Workshop Information and Individual Course Descriptions

CPW runs year-round with quarterly terms
which coincide with the seasons:

Winter: January thru mid-March
Spring: mid-March thru May
Summer: June thru mid-August
Fall: September thru mid-November

NOT ALL WORKSHOPS ARE OFFERED EVERY TERM. PLEASE CHECK SCHEDULE PAGE

cabaret performance workshops

There are four workshop levels: Introductory, Intermediate, Advanced/Intermediate and Advanced.

Each workshop runs for 9 weeks, with classes meeting once a week for 8 weeks and culminating in a performance on week 9 where students perform 2-, 3-, 4- or 5-song sets at one of Manhattan’s cabaret clubs.

Students are encouraged to bring their recording device of choice to every class session so that they can have a weekly record of their work and review their progress over the 8 weeks.

A full technical rehearsal, with lights and sound, is held at the club before the final performance.

Then, showtime! The weeks of study come to a thrilling conclusion as the student singers perform for a house full of family, friends and fans. This memorable final performance is digitally recorded and each student receives a DVD of the show.

non-performance workshops

OPEN CLASSES

This is a workshop where intermediate & advanced students can, without the pressure of an end-of-term show, work on songs for their own solo projects or to prepare material the next performance workshop. These open classes meet once a week and are available in groups of 4 sessions.

OPEN CLASS WITH PIANO AND BASS

Following the structure of the Open Class described above, this workshop gives students the opportunity to sing in a classroom situation with a pianist and a bass player. They will have the experience of hearing different musical options provided by two accompanying instruments as well as feeling the different musical support when singing with both piano and bass.

MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP

In this workshop, students get to ‘strut their stuff’ in that great Musical Theatre tradition. Each student is encouraged to select songs sung by characters they might like to play and to learn how those songs fit into the show from which they're drawn. Everyone works on several solos, a duet or trio as well as a group number. Focus is given to character development, some limited scene work, the inclusion of harmony, basic stage movement and some elementary choreography.

JAZZ PHRASING WORKSHOPS

This is a special workshop run by Gregory Toroian on the principles & application of Jazz Phrasing. In this 5-session workshop, this often-intimidating concept of ‘jazz singing’ will be broken down and de-mystified to show that it is, first and foremost, a ‘feel’. Students will be urged to explore the fundamental techniques of improvisation to help express this ‘feel’ and will be taught practical methods for making those musical changes in a song’s rhythm and melody. A CD is provided with examples of all the points covered in the class sessions.

DUETS/HARMONY WORKSHOP

In this 5-week workshop, students will sing duets in order to learn how to harmonize with another singer; they will also learn how to harmonize as ‘back-up’ for a lead singer. Techniques are presented for those who have always had trouble finding a harmony note and maintaining a harmony line. And for those who are already comfortable harmonizing, new and surprising ways to approach harmonizing with another voice are introduced.

STYLES CLASS

This workshop offers students the chance to learn about and to sing in different musical styles…styles they probably would never have considered trying! In this 6-week, non-performance workshop, we focus on a different musical style every week, e.g. swing, jazz ballad, novelty, Latin, theatre, R&B, etc. A listening list and cd are provided for each style. At each class session, students will listen to songs of a certain musical style and discuss the distinctions. Each student will work on 2 songs in each style, one that is assigned and one of their choice.

master classes & seminars

BASIC MUSICIANSHIP FOR SINGERS

Without some form of musical training, it can be quite daunting to step into a world where a new language is being spoken - you know, that lingo those musicians speak - and it can be quite confusing to look at a piece of sheet music and make sense of what's on those printed pages. This CPW seminar in basic musicianship will help singers by explaining all the indications on sheet music (such as the time signature, the key, the repeat signs), by expanding a singer’s musical vocabulary in order to communicate more easily and clearly with a pianist and by providing some ear training to recognize chord changes, key modulations, etc.

PHRASING MASTER CLASS

This 3-hour Master Class focuses on the many possibilities of communicating a song in a singer’s own subtle and personal phrasing choices. This is a very important, intensive class for those who want to enhance their personal and individual singing style as well as to grow in their ability to connect with and move an audience. This Master Class not only helps singers make conversational sense of a lyric and but also helps them give the clearest and most personal meaning to that lyric within the melody & harmonics of the song.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER:
PRODUCING YOUR OWN CD

There’s more to making a CD than singing a dozen songs at a sound studio. This seminar will detail all the ins & outs of the creative and legal aspects of independently producing a CD. Nancy Stearns, CPW Administrator and producer of six CDs, shares her knowledge of the technical, legal and financial information a singer needs to know as she answers questions about choice of material, hiring musicians, studio work, licensing material, graphic design and marketing.

SING FROM YOUR HEART — IN ITALY:

Learn to tell your story through song — in Tuscany! It's an annual event at CPW. More details about this one-week intensive course can be found at www.ilchiostro.com

For information about the fees for various classes, payment plans and our cancellation policy, please contact the Administrator of the Helen Baldassare Cabaret Performance Workshop.