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March 6, 2012 – RETURN TO RESONANCE – Heidi Klassen

part of The Opera Project's RETURN TO RESONANCE Mastery Series

Register Online at http://theoperaproject.org

Note: This class is limited to 12 participants (unlimited audits) as each singer will be allotted a 15 minute 1-on-1 opportunity to work with the instructor during the 3 hour class.

Have you spent so much of your energy in perfecting your sound through technique, or conversely, crossing your proverbial fingers without it, that the joy of your sound has not been ignited?

Do you leave the stage not having any memory of what you just did, how you did it, or how it might have been experienced by your audience?

Do you want to be so tuned in to the music and your own sound that you the ‘performer’ have ceased to exist and the ecstatic mystery takes over?

Do you know the ‘elusive’ ingredient that might be missing in your communication ?

RETURN TO THE RESONANCE OF YOUR SOUND AND YOUR SOUL and discover the many ways that remarkably parallel the vocal technique with your approach to life. The consciousness and diligence with which you approach learning how to sing with good technique and musicianship can truly blossom with the balance of the conscious discipline to access true presence of spirit while singing.

If you have not sung every note with the complete awareness that encompasses the technique, the music and the spirit, you may have only sung in a kind of state of neurosis, feeding one unconscious sound into another. Or even with a certain amount of awareness, you may not have moved yourself or the listener.

If we are in the PRESENCE of our sound time seems to slow down. The multi-tasking that is the extraordinary challenge of the Singer seems to be accomplished with grace and ease. In that timeless stillness we are able to access our knowledge, our passion and our authenticity and our soul finds a channel.

CLASS PREPARATION: Bring your full self and voice along with a passionate song. Be musically prepared having lived with the piece for some time, be thoroughly aware of the text, able to explain the context and meaning, talk about the orchestral colors, observe dynamic markings, respond to the harmonic language of the piece and know intimately your personal emotional connection to the song. 15 minutes may only give us time to truly work with a few phrases after you have sung the piece once so pick a relatively short song or a portion of a long aria. We will want you to go beyond ‘acting’ to experience authentically moving yourself and your listener.

BRING: a recording device, a copy of your music for the pianist and Ms. Klassen, with a translation of your text.

“I cannot say enough about Heidi Klassen. Her stage presence is bigger-than-life. Elegant and poised, she captivated the audience and held us all in her heartfelt song. Her vocal style is technically flawless, with perfect articulation. She is meticulous, and at the same time sings with such conviction and spiritual strength that it moved some audience members to tears. The I Ching.. says. ” The ancient Kings made music in order to honor merit, and offered it with splendor to the Supreme Deity, inviting their ancestors to be present”. Music was looked upon as something serious and holy, designed to purify …feelings. Confucius has said “He who could wholly comprehend this sacrifice could rule the world as though it were spinning on his hand”. The concert ended with a standing ovation. All who were present knew that this was not merely entertainment, it was holy. Confucius would have approved.”

- Amnesty International concert in 2009

"OUR DESIRE IS BOTH TO SING AND LIVE FREELY AND EFFECTIVELY. And so we assign ourselves the challenging task of bringing to AWAKENING THE VEHICLE that will eventually be able to access it all. WE PRACTICE TO BECOME ONE WITH OUR SOUND, THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF OUR SPIRIT. When we nurture this relationship we let the gift direct us. Life will show us where this gift is taking us if we don’t resist how it reveals itself. And if we have a passion for our work we simply keep singing. CONSCIOUS PRACTISE is the reverence we can offer. We show up no matter how we feel. That is when we discover the gift within the gift. We take note of that which holds us back. We practice aligning our Gift with our Spirit, our Spirit with our Gift. It is not an obligation. It is a gift and you do not have to do anything at all with it. It is your choice, and yet what a privilege to have such glorious access to our DIVNITY. Is there any thing that brings us to THE MYSTERY more graciously and more completely than MUSIC and even more so through the HUMAN VOICE?"

- From her book in progress, RETURN TO RESONANCE – Parallels of Singing and Life Practice, by Heidi Klassen