songsters performing live on stage

Vocal Rhapsody

Weekly singing & vocal workshops for anyone who wants to improve their singing in community.

Weekly workshops focused on singing, voice, and somatics. There’s something for all levels.

You can sing with us.

Discover, expand, and refine your vocal abilities in these weekly workshops that are focused on singing and anchored in somatics (your internal physical perception and experience), culture, and heritage.

These Tuesday and Thursday sessions are designed to be complimentary, and dedicated singers are heartily encouraged to attend both as often as possible. Drop-ins are welcome!

To get a taste of the repertoire that is likely be included in either Tuesday and / or Thursday sessions, check out this playlist.

Tuesdays: Vocal Rhapsody I

Discover Your Voice

Explore the fundamentals of singing technique, while developing a repertoire of songs that are fun to sing. We’ll experiment with breathing, resonance and timbre, intonation, range, flexibility, and phrasing in a lively, supportive, and sound-positive environment. You’ll come away with a new understanding of your vocal instrument, how to use it, and how to care for it. Beginning singers, those with vocal fears, and those who think they can’t sing — all most welcome. 

Thursdays: Vocal Rhapsody II

Elevate Your Voice: Techniques & Presence

Lady A and Briar will help singers hone their skills while also providing coaching for how to present a song onstage. Each of these sessions will highlight the importance of pouring your life experiences into every note, while also highlighting the importance of understanding the roots of the songs you sing. There will also be focus on phrasing, dynamics, vocal color, and building the confidence to let your voice soar with originality.

Register for Vocal Rhapsody

Vocal Rhapsody Culture Bearers

Briar headshot

Briar, Vocal Rhapsody Faculty

Raised in Chimacum, Washington, her forebears hail from Ireland and Germanic Europe. She is the descendant of African slaves brought to America, out of Nigeria and from the Southern Banto People.

Gifted with the ability to connect with her ancestors and convey their messages through song, Briar grounds herself in the knowledge that everything is not always as it seems. Through her gift of song she is reminded that in order to help others heal, we must first love ourselves. This is what she holds onto when singing with her family, community or performing onstage.

Lady A headshot

Lady A, Vocal Rhapsody Faculty

In the lush and vibrant Pacific Northwest, Lady A ~ The Real Lady A, has carved out a musical legacy that is as enduring as the ancient forests that surround her Seattle home. Often likened to the electrifying Tina Turner and the soulful Chaka Khan, Lady A has been a formidable presence in the music world for over two decades. With a radiant smile and a voice as comforting and powerful as warm velvet, she has become a beloved figure both locally and internationally.

Lady A’s impact extends beyond her music. Her contributions to the blues community have not gone unnoticed, with multiple nominations and awards from the Washington Blues Society in 2020 and 2021, including Female Blues Performer and Vocalist of the Year. These accolades affirm her place as a prominent figure in the blues world.

Learn more at www.ladyababyblues.com.

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Photo coming soon

Lucia Neare, Vocal Rhapsody Faculty

Neare is a site-specific theatre artist, director, producer, designer, sculptor, writer, soprano, creative facilitator, and de facto urban planner. She uses these skills to create performances that transform miles of urban acreage into immersive public rites. In 2006, she founded her company, Lucia Neare’s Theatrical Wonders, and has since presented more than 50 of these works, drawing together tens of thousands—of all ages and backgrounds—in the Pacific Northwest.

Neare has garnered a list of awards, commissions, and honors that reads like a who’s who of arts funders in the Pacific Northwest: Seattle Art Museum, 4Culture, Artist Trust, Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, On the Boards, Seattle Arts Commission, Washington State Arts Commission, Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle City Light, and Seattle Parks and Recreation. 

Learn more at www.lucianeare.org/lucia.

Register for Vocal Rhapsody

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Immerse yourself in the expressive heritage of Yiddish music.

rhapsody project participants at blues camp
violin in red wood texture circle
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Blues Camp

Every summer, spend five days and nights with culture bearers in Port Townsend, WA.

rhapsody instructors playing music
violin in red wood texture circle
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Professional Development

Self-awareness programs for teachers and facilitators.