Saturday 16th – Sunday 17th November 2024
Join us at the Double Tree (Manchester Airport) for an exciting weekend of education with the fabulous Erin Howden, Master 700 Director and choreographer of the North Metro Chorus, 5-time International Chorus Champions from Toronto, Canada.
We are offering exciting plenary sessions with Erin, supplemented by elective classes with our own regional faculty that will stretch your mind and voice and give you tools for greater emotional depth in your personal performance.
About Erin Howden
Erin Howden is currently the choreographer and Master 700 Director of the North Metro Chorus, 5-time Sweet Adelines International Chorus Champions from Toronto, Canada. She is a repeated Regional Quartet Champion and top ten Quartet Medalist as the baritone of Daybreak.
Erin grew up in a barbershop family and started her long-standing membership in Sweet Adelines, attending North Metro Chorus rehearsals at the age of 12. Now just over 40 years later, she has followed in the footsteps of her mother, June Dale (celebrated Master 700 Director and 45-year Director of North Metro), and her dad, Larry Dale who was a passionate barbershopper, coach and an International Chorus Champion with The Dukes of Harmony (BHS).
Erin is a certified member of the Sweet Adelines International Faculty and a proud member of the Region #16 Faculty. She is grateful and honoured to have received the Coaching Award and the Leadership Award in Region #16, along with the Harmony Award (Sweet Adeline of the Year).
Erin is a highly accomplished choreographer and performance coach in both Sweet Adelines and the Barbershop Harmony Society. She has been blessed to be invited to teach and coach throughout Canada, the United States and abroad and is passionate about helping people step forward and discover their potential to be an authentic life-changing force both on and off stage.
Erin owns her own consulting business, specializing in leadership development, coaching, training, team building and motivational speaking. She has an Honour's Degree in Business Management and specialized education in Human Resources Management, Training, Change Management and Psychology. She was a Corporate Human Resources Manager for many years in the Telecom and Transportation industries.
What is included?
The basic cost £145 includes one night accommodation at the Double Tree hotel in a shared room with lunch (Saturday), breakfast (Sunday) and access to education classes. Additional costs apply for a single room or if you require an additional night’s accommodation. You will need to source your own meal on Saturday evening from options at the hotel, or nearby restaurants.
How much does it cost?
Workshop attendance: including lunch on Saturday - £70
Accommodation: Twin room per night £75 / Single room per night £130
Our program for the weekend is shaping up and aims to include something for everyone. Here is what we have so far:
Saturday 16 November
- 10:30 LET IT GO – Promoting authentic emotional exposure
The magic happens outside your comfort zone. This fun and interactive class will be sure to inspire and unleash your authentic, uncommon, and creative genius as you toss fear and tension aside and explore complete and unguarded free and expressive performance. Emotional exposure and free release are infectious both on stage and within our rehearsal halls.
- 12:00 Select-a-session
Choose from three classes run by members of the regional faculty, including singing, musicality, and music team leadership.
- 13:30 Maximizing your emotional performance potential
Together we will unpack emotional performance techniques and theatrical approaches to unveil the power in YOU as an emotional life-changing force. Even baritones will enjoy this!
- 15:00 Select-a-session
Another opportunity to attend a class of your choice, including focused sessions for Directors and Assistant Directors.
- 15:45 Chorus coaching under glass
Watch and learn as Erin puts a small chorus through its paces to improve musicality and performance.
- 17:00 Let’s sing!
Opportunities for quartet coaching with regional faculty or to join in with the mass sing.
- 20:00 Afterglow
Party the night away with free format singing and time to socialize.
Sunday 17th November
- 09:30 Let your body sing
Raising our awareness of the influence of the body on our singing, we will build physical language skills through creative and effective utilization of the body, kinesthetics, tension reduction, and general principles of musically driven movement.
- 11:00 To be or become – THAT is the question!
This inspirational class is focused on stepping forward and identifying and inspiring the best version of YOU! Being growth-oriented starts with your mindset. This interactive class will give participants an opportunity to examine what is getting in the way of their potential and the unlimited power of the leader that lies within every one of us.
