Saturday, July 29, Noon - 3 pm (online)

​​Singers are communicators. Whether singing originals or covers, singing at weddings, doing jingles, performing in a show, or any other scenario, a singer wants to be expressive to reach hearts and minds. While there are some songs you click with almost instantaneously, there are also times you want or need to sing a song that’s harder to “get inside of”—and if you’re singing standards or other covers, making even a deeply loved song sound fresh and uniquely yours can present a particular challenge. Noted for her “irrepressible air of originality” and ability to make even well-known songs “sound all anew,” veteran jazz singer Andrea Wolper will lead discussion and share exercises to help you deepen your connection to the songs you sing. As many participants as time permits will perform their song (accompanying themselves or using a backing track), and we’ll see what we can do to breathe life into it! Come to this workshop with a notebook, a pen, and one song in mind.

As accomplished with jazz standards as she is with unusual repertoire, experimental music, and improvisation, Andrea Wolper has been described as both “utterly original” and “a singer with an uncanny emotional touch for the past 50 years of jazz.” One of the “great jazz singers” included in “The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide” (Yannow, BackBeat Books), Andrea appears in her New York home base and tours in the U.S. and beyond. She has also made her mark as a songwriter and arranger and, in addition to leading her own projects, has worked as a side-person for an impressive roster of musicians across jazz genres, including Jay Clayton, The Heavenly Big Band, and William Parker (including appearing on Parker’s historic recording, “Migration of Silence Into and Out of the Tone World”). Andrea’s recordings as a leader, co-leader, and side person have appeared on a number of Best-of-Year lists. She served on the board of directors of International Women in Jazz, including a stint as president and as an advisor to the Jazz Vocal Coalition. Andrea teaches vocal technique and coaches singers in her private studio and teaches clinics and master classes in vocal performance, improvisation, songwriting, and more.



Feedback from previous participants:



“This workshop generated lots of ideas, and a plan to do a new arrangement!”



“I really enjoyed this class….it got the wheels spinning, for sure.”



“A wonderfully supportive group experience. Andrea is informative, talented, patient, and fun to work with.”