Raul Dominguez

Friday, March 6th 1:00pm

Children attending a concert will often naturally move to the music in the room as their parents remind them to sit still. After growing up with this mindset, music and dance teachers then spend their years attempting to undo this conditioning. Singers can also be moved emotionally through movement leading to a deeper personal connection and a sense of communication with the audience. As teachers, we can also strive for technical precision in our ensembles but without singer engagement and commitment, the meaning of the music and text may be lost; movement engages both the technical and the music/text.

Singing is an art form that engages the whole person. Enhancing Rehearsals and Performances Through Movement is a collaborative session between myself and Samuel Booth’s high school chorus from Bellarmine Preparatory School. This session reminds the body of what it did naturally through movement rehearsal techniques as an aid to our singers’ vocal development for performance. Attendees will learn said rehearsal techniques that can be used immediately with their ensembles, followed by a live demonstration with Bellarmine’s singers utilizing accessible repertoire. Attendees will also participate alongside Bellarmine’s singers and hold small group discussions on how movement enhances their abilities. The strategies provided engage the singing muscles, aid intonation and artistry, allow ensembles to build community by working together, and invite singers to develop a full-bodied tone for performance. In order to “Sing for a Change,” we must first, Move for a Change!