Jazz Vocal
Workshop
A Group Course for
Intermediate Students
‘I had a great time enjoying my passion for singing in a friendly atmosphere, and discovering new skills step by step with a very patient teacher who brings you as high as possible. An experience I advise for anyone interested in singing.’
– Y. Lotte
‘I was hoping to gain some knowledge of jazz music, chords and song structures and improv. singing. I gained exactly that – while hugely enjoying my time here!’
– J. McMahon
Workshop Description
Always wanted to sing jazz? Waltons New School of Music’s acclaimed Jazz Vocal Workshop provides an extensive introduction to the wide range of skills and techniques required.
Jazz is as much an approach to music as it is a genre of music, and this course concentrates equally on understanding and interpreting jazz from the inside as it does on the techniques of singing it. Topics covered over the course of 10 weeks and 15 hours of tuition include:
- Physical and vocal warm-ups
- Voice technique
- Listening exercises and harmonies
- Defining your vocal range
- Rhythm work
- Jazz-style phrasing and expression
- Singing in various styles, including swing, Latin, bebop, ballads and the blues
- Basic improvisation
- Choosing repertoire and exploring jazz standards, including the songs of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Rogers & Hart, etc.
- Using a microphone
- Developing your own unique style
The workshop will also include preparation with a professional jazz trio (piano, bass and drums), and it will culminate in a final performance with them, showcasing some of the material that participants have worked on. You are encouraged to invite family and friends along!
Although this workshop is an introduction to jazz singing and no previous jazz experience is required, it is not intended for voice beginners. (See Introducing Singing for Adults for information on our beginners course.) Participants in the Jazz Vocal Workshop should have some previous experience singing in choirs or musicals or have taken at least a term of private or group singing lessons; some musicianship (knowledge of scales, chords and rhythms) is helpful but not required.
Pia Dunne, the Jazz Vocal Workshop teacher, is available to speak by phone with those interested in participating in this workshop. Please let us know via our Contact Form or phone if you would like her to get in touch.
Questions about the workshop?
or call us on (01) 478 1884.
Safety & COVID-19
The health and safety of both students and staff at the New School is of the utmost importance to us, and we have made a number of changes to the school, its equipment and our policies to make in-school tuition (tuition taking place on the New School premises) safe during the time of COVID-19. These include:
- Perspex screens in every classroom.
- Installation of HEPA air filtration/purification units where necessary – especially in classrooms where voice (singing) and wind instruments are taught.
- Antiseptic dispensers available throughout the school.
- Cleaning and disinfection of classroom instruments and furniture between lessons and classes.
- Regular cleaning of public spaces.
See our COVID-19 Safety Policy page for more information on what we have done, as well as the protocols we expect all In-School students and visitors to follow.
Finally, should government directives require the school to physically close temporarily, all in-school courses will move online for the duration of the closure and there will be no interruption of tuition.
The Jazz Vocal Workshop is one of the New School’s group courses. We also offer private voice (singing) lessons in a range of genres, including jazz, for students of all ages and skill levels. See Voice (Singing) Tuition for more information.
Pia Dunne
Pia is an honours graduate of the Nordic Master in Global Music, a joint study program with RAMA Denmark and the Sibelius Academy in Finland, and she also received an honours BA in Jazz Performance from Newpark Music Centre, Dublin. Pia has over a decade of experience as a music educator and community music facilitator. She was the Musician in Residence in St. Michaels Estate, Dublin 8 for seven years, has been the musical director for several choirs, co-founded and coordinated a community music school for St. Vincent de Paul, delivered songwriting workshops in the Ark and taught both private and group lessons in singing, songwriting, improvising, piano and theory skills. Pia is a well-known improviser and vocalist in the Irish Jazz scene. She performs regularly with a number of different projects, including Pia Dunne and the Eleusians, the Pia Dunne Quartet, the Strawgods and Mammoth Bana Ceoil. She has also composed for and sung with several big bands and has had numerous previous releases. Pia also teaches our Introducing Singing for Adults and Summer Singing for Adults courses.
Reviews • Testimonials
‘Inspiring tutor made every single class interesting, challenging but most of all fun and highly rewarding.’
– S. Maccan
‘Please do yourself a favour and go to this course.’
– K. Nangle
‘Keep doing what you do. It works!’
– C. O’Brien
‘Professionally organised classes that enable you to sing with confidence and have fun doing so!’
– M. O’Laoi
‘Our teacher is very knowledgeable, patient and good-humoured, and I enjoyed exploring a new area of singing with someone who is both an expert in her field and able to teach it. This is my third course at Waltons and all three have been great.’
– M. O’Sullivan
‘Just a great, beneficial course. I’m loving it!’
– O. Pugh
‘Enthusiastic teacher, great song choices, good introduction to the subject of jazz.’
– G. Ryder
‘Pia brought me in the world of jazz (one that I didn’t know at all) with great skills, a perfect choice of songs, and a practical approach that made me enjoy the singing and at the same time gave me the desire to learn more about the theory of this music. Highly recommended to any singer or any lover of singing!’
– A. Servant
Have you taken – or are you taking – this workshop? We would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to give us your feedback in a brief online questionnaire about it.
2023-2024 Third Term
Workshop Schedule & Fee
Not offered in our Third Term.
Please contact us (providing your name) if you would like to be notified when the next workshop schedule and fee are confirmed and we start accepting enrolments.
Enrolment
Enrolment for this workshop requires a completed Enrolment Form and full payment of the course fee. Places in the workshop are limited to eight and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, based on the date of enrolment. A number of our group courses fill in advance of their start dates, and early enrolment is recommended.
Purchasing this workshop as a gift?
Please complete a Gift Certificate Booking Form.
Questions about the workshop?
or call us on (01) 478 1884.
Jazz Singers on YouTube
‘If I’m going to sing like someone else, then I don’t need to sing at all.’
– Billie Holiday