VCE Contemporary Voice in Hawthorn East, Victoria | Specialty School

VCE Contemporary Voice

Locality: Hawthorn East, Victoria

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25.01.2022 HEY SINGERS..! I'm posting Outcome 3 (theory, aural & analysis) information and tips on my VCE Music Language Essentials FB page. Please check it out, like and follow. Please email or message me if you have any questions regarding Contemporary Singing or Musicianship, and I'll answer your question online - but will not reveal your identity..!! https://www.facebook.com/VCEMusicLanguageEssentials/

25.01.2022 WHAT SHOULD I WEAR..?? Dress "nicely" (whatever that means for you), and ensure your clothes are comfortable. I advise students to dress up a bit, but it doesn't have to be too formal. Some tips: - avoid high heels if you're not used to them, as they can affect your balance and posture if you're not accustomed to them.... - avoid clothing that's too tight or bulky, as you want to feel free to move. - avoid clothes that might need adjusting while performing, such as: short skirts that hitch up, shoulder straps that fall off, etc.. Practise singing in your performance outfit, in front of the mirror, to see how it feels, and looks.

25.01.2022 All the best with your Performance Exam this month. Don't forget.. it's a PERFORMANCE.All the best with your Performance Exam this month. Don't forget.. it's a PERFORMANCE.

25.01.2022 Hey singers.. if you got a spare 6 minutes, watch this video by Dr Dan, (Daniel Kay) from Brisvegas :-) He talks about "PHRASING" in music, particularly, in singing. Very worthwhile information here. Do yourself a favour and watch it (maybe several times - as there's lots of info). Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWwopW5YuX0

24.01.2022 Speaking of vocal exercises... I'm posting this again, as the Funky 'n Fun exercise albums are good for warming up and improving various techniques: range, resonance, pitch, agility, control, etc... I recommend buying the set of Volume 1 & 2, as it has enough exercises to keep you going throughout the year. If you want to challenge yourself some more, then you can also get volumes 3&4. http://www.funkynfun.com/buy-mp3s/

24.01.2022 PLEASE READ & SHARE: ACCOMPANIMENT QUESTIONS I have contacted VCAA to get clarification on a few questions that came up in last week's VCE Workshop. - - - - - - - - Q: Can singers play a shaker while singing with an accompanying piano or guitar - or is the percussion considered another instrument?... A: No, singers may not play a shaker whilst singing with an accompanying piano or guitar - - - - - - - - Q: Can singers play a shaker during an unaccompanied song, given that it is not providing any pitch reference? A: No, unaccompanied means unaccompanied in terms of beat/rhythm as well as pitch - - - - - - - - Q: Can singers use a looping pedal and if so, how is it viewed in terms of accompaniment? A: Yes, singers can use a looping pedal. It replaces other forms of accompaniment. that is, if they use a looping pedal that is all they may use to accompany that work - - - - - - - - Q: If singers finger-click, is this considered an accompanying instrument? A: Yes - if they click throughout the song. - - - - - - - - - Please share this with your VCE singer friends/colleagues, so that all are 'in the know'. Mel See more

24.01.2022 QUICK CHECK No 1... AM I DEMONSTRATING..?? Criterion 4 - singing with RANGE of expressive TONAL QUALITIES. Are you demonstrating a RANGE of different tones / timbre / qualities, that suit the style of each individual song?... We all have our "normal" or "default" sound, the one that we sing in most of the time without really thinking about it. Aside from your default sound, you should be aiming to demonstrate most or all of these tonal qualities, somewhere in your program. Here's an example of the sounds that MIGHT suit your songs (depending on the song, of course!): breathy: in ballads, folk, musical theatre belt: rock/pop, blues, soul/RnB, Musical theatre head/upper range/thin fold: folk, ballads, Musical theatre nasal: country!! character voice: music theatre

22.01.2022 YOUR EXAM & VOICE CARE Your exam isn't far away. You've worked hard and want to be in fine voice on the day. What can you do to ensure the healthiest voice for your big performance...? - Avoid sick people! Stay away from those with colds & coughs.. - Get good sleep every night between now and exam day.... - Hydrate (with lots of water) - Start each practice with a good warm-up. Don't skip this. - Treat your voice gently. If your voice is getting tired when you sing - or speak - stop and take a voice break! - Don't sing too much. Pace your practice to avoid a tired or sore throat. If you're still learning some lyrics, go over them in your head rather than always singing them. - Avoid social outings that could result in you mistreating your voice, such as parties and places with loud music. We're not always aware that we are hurting our throat when we're talking over loud background noise. - Lastly, if you're feeling stressed or anxious, take a walk, play with the doggy, dance, stretch... do something relaxing... See more

22.01.2022 VCE CONTEMPORARY VOICE ** SONG STYLES WORKSHOP** ~ for teachers and students Sunday 8 September 2019 Hawthorn Library https://www.melindaceresoli.com.au/vce-singing-workshop-no-2

22.01.2022 There are only a few more places left in the VCE Contemporary Voice SYLES day - for VCE students & teachers. TUESDAY 3 JULY (holidays) HAWTHORN LIBRARY It's going to be a full-on day! We will be going through approx. 30-40 VCE songs, and learning how to sing in the various styles!... To book: www.melindaceresoli.com.au/vce-singing-workshop-no-2

21.01.2022 NEW VCE CONTEMPORARY VOICE WORKSHOP ADDED * *Sunday 25th June * * The workshop on the 11th of June is fully booked, so I have added another date. These workshops will provide all the info to help students get TOP MARKS in the performance exam. You'll have to come along and find out more.... To book: www.melindaceresoli.com.au/vce-singing-workshop

19.01.2022 This VCE Contemporary Voice workshop is booking up fast. Secure your place, as there is only 1 workshop! Tues 3 April. TO BOOK: https://www.melindaceresoli.com.au/vce-singing-workshop

18.01.2022 VCE MUSIC TEACHERS' CONFERENCE SUNDAY 25 FEBRUARY: TRINITY COLLEGE, KEW I will be presenting a session this Sunday afternoon, called "VCE Contemporary Voice: Aiming HIGH!"... This session discusses what high-scoring singers are doing to achieve such outstanding marks in their Performance Exam. Teachers, come along! Lots of essential information.

18.01.2022 VCE CONTEMPORARY VOICE STYLES WORKSHOP TODAY. FULL HOUSE - should be great fun!

18.01.2022 A N N O U N C I N G... The VCE Contemporary Voice STYLES Day 2018. This workshop is JUST on singing through the eleven styles on the Prescribed List. ... Lots of group singing! Come to find your theatre belt, country twang, cool Latin tone, be-boppin' Jazz vibe.. and all the others (too many to mention).. To book: https://www.melindaceresoli.com.au/vce-singing-workshop-no-2 See more

16.01.2022 Here is a link to the VCE Music Performance SAMPLE PAPER. All students should download this (with audio tracks). Although quite similar to previous exam papers,... things look a little different, and questions worded a little differently too. And while you're here PLEASE LIKE this page (grovel, grovel) :-) http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au//exa/music/musicperf-samp-w.pdf See more

16.01.2022 Well done to the students and teachers who attended yesterday's workshop. It was a full day with LOADS to cover, but we got through it. I'm looking forward to seeing some of you again this SATURDAY 7 APRIL at the VCE MUSIC LANGUAGE: UNIT 3 ESSENTIALS WORKSHOP, at Kew Library!

15.01.2022 VCE CONTEMPORARY VOICE STYLES WORKSHOP IS FULL. No more bookings being taken, and there is a waiting list. Sorry if you missed out this time!

15.01.2022 QUICK CHECK No 2... AM I DEMONSTRATING..?? Criterion 8 - presenting an INFORMED INTERPRETATION of a RANGE of STYLES. Are each of your songs sounding STYLISTIC? That is, if I hear you sing the first 8 bars of your country song, will I instantly recognise it as country-styled singing?... Same goes with your other styles. Does your jazz swing tune sound JAZZY? If I hear musical theatre belt or RnB runs/licks in your jazz swing tune, then there's a good chance it's not sounding particularly jazzy. I strongly recommend a scat solo in the middle, but avoid making it up on the spot, as it's too risky for an exam. If you're singing a song from a show, it must be FULL of character!! Do not hold back. Accents, character voice, spoken words - any of these will help your show tune sound more theatrical, and therefor stylistic.

14.01.2022 To the students and teachers attending tomorrow's VCE Contemporary Voice Workshop, at the Hawthorn Library.... I look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning, for a 10:15AM start :-)

13.01.2022 Hey Singers.... Are you having problems with VCE Music Analysis?? - if so, come along to this!

13.01.2022 Hi Singers, Hope you've had a great holiday break. How are you going with song selection..? So, you need a VOCALISE plus at least 5 more songs from different style lists. You'll probably be choosing 6 songs, to get up to around the 20-minute mark.... CHECK NOW: Do your current songs VARY in: - tempo - mood - vocal range (so not all high, or all low singing) - tone/timbre/quality - vocal techniques Aim for MAXIMUM CONTRAST to get the highest possible mark. Happy singing

13.01.2022 NEW WORKSHOP JUST ADDED in * * BALLARAT * * Thanks to the wonderful staff at Ballarat Grammar, I'll be holding a repeat workshop of "AIMING HIGH!" - everything you need to know to work towards achieving a top score for your performance exam. Essential information for all VCE singers, and teachers. Date: Sunday 27 May... Time: 1-5PM Where: Ballarat Grammar Cost: $60 Book: Bookings will be open tomorrow via my website See more

12.01.2022 This song, "I Can't Make You Love Me", sung by George Michael is on the VCE Contemporary Ballad list. It's a beautiful song, and this is a really nice version.

12.01.2022 Hello lovely singers..! :-) I've met a number of VCE singers this week, and one of the main issues that students have been talking about is "getting on track" so that they are not panicking as October get's closer! GETTING ORGANISED..... ensure you have a good technical practice regime in place - (see recent post about Funky'n'Fun tracks) have a song folder just for your VCE songs, and ensure that you have sheet music to all of the songs that you're working on now get your singing teacher to record the piano accompaniment to all the songs you're working on - or - download karaoke backing tracks. They are ease to find online - even YouTube download different recordings of your chosen songs, so that you are not just listening to the ONE version of each song. Put these recordings on your phone and listen often. create a practice spot in your bedroom (or wherever!) with all the stuff you need to do thorough practice! lastly, have as many of the songs selected from the current VCAA Prescribed List of Notated Solo Works. You should have AT LEAST half of your program chosen by now, and should know these songs quite well, if not for memory. Happy singing!

11.01.2022 VCE Music Performance 2017+ Performance exam assessment criteria. Download the pdf from: www.vcaa.vic.edu.au//e/music/musicperf-perfexam-crit-w.pdf

11.01.2022 MIRROR, MIRROR, MIRROR!! Between now and your exam, practise singing ALL your songs in front of the MIRROR. Check list: - posture: aim for upright, confident stance... - use gestures/moves when singing your songs - facial expression is sooooooooo important: is your face helping to tell the story?? If you can, video yourself and watch it back. The points above are essential to strong presentation skills and it WILL make a difference to your mark, if done well. Do not underestimate the importance of *PERFORMING* in your exam. Remember, the subjcte name is Music P...... :-) Now.. get to that mirror!

10.01.2022 1st VCE Workshop for the year... "VCE Contemporary Voice: Aiming HIGH!" Find out what top-scoring singers do to get such high marks. Come and learn all the stuff you need to know. Tuesday 3 April (school holidays)... Hawthorn Library $70 (students) / $80 (teachers) These workshops book out quickly, so register soon... :-)

09.01.2022 Do you know about this....? Changes to PART A (Analysis) SILENT WORKING TIME. It was announced at this year's aMuse VCE Music Teacher Conference. Thanks to Emily Palekis for sending me the pic of the slide!

07.01.2022 SINGING RIFFS.... You might have seen these YouTube clips..."Breaking Down the Riffs" For those of you who need to work on your riff-singing (or melismatic phrasing!!), check this out. It's nothing new.. In fact this is the exact same approach I took to learning to singing soulful lines.

06.01.2022 Introducing Songs in Your Exam... Should you introduce your songs to the assessors? Contemporary singers usually talk to their audience, and as this exam is a PERFORMANCE, students should consider introducing their songs. It's not required, however, if done well it can enhance the presentation of your performance.... Before giving you some tips, remember that you want your assessed performance to be more like a professional GIG than an exam. So, avoid making mention of the exam, and say what you would say if you were performing in a great venue, with your adoring fans - if in doubt, ask yourself, "What would Beyonce do?!" TIPS: 1) to start your performance exam with a 'bang', don't say anything before the first song. Start with one of your strongest songs to make a real impact! 2) after your first song you can mention your opening song, and also introduce the 2nd song. 3) avoid saying "and the next song is, and the next song is, etc.." as it gets repetitive and predictable. 4) Keep your introductions very short, however PLAN what you are going to say, in case nerves get the better of you and you become tongue-tied or start rambling. 5) Speak slowly, in a relaxed and friendly manner (even if you're really nervous). 6) lastly, avoid saying "I hope you like it" when introducing a song, as it's a given that you want your assessors to like your performance :-) Okay, start practising - in front of the mirror!

04.01.2022 <<<<>>>> I have met many VCE singers already this year, and most have told me that they don't have a solid warm-up and technical regime in place. Some say they just do a few sirens and then sing their songs. THIS IS NOT ENOUGH. You need to do an EFFICIENT warm-up before you sing your tunes. Speak with your singing teachers about devising a thorough warm-up for home practise. You should have RECORDINGS of your exercises - and exercises should address all technical areas.

03.01.2022 You have 25 minutes to present your full program, from your first note to your last. Have you included time for: - time between songs - spoken introductions (if you're choosing to do this) - your accompanist/s walking out and back in of the room (for unaccompanied song) - water sips

03.01.2022 BALLARAT WORKSHOP..!! I'm so excited to be presenting the VCE Contemporary Voice: Aiming High! workshop in Ballarat on Sunday 27 May, 1-5PM. Thanks to the staff at Ballarat Grammar!... To book: https://www.melindaceresoli.com.au/copy-of-vce-singing-work

02.01.2022 HAPPY WORLD VOICE DAY, SINGERS! April 16 is devoted to the celebration of the phenomenon of the voice - and how phenomenal it is...! May your voice grow to be even more 'phenomenaler'... each and every day

01.01.2022 BALANCE: SINGER & ACCOMPANIST - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I've had the pleasure of hearing many VCE singers in the past month in masterclasses, and one thing I'm hearing A LOT is piano accompaniment being TOO LOUD. If the assessors cannot hear your clearly, how can they assess you?? The piano (if a grand) needs to be on "short stick", i.e.: the lid down low, not all the way up, or no stick (lid all the way down).... The pianist might need to use the "soft pedal" in certain parts of the song. The pianist just might need to play softer - overall, depending upon: 1) the singers' volume/projection 2) the performance venue 3) the piano's volume 4) and...if a loud, energetic pianist Singers MUST communicate with their pianist if they are playing too loud... (or too fast/slow, etc)

01.01.2022 As the two VCE Written Practice Exam Sessions are now fully booked, a NEW date has been added. * * Sunday 17th September * * To book, go to [email protected]