Spring classes for 3 or 4 singers to sing together on Zoom—live singing, no muting or prerecording.
- Sing together on Zoom with 2 or 3 other singers, guided by Anna Dembska.
- You’ll be able to hear each other and sing together in real time.
- Hone your skills in listening, tuning, and holding your own part.
- Warmups & music specifically created for musical pleasure and fulfillment within Zoom’s audio limitations.
Here’s an example of one kind of Zoom music, with text from the Tao Te Ching. Because of latency (delay) on Zoom, visual cues (like conducting) don’t work; singers get their cues by listening to what the other singers are doing:
The Three Treasures All under heaven say my Way is improbably great, But if it were not great, not improbable, it would be petty, it would be small, it would not be the Way. I have three treasures. I keep them, I treasure them, three treasures: mercy, contentment, humbleness. Only the merciful can be brave. Only the content can be generous. Only the humble can lead.
a singer says:
“. . .a haunting blending of voices and harmonies. The sound is unusual, but it has been very exciting and satisfying for us singers to be able truly to make music together in this otherwise alienating time.”
read more about the singers’ experiences. . .
Meeting Times
Class dates and times TBD with participants. We’ll have as many groups/classes as there is interest for. If you want, gather a few of your singing friends to form a group/class together.
Tuition
TBD, with scholarships available.
Equipment You’ll Need
- a Zoom account
- a computer with headphone jack and a mic (or an external mic you can plug in)
- headphones (earbuds may work in a pinch)
To sign up, please contact Schoodic Arts for All.
For more info about Zoom singing groups/classes, please contact Anna through the form below:
We had three groups of Zoom singers last spring. Here’s what the singers have to say:
Anna Dembska is a genius. Her “Tao Te Ching” music somehow circumvents the technical signal disparities preventing heartbroken people like me from singing together. And the beauty of the music, and learning how to sing it, literally restored hope during dark pandemic times. I felt like I was in on the ground floor of something very important, and hope to experience more of her music in the future.
— Eileen, Zoom singer and choral singer, Belfast
Anna’s Tao Te Ching songs ask musicians not to obey an outer pulse or conform to a predetermined concept of the sound, but to shape the music by cooperating: listening, waiting, leading, in turn and in response to the sound being formed in the moment. Words, too, are shared and become recognizable through the listening, cooperating musicians.
I experienced this way of music-making as a model for human interaction and social change.
—Mahalia, pianist, educator, and Zoom singer, California
In this historic covid time, when many artists have felt cut off or stymied in their practices, the composer Anna Dembska has maintained a steady focus and love for her musical craft, keeping beauty and meaning alive in her most recent song cycles. I have had the pleasure as a vocalist to participate in several of Anna’s Zoom sessions for these recent works; her patience and inventiveness during rehearsals is inspiring, and also a lot of fun! She brings us all together in the spirit of song.
—Lisa, composer/performer/interdisciplinary artist, Zoom singer, New York
Three of us have been singing weekly with Anna for the past few months. It has been a wonderful experience. All of us have been accustomed to singing in choruses — a fulfilling endeavor denied to us during this pandemic. Efforts to have full-scaled choir rehearsals on Zoom or comparable platforms have been very unwieldy, primarily because singers can’t sing together, can’t hear each other. But Anna has managed to find a set of Zoom settings that actually allow a handful of voices to sing together, harmonize, and hear each other. There is still a little lag, and the audio is imperfect, to be sure. But Anna has gotten around the imperfections by honing her musical choices and arrangements to make use of and highlight, rather than ignore, some of the oddities of Zoom singing. The result has been a haunting blending of voices and harmonies. The sound is unusual, but it has been very exciting and satisfying for us singers to be able truly to make music together in this otherwise alienating time.
—Laurie, pioneer Zoom singer and Schoodic Summer Chorus soprano, New York and Prospect Harbor
I look forward eagerly to our weekly trio Zoom sessions with Anna. They continue to be very positive musical experiences, especially considering the challenges the technology presents to choral singing. Making music together safely is a most welcome, cleansing, uplifting time which also strengthens connections with old musical friends.
Because we three can hear each other and because of the adaptations Anna has scored, my listening and tuning skills are improving. Anna’s music demands focused concentration which benefits my aging brain. For me, small group practice has been very beneficial and with Zoom, available year round, far and wide.
In the sixteen-odd years I have been singing with Anna in the Schoodic Summer Chorus, I have been inspired by her patient dedication to guiding us amateurs through a wonderfully varied repertoire to performance. Extending her outreach via Zoom to interested small groups would be a tremendous gift to us all.
—Kris, Pioneer Zoom singer and Schoodic Summer Chorus alto, Winter Harbor and Portland
It is a very interesting piece, unlike anything we had sung before, and has proven to be really enjoyable. When Anna first explained that we would all be singing each syllable but coming in one after each other we were a little skeptical. Not only that we had to come in in a different order for each syllable yet for some syllables we were a solo voice. That required focusing and listening like never before! We were stretched but are being rewarded for our efforts. I know that I have grown musically as a result of our time together and look forward to our weekly practices.
Working in a small group really helps us hear each part more clearly and improve in being able to better blend our voices. When singing in a large chorus, I can rely on my neighbors but now I have to rely on myself (with help from Anna when I miss) to sing and blend with the others. Also, the learning that occurs is more focused on what each of the three of us needs to learn. In a large group, with widely varying experiences we often spend a lot of time reviewing what we already know to help even out the knowledge base. I love learning music this way, and while “in person” would be even more rewarding, this is a great substitute. Anna is knowledgeable, kind, patient, and fun. I also get the sense that our learning experiences help Anna with her composing. I feel a lot of good “give and take”.
—Christina, pioneer Zoom singer and Schoodic Summer Chorus soprano, Sullivan