Collaboration with MESH dancers in the making

The public-space dance project MESH by choreographer Vanessa Grasse (UK) develops improvisation strategies that have great affinity with Genetic Choir principles.

We are dreaming about a public space project in Amsterdam next year that combines Genetic Choir singers and MESH dancers.

For the upcoming SPACE SOUND BODIES workshop this weekend in Amsterdam, Vanessa and two of her dance collaborators will join us from England for the Genetic Choir take on combining movement/space awareness and voice improvisation. We will also do an extra exploration session on Monday with Vanessa Grasse, Bettina Neuhaus and Ensemble singers.

For the SPACE SOUND BODIES workshop (Saturday+Sunday), anyone is welcome to join! There are still a few places left: click here for more info.

Bodies and Breda: two Genetic Choir workshops in March

Two workshops, in Breda and in Amsterdam, are coming up for you to join!

In Breda, there is a one-day voice workshop, with the pioneer Genetic Choir singers who started gathering in the South of the Netherlands. (one of two workshops planned, the other one is on 26 May, but you can inscribe seperately)

You are very welcome to dip your toes into the free improvisation experience, even if you have no experience with Genetic Choir singing. More info, click here

17 March 2019, 11:00-17:00  /  73 euro  /  Breda

To inscribe for 17 March, use this payment link:
https://useplink.com/payment/63nVsvtCGc9dTf6V8QKz
+ send an email with your name and tel.number to workshops@genetic-choir.org

In Amsterdam, we are looking forward to the SPACE SOUND BODIES weekend, which will be a new venture into instant composition performance from the double perspective of both singers and dancers. No specific background required, we only need your curiosity for using your voice and body in new ways. More info, click here.

23 + 24 March 2019 / 10:30-17:00  /  133,10 euro / Amsterdam

To inscribe for 23+24 March, use this payment link:
https://useplink.com/payment/WucJpxV7CGxgCT6tNkBP
+ send an email with your name and tel.number to workshops@genetic-choir.org

 

 

9+10 February 2019: STRUCTURES & FLOW

Flow is one of those central words of improvising: when there is no flow and vivid engagement in the moment, up comes thinking, doubt, trying to do it ‘right’ – all the things we want to avoid when creating music on the spot.

Definition, however, seems just as important: How to define, sharpen and deepen you material, so that there is clarity in what you are doing and it doesn’t go in all directions at once? How to tame the river of inspiration and let it stream lively at the same time?

One (but not the only) thing that can help with gaining more definition are Structures: self-imposed limitations to your improvisation. We will find that limitations and structures are not the opposite of freedom or flow, but that flow and limitation need each other and are anyway always present, whether you want it or not. But what sort of ‘extra’ structures work well within improvised performance? Which limitations are energizing, rather than smothering the improvisation or numbing it? Which structures make the currents of improvisation lively and increase our flow?

The ambition of this workshop is to work with many different types of scores and frames and by trying them all find the principles of a well-designed set-up!

9 + 10 February 2019, 10:30-17:00  /  110,- exBTW (133,10 incl.)  /  Amsterdam

location: studio De Eester, C. van Eesterenlaan 302, Amsterdam

To reserve your place in this workshop:

1. send us an e-mail via
   workshops@genetic-choir.org with your
   – name (and account owner from where you made the payment)
   – telephone number
2. please transfer the workshop fee by clicking this payment link
   (tell us by e-mail if you would like a invoice for your payment)

Frascati shows Genetic Choir related works this month

Dear Genetic Choir followers and friends,

it might interest you that the Amsterdam Theater Frascati has two events coming up with a connection to Genetic Choir:

On Saturday, 26th of January 2019, during COME TOGETHER #4, Burkhard Körner will show a work-in-progress durational performance of a performative research he started with Genetic Choir singers recently: VOCAL OBJECTS (from 19:35 to 21:20)

Can we create a texture of voices that makes us see vibrations and structures in space?
Can a voice act as strong as a laser installation?
Is it possible to leave traces that we start remembering the vocal impact across the space?

This will happen next to many other events and performances all over Frascati. Full program is here.

One week later, on

1+2 February 2019, 20:30, Frascati shows the performance VOICE by Loïc Perela, which premiered on Kampnagel (K3), in Hamburg last year.

VOICE is about holding space together
It is sharing a listening
A dance you can watch eyes closed
Sound as dancing images

Loïc and his dancers received a three day workshop of Genetic Choir work by Thomas at the beginning of their rehearsal period in Rotterdam. Go now and see what it has become!

Read more about the performance here.

Last places for Friday Morning course jan-april 2019

Just a short note to say that the FRIDAY MORNING group that starts in January with a new block has only two places left. So if you were thinking about joining, let us know now. 😀

UPDATE: the Friday Morning Group for spring 2019 is full by now.

The other upcoming workshop worth considering (before it fills up) is this one:

STRUCTURES & FLOW on 9+10 February 2019
about set-ups and frames for improvisation and how tot deal with them as ‘free’ improvisers

You can find more info about the weekend and how to inscribe on the workshop page.

If you have questions, send us a mail under workshops@genetic-choir.org

See you around!

15+16 December 2018 – RESONANCE & VOICE TEXTURES

a Genetic Choir workshop

Upcoming is a weekend to explore and enrich your voice by opening your ears to the multi-layered complexities of human sound, and play with it together in a polyphonic way: overtones, textures, resonance, timbre…

In deze workshop onderzoek en verrijk je je stem rond resonantie en klank textuur. Terwijl je je oren traint, train en open je je stem. We werken en componeren met tonen, klinkers, andere textuurrijke geluiden van de menselijke stem, klank-clusters, resonantie-ruimtes… (meer info in het Nederlands: klik hier en scroll dan naar beneden)

A workshop on improvising with voice colours and resonance

The voice is a special system in our body – it is eager to learn and it reacts to its own sounds. By opening your ears alone, your voice can learn to become more free and resonant.

This workshop will improve your voice by focussing for one weekend on the aspects of sound that are often overlooked: resonance, texture, timbre, overtones. Whatever level of experience you are at, this work will increase your singing skill: Beginners will be surprised about the round and resonant sound that their voice will gain, and the ease of singing that comes with it. Experienced and professional singers will improve their ability to do precision-work in this area: Differentiating pitch, sound colour and resonance and working with both control and surrender on these points. And how to compose music, solo and ‘en groupe’ with these ingredients? How to create both soothing carpets of sound and grinding dissonant cluster-chords. How to develop the music together, how to dissolve your voice in a sea of sounds, but also make clearly defined choices and cut through the music with your own line of melody or sound.

In the cold month of December a workshop that will warm you up from the inside and get your whole body to resonate!

15 + 16 December 2018 / 10:30-17:00  /  133,10 Euro (110,- excl.VAT) / Amsterdam

The workshop will take place at: studio Wladiwostok, Bogortuin 16, Amsterdam

To reserve your place in the workshop:

1. send us an e-mail via
   workshops@genetic-choir.org with your
   – name (and account owner from where you made the payment)
   – telephone number
2. please transfer the workshop fee by clicking this payment link
   (tell us by e-mail if you would like an invoice for your payment)

---

Other upcoming workshops to join in 2019:

From 18 January 2019: Friday Morning Sessions

9+10 February 2019: Structures and Flow

23+24 March 2019: Space Sound Bodies

6+7 July 2019: The Edge of Language

Scroll down on the workshop page to read more about these workshops and reserve a place.

Genetic Choir on IDFA in Kleine Komedie this Sunday!

In an attempt to hack and question the language of nature films, the Genetic Choir will appear on the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam this Sunday, in the IDFA on Stage event NATURE’S NICKELODEON.

18 November 2018, at 19:30, in the Kleine Komedie, Amsterdam

More info & tickets via IDFA here: https://www.idfa.nl/en/shows/3cf30b69-3bf2-4672-8209-57ae346e987e/idfa-on-stage-natures-nickelodeons

Together with other invited musicians like beatboxer Jason Singh, synth-musician Bridget Hayden and harpist Serafina Steer, the Genetic Choir and instructed volunteers will create new live sounds for nature documentary footage, curated by Amy Cutler (UK).

“How can the nature documentary escape from the framework of the big, or small screen? In this performance, curator Amy Cutler sets out to hack the language and content of this genre.

Experience nature as never before in a performance in which experimental artists turn the traditional nature documentary on its head!”