The Fine Art Exhibition featured prominent artist, Gun Lanciai, as well as Clas Vallin.

Marcus Andree delivered a workshop to help attendees speak comfortably on stage with an audience.

Actor Terence Hines presented a seminar on how to succeed as a professional actor.

Nils Persson gave a seminar on the Theory of Music as well as a clinic on bass guitar.

Paul Maselli presided over a guitar and drums clinic.

Aleena Gibson gave a songwriting seminar.

Peter Anstrin give a seminar on how to write and publish books and was joined by Åsa Graaf who presented information on book marketing.

Viveca Twellmann delivered a caricature workshop.

Photographer Martin Ekwall presented a full day seminar about the aesthetics and communication of photography.

Thorstens Overgaards presented a 3-day photography seminar.

Felix Kunze presented photos and stories from his travels around the world while working for the Volunteer Minsters.

Mimmi Siegel worked with attendees on stage presence and Stephane Décor delivered a workshop which included breathing, scales and vocal techniques.

Veteran prima ballerina, Kjerstin Kartrud, presented a seminar on Professionalism.

Throughout the weekend kids had their own tent where they could paint, sculpture, sing, play, dance, run around and be kids.

Teens played live music during Saturday and Sunday, some who came from Hamburg, Stockholm, and Copenhagen.

Concert artists included Fredrik and Olov who performed their own songs; Nils Persson, Paul Maselli and Morten Lucas rocked the house; Mimmi Siegel, Aleena Gibson and Sören Pedersen sang Mustang Sally to enthusiastic crowd; and DJ Steffan Bering had the crowd dancing for hours.

For more information, visit Arts Festival Scandinavia.

All are welcome and attendees will learn more about opportunities to use their talents in upcoming events and projects.

WHEN: Saturday, December 11th, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
WHERE: Celebrity Centre International – In the Theatre

5930 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90028

Reception: 7 – 7:30PM
Event: 7:30 – 9PM
Networking: 9 – 10PM

• Pot Luck dinner
• Entertainment
• Art Displays
• Networking
• Commendations for those who contributed to AFABW in 2010
• Opportunities to use your talents in upcoming events and projects

Says Jeannie, “When your breath control is well learned and natural, you don’t think about it when you sing. You are free to create your song with feeling and make your audience experience it.”

In today’s interactive workshop, Jeannie routinely engaged the audience with voice drills while bringing participants onstage to illustrate efficient and effective vocalization for the purpose of maximizing a singer’s vocal power in conjunction with the body.

The following video includes clips and photos from this afternoon’s workshop and her performance later this evening at the AFABW 10th annual Awards Event.

Workshop attendee Michael King noted, “It was amazing. She handled a lot of false information and gave excellent data on how to be a much better singer and performer. I want to work with her!”

Annie Brown reported, “I got more in your workshop that I have EVER gotten on the subject of voice. It was VERY helpful for me. I left with more certainty on my body and how it works, which was an area I didn’t have down and it was causing confusion for me. I am REALLY excited. My viewpoint is that you have mastered this area like L. Ron Hubbard did for the mind. And there is no one I would rather learn from than the Master. All the best and thank you for doing it!”

Artists For A Better World International is a network of global artists uniting to make a difference in society. By uplifting the culture through aesthetics, by raising the awareness of artists and others about the power the artist has in forwarding social betterment and by working with and supporting community service activities, AFABW and its members are making and inspiring positive changes in society.

11am to 10pm: ART DISPLAYS
Click for Art Display Guidelines
In the Pavilion Area, FREE

Noon to 5pm: KIDS CREATIVE CORNER
Art Activities for Kids
In the Pavilion Area, FREE

1pm to 5pm: LIFE DRAWING
Draw Live Models, Hosted by Professional Artist, Ian Espinosa
In the Pavilion Area, $5.00

Noon to 3:30pm: YOUTH FOR A BETTER WORLD SHOWCASE
Enjoy a Variety of Talented Performers.
Produced by Music Education Specialist, Steve Spataro
In the Pavilion, $10

1pm to 4pm: WRITERS SEMINAR
How To Write A Novel Or Screenplay That Sells
With Award Winning Producer and Director, Eric Sherman
Room 101, $20

12:30 to 3:30pm: VOCAL BREAKTHROUGHS WORKSHOP
For Singers and Singing Actors
All Levels of Experience, All Styles
With Celebrity Vocal Coach, Jeannie Deva
Theatre, $20

7:30 to 10:00pm: AWARDS EVENT & CONCERT
An Event Acknowledging Top Artists Who Are
Changing Conditions In The World For The Better
Produced by AFABW Founder, Barbara Cordova Oliver
Pavilion $10

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

For more information, click “CONTACT.”

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

Click here to see full schedule.

For more information, click “CONTACT.”

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

Click here to see full schedule.

For more information, click “CONTACT.”

What is the The Deva Method® that fills the theatre at Hollywood’s Celebrity Centre® with lead singers of Broadway musicals and other up-and-coming vocal artists?

Attend Jeannie Deva’s workshop at the AFABW 9th annual Arts Festival and find out for yourself!

To make online payments for event tickets, click on Festival Donations.

Can you sing the way you want and not hurt yourself? Is it possible to understand what you’re doing technically and still sing emotionally? Can vocal training help you expand your creativity?

My approach to vocal technique is motivated by a firm belief that the voice is meant to be fully used; that there is a way to release yourself from restrictions; that it is not the sounds you make but rather how you make them that can cause difficulty.

This method is an outgrowth of my years of research and work with thousands of contemporary singers. It also comes from my experience performing and recording many forms of Rock, Blues, Jazz, Pop, Folk, Gospel, R&B and Funk.

The demands placed on today’s singers are complex due to the use of electronic equipment, band volume, club conditions, and the trend toward singing and dancing simultaneously. Using your voice for a wider variety of sounds than those used in classical music requires specific techniques to aid and support those sounds and prevent vocal blow-out.

I have found that many popular-music singers shy away from taking voice lessons. Fear of being stripped of their individuality or of being pushed into a limiting, emotionless technique, or from developing sounds inappropriate to their music, has kept them from learning the tools that would help them sing easier and more successfully.

I used to feel the same way. During my early years of singing, I thought that if I went to a teacher to learn “vocal technique,” I would end up sounding the way the teacher wanted me to sound and lose my own style and individuality. It was frustrating and a little scary to hear some teachers state I would wreck my voice if I continued to sing rock styles.

What Makes a Technique Right—or Wrong?
There are many confused vocalists, unsure of what to do or not do when singing. They are uncertain whether the directions they have been given are correct. Too often, I have found decisions of “right” or “wrong” are based on lack of information, personal taste, or the fear that singing in a certain style is physically harmful.

By 1976, my head was spinning with contrary techniques and confusing directions. I decided to find out what defined “right” and “wrong” and discover a way to release myself from anything that would pull back the reins on free, spontaneous, contemporary-styled, “feeling” vocals. I knew the definitions would have to align with scientific fact, not opinion. Though I’d been singing professionally for many years (I started in my early teens), I knew very little about how my voice worked. I began by reading scientific journals and medical books, looking only for fact on how the human body functions to create vocal sound.

I found what I was searching for. I learned the parts, locations and how the body makes vocal sound. I then compared it to the various directions and information I’d heard throughout the years. I found that some of the directions and exercises aligned exactly with the natural functions of the body. And some did not. At that point I knew what to maintain, what to discard, and how to synthesize the knowledge into a holistic approach to singing. The result has given me confidence with and expansion of my own voice and style.

Singing correctly means working with the way your body naturally functions to make sound. Without knowing the facts about your vocal instrument—its parts, their locations, and how they work—it’s difficult to be certain you’re doing the right things. You can also easily fall prey to incorrect coaching and techniques that don’t perfectly align with your instrument. And, it will be difficult to realize your full potential as a vocalist.

Working from an understanding of the body with techniques that support natural vocal production, you can easily produce a wide range of sounds. This includes what some would consider “unorthodox” sounds commonly found in Rock, Soul, Blues, Country, Funk, R&B, Heavy Metal, Dance, Rap and Gospel. The thousands of singers I’ve coached have found they can successfully create the sounds needed for the styles of music they choose!

Cause and Effect
You may ask yourself: “Do I really have to know how vocal sound is made, to sing or talk?” Obviously, you don’t. It is an automatic process. But if automatic, why do so many singers run into difficulties?

Your voice responds to your ideas, thoughts and emotions. If you think you have to push hard to sing high, for example, you will. However, technically, your body may not need to do that. Ignorance is not bliss. If you don’t know what’s right for your instrument, how can you tell if what you’re doing is correct?

To enhance anything, the mysteries about it must be dispelled and replaced with understanding. Some singers just naturally work more in harmony with their bodies when singing. That, combined with having no emotional reservations about “stepping out” with their voice, results in a good sound. Perhaps this is true of you. However, even the best sounding “natural” singers find themselves singing better when knowledgeable about their instrument. I’m sure this makes sense to you. Knowledge and certainty go hand-in-hand.

As long as your vocal instrument can function properly and unimpeded, you will have vocal consistency, control, increased range, and yes, a wealth of different sounds at your disposal. By releasing any harmful manipulations, you’ll avoid the usual side effects that more demanding music and vocal styles can create, such as pain, strained sound, hoarseness, nodes, register break, weak upper register, and so on.

The Purpose of Technique
Perhaps you can remember a time you heard a singer who left you untouched emotionally, but was said to have “great technique.” he fact is, that singer did not have great technique, because it obstructed the meaning and emotion of the song. Technique is only as good as it can support, not overshadow, your communication. The “perfect sound” means nothing if it is not used as a tool with which to create an emotional response.

A singer’s role is to communicate vocally through music and to create an emotional effect on their audience. Some sounds are more appropriate for some feelings than others. The more sounds you have at your command, the more freely you can express yourself.

Performance time is not the time to focus on technique. Your attention should not have to be on how to get your sound, or on whether your voice will make it through the gig. When you step onto that stage, you should already be confident in your ability to play your instrument. You should be free to “work your audience” and give them a great show! – and have fun while you’re at it!

So, my message to you is: it is possible to sound the way you choose without hurting your voice, without limiting the length of your career, without having to make do with a small range, without having to sing raspy when you want to sound smooth, or having to sing smoothly when you want to sound raspy. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you deserve to freely use any sound that best conveys your message. You deserve to have confidence in your voice! And you can!

You can receive a free download of some of Jeannie Deva’s most recommended vocal warm-ups and cool-downs. Just visit www.JeannieDeva.com Mention that you read this article.

Jeannie Deva is a world class Master voice teacher and recording studio vocal specialist. She is the author of “The Contemporary Vocalist,” founder of The Deva Method® – A Non-Classical Approach for Singers™ and of Jeannie Deva® Voice Studios, now celebrating its 28th Anniversary. A growing network of Deva Method teachers are on the East and West Coasts in the US. Clients include Grammy Award Winners and Nominees, Major and Indi label recording artists. www.JeannieDeva.com

Included in this workshop were a wide variety of exercises to warm-up, limber, and enhance everyone’s voice. All this was done while empowering the attendees with factual knowledge of the natural design and function of their voice as an instrument, taking the “guess work” out of using the voice and making singing easier and freer. One attendee said, “I have been a singer for 30 years and I expected to learn at least a little bit. But I received a thousand times more than I expected.”

Ms. Deva said, “I am proud member of Artists For A Better World and view the vocalist as a vital element to getting the message out about creating a better world with art.”

The 5-day annual Artists For A Better World Arts Festival is open to artists and art enthusiasts of religions, nationalities, creeds, races and cultures. In short, any and all who desire to help in the creation of a better world.

Barbara Cordova Oliver was at the Artists For A Better World (AFABW) booth answering questions about the organization and the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International, where AFABW was founded, and letting interested persons know that many artists improve their lives and careers through Scientology courses. Ms. Oliver was also doing surveys, making new contacts and said, “This expo is a great way to get the word our about one of AFABW’s purposes, which is to build a worldwide network of artists who share a vision of creating a better world through aesthetics.” Ms. Oliver noted that all the artists she spoke with were in agreement with the goals and purposes of AFABW, especially the idea of artists uniting to help support top social betterment programs and using their art to make a positive impact on society.

AFABW fine artists, Jeannette Hay and Lura Schmiedeke, were at the AFABW booth, displaying their visual art while creating new paintings on the spot. Lura Schmiedeke won 2nd prize for one of her paintings (photo above right) in a juried art contest and Jeanette Hay received an honorable mention.

AFABW member, Becky Mate, was also on hand at the booth answering questions and promoting participation in the upcoming AFABW Arts Festival in September 2004, as well as the AFABW monthly Variety Showcase & Open Mic that is held the last Wednesday of every month at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International.

Artists Helping Artists (AHA) Founder, Glenn Horton, was pleased by the great turnout for the day. Mr. Horton said that “AHA is a Southern California based nonprofit artists association that recognizes, connects and energizes artists.”