What is a Masterclass?

What is a Masterclass?

Masterclasses are collaborative learning events, where singers, pianists, and guitarists get the opportunity to perform for one another and receive coaching in real-time in front of an audience of their peers. If that sounds terrifying to you, worry not! The true beauty of Masterclasses is that– even if you’re not ready to be in the hot seat– the entire community learns and experiences growth together.

Perhaps it’s most obvious how the performer grows; they have the experience of putting their skills on display, realizing what works or doesn’t work in front of a live audience, and maybe even what unexpected elements crept into their performance as a result of any nervousness they might be feeling. They’ve lived the performance, assessed their own feelings and impressions, receive constructive feedback from an instructor, and get to re-work things in a new and exciting way with the benefit of that guidance.

Of course, as a viewer, you’re a collaborator in this process, too. Your presence is a key part of what makes the experience what it is for the performer. And, if you’re like most singers and musicians, you have a pretty intuitive sense of music and a stronger than average sense of empathy. While listening to their performance, you probably feel in your body to some extent what the performer is going through. Perhaps you have memories of similar experiences in your own music-making, and perhaps you feel your body responding to tensions you sense in their performance or the rush of inspiration in those moments of total alignment when everything went just right. As an aspiring performer yourself, all of this is valuable knowledge, whether it is conscious or not, that feeds your own instincts and influences future performances, or even future practice sessions. By listening to the teacher’s feedback and suggestions, and observing the performer actively adapting and improving, you are likely to file that new information away as tools you can apply in your own music-making practice.

And, of course, the relatability of it all is key. As a solo performer, your practice sessions could have the potential to feel isolating. Literally singing into an echo chamber isn’t likely to feed your soul with inspiration or keep your ideas feeling creative and new. By relating to other performers as they work through their own processes, you’ll keep your own fresh, too. This perspective and sense of connection also has the power to improve your mental health around the process of improvement. It can be easy to focus only on negatives when we practice alone; opening your practice to community helps you to refocus on growth, experimentation, and options for change, whether they be a technical adjustment, an emotional impulse, or something else altogether.

For more on performance skills or functional training of your singing voice, consider booking your complimentary Intro Lesson. We would love to help you get to work achieving your goals!

And, of course, if you’re a member ready to take your performances to the next level, we invite you to RSVP as a performer for the next Masterclass event!