“Warm, funny, engaging, and passionate… Joanna makes highly technical info accessible to all vocal artists.” — Mary Ellen Wessels, music educator
Spring 2024 Workshops
June 3-25 The Voice of Your Life: Wellness, Ease, Strength, and Integrity Four-week class: Mondays June 3, 10, 17 and Tuesday June 25. 6:30-8:30pm, Santa Cruz Actors Theatre, 1001 Center Street, Santa Cruz.
Renew your expressive voice through solo and group exercises, health tips, and explorations of your vocal biography. You’ll expand your repertoire of warmups and understand why they work; rediscover the fundamentals of breath technique and vocal wellness; and appreciate your personal voice as a multi-dimensional channel for art and life. Register here
“Joanna has a unique ability to marry the technical and spiritual aspects of voice. I recommend her for anyone interested in voice exploration, education, and healing.” — Andrea Odinov, Lee Strasberg Institute
June 15-16 Singing workshops at Redwood Folk Music Camp of the Community Music School of Santa Cruz. (Warmups & Wellness; Rounds singing; Singing-while-playing-an-Instrument). Weekend camp 11:30 AM Saturday through 5 pm Sunday, Monte Toyon Conference Center, Aptos.
https://www.communitymusicschool.org/redwood-music-camp
July 28 From Stage Fright To Stage Presence sponsored by “Jazz for Everyone” program of the Jazz Society of Santa Cruz County. 2:00-3:30pm, Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center Street.
Learn the latest insights from body-mind psychology along with practical tips to help you manage those distracting jitters and to fully “show up” onstage when it’s your turn to shine. Singers, actors, instrumental musicians and all other performers are welcome.
https://tinyurl.com/JazzSocSC4Everyone
“Joanna is a virtual treasure trove of knowledge and experience in all aspects of voice, and generous about sharing her knowledge…the ultimate professional.” — Carole Kornsweig, Speech Communications Consultant
More topics available: contact me to schedule A WORKSHOP FOR your GROUP!
Everyday Voice Care: My most requested workshop. How the voice works, what it is made of, and how to take care of it. Minimal jargon, maximum practicality.
Acting out the Larynx: This group activity turns anatomical features of the throat into “personalities with jobs to do.” The experience leads naturally into Q&A on health & wellness. Suitable for teens through adult professionals; a special favorite of voice-teachers-in-training.
Warmups and Why They Work: Breathe, stretch, trill, and blow bubbles while learning what routines suit different voices and styles; the difference between warming up and conditioning exercise; and why voice-teacher-lingo can get weird.
The Multi-Dimensional Breath: The goals of breath management for voice; movement options for the ribcage, diaphragm and abdomen; learning to feel and develop what suits your own body and vocal style, based on available-efficient-and-comfortable versus only-one-correct-way-to-breathe.
Self-Massage of the Vocal Region: Hands-on attention to the muscles that surround the voice box, with important safety guidelines for treating oneself or others. Also: why this type of relaxation is great but not a cure-all; the pros and cons of vocal vibrator devices; how to combine massage with active throat and voice exercise for deeper transformations.
“Joanna has been an important presence in the field of vocal arts rehabilitation: as generous to fellow professionals as she is to her clients and students. She’s a consummate teacher and a remarkable human being.” — Karen Kochis-Jennings, California State University, Northridge