Unearthing and Cultivating God’s Talents through Voice Training
On Friday February 1st, the Philadelphia Temple Choir hosted Kristen Ruiz of Sonaura Voice Studios in the presentation of a voice workshop, “Unlocking Your Singing Superpower.” About 40 vocalists of all ages, from the church and community attended including, Pastor Earl Baldwin, members of the Philadelphia Church music department, and singers from as far away as Hamden, Connecticut. Attendees had varying levels of experience, from novice and aspiring singers to experienced performers. The workshop focused on overcoming commonly experienced barriers to vocal performance. These include technical difficulties like low breath energy, vocal fold exertion, insufficient oral space and over singing; singers can experience these barriers as strained and effortful singing which leads to vocal fatigue and other difficulties. Emotional barriers include performance anxiety, fear and miseducation about singing technique. Vocal Pedagogue, Kristen Ruiz, and her accompanist and husband, Sam Ruiz, led attendees through strategies to overcome these technical and emotional barriers.
Temple Choir Director, Ashlie Gibbons, opened the program with a welcome and prayer. Then, choir member, Geneva Mayne, provided a brief devotional on the parable of the talents. She encouraged workshop attendees not to hide their talents out of fear and referenced the servant with one talent who buried his talent because he was afraid. “Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord... I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.” (Matthew 25: 24, 25). Finally, Kristen and Sam Ruiz, led the workshop attendees in a lecture, group singing, vocal exercises, coachings and Q&A.
To improve singing ability, attendees were taught straw phonation, lip trills and how to alter vowel diction. These techniques prevent strain and make singing less effortful – particularly when attempting to sing loudly or reach higher notes. Two brave singers, including choir member Lorna Richards, received one-on-one coaching and program attendees noted immediate improvements in the singers’ volume and reduction in their perception of strain. Another choir member, Christine Durant, conveyed that she has “a new appreciation of this marvelous instrument that the Lord has given to me and is in the process of learning and applying different approaches and techniques that are specific to my voice”. Mrs. Ruiz emphasized the concept of growth mindset, stating “our talents are not fixed, they improve with time and focused practice”. She recommended that attendees use these tools daily to improve their singing in the same way that the servant with 5 talents developed 5 more.
At the close of the workshop, Pastor Baldwin commented that “I learned more about the voice in this workshop than I have ever learned before.” He stated that he looked forward to having more workshops for the benefit of the singers in the church and community. Brother Gibbons invited interested parties to attend a choir rehearsal and consider joining the choir.