An intro to CVI I led at Northern California Dance Camp, 2015. Photo by Rishio
Ashprington Village Hall, nr Totnes, Devon, UK
Saturday 10am-4.30pm
Sunday 10.30am - 4pm
(Please arrive 15 mins early to settle in as we’ll start promptly.)
Collaborative Vocal Improvisation (CVI) is a thrilling, inspiring, challenging, ancient, and contemporary approach to singing with others. When we sing together without a song, composer or conductor, those roles become shared in the moment with spontaneously created music and emergent shared leadership. It involves deep listening to self, other and the space between us, and an adjustment to improvisation: new for many people, often quite scary, and usually thrilling and hugely nourishing.
This beginner-intermediate introduction is for people with little to no experience of improvisation, who may feel a bit shy to share the voice, but are up for having a go. To access this art-form you need to be able to sing in tune and keep a beat. This work can help cultivate the natural magnificence of your voice, and reduce self-judgement and help you love your voice.
Led by Briony Greenhill who is one of the UK’s leading teachers of CVI. She has studied extensively with CVI pioneers Rhiannon, David Worm, Joey Blake, and Improvisation pioneer Bobby McFerrin, as well as improvisation teachers in France and India, and leading piano teachers in California. She continues to pioneer the therapeutic application of CVI through her collaboration with The Elements CVI ensemble, her integration of CVI teaching with her SomaSource therapeutic training with Dr Melissa Michaels, and what unfolds in her teaching.
She is creator of the Resonant Body method for cultivating the magnificence of each unique, natural voice, and vocal and personal healing.
She has released three entirely improvised albums - Listen, Sketches and Remembering; with a fourth on the way: Voice Unknown, a collection of live improvisations about paradigm shift. Her debut studio album, Crossing the Ocean, releases Feb 25 2022 and has been made by taking recorded improvisations and reproducing them adding instrumentation. In doing this Briony has discovered she’s also a producer, arranger and composer. Briony is a founding member of Confabulare, the new international CVI Guild, and is co-creating first ever UK CVI festival in October 2022.
To hear about all this when it’s ready, subscribe to the mailing list.
Practicalities
Please take a covid test before leaving home on both mornings regardless of your vaccination status - make sure you have your home kit :)
Please bring a packed lunch not to share :(
Hot drinks will be available
It’s best if you don’t drink alcohol on the preceding evenings. CVI works our presence and if it’s a bit foggy from drinking… no es bueno.
Students have said:
“One of the most powerful experiences of my life! I feel changed on a cellular level!” (ok it was a 4 day retreat not a weekend…)
“Briony really made us all feel at home – starting off with exercises that didn’t force me outside of my comfort zone, and a no judgement pact, really allowed me to feel comfortable with the group, which then gave me the confidence to try out some solos.”
“It was seriously fun, crazy, inspiring, opening and meditative, all at the same time.”
“Some singing teachers teach you sing with your voice. Briony teaches you to sing with your heart and sing from your soul.”
“You made it feel like a womb. Protected, loved, nourished, warm and holding.”
Please direct questions to info@brionygreenhill.com.
Cost: £100. Comps £75.
Two assistant places are available at half price. If you'd like to be the assistant, please email info@brionygreenhill.com. The assistant arrives 30 mins before and leaves 30 mins after on each day and helps with set up, pack down, tea and kitchen overview and facilitating the group to clean up after lunch.