Course Leader Aimee Woods
Monday 17th November 2025 Birmingham Conservatoire B4 7XR
£130 SMA Members & affiliates £180 Non members
A student rate is available for this course for students over 18 in full time study Apply to SMA for student rate
Please contact SMA to book this course or to request a full-time student rate
This course will enable a potential ASMbookcover, DSM or Showcaller without musical knowledge, to practice Q from various musical scores and so feel confident enough to undertake such work with opera, musical and ballet companies.
It builds on our Level 1 course and adds more complicated scores as appropriate to consolidate the skills learned.
Course Objectives
- To examine the basic elements of musical notation and the function of piano reductions in relation to the rehearsal process.
- To understand how singers, as opposed to actors, impact on the role of a DSM/Showcaller
- To undertake Qing exercises numerous and complex enough to instil confidence.
Welcome, housekeeping, introductions and Day 1 overview
Understanding what is represented on the page
Basic Grade 1 Music Theory and Notation
A short test to summarise
Break
Referring to locations in music
Starting to give cues
Tempi and Dynamics
Repeats
Working with Singers
Following and cueing exercises
Break
How to approach a score reading test
A few tricky overtures and recap with musical scores