Do you sing only in the shower? Did you sing into a hairbrush
microphone as I did as a youngster?
Do you sing only in the shower? Did you sing into a hairbrush microphone as I did as a youngster?
Have you thought about exploring that interest again?
OK, admit it – you’re still entertaining fantasies about being a rock star, and karaoke night is beckoning …
I have loved to sing ever since I was a child. In fact, even before I could read the lyrics, I sang along to hymns in church by using whatever words I could conjure from memory. I would be there in church standing next to my parents, belting out, “Daniel Boone was a man, Yes, a big man … And was tough as a mighty oak tree” to the tune of “Amazing Grace.”
Although I sang in my high school choir, I never pursued vocal lessons any further. I’ve always harbored an unfulfilled fantasy of honing my vocal skills in order to get over my fear of singing in front of people.
Recently, it came to my attention that Sandra Marlowe, vocal instructor and performing and recording artist, is going to be offering two dynamic, interactive 12-week vocal classes for teens and adults, beginning Jan. 8 at The Music Academy of Gilroy.
Her goal is to provide affordable options for continued musical training in a time when there have been so many cuts made to music education in schools.
“I suspect we will see more cuts coming,” she said. “More people are looking for affordable options for music education and exposure. I want to make it possible for them to continue to develop their musicality and creativity in a supportive environment.”
Offering classes at less than her usual going rate for private instruction is a sacrifice Marlowe is willing to make in order to provide more affordable options for local talent. But it’s also about her belief that a small group setting is conducive to learning.
Marlowe credits her experience in a small class setting with famed vocal coach Judy Davis for taking her own vocal technique to a level not found in private lessons alone.
“She revolutionized my voice.”
Davis, whose students included Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Grace Slick and many other notable singers, was an expert in the physiology of vocal sound projection.
She taught singers how to breathe properly, enunciate and strengthen their vocal cords in order to project freely and control the sound. Davis devised a series of vocal exercises that are used by singers around the world. Marlowe drove to Oakland to train with her for five years.
One thrill Marlowe will never forget was the day Davis told the class that a famous former student would be stopping by. It turned out to be musical star Mary Martin of Peter Pan fame who showed up and joined the class for the entire session, doing all the vocal exercises and singing with them.
“The thing about being in a class is that it creates a certain synergy,” Marlowe explained. “Watching other people is how I learned what their corrections are; the feedback of performing for peers not only helped me figure out how to improve but also motivated me to do more work than in private lessons.”
“In professional arts, there is a ton of competition out there,” Marlowe said. “You need all the advantages of having performed around others, as well as training in vocal strength, projection and resonance techniques – the key to a good, full sound.”
I sat in on a vocal lesson Marlowe was giving for 14-year-old student Mark Penyacsek, whom she has coached for South Valley Civic Theater performances in shows such as “Bugsy” and Odyssey Theater Company’s “Seussical.”
They began by standing and bending low from the waist, practicing deep breathing techniques to enable him to have enough air for the demands of the part he was learning. Marlowe explained, “You’re going to have to fill up like a bellows!”
They worked on the song “Don’t Blame Me,” to improve Penyacsek’s articulation, as well as a Michael Buble tune called “Everything.” Marlowe explained how the location of where sound bounces off the roof of a singer’s mouth affects the quality of what is produced. She demonstrated volume control by raising her voice from a whisper to window-rattling volume in two seconds – no microphone needed.
Marlowe doesn’t just work with singers with theater, classical or opera aspirations; her techniques also improve the vocals of budding rock and hip hop songwriters and singers as well.
“My ultimate point is, of course, that good technique follows through any discipline. But what you do with that technique regarding style, vocal treatments, interpretation is about your passion, your story,” she said.
If the classes get a good response, Marlowe plans to offer specific workshop topics, such as “Bring your vocal problem to be solved,” “Preparing audition tunes” and “Stage presence and performance.”
Sandra Marlowe offers a fun, interactive 12-week program for ages 13 to 17 at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays, beginning Jan 8. Her adult class starts at 1 p.m. Saturdays, beginning Jan 8. For more information, call 848-1514, or The Music Academy of Gilroy at 848-1064. E-mail sm****@*****er.net, or myspace.com/sandramarlowe.
