Oh Canada
It was a whirlwind of a trip to Vancouver to work with Rhiannon and new and repeat singer friends. The thing about my singing trips is that I don’t really get a sense of the cities I’m in. We typically sing 6 to 8 hours a day and this trip was no exception. I can tell you it was cool (in the 50s) and overcast. We went to a couple of yummy restaurants and had some great meals that we ordered in and/or prepared. The rest of the time we spent in our singing space or at the home of one of the singers.
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Stone the Bunny
I arrived Thursday evening after nearly missing my connecting flight at LAX (that is one BIG airport). My flight attendant out of L.A. was “Stone the Bunny” and he had a tail pinned to the back of his pants. (Yes, really.) Going through the customs line at YVR, I stood behind actress Laura Prepon (Donna from that 70s show) which created quite a stir. (I decided not to be all tourist-y so I don’t have a pic.) She ignored us all with a gracious (and I’m guessing practiced) obliviousness. (I decided to take these unusual experiences as good omens. *smile*)
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Vancouver International Airport
From the airport, I took the sky train (like the metro in Paris and the train in Amsterdam — how did I become such a world traveler? *giggle*) and then the city bus to the L’s house where I stayed for the long weekend. My fellow bus riders were friendly and extremely kind in helping me find my stop. Upon my arrival, my housemates and I headed to the home of one of the other singers for dinner and a meet-and-greet. Then home to bed to get ready for the big weekend of singing.
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Most of the group got together Friday before Rhiannon and the remaining 2 singers arrived to start singing and continue getting to know each other. It always amazes and delights me how quickly improvisation can bond a group of singers. The 20 of us come from throughout the states and Canada. I reunited with one of the copilots from my European studies and two singers from my trip to Hawaii in 2006. This was the first time this particular configuration of singers had gathered, but by the end of the weekend, I felt like I had known these folks for years. (Ah, more singing family. *smile*)
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Inside the singing space
We did our videotaping on Saturday, Sunday and finished Monday. This was unlike the workshops in which I have participated in the past, because our goal was to demonstrate each of the exercises very clearly. Besides, any time you try to document improvisation, it changes it a bit. For example, we had to be aware of camera and mic placement (not to mention wardrobe *smile*).
So there were some do-overs and some loose planning. A couple of times, we had to restart things due to changes in light or environment (sudden rain showers Sunday afternoon meant resetting mic placement and beginning again). At times Rhiannon chose who she wanted to demonstrate the exercises and at other times she asked who felt really strong at an exercise. I noted that for me this was a shift because usually when I’m in a workshop, I’m pushing myself to practice the things I don’t do well. Once I relaxed into this new perspective, it was really fun.
I really enjoyed reviewing the many exercises I have learned from Rhiannon over the years and going through them with such accomplished singers. I also liked learning how people used and adapted the exercises in their own studios and workshops. It got me excited about teaching improv workshops here in the Cities (more on that soon).
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On Monday evening (Thanksgiving in Canada), the remaining singers (some had departed earlier) met to talk about what improvisation means to us and how it is being activated in our lives. Whew! Powerful and heady stuff full of compelling stories and exciting projects. It is wondrous to see how the music is working in all our lives and the connections and changes we are making possible. We took a short break for pie (mmm … pie) and then said our farewells.
