Choosing a singing class at City Lit

Dr Edward Breen
Published: 22 June 2022
Choosing a singing class at City Lit

Welcome to the music department City Lit. Here in the heart of Covent Garden we run a full range of music courses suitable for complete beginners right through to experienced performers.

We have a variety of singing courses on offer so remember you can always call us on 020 4582 0412 or email the Music Department to book an advice session if you want to speak/sing to us for help.

However if you are brave enough to dive in for a browse, this blog post aims to guide you through the process of choosing a singing course that’s the right level for you.

Group Learning 

Learning in a group is a great way to learn how to sing. You will benefit from exercises and songs designed to get the best out of your voice, improve your musicality and meet new people along the way. It’s been proven that singing in a group is good for your health too!

The full sequence of singing classes at City lit

Please note that we offer multiple class-times: use the drop-down menu 'choose a start date'  to choose the correct time before you add you course to your basket.

Ensemble/choir Singing

Short introductions Occasional 4-week courses. Explore your voice in a friendly group setting.

Getting started These courses are for beginners or people who are returning to singing after a long break. You will learn the basics of voice production in a fun and friendly format, singing songs from many genres, so there is something for everyone. 

Foundation level classes Beginner to intermediate 1.5-hour classes. These begin with group work, learning singing technique alongside musicality and with solo content increasing as you progress through the programme. Music is chosen from different genres so there is something for everyone. You will be learning to read basic music notation in these lessons.

Singing workshops Intermediate to advanced 2-hour workshop classes. You need be able to learn music independently so you can focus on technique, interpretation, style and musicality. In the classical workshops there is an emphasis on singing in foreign languages and there is usually a termly focus on a particular theme or repertoire. You encouraged to source your own material to sing.

Advanced singing workshops You must prepare music, pronunciation and interpretation in your own time so that you can present pieces masterclass-style during the lesson and be ready to respond to interpretative coaching.

Jazz, pop and folk singing Please read the full course outline carefully, as some of these classes are not suitable for beginners. We recommend you start with Singing 1 and study through to Singing 2 first before exploring these specialist styles. 

If any of these following links are broken it means there is no current class taking place, please email the Music Department to find out when the next one is planned.

 


Tech Tips for online classes


For all online singing courses at City Lit you will be joining the class via Zoom, plus logging onto Google Classroom to access and interact with resources.

To get the best experience with Zoom, we recommend you download the Zoom application on your computer or mobile device and enable "Original Sound".

If you haven't already, you will need to create a free account with Zoom using your personal email address so that you have access to the full range of features such as Original Sound.

Audio instructions for Zoom

  • Go to Settings> Audio> Advanced
  • Turn on “Show in-meeting option to 'Enable Original Sound'” also on a computer,
  • Go to Settings> Audio> turn off "automatically adjust microphone volume"

Mobile app instructions

  • Sign out and sign back in to the Zoom mobile app
  • Tap Settings> Meeting>
  • Tap the toggle to "Use Original Sound"

Musicianship and music theory

Our complementary courses are designed to enhance your understanding of musical skills and musical notation. Please see our Musicianship and music theory programme for some ideas. 

Choosing a singing class at City Lit