A few weeks ago I shared a quote from a book called Acting the Song by Tracey Moore and Allison Bergman. It’s a wonderful resource that explores the process of how we prepare and perform music theatre songs.
Another quote from the same book seemed appropriate as we begin to wrap up the semester. It speaks to the non-performance skills that can be gained from performing arts training. Regarding the medium of dance, the authors state:
“Eventually, of course, students should be able to move and dance with abandon, but the first objective is to help them find a comfortable, livable stillness.”
Consider how that applies to our work as singing actors. Much of our training is designed to build and explore our technical capabilities. But in the end, each of you has to stand before your audience and perform with no apologies for who you are at this stage in your life and artistic development—instead of trying to be someone or something you are not.
Livable stillness is the internal peace that comes from self acceptance and the place from which your truest expression springs forth. It is not permission to stop working toward self-improvement or to simply excuse your shortcomings. Rather, it is a willingness to speak your truth after honest self-assessment and while acknowledging your own brokenness, vulnerabilities, and weakness.
Imagine if all art came from that place.
Now go practice.
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Self preservation
Several years ago a well-known professional baseball player tore his ACL playing a pick-up game of basketball during the off-season. While this was an unfortunate accident, the implications of the injury were magnified when it was revealed that his contract (for which he was paid millions of dollars per year) prohibited certain activities that would jeopardize his athletic health. Playing basketball was mentioned specifically.
It’s easy for us to look at this situation and conclude that he made an idiotic decision. His choice risked all that he had worked for in his professional career as well as his lucrative contract.
Now turn the tables. How many unnecessary risks have you taken recently? How many noisy events have you voluntarily attended where you had to shout just to be heard? How many Mondays did you wake up with a voice that was still hurting from the abuse it had taken all weekend long?
I once had a student show up for class completely hoarse from screaming his head off at Disneyland. He joked about it, even knowing that his compromised condition meant that little would be accomplished in our work together that day. When he sensed that I was not happy with his decisions, he said to me, “You don’t understand, I paid a lot of money to go on this trip.” To which I replied, “How much money are you paying to go to school here?”
Of course, while we all have times where we are “on” and times when we are less disciplined toward our practice (and we all need periodic vacations), true professionals understand which risks are simply not worth taking.
You do not suddenly become a professional performer the second you receive your first paycheck from performing. You become a professional the second you decide that you are a professional and start organizing your life choices around that decision.
Yes, have fun. But not too much of the wrong kind.
Now go practice.
It’s easy for us to look at this situation and conclude that he made an idiotic decision. His choice risked all that he had worked for in his professional career as well as his lucrative contract.
Now turn the tables. How many unnecessary risks have you taken recently? How many noisy events have you voluntarily attended where you had to shout just to be heard? How many Mondays did you wake up with a voice that was still hurting from the abuse it had taken all weekend long?
I once had a student show up for class completely hoarse from screaming his head off at Disneyland. He joked about it, even knowing that his compromised condition meant that little would be accomplished in our work together that day. When he sensed that I was not happy with his decisions, he said to me, “You don’t understand, I paid a lot of money to go on this trip.” To which I replied, “How much money are you paying to go to school here?”
Of course, while we all have times where we are “on” and times when we are less disciplined toward our practice (and we all need periodic vacations), true professionals understand which risks are simply not worth taking.
You do not suddenly become a professional performer the second you receive your first paycheck from performing. You become a professional the second you decide that you are a professional and start organizing your life choices around that decision.
Yes, have fun. But not too much of the wrong kind.
Now go practice.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Sing Big
For us, November means masterclasses, additional class performances, and preparation for December’s juries and performance finals. As such, we start looking beyond the notes and rhythms of our songs and beyond vocal technique and memorization. Once that work has been done we can delve fully into finding the most expressive and communicative way to tell a story thorough song.
I recently read the book Acting the Song by Allison Bergman and Tracey Moore (highly recommended, by the way) and this was one of the many quotes that struck me:
“The hierarchy demands that whenever a character is singing, something is going on that is too big for the spoken word. That is one reason why singing in the musical theatre requires a high level of energy and a deep, personal investment in the situation: What’s going on is big. So don’t allow your students to bring things down to the level of everyday life. What’s happening can’t be casual: Someone is singing.”
It’s no wonder so many songs are about love (finding love, losing love, wanting love). If you’ve got something to say that is “too big for the spoken word” then why not choose the mother of all subjects? I think this is why auditions focus on song cuts instead of full songs—we want to get right to the “hot spot” to see if you can jump in with, as they say, “a high level of energy and a deep, personal investment in the situation.”
In our practice, we can find this investment in many different ways. One way is to start small with our interpretation and gradually get bigger and bolder as we see how our telling of the story grows. Another way is to begin with what we believe are the extremes of our expressive capabilities right away, going way overboard just to see what happens and determine if there is something from that performance that we can use in the final product.
This is the time to explore, to try something different and see what you get. Don’t go for consistency in your performance yet, experiment with lots of options and make unusual choices. As Bergman and Moore say, we must “dare to be bad” as our studios and classrooms become laboratories of discovery since, “[t]he objective of the musical theatre classroom should not be to find the “right” or even the “best” performance but to try all kinds of things in an effort to increase the skills of the individual actor.”
Explore. Discover. Create.
Now go practice.
I recently read the book Acting the Song by Allison Bergman and Tracey Moore (highly recommended, by the way) and this was one of the many quotes that struck me:
“The hierarchy demands that whenever a character is singing, something is going on that is too big for the spoken word. That is one reason why singing in the musical theatre requires a high level of energy and a deep, personal investment in the situation: What’s going on is big. So don’t allow your students to bring things down to the level of everyday life. What’s happening can’t be casual: Someone is singing.”
It’s no wonder so many songs are about love (finding love, losing love, wanting love). If you’ve got something to say that is “too big for the spoken word” then why not choose the mother of all subjects? I think this is why auditions focus on song cuts instead of full songs—we want to get right to the “hot spot” to see if you can jump in with, as they say, “a high level of energy and a deep, personal investment in the situation.”
In our practice, we can find this investment in many different ways. One way is to start small with our interpretation and gradually get bigger and bolder as we see how our telling of the story grows. Another way is to begin with what we believe are the extremes of our expressive capabilities right away, going way overboard just to see what happens and determine if there is something from that performance that we can use in the final product.
This is the time to explore, to try something different and see what you get. Don’t go for consistency in your performance yet, experiment with lots of options and make unusual choices. As Bergman and Moore say, we must “dare to be bad” as our studios and classrooms become laboratories of discovery since, “[t]he objective of the musical theatre classroom should not be to find the “right” or even the “best” performance but to try all kinds of things in an effort to increase the skills of the individual actor.”
Explore. Discover. Create.
Now go practice.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Performing Songs vs. Growing Songs
In a recent article of the Journal of Singing, author, singer, and master teacher Robert Edwin makes some important points about knowing which songs in our repertoire are performance ready and which are still in the learning or growing stage.
“A singer needs to function on two basic levels—a performing/audition level and a growing level. The performing/auditioning level needs to be comfortable, repeatable, accurate, and trustworthy enough to function under as intense pressure as can be experienced or imagined. On the other hand, the growing level is where we try out new and different things which, in turn, make us uncomfortable, erratic, inaccurate, and certainly unable to withstand intense pressure and scrutiny.”
As he says, performance-ready songs should be comfortable enough and predictable enough that you can reliably anticipate how your audition will go before walking in the room.
Ideally, for auditions you can choose songs that you have performed—from memory, of course—in studio class or singing class, in masterclasses, in dem lab, in a jury, or in other performance situations so you know how they play before an audience. It is never ideal to perform a song for the first time in an audition—even if you like the song, even if you sing it well.
Edwin goes on to give a more specific example:
“Your C5 belt note is solid and meets all the requirements of the performing/auditioning level. The D5 in the song you’ve chosen is still a work in progress, under construction, growing. Are you going to tell them that you can sing the D5 about 25% of the time, but you can’t predict when that 25% will occur? Would you cast you with those odds? If they need a singer with a D5 belt, you’re not that singer…right now. Sing the song with the C5!”
As I say in class, there are enough intangibles in play when you go to audition (nerves, an unfamiliar pianist, singing in a new space, etc.). That’s all the more reason to choose music that is tested, comfortable, and in which you can be confident that the panel will see who you really are. Don’t let anything get in the way of that.
Since we are just getting back from fall break, I would anticipate that some of you may not have been practicing regularly this week. Perhaps instead of writing about your practicing you could evaluate how the first half of the semester has gone. Look back at the goals you made in the first blog of the semester. Are you making progress toward those goals or do you need to change your routine to better facilitate improvement?
Now go practice.
“A singer needs to function on two basic levels—a performing/audition level and a growing level. The performing/auditioning level needs to be comfortable, repeatable, accurate, and trustworthy enough to function under as intense pressure as can be experienced or imagined. On the other hand, the growing level is where we try out new and different things which, in turn, make us uncomfortable, erratic, inaccurate, and certainly unable to withstand intense pressure and scrutiny.”
As he says, performance-ready songs should be comfortable enough and predictable enough that you can reliably anticipate how your audition will go before walking in the room.
Ideally, for auditions you can choose songs that you have performed—from memory, of course—in studio class or singing class, in masterclasses, in dem lab, in a jury, or in other performance situations so you know how they play before an audience. It is never ideal to perform a song for the first time in an audition—even if you like the song, even if you sing it well.
Edwin goes on to give a more specific example:
“Your C5 belt note is solid and meets all the requirements of the performing/auditioning level. The D5 in the song you’ve chosen is still a work in progress, under construction, growing. Are you going to tell them that you can sing the D5 about 25% of the time, but you can’t predict when that 25% will occur? Would you cast you with those odds? If they need a singer with a D5 belt, you’re not that singer…right now. Sing the song with the C5!”
As I say in class, there are enough intangibles in play when you go to audition (nerves, an unfamiliar pianist, singing in a new space, etc.). That’s all the more reason to choose music that is tested, comfortable, and in which you can be confident that the panel will see who you really are. Don’t let anything get in the way of that.
Since we are just getting back from fall break, I would anticipate that some of you may not have been practicing regularly this week. Perhaps instead of writing about your practicing you could evaluate how the first half of the semester has gone. Look back at the goals you made in the first blog of the semester. Are you making progress toward those goals or do you need to change your routine to better facilitate improvement?
Now go practice.
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Self-Conscious Singing
As performers, I think we have all experienced the discomfort that comes with self-conscious feelings. For me, in those times I seem to not only be focused on what I’m doing, but I’m also anticipating what other people are thinking about what I’m doing. As a result, I can start to question every decision I make and second guess whether they’re the right choices. That’s the irony of self-consciousness: even though “self” is part of the word, it seems to have just as much to do with how we are thinking about others.
Taking the words at their face value, there really shouldn’t be anything wrong with being “self-conscious.” As singers, we have to be conscious of self so we can make intentional choices with our technique. I talk a lot about choosing a strategy before you sing and then evaluating that strategy and its effectiveness after you sing. If you are not aware of what you are doing, then any success is accidental or haphazard. It may achieve some great results once in a while (and there’s something to be said for getting “out of your head” and just singing) but it isn’t a method for developing a reliable technique.
Sure enough, Merriam-Webster defines “self-conscious” in two ways. The first definition is the one we probably think of most often: “uncomfortably nervous about or embarrassed by what other people think about you.” These are the voices of doubt that inevitably creep into our heads.
But the second definition of “self-conscious” is the one that I prefer: “done in a way that shows an awareness of the effect that is produced : done in a deliberate way.” In other words, it’s merely the act of consciously monitoring your “self.” In this form of self-consciousness, there is no room for anyone else’s criticism—especially the criticism we imagine in our heads that others must be thinking about us, even if they’re not.
One of my mentors introduced me to the phrase, “What you think of me is none of my business.” Sure, I listen to advice and I look for constructive criticism and direction as needed. In the end, however, we all have to make our own choices. In making those choices, if we’re too self-conscious (first definition) and focus on how others may be judging us, it can interfere with being self-conscious (second definition) and allowing our choices to be intentional and entirely our own.
What is your experience with self-conscious singing (both definitions)?
How has your singing been going this week?
Now go practice.
Taking the words at their face value, there really shouldn’t be anything wrong with being “self-conscious.” As singers, we have to be conscious of self so we can make intentional choices with our technique. I talk a lot about choosing a strategy before you sing and then evaluating that strategy and its effectiveness after you sing. If you are not aware of what you are doing, then any success is accidental or haphazard. It may achieve some great results once in a while (and there’s something to be said for getting “out of your head” and just singing) but it isn’t a method for developing a reliable technique.
Sure enough, Merriam-Webster defines “self-conscious” in two ways. The first definition is the one we probably think of most often: “uncomfortably nervous about or embarrassed by what other people think about you.” These are the voices of doubt that inevitably creep into our heads.
But the second definition of “self-conscious” is the one that I prefer: “done in a way that shows an awareness of the effect that is produced : done in a deliberate way.” In other words, it’s merely the act of consciously monitoring your “self.” In this form of self-consciousness, there is no room for anyone else’s criticism—especially the criticism we imagine in our heads that others must be thinking about us, even if they’re not.
One of my mentors introduced me to the phrase, “What you think of me is none of my business.” Sure, I listen to advice and I look for constructive criticism and direction as needed. In the end, however, we all have to make our own choices. In making those choices, if we’re too self-conscious (first definition) and focus on how others may be judging us, it can interfere with being self-conscious (second definition) and allowing our choices to be intentional and entirely our own.
What is your experience with self-conscious singing (both definitions)?
How has your singing been going this week?
Now go practice.
Monday, September 5, 2016
Drugs, mm-kay
It seems like sometime around three to six weeks into the school year, immune systems are compromised just enough from lack of sleep, the stresses of classes, and the overall demands of college life that people start to get sick. Typically, we don’t think anything about taking medicine for a cold or for a headache, but medications often have side effects, some of which could impact the voice.
One way you can inform yourself about these side effects is at the website for the National Center for Voice and Speech, ncvs.org. Scroll down until you see the “check your meds” tab. Here you can look up medicines by their brand name, drug group, generic name, etc., and it will tell you if there is a specific side effect on the voice.
For instance, many cold or allergy medications have a drying effect on the voice. As the website says, “Dry mucous membranes can result in hoarseness, sore throat, and voice changes. Dry vocal folds may be more prone to injuries such as nodules.”
Headache medicine like ibuprofen is anti-inflammatory. According to the website, when taking this medicine, “Vocal performers particularly should be cautious during periods of strenuous voicing demands due to an increased possibility of vocal fold hemorrhage.”
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take these medicines if you need to, especially if a physician has recommended them to you. But when you know the side effects, you can act accordingly to benefit your voice. If you take medication that will dry you out, increase your water intake and reduce vocal use. If you take ibuprofen, avoid the strenuous singing that could put you at risk for harm to your voice.
And besides the drugs you may take once in a while, you should also check any medications you take regularly, which could be anything from ADHD meds to oral contraceptives to anti-depressants to acne medications. Check your meds and inform yourself.
Now tell me in the comments how has your practice been going this week.
And then go practice.
One way you can inform yourself about these side effects is at the website for the National Center for Voice and Speech, ncvs.org. Scroll down until you see the “check your meds” tab. Here you can look up medicines by their brand name, drug group, generic name, etc., and it will tell you if there is a specific side effect on the voice.
For instance, many cold or allergy medications have a drying effect on the voice. As the website says, “Dry mucous membranes can result in hoarseness, sore throat, and voice changes. Dry vocal folds may be more prone to injuries such as nodules.”
Headache medicine like ibuprofen is anti-inflammatory. According to the website, when taking this medicine, “Vocal performers particularly should be cautious during periods of strenuous voicing demands due to an increased possibility of vocal fold hemorrhage.”
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take these medicines if you need to, especially if a physician has recommended them to you. But when you know the side effects, you can act accordingly to benefit your voice. If you take medication that will dry you out, increase your water intake and reduce vocal use. If you take ibuprofen, avoid the strenuous singing that could put you at risk for harm to your voice.
And besides the drugs you may take once in a while, you should also check any medications you take regularly, which could be anything from ADHD meds to oral contraceptives to anti-depressants to acne medications. Check your meds and inform yourself.
Now tell me in the comments how has your practice been going this week.
And then go practice.
Sunday, August 21, 2016
It's just the voice
When I was in college, I remember one of my wrestling teammates asking me, “What do you DO when you’re a singing major? I mean, it’s just the voice, right?” Even though, as an athlete himself, he understood the concept of building physical strength through weight training, building stamina through cardio, and building skills through technical practice, he didn’t see how those same concepts applied to the voice.
As singers, we need to consider ourselves vocal athletes and, as such, we should approach our practice with the same intention, discipline, and regularity as the Olympians we’ve been watching this summer.
Therefore, the primary purpose of this blog is to have an ongoing conversation about your vocal practice: what you are practicing, when you are practicing, how you are practicing, and even why you are practicing. In this regard, we are all each other’s best resources (coaches, teammates, and cheerleaders). By discussing our goals, successes, frustrations, and processes, we can motivate each other, support each other, and learn from each other. You all have something to offer this group in this forum.
If some of you returning students have come to see this blog as an inconvenience or just a way for you to lose points on your grade when you forget to do it, I hope the new school year can be an opportunity to take a new approach.
To start things off, I’d like everyone to post a couple of vocal goals they have for this year. Maybe it’s a specific technical issue (I want to find better ways to release jaw tension), an end-result issue (I want to add another two half steps to the top of my range), a process issue (I want to be better about sticking to my practice schedule), or something related to repertoire (I want to learn a new song every two weeks and memorize my songs earlier in the semester). For you beginners, it may be something even more basic but just as crucial (I want to think outside of the vocal limitations I have imposed on my voice and see where things go).
Here are my personal goals:
Since I have some new commitments this semester that will place additional demands on my time, my first goal is to stick to my scheduled practice time and not use it for other things.
Secondly, I want to continue to explore the specific techniques I learned this summer at the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute to see how they may impact my performance sound (and to see if I want to incorporate them into my teaching).
Tell us about your goals for this semester and this year.
Again, welcome back. Let’s get to work!
Now go practice.
As singers, we need to consider ourselves vocal athletes and, as such, we should approach our practice with the same intention, discipline, and regularity as the Olympians we’ve been watching this summer.
Therefore, the primary purpose of this blog is to have an ongoing conversation about your vocal practice: what you are practicing, when you are practicing, how you are practicing, and even why you are practicing. In this regard, we are all each other’s best resources (coaches, teammates, and cheerleaders). By discussing our goals, successes, frustrations, and processes, we can motivate each other, support each other, and learn from each other. You all have something to offer this group in this forum.
If some of you returning students have come to see this blog as an inconvenience or just a way for you to lose points on your grade when you forget to do it, I hope the new school year can be an opportunity to take a new approach.
To start things off, I’d like everyone to post a couple of vocal goals they have for this year. Maybe it’s a specific technical issue (I want to find better ways to release jaw tension), an end-result issue (I want to add another two half steps to the top of my range), a process issue (I want to be better about sticking to my practice schedule), or something related to repertoire (I want to learn a new song every two weeks and memorize my songs earlier in the semester). For you beginners, it may be something even more basic but just as crucial (I want to think outside of the vocal limitations I have imposed on my voice and see where things go).
Here are my personal goals:
Since I have some new commitments this semester that will place additional demands on my time, my first goal is to stick to my scheduled practice time and not use it for other things.
Secondly, I want to continue to explore the specific techniques I learned this summer at the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute to see how they may impact my performance sound (and to see if I want to incorporate them into my teaching).
Tell us about your goals for this semester and this year.
Again, welcome back. Let’s get to work!
Now go practice.
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