‘Shane Gregg from Stanthorpe informed me of an amazing experience he had last year, at a big agriculture conference that he attended. The story goes like this. A couple of hundred farmers who had been listening to guest speakers paint a bleak picture of the future of food shortages across the world, when they were asked to go and participate in the Chris James Workshop. The doors were closed they were trapped, Chris hopped up and said we are all going to learn to really sing and have fun doing it.
The arms crossed, the faces dropped, and a lot of muttering erupted, Chris launched into a note and the room fell into stunned silence. One hour later, every one walked out feeling great and bubbling over with the wonderful sounds they had produced from their voices.
Shane was so impressed, he and his daughter attended one of Chris’s two day workshops which was a life changing experience and a lot of fun.
Chris is an interesting character with an amazing gift of helping people express themselves, and to feel good through very simple speaking and singing techniques. He has worked all over the world, one on one, workshops with school children, and concerts with thousands of people. He has had an interesting life starting his career as a soldier then became a monk, a security guard and then found himself through his voice which has bought him and others so much joy.’
”Today we had a guest presenter, Chris James. He helped everybody become happier with their voice. Mr. James also helped us to stay in tune, with a strong voice and without pushing. At first I was shy but then as time passed everyone, including me became more confident”. ” Today we had a guest come and talk to us about the voice. He taught us singing techniques and we got to have a lot of fun with it! It was so much fun! He was really funny and had a great voice! His name is Chris James and he comes from Australia. I got his autograph!”. ”Today we had a visitor named Chris James. We all realized that we all have great voices! We moved and sang, from within our own bodies. It was really interesting and fun, but hard to explain how I felt. Something good.”
"The students and staff at Elwood Primary School absolutely loved Chris's singing workshop. Chris had all of us singing with such joyous feeling and expression in no time...totally inspirational work! "
Vicki Kirwin Visual and Performing Arts Elwood Primary School
Staff workshop with 70 teachers
I would like to thank you for that brilliant workshop with the staff. I received a lot of positive feedback I look forward to working with you more next term. Until then, Cheers Dave
Ballina Southern Cross School – Years K-12
“We all had a wonderful time on Friday. We really appreciate you coming and assisting with teaching these kids how to sing. It truly was amazing to see the seniors engage in your method and they are very keen to have you back. The juniors and year 7 all had a positive response to the vocal techniques that were employed.”
Music Teacher International School of Helsinki, Finland
“Thank you for the wonderful workshop you gave when you came to ISH. It was inspiring! I think you worked the magic for the students and changed a few opinions of what the students believed they were capable of. This was especially effective with many of the boys, they really needed this!
I do hope we have the pleasure of seeing you again one day. I shall be recommending you for further workshops, so please let me know if you come this way again.”
Eureka Primary School, NSW, Australia, Julie Taylor, Principal, Eureka Public School
For the last four years Eureka Public School has been fortunate to have Chris James work extensively with our students, implementing his innovative music program. Through this program all of our students (and staff and parents) have been encouraged to develop their vocal skills in a happy, supportive atmosphere.
Chris has an incredible ability to empower children to be confident in performance. Percussion instruments are used extensively by Chris, and our students have been encouraged to use them as well. Movement to music is also an important component of Chris's program. Our students have had opportunities to perform for audiences, with the kids themselves taking leading roles in creating / composing / choreographing the performance items. Music sessions with Chris are always highly engaging, and filled with fun!
Bittern Primary School, Victoria, Australia
“Chris was fabulous! His energy and obvious love of music was evident as he led the children through a variety of activities. It was great to hear the different sounds coming from the children’s mouths! The children realised they could make many sounds once they were showed how. They were totally engaged- 84 students all at once! Chris kept their attention the whole time - sounds, movement and songs! Confidence and participation increased as the session continued - Chris certainly knew how to play to the children. No behavioural problems during this ‘musical adventure.’ We will welcome Chris back anytime!”
An Experience of a Grace-full Instruments session Below is an email sent to me from Siobhan, who was a cellist with the Melbourne Symphony orchestra and who attended our residential trainings recently. She has had one of these sessions and shares her experience.....
My childhood, adolescence, and university studies had been devoted to practising my cello, to the extent that it had became a large part of my identity. When I was successful in securing a job as a professional cellist in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, I thought I was set for life. However, after spending twelve years working, I began to notice that my body was protesting very loudly to the assaults being presented to it in this work place. Loud noise, bright lights, and playing music that was loaded with a composer's emotions, at times when the body naturally wanted to settle down, began to turn the perfect job into a form of self-abuse. My instrument had come to represent frustration, anger, anxiety, loss, pain and loneliness. Being in an orchestra means you quickly lose a sense of your own sound and expression. You cannot but separate from yourself as you become part of a large, emotional wave that has to be ridden to do the job. It is a very competitive environment and even though it appears to the audience that the orchestra is a large harmonious unit, the anxiety that arises to create this illusion puts each player's body into stress, which gets dealt with in many different ways (alcohol, beta-blockers, antidepressants, drugs).
The emotional cocktail that had come to be stored in my body was making it difficult for me to continue performing and teaching. When Chris offered me a session where I could re-connect with my cello, I felt a renewed sense of hope that it would again be possible to continue to work with my cello positively.
The session began with me seated, facing my cello and I was instructed to begin to breathe my gentle breath. This seemed surprisingly challenging with the cello in front of me!! When I felt connected to the warmth in my heart, I was encouraged to extend that warmth to my cello, which was still on the floor in front of me. I spent some time just staying with that feeling. Chris then instructed me to gently bring the feeling of warmth down my arms and into my hands and extend it again to my instrument. With my eyes still closed the cello was placed in my hands for me to hold, lovingly. It was a new experience for me to touch my cello with this feeling in my hands. The underlying sense of tension and expectation that is usually there, even as I approach the case to unpack my cello, seemed not to have arisen. Continuing to stay connected with myself, my breath and the warmth in my hands, the bow was placed in my hand and when I felt ready, I played the first true note I felt I had played in years. As I played my note with a feeling of true connection to the sound and a sense of joy, Chris began to play and sing with me. I had a new and wonderful feeling of music being created on the spot, with grace.... and all I was doing was playing one true note!...no amazing technical displays necessary. Of significant interest to me was the feeling in my body as I played. My muscles felt continually energised as I played, rather than being depleted. This is something that I have already taken to my teaching. It will help students avoid common repetitive strain injuries.
I am now beginning an exciting new journey into producing sound from my cello with a true sense of love. For the first time in my career, I feel I can genuinely play from my heart. I am no longer bound to expressing the emotional complexities presented in most of the cello repertoire and feel an incredible sense of freedom to express in the way I feel to.
This grace-filled session of re-connecting to my instrument was undoubtedly the most important cello lesson I ever had!
Siobhan
My musical journey started many years ago - however my recognition of the illusion and the emerging beauty of the truth of this journey, unfolded during a healing session with you - Yes I had come to a realisation that while I didn't play with finger blurring speed, I was however well received - people loved my playing - but rarely did I experience true harmony and sheer joy. I 're-tuned myself' as the realisation came that it not about what I play, it's about who I am when I play.
with love,
Ian
This course was a coming home to myself. Living with awareness and taking the gentleness into every aspect of being myself with others. These days have been a revelation and a honouring of myself.
Liz
Give yourself the gift of having the opportunity to really start to feel: your body, your restrictions, your breath, your heart….and you ! Wonderful, powerful, real, caring, challenging, loving and healing.
Margaret
A truly magical course….. transformational. About honesty and clarity… the truth of how one is truly living and being in the world. Simply by being gentle and self loving with ourselves, how much of our life can change, and how much truer our life can be with ourselves and with others.
I found the course to be an opportunity to expand, to remind myself of what I have learnt in previous courses: to delve deeper into myself and connect with my heart, to reclaim the power and purity of my voice. It was a reminder of the joy and power I experience when working and learning with Chris.
Ed
Chris’s sense of humour and fun encourages connecting with others, and he creates an environment where everyone is supported and supportive of each other. A very nurturing and self empowering week for singers and non-singers alike where you will come away with powerful tools for self healing that can easily be shared with others.
Many thanks,
Pauline
