SummerSongs West 2011

June 10th to 16th, 2011

Cost Weekend only:  $479.00,

Full Week: $779.00 (add $50.00 to either price after 3/1/11)

(All cabins are shared with  other people or you can stay in a hotel in Cambria for additional money.)

Plan to arrive by 3pm on Friday and leave by noon on Monday or the following Thursday.

Ready to Register? YES!

Hi Everyone!

 

The 8th Annual SummerSongs West is a 4-day or 7 day gathering for all who want to study music in a great camp that will take place at our new California home, the spectacular Camp Ocean Pines in Cambria, CA, on June 10-16th, 2011. This past summer, Penny Nichols,  Kenny Edwards, Beth Fitchet Wood, Nicola Gordon, Dale Laduke, Florence Riggs, Rebecca Troon,  and Severin Browne offered an all-levels buffet of classes in songwriting, guitar, singing, harmony, performance, and more in addition to a full menu of concerts, coffeehouses, and song circles. Students and teachers alike shared songs, information, insights, trade stories and performed for the community we have grown to love. And it all takes place less than an hour north of San Luis Obispo, CA. Join us!

The instructors and classes listed below were with us in 2010. Watch for more 2011 information to be posted as soon as arrangements are finalized.

Click on an instructor's name for a description of their classes.

Instructors & Classes

 

 

Severin Browne:

Song Starting Workshop

With the idea of starting a separate song each day of camp, Severin will help each participant dig deep to get those gems that are waiting inside each of us. There will be creative writing exercises as well as melody-writing and harmonizing exercises. And each day there will be handouts with ideas from many of Severin's favorite teachers. For the student that attends everyday, that's the whole enchilada.

SONG FINISHING

Do you have a song that's nearly done, or several quirky scraps that just might fit together? Lets get creative! Bring your notebook, pencil, and those musical fragments that float thru your head. Severin will help you nourish your most promising seedlings and weed out the rest, or just provide a suggestion or two on your fully-grown song. Then we'll focus on the final steps in the songwriting process - honing the lyrics and the arrangement until you're proud of every word.

Severin's Staff Bio

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Kenny Edwards:

Musicianship & Guitar Arranging for Songwriters

In this class Kenny will show you how to take the musical aspect of your songwriting and performing to the next level, examining your songs for musical touches that can make them more compelling and help create the mood that supports your lyrics and singing.

Harmony Singing with Penny & Dale

See class description under Penny Nichols

 

Vocal Recording Technique with Penny & Rebecca

See class description under Penny Nichols

 

Kenny's Staff Bio

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Beth Fitchet Woods:

The "I'm Great / I Suck" Philosophy.

 

The age old "enemies" of creativity and how to put them in their place.

How to deal with the inner critic.

What to do when the creative honeymoon is over.

Different techniques to shake up writer's block.

We'll try to write a song in the "I Suck" mode and see how that might bring us back to the "I'm Great" mode.  

 

AND:

 

Singing in Performance:  Getting Out Of Your Room


We'll work on getting your song into your voice, and your voice out of your room.  

We'll work on getting out of your own way; preconceived notions about performance vs. the reality of gigging.  

We'll learn a little mic technique, and mental tricks to deal with different performance situations.  

Bring along two songs: one which you feel you perform well, and one which you have problems performing.

 

Nicola Gordon: Music is Medicine for the Soul 

 

Music is medicine for the soul. Songwriting can be a deep, sometimes scary journey into the raw human experience.
Nicola is honored to share this wild ride with fellow songwriters and the world.
In this class we will explore ways to jump-start the creative process
Through short timed exercises with writing and play--getting out of ruts and having fun with it!

Penny Nichols:

Harmony singing

Have you ever wanted to learn to sing in harmony better, how to do it and where it is appropriate in a song? You will have a chance to experience for yourself the fun and unique qualities of singing in harmony and how to begin to master the skills needed to sing in harmony well. You will learn listening techniques, how to recognize chordal relationships and how harmony fits into a melodic landscape. Don't miss the fun of singing in harmony with your pals at WinterSongs West!  Taught with Kenny and Dale.

Vocal Technique

In this class Penny will be teaching basic singing skills for anyone who'd like to explore singing in a relaxed and friendly setting. You'll learn exercises to relax your body and prepare for singing, to work with pitch perception and tone, and you'll learn exercises to strengthen your voice and how to use your body to resonate sound. You'll get a whole new set of tools to help you become the singer you want to be!

Vocal Recording Technique

Here is the workshop you have been waiting for!  A chance to work with one of the most experienced vocal recording artists around in a real studio environment on one of your own songs!  Learn all about how to give your best performance on a recording, how to communicate with the engineer/producer, how to stay on pitch, how to keep breathing, how to deal with anxiety in the studio, how to evaluate your performance, how to choose the best performance and how the recording process works.  Plus you will leave the workshop with one of the best performances on a CD that you have ever done! Taught with Kenny and Rebecca.

Following Your Muse

For more experienced songwriters, we will explore the deeper aspects of the art of songwriting by getting in touch with our personal muse, exploring how and when to be open to the muse, how to recognize the call, and channel some songs!

 

Penny's bio

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Florence Riggs

(Sunday and Monday only)  

Florence will only be with us for one or two days, so sign up early to be with her"Creative Soundings Workshop"-   Learn to use your voice in a free-form, spontaneous, out pouring of your unique sound.
We'll explore overtone chanting and singing, extended techniques to help unlock and fine tune your vocal self-expression.  This workshop will also help you to go to a healthy, deeper level of internal focus so that your "personal muse" will be able to come forth and "play" with you at whatever level is comfortable for you.   We'll also explore expressing your personal soundings process from the 7 energy centers of the body.  Remember, it's a free form class, so ANY kind of vocal qualities are acceptable.

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Rebecca Troon:

Get your groove on with Troon!

Come participate in a playful exploration of polyrhythms, work songs, and writing from the groove with Rebecca Troon. Rebecca has been teaching music to children for 23 years, and she plays well with adults, too, even though it takes a little longer to loosen them up!

Vocal Recording Technique with Penny & Kenny

See class description under Penny Nichols

Rebecca's Staff Bio

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Dale Laduke

Piano for Songwriters

Sign up for a coaching session with Dale on how to enhance your songs with piano arrangements that compliment your writing.  Want some help with your piano arrangement? Make a appointment to work with Dale and see what new ideas and ways of playing your songs arise. Recommended for our piano playing songwriters.

 
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