but should be before your vocal warm-up. Repeat this after singing, to allow cooling down.

2.    Ensure your technique is sound – poor technical habits may lead to tension and muscular strain. We strongly recommend that you seek professional advice, whatever your level of experience.

3.    Check your posture when singing, using a mirror, or, better still, a video camera. Look at the overall balance of your body, and for signs of tension around your neck and shoulders. If you regularly sit to sing, use a chair that is as comfortable as possible, that supports your lower back, and is at the right height for your body build.

4.    Where is your music? If on a stand, check the stand height and sight-lines, e.g. to your accompanist. If you are holding the music, feel its weight and consider a stand if it is heavy or bulky.

5.    Vision and hearing can affect your neck and upper body posture, have them checked periodically. If you need glasses or lenses to see the music or the conductor, use them!

6.    Plan your practice sessions to allow frequent short breaks in singing. The biggest risk factor for a breakdown in your vocal health is a sudden increase in the quantity or quality of practice, e.g. in the run-up to a concert or audition. If something starts to ache, stop and loosen up. Use a kitchen timer to remind you if a break is due – every 20 minutes or so.

7.    Your overall health, physical build, and voice type may make some repertoire more uncomfortable for you. Respect your limitations.

8.    If you have a cold or sore throat, remember VOCAL REST AND HYDRATION. Vocal rest does not necessarily mean no singing: it means no shouting, no whispering, no forcing, and limit your phone calls. Hydration means water, not tea/coffee or alcohol! Also avoid atmospheric pollutants such as cigarette smoke, and over-heated or air-conditioned rooms.

9.    Your general lifestyle can affect your singing: make sure you are eating and sleeping properly.

10.    A mixture of regular exercise (e.g. swimming or sport) and relaxation will help maximise your potential and maintain your vocal health. Performing is stressful and tension can cause pain and stiffness. Find something that you enjoy, it’s more likely to help!

11.    Remember that you are a musical athlete and your performance depends on you taking good care of yourself. Think twice about attending a party or going to a noisy pub in the days before a concert. Watch out for accidents: take care with dangerous sports and DIY.

12.    There is a world outside music! Keep your hobbies and outside interests going to avoid getting over-focused on your singing.

If you think you may have a medical problem affecting your voice, you should see a doctor. Either arrange an appointment with your GP or contact BAPAM on 020 7404 8444 to arrange a free appointment at one of our assessment clinics. We can advise full and part time professional, and student performing artists. Remember – the sooner you address any problems, the less damage you will do in the long term.

These tips are taken from the BAPAM factsheet, Don’t cramp your style – Warm-up exercises for performers, also available as an A2 poster or pocket-sized concertina version. To order printed versions have a look at our Health Resources page, where you’ll also find a lot more useful information for all performing artists. All our factsheets are produced with financial support from the Musicians Benevolent Fund.

Ten Top Health Tips for Musicians:

1. Don’t suddenly increase the time you spend rehearsing or studying (maximum 10-minute increase per day). You should increase by ten minutes each day for three days and keep at this level for the rest of the week.

2. Leave more difficult passages and pieces for towards the middle of your practice session, when your muscles are ready and not yet tired out. Increase the speed, difficulty and intensity of the pieces you are playing as you progress though the session.

3. Don’t become obsessed with repeating a passage or gesture that you can’t quite get right. Look for alternatives.

4. Take a five-minute break every half-hour.

5. If your muscles feel overloaded, do some stretching.

6. Do as much as you can to optimise your working environment: think about lighting, noise levels, temperature. Make sure your daily routine – eating, sleeping, exercise – works for you.

7. Don’t play at the time of day when you’re most tired.

8. NEVER play if you are experiencing pain. If you feel any pain, stop playing and do some gentle stretching. If such pain does not go away or if it reappears in subsequent sessions, see a specialist in Performing Arts Medicine.

9. Do exercises to stretch your muscles before playing and whenever you feel like or need it.

10. Make sure you find time for warming up and stretching. You know you will enjoy it and it will make you feel great!

Articles authored or co-authored by Katherine Butler can be found on the publications page of her practice website and include, Injury Prevention for Musicians and Focal Hand Dystonia Affecting Musicians (an area in which she is currently performing doctoral research with Dr Karin Rosenkranz).

Jane Gregory brought our attention to the expanded section for musicians on her website. Jane teaches Alexander Technique to students and staff at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance. You’ll find two fascinating and useful articles (aimed at bass guitarists and drummers but applicable to all musicians), presenting easy, practical advice based on the Alexander Technique.

BAPAM’s Directory of Practitioners can help you find an Alexander Technique teacher in your area. Performing artists registered with BAPAM are eligible for reduced price sessions with many practitioners, including Jane Gregory.