Biography
Ruth Silja Schepping Singer, vocal and music teacher, composer. The singer Silja Schepping (*1977 in Neuss) was born into a highly musical family (father professor of music, pianist and conductor, mother singer and teacher), in which she was surrounded by music from dawn to dusk and thus singing was a natural part of her day since childhood. Her connection to folk songs was formed at an early age, when her mother would sing her to sleep with them. In addition to singing, she had violin lessons, then studied classical singing with Martin Krasnenko and Judith Lindenbaum with a minor in piano and percussion at the University of Cologne.
To this day she is a student of Regina Dohmen. During her studies, she also discovered African drumming and singing from Guinea in the tradition of the master Famoudou Konaté (participating as a singer in the 2018 concert), which she teaches and performs with great success in school projects to this day. In addition, she loves musical work with young children, which she discovered during her guest studies at the University of Music Lübeck in Elementary Music Education.
After graduation, she trained in jazz singing with Anne Hartkamp, Tobias Christl, Rosani Reis, André Nendza, Tom van der Geld, and Fay Claassen, as well as in songwriting with Christina Lux, African singing with Aicha Kouyaté, and intuitive improvisation with Markus Stockhausen. Since 2018, she has regularly attended seminars at the Lichtenberg Institute for Applied Voice Physiology. She also trained as a non-medical practitioner and has been training in energetic work with Strücker energetic concepts and Andrea Medenwald since 2006.
From this she developed her own singing teaching method, which she uses very successfully with her students and which is particularly geared towards singing completely free of fear and perception and finding one's very own expression without any constraints.
She teaches singing and elementary music education at the Kreismusikschule Altenkirchen and privately in Cologne and in the Westerwald near Altenkirchen.
She also offers individual coaching sessions to overcome fears and blockages that stand in the way of self-expression.
OFFERS & PROJECTS
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Singing lessons and voice training for all ages and levels:
I offer singing lessons and voice training for all ages and levels, with great pleasure I teach singing to adults and children.
For this I have developed my own, very successful teaching method, which incorporates my experience from many years as a singer and tools from energetic work and voice physiology.
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It is particularly important to me that the students sing without fear and effort; Blockages are released, more joy in singing arises and a new discovery of the voice is made possible. Working with the voice can also solve personal problems that can arise when singing. The selection of songs is based on the wishes of the students and can range from classical to pop to jazz.
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Coaching
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Since 2010 I have been working with people in individual coaching sessions. Here we work on topics such as finding one's own purpose and expression, partnership and family, as well as the discovery of one's very own handedness. I accompany retrained left-handers mindfully in their retraining, appointments can take place at my home or via Zoom.
I also offer a combination of voice training and coaching, as singing can reveal many issues and blockages. Appointments for this can only take place in 1:1 contact at my home.
Blockages that stand in the way of one's own life flow are energetically dissolved by me, so that the way for more joy and meaning in life becomes free. Feel free to contact me for a non-binding initial consultation via the contact form and we will see if an accompaniment is possible.
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Folk Song project with the pianist Thomas Rückert
For this I have completely rearranged folk songs that I love, so that only the melody remains recognizable, my partner here is the pianist Thomas Rückert.(www.thomasrueckert.com) With this project it is important to me to open a new door to the valuable songs that are worth preserving, even for people who have little or no access to folk songs.The first CD of this collaboration was released in 2023. A new CD with jazz standards is in the works.
I work with the jazz pianistThomas Ruckert together,we play jazz standards - but different...
Here is an article about our album "New Old Songs".
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Musical-artistic projects with children
I go to kindergartens and elementary schools to conduct musical projects with children, which can also be performed (topics: African drumming, dance and song, folk songs, singing, etc.)
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Musical training for educators
On request, I offer further training in elementary music pedagogy in kindergartens.
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voice training for choirs
I offer voice training for choirs, either the choir can be listened to and supported by me as a whole, or the individual singers can be taught in short units over a weekend. I support the singers with issues such as breathing, voice problems and finding the right voice.
The choir directors can also get tips and support from me for the right warm-up.
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