Improve your singing Voice at the Con

INTERVIEW WITH SALLY MARETT – Open Academy Short Music Courses

The Open Academy’s six week Spring term kicks off in October at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, with more than 35 courses on offer:

https://openacademy.sydney.edu.au/Short+Courses

We spoke to one of the Open Academy’s vocal teachers, Sally Marett, who takes both The Contemporary Singer (for beginners and intermediate singers) and The Contemporary Vocal Studio (for more advanced singers).

Q: Tell us about the kind of students you get in your classes?

SM: I get a really wide range of students – from some people who have never sung in front of anyone before, right through to professionals who are touring with bands and everyone in-between. I get a wide range of ages, a range of styles that they like and a wide range of reasons that they are here to do the course.

Q: What genres do you cover?

SM: I cover everything that can be classified as contemporary music, from blues to jazz, pop, rock, musical theatre, soul and gospel. It depends on the group that I get and the styles of music that they are interested in. I try to work it towards whatever the group is keen to investigate. My foundation work focuses on blues through into pop music, but we also look at other styles. Mostly I focus on the vocal techniques required for all styles of contemporary singing, as opposed to classical singing.

Q: What skills do students learn in your classes?

SM: They learn a wide range of skills, starting with the basics of contemporary vocal technique, including good breath support, exercises that work for pitch, rhythm, vocal tone and phrasing. Then I try to take that through into songs that students perform, providing them with practice routines and ideas for song development as well as performance and nerve management skills.

Q: Do you think there are particular benefits to group classes rather than one-on-one lessons?

SM: Definitely. The feedback I get is that there is great camaraderie in a group class. A lot of students I get, particularly beginners, are nervous about performing in front of other people, but they really want to do it, so being in a group situation means that they have people there who are in the same position and who support them. They are able to watch other students and learn from them and support them. It provides a really great, fun environment for everyone to learn.