Gemma Denman

 

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The Student Showcase is an annual event.

Created for Gemma's one to one students the workshop allows for them to showcase their singing progress to friends and family at a one off showcase night at The Ash Centre.

Each student gets the chance to perform a solo song to a backing track with a microphone, PA, lighting on an all important stage with an audience of up to 200 watching!

During the actual workshop sessions two group songs are taught and coached by Gemma, these group songs are then performed at the showcase night along with the solo performances.

 

The 2008 Student Showcase costs  £100 and includes the following...

 

Session One     Saturday 10th May 2008 1.30-5pm at The Ash Centre, Ash, Surrey

- 3 and a half hours at The Ash Centre in the small hall, meeting the other participants of the showcase, warming up the voice, and starting work on those all important group songs.

Session Two      Saturday 17th May 2008 1.30-5pm at The Ash Centre, Ash, Surrey

 - 3 and a half hours at The Ash Centre in the small hall rehearsing the group songs.

Session Three      Saturday 24th May 2008 2-8pm at The Ash Centre, Ash, Surrey

 - 6 hours rehearsal and sound checking with live microphones and PA at The Ash Centre in the main hall. Followed by the showcase. Friends and family are invited to come and watch. Audience tickets are charged at £2 each.

 

Workshop Warmups 2007

Workshop Improvisation 2007

Never Be Lonely rehearsals 2007

Something Inside So Strong rehearsals 2007

 

Previous Showcases

"Killer Queen" rehearsal from the Student Showcase 2006

Gemma performing with Danielle at the Student Showcase 2006

 

Testimonials for The Student Showcase 2007

(2 workshop sessions, ending in a performance night) 9th-23rd June 2007

 

Zoe Ansell

"This was my second year of taking part in the showcase and I felt that the improvement was amazing! I really enjoyed it this year and Gemma worked very hard on getting everything just right; and it paid off! The showcase was a success and Gemma has helped to boost my confidence 100%! Thank you so much Gemma."

 

Testimonials for The Student Showcase 2006

(2 workshop sessions, ending in a performance night) 4th-19th March 2006

 

Diane Meyers

"I’ve never been so scared or so excited in my whole life! And all in one evening!

 

Yes, it was ‘performance night’

 

For the last two weekends Nick, Andrew, Nikki, Cheryl, Kirrie, Jasmine, Zoe, Danielle and myself with the help of our fantastic and incredibly brave voice coach Gemma had been rehearsing a group and solo performance showcase.

 

The first session we were bombarded with lyrics, licks, breaths and harmonies as well as the thought of doing it all live in front of about 60 people.  I’d never even sung into a mic let alone in front of an audience.  Oh my God! Was I taking the dream a bit too far?

 

I remember my first lesson with Gemma, I was incredibly nervous and embarrassed, I wasn’t even sure I could sing. Gemma made me feel very relaxed and comfortable immediately.  With each lesson I’ve become more confident and when I don’t have to think too much, I don’t sound half bad! But a live performance, I could feel myself drawn very quickly to either a bottle of valium or an extremely large vodka.

 

After the first hour of the workshop everyone began to chill and I think we were all amazed how well we’d attempted the first group song ‘Happy Days’  ‘Killer Queen’ yes, it was a killer.  We couldn’t make sense of the lyrics let alone sing them… timing, harmonies remembering when to sing and not to sing, were we ever going to nail this track?  The first session ended way too soon.  Off we went, our heads swirling with lyrics, harmonies, timing, licks and the excitement of the day, I don’t think any one of us had given a thought to our individual performance.

 

The second session was very productive, we’d learnt the lyrics, fine tuned the timing and even managed to have a good laugh together.  Gemma ended the session with some relaxation techniques, which were very beneficial.  Well that was it; the next time we would meet would be for the showcase performance.

 

Sunday arrived far too quickly, and sound checks were in progress. As time moved on we all began to feel the nerves.  I just kept telling myself to enjoy it, no matter what!

 

Ian kicked the show off with an old Sinatra hit ‘New York, New York’ we all had great fun back stage high kicking and fooling around.  Well this was it, our first group song ‘Happy Days’. Fantastic!!! It was great.  One by one with a fabulously scripted intro from Gemma we in turn took the stage to perform our solo songs.  Gemma there in the wings, holding our hands and walking us through.  Everyone had a fantastic performance, it was quite moving when Andrew sang ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ he hadn’t even told his wife he’d been having lessons, there were lots of tears. The whole show was super.  We performed our second group song ‘Killer Queen’ which gave us all a chance to let our hair down and even exercise our air guitar techniques.  Gemma closed the show with a great track from KT Tunstall ‘Under the Weather’ which she sang with the professionalism as she coaches, she was great. We had a birthday girl, Nikki, so we all sang Happy Birthday to her. What an evening…..  It would take a long time to forget, if ever.

 

I’d like to thank everyone who took part; you were all fantastic, including Mr & Mrs Denman (Gemma’s mum & dad) who kept the show running so smoothly.  I think each and every one of us had to step outside of our comfort zone and accomplish something we’d only ever dreamed of, I know I did!

 

But most of all I’d like to thank Gemma who without, all this would not have been possible.  You have been such an inspiration and given even an old hag like me the encouragement and chance to fulfil something I love to do, only normally into a hair brush! Although with a few more workshops I could get used to a mic and audience!

 

Thanks, Diane"

 

 

Jasmine Ali

"I had not met Gemma prior to the showcase and I had never had any singing lessons. Gemma gave me some great tips and has really helped with my breathing which in turn has helped me to reduce my stress levels when singing. She also helped with my fear of reaching high notes and I have learned some warm up exercises which have proved very useful to me before other performances at open mic nights. Gemma has a very friendly and approachable manner to vocal training, and I am pleased to have had the chance to work with her."

 

Nick Williams

"The workshop was really challenging but also really good fun!
I'd had a pretty stressful week, so it was good to unwind with some singing and also good to meet everyone there."

 

Zoe Ansell

"The workshop was great, i really enjoyed the group songs and i met some new people. After my solo performance i felt much more confident and now feel i could do it much better next time. Thanks for everything!"

 

Andrew Colwell

"I attended the final day of 3 separate day workshops and the evening performance session. My comments are as follows:
I met many of Gemma's other students for the first time and it proved useful to exchange views and ideas. The sound check periods enabled all the performers to absorb the feel and ambience of the stage, the bright lights, the acoustics and the all important "buzz". The performance itself was amazing. For a few minutes I had the opportunity to demonstrate the skills I had mastered, by singing before a live audience. You cannot find this experience between the pages of any book. Yes you have to work, yes it takes a little nerve, yes you have to stay very focused but the outcome is unique. A lot like swimming or riding a bicycle for the first time, you know somehow that life is never going to be the same again. It's that good !!! Ian Dale."