Curious about this work? Come and explore, and meet Jenni in Crouch End, North London .

Vocal Tai Chi originated from a question: “how can I improvise with my voice while meditating?” It sounds like a contradiction in terms because meditation is a non-doing practice. However meditation is about being with yourself, your breath, voice, state, thought, feeling and mindful action. Meditation calls on your knowledge, awareness and presence. In Vocal Tai Chi we explore the notion of honest music. Tai Chi connects yin and yang, the soft and strong elements as natural life-flow, generating the subtle energy of ‘chi.’ This enlivens the whole body mind system, and creativity arises.

Vocal Tai Chi helps expand and relax the voice through this grounding process. The work is based in vocal improvisation, a process of following threads of your authentic and spontaneous inner music, both in group and solo work. Tai Chi principles are used in conjunction with an expanded map of the vocal range, while also connecting to a drone pitch-centre. Using the metaphor of a vocal house, ‘basement, ground, mezzanine and attic,’ the voice crosses thresholds through melodic and timbral explorations. As the voice opens, so do you.

Bearing in mind meditation is a practice about being awake to the many layers of consciousness, from the external world to a quiet inner presence, in Vocal Tai Chi the voice acts as a measure, expression and embodiment of these layers. You move through vocal challenges as gateways to freedom, where personal and collective vocal magic can arise.