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WORKSHOP FIVE – SOUND

REQUIRED RESOURCES

An open space that the participants can move around in unhindered,

a bunch of books of various types (content not important as long as there is some writing in it i.e. yellow pages or maths text book etc.) ideally one per participant.

Its helpful for learners to have smartphones available for recording sound, but not necessary.

WORKSHOP BREAKDOWN

Warm Up-

  • Find a space in the room, spread out.
  • Warming up the body.
  • Breath control.
  • Warming up the resonating chambers.
  • Warming up the articulators.

Exercise One:

  1. Divide into groups of five.
  2. Arrange in a semi circle.
  3. Begin to speak continuously in your language of choice, talking about your day, and what you have done so far.
  4. While speaking, listen to the chorus of voices created by your fellow classmates.

Soundscapes-

Exercise Two:

  1. Find a book
  2. In your groups of five, begin to read from your book.
  3. Listen to how your voice fits into the chorus your group is creating.
  4. If there is a teacher or facilitator available, record the sound.

Exercise Three:

  1. In your groups of five…
  2. Read from your book but now in a whisper.
  3. While whispering, listen to the chorus of whispers you are creating.
  4. If there is a teacher or facilitator available, record the sound.

Exercise Four:

  1. In your groups of five…
  2. Reading from your book, but this time shouting the words.
  3. Listening to how your voice fits into the chorus.
  4. If there is a teacher or facilitator available, record the sound.

Exercise Five:

  1. In your groups of five…
  2. Talk about a song that you all know the tune of (the words don’t matter for this exercise)
  3. Once you have your song, all hum the tune and agree on the sound, (add harmonies if you have them)
  4. Once you have settled on the rhythm and melody, as a group, sing the words from your book as a replacement for the lyrics of the original song.
  5. If your facilitator has a recording device they can record a little of each group.

Poly-rhythms-

Exercise Six:

  1. In your groups of five…
  2. Each person takes a number from 1 – 5
  3. Each person says out the number in order.
  4. Each person claps at the same time that they say the number.
  5. Keep the rhythm regular.
  • Counting to twelve as a chorus.
  • Clapping on the count.
  • Clapping on 6 and 12.
  • Clapping on 4, 8 and 12.
  • Clapping on 3, 6, 9 and 12.
  • Clapping on 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12.

Exercise Seven:

  1. In your groups of five…
  2. First person counts to 12 and claps on every beat.
  3. Second person claps on every second beat.
  4. Third person claps on every third beat.
  5. Fourth person claps on every fourth beat.
  6. Fifth person claps on every fifth beat.
  7. Keep the rhythm regular.

Exercise Eight:

  1. In your groups of five… each person selects their own sound.
  2. First person counts to 12 and claps on every beat.
  3. Second person makes their new sound on every second beat.
  4. Third person makes their sound on every third beat.
  5. Fourth person makes their sound on every fourth beat.
  6. Fifth person makes their sound on every sixth beat.
  7. Keep the rhythm regular.
  8. Once everyone has found their sound and place in the rhythm, the first person substitutes the counting for their own sound.
  9. A facilitator may now record the sound.

WORKSHOP LEADER – NHLANHLA MAHLANGU

Exceptional vocalist, composer, theater maker, dancer and educator Nhlanhla Mahlangu is a graduate in the theory and practice of Dance Teaching at Moving into Dance, Mophatong. Recently Mahlangu has turned his attention to a Master of Arts by Creative Research at the University of Witwatersrand.

Born in Pholapark Squatter Camp in Apartheid South Africa in the late 1970s, Mahlangu started school during the national state of emergency in the1980s. He witnessed first hand the conflicts between the African National Congress, Inkatha Freedom Party and The ‘Third Force’ of the 1990s. His seminal body of work, Chant is shaped and inspired by these experiences.

In addition to his contemporary dance and musical ingenuity Mahlangu is celebrated for his embodiment of Isicathamiya, a cappella-type musical form combining vocals and movement, Mahlangu uses this practice as a way to process the history of South Africa, particularly the plight of migrant workers, these performances look to build social cohesion, heal the wounds of the past and encourage resilience in the new Democratic South Africa.

Nhlanhla Mahlangu can be described as a generous interdisciplinary collaborator who excels at conjuring original, complex and contemporary work rooted in traditional forms, whose practice is one of interrogation, articulation, development and research. He has gained ground through his collaborations with luminaries the calibre of William Kentridge, Robyn Orlin, Richard Cock, Gregory Vuyani Maqoma, Sylvia Glasser, Vincent Mantsoe, Jay Pather, James Ngcobo, Victor Ntoni, Hugh Masekela, as well as his choral music and music making approaches with his Hlabelela Ensemble and Song and Dance Works. Mahlangu was a Naledi award winner for Best Choreographer in 2017.