Welcome to the first post of the Sound of Säveltie! Here, you'll get an in-depth look at our activities and courses. Our teachers at Musiikkikoulu Säveltie will take turns sharing their insights. In our inaugural post, we'll introduce you to our Karaoke Course.
Great karaoke singers come from all backgrounds, at all skill levels, and with various styles, but what unites the tenors of the dance floor and the golden throats of karaoke nights are three things - at least according to singing teacher Janne. These are the good vibes, performance skills, and singing ability. The theme of the karaoke course is to deepen understanding of these basic pillars through encouragement and collaborative learning.
Good Vibes
The foundation of all learning is nurturing curiosity in a safe atmosphere, and especially in something as personal as performing songs, this is critically important. Therefore, in the Karaoke Course, singing is relaxed, and everyone is supportive of each other. If you imagine a perfect karaoke night in a restaurant with friends, there's no room for competition or comparison. Similarly, in the course, companionship, feedback, and learning are conducted as if among friends, with encouragement. Unlike a real diamond, a karaoke gem isn't created under pressure but through support!
Performance Skills
All performance can be exciting and sometimes even daunting. Practicing it can greatly ease these situations and help one enjoy performing—although even professional singers (including the singing teacher himself) sometimes feel nervous before performances after all these years. Nervousness can also energize a performance, but in excessive amounts, it hinders the enjoyment of performing. The Karaoke Course is a place where you can practice songs in front of familiar faces, receive encouragement, and learn techniques for engaging the audience. Of course, the most important technique mentioned earlier is fostering a good vibe.
Singing Ability
The skill of singing comes last here because the singing teacher himself has been moved or inspired by the performances of beginners just as much as those who have studied singing for years. In the Karaoke Course, we study and go through technical aspects of singing such as tone, phrasing, and control, but singers and aspiring singers from all backgrounds are welcome to join. Developing technique provides tools to express oneself more precisely, but as mentioned earlier, great performances require nothing more than joy, immersion, and a good vibe. Touching performances also stem from the courage to express the emotions one wants to sing about at that moment. For instance, iconic interpreters like Loiri didn't sing tremendously long melismas or exceptionally high notes; instead, he moved everyone with his honest storytelling about being human.
You can probably already read between the lines that all these elements of karaoke skill apply to singing in general, and everything learned in the course can be directly transferred to singing in a band or any other vocal performance. However, karaoke is so much fun that learning happens almost without realizing it.
Janne Kovanen
The karaoke course starts on September 9th at Musiikkikoulu Säveltie.
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Janne Kovanen
Passion, creativity, and curiosity – these are the most important elements of music and art for singing teacher Janne Kovanen. He believes that the role of art is to enhance well-being and provide us with tools to express emotions, and even touch others with them. Janne holds a degree as a professional musician and music educator (B.A.), and he has experienced the joy of music singing pop on festival stages and in musicals, as well as composing in his home studio.
In Janne's classes, the focus is on fostering a curious creativity in creating art, discovering one's own voice in both singing and composing, and harnessing the power of inspiration and encouragement. He believes that each of us has our own way of seeing and hearing the world, as well as experiencing emotions, and that the role of technique and musical tools is to facilitate the expression and communication of these things—in a safe and accepting atmosphere.
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