By Maddie Yerant

Carmel performers may have something new to sing about as Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre brings to town its new cabaret summer workshops.

Each Monday from June 8 through July 13 at 6:30 p.m., the theatre will partner with The Cabaret at the Columbia Club to offer six different hour-long singing classes focused on different performance aspects from picking the right audition song to microphone technique.

“A lot of these skills, people just assume you know, and nobody teaches them,” said Kelly Smith, coordinator of the theatre’s young adult program. “You know, if somebody has to sing with a microphone for the first time, what do you do? And how do you communicate to the sound person, and how close do you hold the mike or how far away?”

Though the theatre has offered workshops, including critiques from visiting performers and an eight-week class on perfecting one song, this is its first venture of a broader, more serialized kind, according to Smith.

“These classes, we decided these are all skills everybody needs,” Smith said. “We don’t need eight weeks to teach each skill. So it’s a quick, quick skill set, (and we) hope people go, ‘Oh, that looks really interesting. I only need to come in one night. I’m in.’”

The classes will feature instruction from Ball State professor Ron Hellems, who has worked with Carmel High School’s award-winning Ambassadors choir, and accomplished jazz performer Anita Hall, according to Smith.

Smith says all aspiring performers are welcome to register, regardless of experience level.

“I think, honestly, it’s really good for all levels, because even though students have performed before, they go, ‘You know what?’” Smith said. “‘I really know I am not connecting with the audience when I sing this. Maybe this workshop will help me do this.’”

Even Smith said she might join in the fun.

“I’m probably going to go and take a few myself, if you want to know the truth,” she said.

The workshops will be held at the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre and are available for two age groups: Performers 19 and older and high school students.

For more information, including a full list of workshops, visit the theatre’s website at http://www.civictheatre.org/education/adultclasses/dance-2/.