Thoughts from Vocal Process
Vocal style Knowledge of vocal style can be used to inform any performance element of the exam and project work. It will also contribute to appraisal skills and understanding of form. The vocal styles prevalent in the genre have arisen from two directions. Since the vast majority of performers have trained first as actors, the emphasis [...]
Musical influences Even in the 1920s, the merchandise connected with a musical could bring in a large amount of money for the backers. Before cast albums caught on, sheet music of songs from the shows was available in all the large towns. Tin Pan Alley in Manhattan was a street given over to music publishers, who [...]
The multi-character song An important feature of musical theatre writing (as with operatic writing) is the opportunity for a multi-character song, where several characters to speak at once, portraying different emotions or reactions to situations. Setting multi-character texts to music enables the audience to multi-task, processing different layers of information. Here are two pieces that demonstrate [...]
Song and subtext Musical theatre, more than any other genre, relies on a moment-by-moment portrayal of the character's thoughts and actions. Every successful performance of a musical theatre song has a subtext – the thoughts and emotions that lie behind the character’s words. Singing the same words but changing the subtext can alter the emotion, atmosphere, [...]
Here's part 3 of our substantial piece on musicals written for Rhinegold Publishing. This section is on the function of song in musicals, and was written as a starting point for a class discussion on song and singing in real life. Check out the exercises on song & text, and the role of music and word-setting, [...]
Recently on a Facebook group thread I read a comment that said: "practising is unnecessary if true learning occurs. What we know how to do we know how to do". OK, so it seems that having learned a skill in the past that skill does not need practising again. Why do I disagree with this? I'm [...]
Gillyanne and I have worked for years to understand the deeper techniques of working with voices in different genres. The sound palettes required, the techniques to fit the singer's performing context, the expectations of the genre. In this extended article I'll be focusing on one aspect of vocal performance and training - the mode of vibration [...]
Fun with Sounds by Pippa Goss There is a moment in the summer when I realise that my transition to singing teaching geek is finally complete. I am driving about the country on holiday with my five year- old daughter listening to the CBeebies Songs Album for the umpteenth time (singing teachers, note that younger children [...]
EVERYONE carries theories and beliefs. Theories and beliefs are what help us stay sane in this world, to navigate the extraordinary flow of information and experiences in which we are currently living. As singers, we carry beliefs and theories about techniques for singing - they help us step out into the scary world for performers and [...]
I was checking our archives today and rediscovered a great resource on musicals Gillyanne and I put together almost 16 years ago. Back in 2003 we were invited by Rhinegold Publishing to write a substantial piece for teenagers studying musicals in the UK. It's over 6,000 words long, so I thought over the next few weeks [...]
