SummerWorkshops
-workshops currently not in session -
We will offer more workshops later this year (2021)! Subscribe to our website for updates
All workshops are FREE! However, please DONATE whatever amount you can to help RSM raise funds during the Covid-19 crisis.
All workshops will take place online.
You must RSVP to participate.
Sunday, June 7, 2020
Free Workshop
Tips and Techniques for Online Performance
w/Sy Smith
4pm EST
This workshop will explore the creative pros and challenges of performing - especially with regards to live-stream/online presentations - and pinpoint the essential tools needed to achieve optimal results for performing artists.
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Sy Smith - has long since solidified her place in the world of underground soul music (she’s often called “the hardest working woman in underground soul”). This Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and producer helped cultivate the nu-soul scene in that city more than 10 years ago, a scene which now easily boasts some of the most progressive artists of that genre to date, some of whom came directly from Smith’s own band line-ups (including Thundercat and Kamasi Washington). Her catalog includes 5 studio albums, with contributions from a who’s who of producers (James Poyser of The Roots, Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest and Nicolay of The Foreign Exchange).
She has provided supporting vocals for Whitney Houston, Sheila E., Meshell Ndegeocello, Chaka Khan, Usher, Macy Gray and The Rickey Minor Band (as seen on American Idol for six seasons and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno). Most recently though, she’s caught the ear of jazz aficionados as a featured guest with Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti.
To learn more about Sy Smith click here.
Sy Smith
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Free Workshop
The Jazzmeia Horn Approach
(Vocal Workshop)
w/Jazzmeia Horn
4pm EST
The focus of the workshop is to share Jazzmeia's Approach, a more cultured perspective balancing Jazz's rich history in the African American experience and the spirituality of its essence. Jazzmeia seeks to share with students her self taught expression which brings about liberation, healing, and self love. Jazzmeia feels her unique expression helps to foster a deep and lasting connection with her listeners and, ultimately, is her gift to the art form. Jazzmeia will spend time instructing the students on what she calls the “Four Elements of Focus”: The Art of Storytelling, Sing Your Own Song, My Stage Is My Altar, and Everybody's Got Style. Jazzmeia will offer feedback and constructive criticism which students can use to continue their growth outside of the workshop.
This workshop is geared towards high school and college students. However, all are welcome!
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Jazzmeia Horn - In the two years since Jazzmeia Horn bowed with her first album, the GRAMMY Award®-nominated A Social Call, she’s been busy on the road, honing her vocal skills to a finely tuned level, writing songs of personal relevance and social message, and perfecting a fearless approach to improvisation and performance in general. The convergence of this drive and development has resulted in what has brought Jazzmeia her second GRAMMY Award® nomination, Love and Liberation—filled with songs of daring musicality, emotional power, and messages of immediate relevancy.
To learn more about Jazzmeia Horn click here.
Jazzmeia Horn
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Free Workshop
Next Age
w/Kipper Jones
4pm EST
You’ve always loved what you do. And there’s an audience out there that loves it, too. In today’s business of music, just because you’re getting older, doesn’t mean you have to stop. Join singer/songwriter/activist/educator/talk show host, as he talks about creating, engaging, and monetizing in the Next Age.
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Kipper Jones- Kipper’s career is a timeline through the history of modern black music, from performing and recording as part of the venerable R&B outfit TEASE, as well as working with an eclectic, multi-generational collection of musicians including Anita Baker, Teddy Pendergrass, Darius Rucker, Teena Marie, Eric Clapton, Lauryn Hill and Sly Stone. Kipper was the second Black male singer signed to Virgin America Records’ Black Music department, and released his debut solo project, “Ordinary Story”, in 1990.
singer/songwriter/entertainer almost single handedly drives 90s R&B to a new level finds himself the Ringmaster of one of the most powerful R&B/Soul homage bands in the country, what’s a guy to do? Start recording Dance Music, of course. That’s just what R&B/Soul music legend, Kipper Jones, (songwriter of hits like “I Wanna Be Down”, and “Baby” for Brandy, “The Right Stuff” and “The Comfort Zone” for Vanessa Williams”, “Never Too Busy” for Kenny Lattimore, and for films like the cult classic “The Five Heartbeats”, and much more)
To learn more about Kipper Jones click here.
Kipper Jones
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Sunday, June 28, 2020
Free Workshop
Songwriting w/o Writing
w/Eric Roberson
4pm EST
The workshop will be facilitated by 2x GRAMMY-Nominated singer songwriter/artist/producer
Eric Roberson. He will explore the art of songwriting by sharing his techniques. Eric will be assisting participants in learning, enhancing, reinventing and fine tuning their own techniques.
The goal of the workshop will be to help aspiring and established songwriters to find their unique songwriting approach.
The workshop is geared towards both aspiring and established songwriters.
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Eric Roberson - GRAMMY Award-nominee, singer, songwriter, and producer Eric Roberson continues to break boundaries as an independent artist in an industry dominated by major labels, manufactured sounds and mainstream radio. Described as the original pioneer of the independent movement in R&B/soul music, Eric has achieved major milestones in his career, from being a successful songwriter and producer for notable artist such as Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Dwele, Vivian Green and countless others, as well as headlining sold out tours across the country.
This Rahway, NJ and Howard University alum became the first independent artist to be nominated for a BET Award 2007 and was the recipient of the "Underground Artist of the Year" BETJ Virtual Award, with Rahsaan Patterson in 2008.
To learn more about Eric Roberson click here.
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Eric Roberson
Sunday, July 19, 2020
Free Workshop
Making an Album:
An Indie Approach
w/Flor De Toloache(Shae & Mireya)
4pm EST
In this workshop Shae and Mireya will give an overview of their 3 album history as an independent band. From pre-production, recording, to the album launch, they will share their process. This workshop will help participants navigate the tedious process of releasing and album through the ever growing DIY method.
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Latin GRAMMY Winners Flor de Toloache make New York City history as its’ First and Only All-Women Mariachi Group. Founded in 2008, Flor de Toloache is lead by singers Mireya I. Ramos (founder) & Shae Fiol (founding member). Reminiscent of the early days of mariachi the group started as a trio, Harp, Violin and Vihuela. Today, Flor De Toloache’s members hail from diverse cultural backgrounds such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Australia, Colombia, Germany, Italy and the United States. This defines their unique flavor and sound. The result of this cultural bouquet is an edgy, versatile and fresh take on traditional Mexican music. They coalesce as would a band of sisters, with a grace and vibrant beauty that casts a spell over their audiences not unlike the legendary Toloache flower still being used in Mexico as a love potion. While working to preserve centuries old traditions of Mariachi, their melange of the traditional and the modern pushes the boundaries of the genre and brings Mariachi music to new audiences.
To learn more about Flor De Toloache click here.
Flor De Toloache
Sunday July 5, 2020
Free Workshop
Audio production:Recording, Mixing & Mastering
w/Randy LeRoy
4pm EST
Recording, Mixing and Mastering has changed over the past 30 years. Which studio, gear choices and recording methods fit your style of music production? Let’s discuss what makes your masters measure up in today’s formats of music delivery.
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Randy LeRoy - Senior Mastering Engineer moved to D.C. in 2010 after spending 30 years in Nashville. The Recording Industry Management program at Middle Tennessee State University prepared Randy to work in A&R for CBS Records. Focusing on engineering and production, he then learned mastering from the legendary Glenn Meadows at Masterfonics. Randy continued to refine his skills as the mastering engineer for thousands of albums, including dozens of GRAMMY nominated and winning projects at Final Stage Mastering, before moving to Takoma Park.
To learn more about Randy LeRoy click here.
Randy LeRoy
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Free Workshop
Audio Recording for Youth
w/Muhsinah Abdul-Karim
4pm EST
This workshop will cover kid-friendly basic audio recording techniques using apps for tablet, iPad and iPhone. These apps can be used to produce electronic sounds and loops, as well as record a voice or instrument right into your device. This workshop will be taught at a beginner level and all ages are welcome.
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Muhsinah Abdul-Karim - is a Grammy winning vocalist, pianist, songwriter and producer who creates music that explores the boundaries of genre and transports listeners through multi-dimensional sounds.
A native of Washington D.C., she is a graduate of both Duke Ellington School of the Arts--where she competed and performed as a classically trained pianist-- and Howard University--where she earned a degree in Jazz Composition within three years. She cites Chopin, Pharrell, Janet Jackson and Herbie Hancock among her top musical influences.
A music industry gem, Muhsinah has gone on to collaborate with incomparable artists including Common, Robert Glasper, Norah Jones, The Foreign Exchange, The Roots, The Weeknd and Flying Lotus.
Muhsinah is a faculty member at Richardson School of Music!
Muhsinah Abdul-Karim
Sunday, July 12, 2020
Free Workshop
Self-Promotion & Branding
w/Damien Sneed
4pm EST
As a multi-genre recording artist and instrumentalist, Damien Sneed is a pianist, vocalist, organist, composer, conductor, arranger, producer, and arts educator whose work spans multiple genres. In current times, independent artists and entrepreneurs must intentionally engage in self-promotion and branding. This workshop will cover various tips and pointers to get your music heard and establish your voice in the industry.
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As a multi-genre recording artist and instrumentalist, Damien Sneed is a pianist, organist, composer, conductor, arranger, producer, and arts educator whose work spans multiple genres. The Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient has worked with jazz, classical, pop, and R&B legends, including the late Aretha Franklin and Jessye Norman, which he is featured on Norman’s final recording, Bound For The Promised Land on Albany Records. He also worked with Wynton Marsalis, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Ashford & Simpson, J’Nai Bridges, Lawrence Brownlee, and many others. Sneed has served as music director for Grammy Award-winning gospel artists The Clark Sisters, Richard Smallwood, Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker, Marvin Sapp, Karen Clark Sheard, Dorinda Clark-Cole and Kim Burrell, among others. Sneed is a featured producer and writer on the Clark Sisters’ new project, “The Return”, released on March 13, 2020.
To learn more about Damien Sneed click here.
Damien Sneed
www.DamienSneed.com
Sunday, August 2, 2020
Free Workshop
Studio Recording:
An Artist's Perspective
w/Raheem DeVaughn
4:45pm EST
Grammy Nominated Singer/Songwriter Raheem
DeVaughn will take you into the world of recording. HIS world of recording to be more specific. Get a first hand look as he navigates through his vocal recording process.
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Raheem DeVaughn - is an American singer and songwriter. His debut album, The Love Experience (2005), reached No. 46 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. It featured the singles "Guess Who Loves You More" and "You". His second album Love Behind the Melodywas released in January 2008. It features the singles "Woman", and "Customer".
DeVaughn was nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 2008 Grammy Awards for the single "Woman". His third album The Love & War MasterPeace was released in 2010. A Place Called Love Land, his fourth album, was released in 2013. In 2015, he had released his fifth album, Love Sex Passion. DeVaughn released his sixth album Decade of a Love King on October 19, 2018. On June 28, 2019, DeVaughn released The Love Reunion, his seventh studio album, featuring the lead single, "Just Right".
Raheem DeVaughn
www.raheemdevaughn.bigcartel.com
Sunday, August 9, 2020
Free Workshop
Dynamic Performances: Vocal Care & Breath Connection
w/Rogiérs
4pm EST
"Grounding your technique, increasing your fluency between genres & enjoying your voice."
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Rogiérs - Many, many things could be said about the singer-songwriter-producer-musician Rogiérs (pronounced Ro-ghe-ay). Some may recall his 2005 single with the Platinum Pied Pipers & Mark de Clive-Lowe on the worldwide underground hit “50 Ways to leave your lover”. Others know him for his 2008 debut album single “Hollywood Story”, the hot collaboration with Grammy Jazz/Alternative faves Robert Glasper & Bilal or the backing voice for Stax recording artist, N’Dambi. Some recognize Rogiérs as the voice of jazz-fusion group Soul Cycle and a few fans still refer to Rogiérs as Alicia Keys’ “former keyboardist and background singer.”
Rogiérs majored in voice and studied with classical soprano Kathryn Wright and Broadway-theater legend and Tony award nominee, Vivian Reed. He holds a B.A. in Music Business Management from Berklee College of Music, Boston and a M.A. in Global Entertainment & Music Business from Berklee Valencia, Spain. -Fibby Music Group, LLC
Rogiérs is a faculty member of the Richardson School of Music!
To learn more about Rogiérs click here.
www.FibbyMusic.net
Rogiérs
Sunday, August 16, 2020
Free Workshop
Connection:
Audition Technique
w/Gregory Treco
4pm EST
Think you know that song you have been nailing for years?
How well do you REALLY know that song?
In this masterclass you will receive critique, direction, and develop skills on how to sing BEYOND the words on the page.
In a time of disconnect, let’s take this opportunity to engage through song.
Beats.
Character.
Moments.
Breath.
Let’s connect.
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Gregory Treco - an actor/singer/dancer, originally from Nassau, Bahamas. He most recently wrapped up a year of playing Aaron Burr in the Chicago company of Hamilton: An American Musical. Prior to Chicago, he was the standby for Burr, Washington and Lafayette/Jefferson in Hamilton on Broadway. Other credits include Taboo on Broadway, produced by Rosie O'Donnell; the off-Broadway hit Zanna Don’t, where he created the role of Zanna, Miracle Brothers at the Vineyard Theatre (directed by Tina Landau), the World Premiere of Neil Berg and Robert Schenkkan's THE 12 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and Roar of the Greasepaint... at Goodspeed Opera House where he played The Stranger; a transgender woman in post-apocalyptic America. Gregory was a finalist on WB's television show Popstars. TV credits include a guest-starring role on the CBS sitcom Whoopi, among others. Most recently, Gregory created the Choreography and Movement for the acclaimed short, Celeste; a film about a woman with ALS, that opened the Brooklyn Beats film festival earlier this year. He received his BFA in acting from Carnegie Mellon University.
To learn more about Gregory Treco click here.
www.gregorytreco.com
Gregory Treco
Sunday, August 23, 2020
Free Workshop
History of the Griot:
Using Music to Capture History and Journey into Modern-Day Music
w/Cheick Hamala Diabate
4pm EST
Can’t travel!? Be transported to the musically rich and historic lands of Mali! World renowned and Grammy nominated musician, Cheick Hamala Diabaté, is excited to share his unique musical journey as an authentic Griot. Perhaps you have heard of the famed Timbuktu or the legends of Sundiata Keita, still the richest man to have ever lived? Cheick was born into a renowned Griot family where his musical training began the day of his birth, ultimately to be known as, "KING OF THE N'GONI". Through traditional instruments, songs and anecdotes, Cheick shares 800 years of oral history through music. Born in Kita, Mali, Cheick has spent the last 25 years between his homeland, his adopted country the USA, while touring the world and playing with other music legends. Watch, listen and learn how this Griot and multi-instrumentalist shows the evolution of traditional Griot music, beats and instruments into the contemporary instruments and rhythms of today.
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Cheick Hamala Diabate - Though Diabate may stick to the old-school roles of the griot, his music embraces the panoply of sound he discovered in America, taking him beyond the traditional trio of griot instruments: the n’goni, kora (gourd harp), and balafon (wooden xylophone). He has long explored the connection between America’s traditions and his own griot roots. Like many American string players, including Bela Fleck with whom Diabate has collaborated and performed, Diabate noticed the eerie resemblance of his trusty n’goni and the banjo. In 2007, Diabate’s collaboration with banjo player Bob Carlin, “From Mali to America” (5-String Productions), led to a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional World Music Album.
To learn more about Cheick Hamala Diabate click here.
www.cheickhamala.com
Cheick Hamala Diabate