You are currently viewing Usher MasterClass Review on the Art of Performance [2022]

Usher MasterClass Review on the Art of Performance [2022]

If you’re a performer of any sort, Usher’s MasterClass will break down all the bits and pieces you need to know to produce performances your audience will be talking about years later. This was an early MasterClass so if you’ve watched more recent ones you’ll notice a bit of a difference.

Usher’s MasterClass very clearly connects the student to the workbook and gives assignments. At this point in MasterClass, there was a portion of the membership where people could interact via discussion boards and the instructors would respond to questions during office hours. This feature is no longer offered and while it may stick out to you while watching the lessons, the MasterClass itself is still beneficial without the class discussions and interaction portion.

Who Is Usher

Usher is an American R&B and pop singer. His journey began when he was a teenager and his top songs include ‘Yeah!’, ‘DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love’, and ‘I Don’t Mind’.

What Usher’s MasterClass Covers

Usher’s MasterClass covers the art of the performance. It covers his personal techniques for creating captivating performances from gathering inspiration for a performance to reviewing footage of his previous performances.

Class Length

This MasterClass is 2 hours and 29 minutes in length making it an average length for MasterClass. It covers a decent depth of content from planning the performance to the components of the performance (dancing, singing, etc.).

Lesson List

This MasterClass includes 16 lessons. These lessons include:

  • Introduction
  • Getting Started
  • Gathering Inspiration
  • Applying Inspiration
  • Singing
  • Dancing
  • Acting
  • Preparing For Live Performances
  • Captivation An Audience
  • Showtime
  • Performance Review
  • Collaboration
  • Creating A Personal Brand
  • Mental Toughness
  • Usher’s Career Journey
  • Final Thoughts

Class Price

MasterClass offers a few different membership options. When you purchase a membership with MasterClass, you are getting access to the entire class catalog including their new Sessions content. You cannot, however, purchase single courses.

At the time of writing, these were the tiers of membership with MasterClass, including the cost of each:

  • Individual – $15/mo or $180
  • Duo – $20/mo or $240
  • Family – $23/mo or $276

Course Materials

This class comes with a 47-page guidebook. This guidebook has a lot of hands-on assignments you can get involved in. At the end of the day, encouraging students to get involved will produce better results than keeping you stuck in the uninvolved audience role. This guidebook follows along with the MasterClass and is definitely a portion of the MasterClass you shouldn’t avoid if you want to get the best results.

What We Liked

What I loved in particular in this MasterClass were the actionable exercises included throughout. It makes it feel much more like a course and less like an interview, as I’ve found with some other MasterClasses.

Usher gives a realistic look at approaching performance and building a career and identity as an artist. He touches on creating fantasy and how to present yourself to your audience (including marketing yourself with a personal brand). This felt like a truly applicable course which I thought made it a much stronger MasterClass than much of their other courses.

What We Didn’t Like

Much of what Usher talks about references his history and his previous performances. I wish they could have included images and videos of these performances for reference. They do this some of the time but not all of the time.

How to Get the Most Out of This Class

To get the most out of this class, you’ll want to watch all the lessons and follow along in the guidebook. You should be sure to complete the assignments as you go to get the best results.

Who Is This MasterClass Best For?

This MasterClass is best for those who want to become singers, dancers, or other forms of performers. You’ll definitely benefit if you want to learn more about creating performances.

Who Is This MasterClass Not For?

This MasterClass won’t be useful for those who don’t have a desire to work in a performance art. However, you might be able to pull general life-related knowledge in ‘Creating A Personal Brand’, ‘Metanl Toughness’, and ‘Usher’s Career Journey’.

Similar MasterClasses You Might Like

If you like Usher’s MasterClass, you’ll likely enjoy the following:

  • Metallica – Being a Band
  • Questlove – Music Curation and DJing
  • Parris Goebel – Creativity in Choreography

Final Takeaway – 8/10

This MasterClass wasn’t for me, personally. However, I can see how it would be useful for those who want to become performers, build a music career, or be on the stage in some way. This course is useful for those who want to have a solid overview of building a career in performance from singing to acting to making a personal brand. Each lesson provides useful information and guides you with hands-on assignments.

Even if you aren’t interested in becoming a performer, I think you’ll take away useful information from the lessons ‘Creating A Personal Brand’ and ‘Mental Toughness’.

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