The Royal Academy of Music!

RAMA!

Nordjysk Musikkonservatorium!

a!

1930, 1999, 2004, 2006

MUSIKENS HUS 2014!

RAMA, University of Music, Aalborg Symphonic Orchestra!

RAMA !fusion 2010 between Aarhus & Aalborg!

Bachelor – 3 years !

Basic programs!

Master – 2 years!

!   UK: Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Music (Conductor of Modern Choir)!

Soloist – 2 years!

Further education programs!

Inspiration courses!

Diploma and Professional Master!

Inspiration courses ! 4 weekends !

E.g. methodology, conducting, improvisation, arranging, eartraining…

Diploma and Professional Master !12 modules!

•  Part time study, 60 ects point, 2 years •  Long distance coaching

Teachers!

Teachers: Jesper Holm, Malene Rigtrup, Lene Nørgaard, Søren Birch, Jesper Falch, Jens Nørgaard, Martin Granum !

Guest professors: Peder Karlsson (S), Roger Treece (US), Bobby McFerrin (US)!

Partners!

!   Cepravoi (F)!!   The Real Academy (S)!!   Aarhus Vocal Festival (DK)!!   Norges Korforbund (N)!!   Det Færøske Korforbund (FO)!!   Original Artists (US)!!   EVA!

- In the near future also Berklee (US) and University of Johannesburg (ZA) about a Join Study Program!

Den udvidede Real Group model

ENERGIZING- non pitch expression of the

interpretation - no notes!

INTERNALIZING- focus on one category

only

TIME &GROOVE

INTONATION &PITCH

SOUND &BLEND

EXPRESSION &INTERPRETATION

EXTERNALIZINGour goal!

SOUND DESIGN- microphones

- sound engineer

Created by professor Jim Daus Hjernøe, The Royal Academy of Music

!   “Groove” is another word for “style”, based on division of beat!!   It “Grooves” when everybody is singing the exact same tempo and division of the beat!!   “A Groove” is the engine of music with a predominant pulse!!   When music “grooves” and becomes audible, it draws you in, enables you to relax into it!

What is “Groove”?

The ingredients of “Groove”!

!   Constant tempo!!   Presence of division of the beat!!   Accents!

The DNA of the groove = audible subdivisions!!

!   Accents play a role in defining the style !

Physical Ear-training!

1! ! !2 ! !3 ! !4!

1! and !2 and !3 and !4 and!Down ! !Back ! !Down ! !Back!

---!

Add Ghostnotes (improvised fills based on subdivisions)!

To sing rhythmically we need to focus and practice on!

!   Rhythm theory (DNA analysis of every song) !!   Coordination (physical “ear training”)!!   Grounding (sing with your body)!!   Ghost-notes (improvised fills added to the

music like audible subdivisions, breaths, pickups, vocal/body percussion etc.)!

!   Improvisation (individual skills, circle songs)!

How to get a larger group to “groove”!

!   We must rely on “The Intelligent Choir”: Everybody has to generate their OWN rhythm - be responsible - don’t rely on bass and drum!

!   Everybody must embody the groove and bring life and identity into any note, phrase and rest (ghost-notes, breaths, cut-offs, accents...)!

!   It’s what happens AROUND the music on the paper that constitutes the cornerstone of the groove!

Improvisational works Circle Songs!!   Spontaneous vocal improvisation!!   It’s often repetitive themes usually handed out

to the voice-parts. Once one theme is established the leader then moves on to another voice-part and repeats the process!

!   It can be used as a vehicle for spontaneous composition, conducting, improvisation and evolution (e.g. a coda or moving from one song to another)!

!   “Circle Song” meets its audience with open arms !

The ingredients of a Circlesong!

!   Pitch or non-pitch?!!   Text or no text - known or improvised

language!!   Ground rhythm or not - groove/style - based

on division of beat!!   Harmonic framework - basic scale/mode,

static or moving harmony!!   Roles: melody, harmony, ostinato, call,

response, percussion, countermelody... !

Form!!   One person improvises repetitive themes and

hands them out to the voice-parts!!   The voice-parts create a part themselves

inspired by a soloist or an atmosphere!!   Easily-defined borders like a square, or like a

circle with no easily-defined beginning/ending!!   Hand signals - sustain notes, go to the the

root and sustain, breaks, solo improvised, choral-breathe, group create new part!

!   Evolution - change the ground rhythm, key modulation, metric modulation, move to another circlesong - hone it and stay focused !