Windhoek
Participants in a recent Accappella workshop hosted by award-winning Acappella singers, Vocal Motion Six (VMSIX), are said to have gained valuable experience according to the organisers of the workshop.
The group recently conducted a one day workshop to teach Acappella lovers, groups and coral singers more about the Acappella genre. Participants gained valuable skills to help further their musical ambitions, including how to rehearse collaboratively and how to sing at a high level in a small Acappella ensemble. On regional African music, VMSIX first concentrated on locals and singled out artists who have paved the way in the music industry in Namibia.
“One common thing we found was the fact that, despite other styles of music from folk music to church music, they all start with Acappella ‘singing without any musical instruments’. We were unable to trace the founders of Acappella music in Namibia and very little of that information is found. Mostly it leaves VMSIX as it is the group that has been in the industry for long. Very little of Acappella music is done and hardly played on radio,” says Peter, one of the VMSIX members.
The workshop was divided into different categories of technique, creativity, regional African music and discussion on Acappella, to a varied mix of locals who attended the workshop. The programme was conducted by VMSIX, whose members are well experienced and have gone through music workshops around the world since 1999. VMSIX team has experienced working with singers or choruses at a variety of experience levels. The workshop was well planned and carefully tailored to fit the exact needs of the targeted Namibian groups. Through the workshop, participants were taught different vocal techniques, vocal projections, stage presence, how to prepare before going on stage and audience interaction during performances.
The workshop was in two phases, the educational part in the morning and the practical part in the afternoon when groups and individuals were required to sing and guided accordingly on techniques. Towards the end of the workshop, the groups had to showcase what they had learned during the day. Although the workshop did not have a satisfactory attendance in the morning, in the afternoon, up to 40 participants were taught different vocal techniques, vocal projections, stage presence, how to prepare before going on stage and audience interaction. All groups and individuals participating in the workshop had an experience of their lifetime. Besides the musical aspects, the groups were also trained to understand how to work in a group despite the differences in cultural backgrounds, and what can be achieved through hard work.
VMSIX also set an example and showed that music can also be a career. The participants of the workshop gained valuable skills to help further their ambitions in the music industry. The workshop was sponsored by FNB Foundation.