Today Alexa is joined by the President of the British Voice Association, who is also a jazz singer, composer, and educator teaching at Chester, Leeds, and York Universities, Louise Gibbs. Join in the chat from all things from gardening to jazz to improvisation and all you need to know about the British Voice Association. 

KEY MOMENTS

‘I was always taken by the rhythm’ 

‘Jazz is the ability to make something new every time and be creative with that’

‘The idea of not knowing what you’re going all the time can put a lot of fear into people’ 

‘You have to be able to embody rhythm and if you’re not familiar with it, it’s very tricky to do’

RELEVANT LINKS & MENTIONS

• Jazz Artists Mentioned: Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Mahalia Jackson, Miles Davis
• iSing Magazine - Vocal Style: A beginners guide to singing jazz by Louise Gibbs: https://www.isingmag.com/vocal-style-a-beginners-guide-to-singing-jazz/
• BVA Event: Breakthroughs & Boundaries Forum (Sunday 17th July 2022) 
• Louise Gibbs’ Email: [email protected]

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Louise Gibbs is a jazz singer, composer and educator, and graduate in both music and education from Columbia University, New York. She is Visiting Professor at the University of Chester, and teaches jazz and popular voice and musicianship for the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, and York. She has held academic and teaching positions at Leeds College of Music (Course Leader for the Postgraduate Programme and the Jazz Programmes), Goldsmiths, University of London, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Royal College of Music, and given workshops for major conservatoires and international institutions in the US and New Zealand. She maintains active research and writing interests in voice, improvisation, education and musical aesthetics. Louise is currently President of the multidisciplinary British Voice Association. 

Louise continues to perform her own music, and the jazz repertory. Described in Jazzwise as “meeting all musical challenges with creativity and charisma” she has recorded with top UK and US artists and has five acclaimed albums as leader. Her performance of self-penned song suite, Seven Deadly Sings for voice and septet earned a 4-star review: “Both in its conception and execution, …is an unqualified triumph”. 

Louise is a keen gardener, allotment-holder, and sourdough bread baker.

EPISODE RESOURCES 

BAST Training

Guest Website:

• louisegibbs.co.uk
• britishvoiceassociation.org.uk

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