Statement As a Music Instructor:
“Singing is one of the most powerful and joyful ways to express our emotions, create community, release toxins from the body, realize our full potential and celebrate life. In a world where we are faced daily with social injustices and environmental degradation, it is more important than ever that we reclaim our voices, individually and as a people. I believe that music is a medium for healing and a universal language that can cross all boundaries.” – Lucia Comnes
“If you can walk you can dance, If you can talk you can sing,” – a saying from Zimbabwe.
2010 WORKSHOPS & CLASSES OFFERED
VOCAL JOURNEYS
A Multicultural Singing Experience
Join vocalist and ethnomusicologist, Lucia Comnes, in a supportive and friendly environment to take an exciting series of vocal journeys! You will learn songs from countries including Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Italy, France, Ireland, Senegal, Nigeria, Congo, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, the USA and beyond. Some songs include multi-part harmonies, some are rhythmically informed, others are rounds, some are ancient, some are new, some are soulful and powerful! 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.
About the Instructor -
Lucia has been singing and collecting songs since she can remember. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, she had opportunities for musical exchange with peoples from all over the world. She began her professional vocal career in 2001 as an apprentice to the singers of KITKA – the renown Balkan women’s acapella vocal ensemble based in Oakland, California (www.kitka.org) – where she became a full member in 2002. Not long after, she completed a degree in Ethnomusicology after conducting research and making field recordings in villages of northern Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey and Ireland. She has also studied musical traditions in Latin America and the USA, and has studied with numerous African artists. Lucia has been performing, leading workshops and teaching privately in many locations around the world since 2001.
BALKAN HARMONIES
Songs from Eastern Europe
Join vocalist and ethnomusicologist, Lucia Comnes, in a supportive and friendly environment to explore and de-mystify Balkan singing. Drawing from village traditions in countries such as Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Ukraine, Georgia and Russia, we will practice open-throat singing, diaphonic (melody and drone) and polyphonic song structures, basic vocal ornamentation, asymmetrical rhythms, as well as scales and harmonies unique to these regions. 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 pronunciation tricks to negotiate the various languages as well as the complete translations to the songs in their original cultural contexts. Rare recordings and photos will be shared during the workshop. This class is open to singers of all levels, and beginners are welcome.
About the Instructor -
At age 18, Lucia Comnes began her study of Eastern European musical traditions by apprenticing with Kitka, the world renown women’s vocal ensemble based in Oakland, California, specializing in vocal music from the Balkans. Singing and touring with Kitka for 2 years, Lucia has studied with many native singers such as Merita Halili (Albania), Tzvetanka Varimezova (Bulgaria), Christos Govetas (Greece), Mariana Sadovska (Ukraine) and Carol Silverman (Roma). In 2006 Lucia conducted her thesis field research in villages of northern Greece and Bulgaria and received her degree in Ethnomusicology from Long Island University/Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. In Bulgaria Lucia studied with Kremena Stancheva, one of the original members of the Bulgarian State Radio Choir – Les Mystere des Voix Bulgares. She has also studied with masters in Turkey and Russia.
RISE UP SINGING
A Journey to Vocal Empowerment (Level I)
Do you think that you have a bad voice? Do you sing only in the safety of your car or shower? Do you have a secret desire to sing? Do you crave singing with others? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions – this workshop is for you! This is a course designed for those who want to bring their voices out of the shower and into the world.
Join vocalist, Lucia Comnes, in a supportive and friendly environment to sing! You will be supported to reclaim your voice and become an empowered singer – we literally Rise Up Singing! Beginning with relaxing vocal warm-ups and fun exercises we will explore our voices together. By covering basic vocal skills for speaking and singing, including breathwork, posture, tone, pitch, articulation and projection, you will be have the tools to sing with confidence in any situation. We will put these new skills to use by learning songs that incorporate the musical elements of melody, harmony, rhythm and rasa, or mood, mostly from the American Gospel and Folk traditions. As our common fears associated with singing emerge throughout the process, we can identify their roots and support each other to overcome them. You’ll certainly leave with a song in your heart AND the ability to sing it out. Whether you are an accomplished instrumentalist or an avid musical beginner, come and discover your voice. All ages and levels welcome.
* This workshop is offered in various forms such as a single 3 hour salon, a weekend workshop or a series of 2-3 hour classes over a period of 6-10 weeks.
RISE UP SINGING
A Journey to Vocal Empowerment (Level II)
This is a continuation class for students who want to take the skills from Level I and apply them to specific songs. In the same supportive environment and encouraging spirit of Level I, we will dive into the songs sooner giving us a context for the vocal skills we strive to master. We will focus on group singing and attention we will work on multiple-part harmonies. We will experiment with fun, vocal improvisation as part of our weekly class routine. We will also begin to familiarize ourselves with the elements of performance – perhaps a concert in the making? Come challenge yourself to the next level!!!
THE HEALING VOICE
A Workshop in Sound and Music Healing
Our voices are the fingerprints of our souls. What happens when we begin to pay attention to the quality of our own voices? What happens when we work with our voices with the intention of exploration and health? Join Lucia Comnes, cross-cultural musician and scholar, in a new workshop to explore the healing power of the voice. Whether you seek healing in your own soul or to relieve suffering in others, come and reclaim your voice as a powerful healing instrument. You will walk away with new songs (traditional and your own), useful vocal practices, skills, insights and a deeper experience of the capacity of the human voice for transformation.
About the Instructor -
Lucia Comnes is a violinist and vocalist with extensive international experience. She apprenticed and sang with Kitka, a women’s a cappella Balkan vocal ensemble based in Oakland, between 2002-04, and most recently returned from performing and studying music throughout Latin America, Europe and Central Asia. In her workshops, Lucia draws on the work of dance pioneer, Anna Halprin, cultural anthropologist, Angeles Arrien, music psychologist, Silvia Nakkach and the array of her teachers in the Sound, Voice and Music Healing Program of California Institute of Integral Studies. She was greatly influenced by the teachings of Tatayana Kobezhikova, an indigenous Siberian Shaman, and many other cross-cultural experiences throughout her world travels. Lucia holds a BA in Ethnomusicology from The Friends World Program of Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York.
INTRODUCTION TO VIOLIN & FIDDLE
For beginning violin and fiddle students
Have you always wanted to play the violin? Do you dream about playing fiddle? Are you considering taking up the violin or fiddle as a new instrument? This workshop is the perfect way to test the waters. Whether you have yet to purchase a violin or commit to lessons or you used to play in a past life, come and review the basics of this wonderful instrument. We will begin with basic instructions on holding the instrument, posture, mechanics of playing and the details of instrument maintenance and care. Bring your questions, curiosities and concerns to share. We will also discover how music fits into picture after creating a solid technical foundation on the instrument. Through fun exercises we will cover scales, bowing, and simple melodies. Bring your favorite childhood song and you will be able to play it by the time you leave.
About the Instructor -
Lucia Comnes has been playing the violin since childhood, skilled in multiple styles as a violinist, including Classical and Jazz, Traditional Irish fiddle, Turkish Classical and Roman (Gypsy) fiddle. Since 2001 Lucia has built an impressive resume of extensive U.S. and international experience in performance, instruction and collaborations. She holds a degree in Ethnomusicology from Long Island University and her services include private lessons, small group workshops and large seminars. Her students range in age from 5-60 years, beginning to advanced levels. Lucia’s strengths as a teacher include a positive and encouraging attitude, allowing the student to feel motivated and empowered.
TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC
On the fiddle
Join fiddler, Lucia Comnes, for a workshop in traditional Irish music! This is a workshop for those interested in learning new tunes. Each tune will be an inside into the rich oral traditions of music and dance that have thrived in Ireland for many years. We will examine the musical elements that characterize Irish music, including rhythm, modality and melody, as well as the historical and cultural context of the music. You will walk away not only with a selection of reels, jigs, hornpipes, polkas and airs, but also with their accompanying stories.
This workshop is suitable for people who are already comfortable with the technical aspects of their instrument and want to build their repertoire and focus on the particular style of traditional Irish music. This workshop can also be offered at the beginning level – Introduction to Traditional Irish Fiddle.
About the Instructor -
Lucia Comnes has been involved in the Irish music scene in Ireland and the U.S. since 2000. She has studied with fiddle masters such as Martin Hayes, Kevin Burke and Oisín MacDiarmada, played in countless sessions, performed with a number of bands, most notably Liam Ó’Maonlaí and The Hothouse Flowers, and in 2005 attended the Traditional Irish Music Program at University College, Cork, to study spoken Irish (Gaelic) and sean-nos, or ‘old-style,’ singing. She has made numerous tours to traditional music festivals in Ireland during summer months to participate in the vibrant and living tradition of Irish music, dance and song. She has been a featured artist in the San Francisco Irish Music Fest annually since 2007.
For more information, please use the form on the CONTACT page.
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.
“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.”
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 (Albania), Mariana Sadovska (Ukraine), Christos Govetas (Greek-American), Tsvetanka Varimezova (Bulgarian, UCLA), Carol Silverman (Romani), Martin Hayes (Irish), Kevin Burke (Irish), Oisín MacDiarmada (Irish), Eilís Ní Shúilleabháin (Irish), Maire Ni Cheilliacher (Irish), Husnu Suzsuz (Turkey), Kiriakos Petras (Greece), Selim Sessler (Turkey), Brenna MacCrimmon (Canada), and John Pedersen (US). She has also studied with Jazz masters, Rhiannon and Irene Sazer.
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.
