Music Workshops & Classes
Join Lucia Comnes in a supportive and friendly environment to take an exciting series of vocal journeys!
Vocal Journeys
Workshop Description
Classes run in 6-week sessions beginning in September 2008
In this workshop you will learn traditional village songs from countries including Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Ireland and beyond. Some are ancient polyphonic (multi-part harmony) pieces, some are soulful Rom (Gypsy) songs, and others are beautifully ornamented melodies over a drone (diaphonics). You will learn the songs in their respective languages, including basic pronunciation for each language, the English translations and the stories and background information of each song. We will discuss the style, vocal quality and techniques specific to each tradition. Each class also includes vocal exercise, warm-ups and fun improvisation techniques and explorations. There will be performance and recording opportunities at the end of each session as well.
All levels welcome no matter what your experience with music/singing. No knowledge of reading music is necessary! Notations of the songs will be provided but these songs are part of age-old oral traditions and we will let them stay that way. A very special collection of archival source recordings on CD is included in the cost of the class.
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Violin & Fiddle Lessons
Join Lucia Comnes for private or small group violin and fiddle lessons. Lucia regularly works with beginning to intermediate students of all styles, including Classical and folk traditions. She will also work with advanced students of traditional Irish/Celtic music.
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About the Instructor
Lucia has offered private lessons, workshops and seminars for voice and violin since 2001 for students of all ages and levels. In addition to teaching traditional styles of music, she designs programs to empower students in basic vocal and musicianship skills that will serve whatever direction they choose to follow.
Her studies began as an apprentice to the singers of KITKA – the renowned Balkan women's a capella vocal ensemble based in Oakland (www.kitka.org)
Lucia's Teachers
From her Bay Area, California, upbringing, Lucia has gone on to study with many traditional singers and musicians from around the world. These include the singers of Kitka, Lily Storm, Kremena Stancheva (Les Mystere de Voix Bulgares), Merita Halili, Mariana Sadovska, Christos Govetas, Tsvetanka Varimezova, Carol Silverman, Martin Hayes, Kevin Burke, Oisín MacDiarmada, Eilís Ní Shúilleabháin, Maire Ni Cheilliacher, Husnu Suzsuz, Kiriakos Petras, Selim Sessler, Brenna MacCrimmon, and John Pedersen. She has also studied with Jazz masters, Rhiannon and Irene Sazer.)
In addition to teaching traditional styles of music, she designs programs to empower students in basic vocal and musicianship skills that will serve whatever direction they choose to follow.
Other Teachers of Particular Significance
Angeles Arrien (The Four Fold Way), Tatiana Kobezhikova (Khakassian Shaman), Ajahn Amaro (Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery), Debra Chamberlin-Taylor, Tenzin Wangal Rinpoche, David Darling, John Bealieau, and Gary Grimes.
In 2006, thanks to the unique Friends World Program of Global Studies, she completed her BA in Ethnomusicology (Long Island University, New York) after travel and study in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Ireland, Malta, Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria.
Lucia's thesis presents research in singing traditions of Thrace, titled "Voices of the Grandmothers" (available to order) and she contributed recordings to Megaro Mousikis Archives, Athens, Greece. Advisors for her work include Dr. Bonnie C. Wade, Ethnomusicology Chair, UC Berkeley, and Peggy Duesenberry, Lecturer in Research, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
“As a teacher I draw on the plethora of knowledge passed onto me by my teachers and from my experiences as a musician and singer. I see my primary responsibility as to serve the individual desires, goals and needs of each unique student and/or group. This ranges from providing the necessary vocabulary and basic foundation skills useful to all musicians, to teaching style-specific techniques and musical compositions, to exercising performance skills, to developing a long-term practice schedule that aims at fulfilling the student’s personal goals. My agenda is to encourage and guide students on the path that they define for themselves.
“Soul, or rasa, is a very important element in my music and I support my students to include soul as part of their technique. Other skills that I offer include composition of songs, poetry and spoken word, improvisation and healing.”
