The Franklin Street Voices Vocal Jazz Ensemble was created from a club of students who loved to sing and wanted to have a consistent group of performers. Because our Vocal Jazz club schedules public performances, students will have to pass auditions before they are given the opportunity to sing for school functions as well as perform in the community and corporate events and community, and compete in regional jazz festivals.
Throughout the year, students will be challenged by learning jazz vocal literature that includes standards as well as modern jazz compositions, pop arrangements, and pop to jazz arrangements.
Intervallic, Harmonic, and Blending Skills
Students will learn skills on how to improve their vocals both solo and with the ensemble. Through practice exercises in class, students will focus on improving their vocal tone and harmonies in order to improve the harmonizing and blending of the group. Listening will also play a major role in helping students identify which chords are being sung and how to blend seamlessly with the group.
Music Notation and Sight Reading
With help from the instructor, students will select pieces of music that they find interesting and challenging. Once selected, students will learn how to analyze the charts and learn vocals while evaluating the style of the genre and arrangement. All of this will lead to better blending, shaping, and coloring before a performance of their selection is given.
Solo, Improvisation, and Scat Singing
Learn vocal effects, vocal registers, stylization, melodic embellishment, back phrasing, and forward phrasing. Learn scat syllables and rhythmic patterns used for scat singing as well as chord progressions and scales sung over chord progressions.
