Day 2

At the end of Day 2, I'm two days ahead of where I was last year. I have actually developed the basis of a show. I've decided on my three songs. I've worked out the dramatic middle section and drafted some patter. Now I still need to work out the beginning and the end, then polish it up, but it's averted the panic, freeing me up to enjoy the opportunities on offer during the week.

This morning we were treated to a jazz workshop with Libby O'Donovan. I was one of four people to be "workshopped" by Libby. I'd never taken part in a jazz workshop before, but knew I could not miss out on this. Each person chose a different style of music, had different challenges to address, so across the four performances there was a range of advice. I captured my workshop on video so I can come back and watch it again. This is important as my focus was on rhythm - you need to hear it repeatedly and drum it into your head!

There was also a small group workshop with Libby in which we took a well-known song and converted it to a "swing" style. Everyone had the opportunity to sing during this session. I also had a session of vocal coaching with Libby during the afternoon. She gave me some extremely helpful and creative suggestions for song interpretation. I've now had all three songs workshopped, so maybe I can try out some other songs over the next couple of days.

We also spent some time developing our show titles, and our "patter" to link the songs. It's great to hear what other people are thinking, and to toss around ideas. When your mind is stimulated, ideas come together.

Sidonie Henbest presented a thought-provoking workshop on how to market yourself and your show. I think we will all start seeing ourselves differently as a result of Sidonie's insights.

I'm really enjoying the company of the other performers and it's great to watch them perform. The atmosphere is full of energy and enthusiasm. Tomorrow we'll reach the half-way mark. The sense of anticipation is building!