Glee Club by Louise Wilkinson

What is Glee?

Most of us are familiar with the show by the same name, however Glee Clubs have been in existence for over a century.

A Glee Club, by definition is a “vocal show ensemble” or “show choir” which uses all elements of the performing arts – Vocals, Movement and Drama- to convey their performance to an audience.

What is Happening to Our Kids?

Over the past few years, we have seen a shift in the performing arts student coming through.

There is a theory is that as we communicate more and more through text, email and Facebook, we are on a social level losing the ability to engage face to face. More and more- personalities are becoming homogenised- with individual flair coming out online.

While this may be a “sign of the times” for society in general- it does present a huge problem for a performer. The ability to convey the meaning of a song or dance is being lost. That’s where GLEE comes in.

GLEE Philosophy

All GLEE classes aim to instil the following in their students

• “It’s OK to stand out”
• “My audience expect me to show emotion in my performance”
• “I respect my teachers, and grow from their constructive criticism”
• “I’m blessed to have a talent, and a passion for the performing arts. It’s something to be proud of”

Vocal Component

All classes begin with a vocal warm up- scales and breathing exercises to encourage proper vocal technique

“Ear” training exercises help hone the student’s musical ear, training the student to recognise melody lines, harmony lines and lower and higher notes in a chord

“Blending” – teaching students to listen to each other and adjust volume and tone to create a balanced sound when singing with others

Repertoire- students work on a specific song- learning song structure, lyrics and harmony parts. Learning tools are provided in the form of lyric sheets, structure sheets , a copy of the original song and practise harmony CD enabling the student to practise at home

Movement and Performance

The dance component starts with a stretch and cardio warm up.

Choreography is taught for the specific song being worked on in the vocal component

Attention is paid to how to characterise the song effectively through facial expression and movement

Is it expected that student have a basic knowledge of dance steps- moving side to side, turning, kicking etc. For out Junior and Intermediate students – we offer a jazz/hip hop/cheer class to ensure the fundamentals are covered

In addition to our normal classes, as part of the GLEE course- workshops are offered to further extend the students understanding of the performing arts. Workshops are covered under term fees except in exceptional circumstances.

Examples of Workshops

• - Recording- All GLEE students will undertake three group recording sessions per year as part of their studies. The group will record a song (harmonies and leads) and each student will get their own copy to keep. We will also be using these recordings as backing tracks for out many performances throughout the year when a large number of microphones are unavailable (lead vocalists will sing live).
• - Stage makeup- how to apply makeup to cater for strong stage lights, body makeup and hair.
• - How sound works and microphone techniques
• - Stage etiquette and stage management for performances
• - How talent agencies work (seniors).

Private vocal tuition is recommended for proper vocal development in our vocal students and goes hand-in-hand with the GLEE group classes.

Private vocal students work on developing their own voice, and work with the GLEE Vocal Syllabus covering breathing, scales, anatomy and physiology and music theory.

Students undertake a half hour private lesson per week to ensure proper individual development and are encouraged to explore their own style and repertoire. Our Junior students (aged 5-8) do have the option to undertake a 20 min private lesson in keeping with their attention span.

Individual preparation for auditions and performances also allow students to be well-prepared and confident with their singing.

GLEE Private Vocal students are given weekly homework exercises and are tested on their anatomy, physiology and theory knowledge throughout the year.

We also hold an interview with parents and students at the end of each term, and prepare a report each term to keep families updated on progress. All GLEE private vocal students receive a half hour individual recording session as part of their yearly fees. Their recording is mixed and mastered and is theirs to keep.