Wednesdays 12 - 1:30 pm 7/5, 12, 19 (3 weeks)

Learn the fundamentals of healthy, functional vocal technique and its specific application when singing jazz and other contemporary and improvisational styles of music. Based on the principles of Jeannette LoVetri’s Somatic Voicework™, Jocelyn’s methods of vocal pedagogy address technical aspects of singing from an integrated, body-based perspective, seeking to establish freedom of movement, sensation, and awareness in the throat and body to more openly communicate musical ideas and emotions. Topics covered include breathing, posture, registration (chest, head, mix), and tone, focusing on the development of each singer’s individual sound as specifically relevant to contemporary commercial music genres. The class will incorporate aspects of musicianship applied to basic jazz repertoire, standards, blues, Broadway show tunes, and contemporary cross-over genres such as R&B and pop, improvisation (through lyrics and scat syllables), phrasing, and interpretation. Other subjects addressed include analysis of song forms, chart reading and writing, finding the best key for songs, working with an accompanist or band, and performance preparation. Singers are encouraged to bring in their own song choices. Open to all.

This class meets ONLINE using the ZOOM platform.

About Jocelyn Medina

Vocalist/composer Jocelyn Medina is an artist and educator specializing in jazz and contemporary commercial music whose work encompasses the cultural ethos of many different traditions. A graduate of Berklee College of Music with a Masters in Vocal Jazz Performance from Manhattan School of Music, her musical identity has also been shaped by travel spent studying the local traditions in Ghana, India, Spain, and Brazil. As a bandleader, she has toured with jazz ensembles at venues and festivals throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America and has produced 3 full-length CDs of her own compositions. Originally from upstate NY, Jocelyn lived in New York City from 2005-2020, where she established herself in the local jazz scene and founded her Sunday Vocal Jazz Concert and Jam series. In 2013, Jocelyn began studying with master vocal educator Jeanie LoVetri and completed certification courses in the LoVetri Method of Somatic Voicework™, the principles of which continue to inform her singing and teaching. In 2021 Jocelyn relocated to Colorado, where she has been collaborating with musicians in the greater Denver/Boulder area while continuing to maintain her presence in the NYC jazz community through her weekly Sunday series, now taking place online. As an educator, she has taught courses, workshops, and masterclasses in voice, pedagogy, vocal jazz, improvisation, and music theory at institutions throughout the United States, Spain, Germany, and India. Currently, she is on the faculty of LaGuardia Community College, Bloomingdale School of Music, the New York Jazz Workshop School of Music, and the LoVetri Institute for Somatic Voicework™ at Baldwin Wallace University. For more information visit www.jocelynmedina.com