MY VOCAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

 

 

Known as a perfectionist, it should come as no surprise that I am extremely thorough when practicing my teaching methods with singing students.  My major emphasis is on the performance and acting interpretation of the lyrics, but vocal technique, musical phrasing/dynamics, sight reading, ear training and basic piano fundamentals play an equally important role.  Musicianship knowledge can greatly increase a singer’s job success.  We MUST eliminate the expression “there are musicians and then there are singers!”

 

Many singers put a great deal of emphasis on song selection when auditioning for musical theatre.  There are an unlimited number of songs to choose from when selecting what to sing.  While I certainly agree that singing an appropriate song is of great importance, it is not what gets the job.  No one was ever hired for a musical just because they sang a great song; it is invariably the combination of song and performance.

 

Sometimes a performer can add his or her own special “twist” to a song.  I once had Jason Alexander demonstrate this at a master class for my vocal students.  He took a song known for it’s sentimentality/pathos and turned it into a hugely comedic presentation  just by restructuring its original premise.  I’m not suggesting that “gimmicks” should be freely used at every opportunity; however, occasionally taking a new approach to a song has its rewards.

 

Ultimately, what a director hires is not a song but a performer.  So the main goal is to find a song that:

 

          Suits you (voice, age, gender, style)

          Is appropriate to the show & character you’re auditioning for

          Is not overdone

          Is playable by the pianist at sight (unless you’re bringing your own accompanist)      

          Of course, if you enjoy singing the song, that’s a plus!  Just because it’s your

          “favorite song” doesn’t mean that you will automatically do it well.

 

Without some sort of relationship to the lyrics a song will usually fall flat.  You must know what you are saying, to whom you are speaking (your imaginary acting partner), and what response you are getting from this imaginary acting partner.  This involves what we call subtext.  All of my students are asked to memorize each set of song  lyrics and present it as an acting exercise.  You’re free to create your own meanings and situations that suit you.  Of course, you want to show that you can sing (we will work extensively on that as well), but even a beautiful high Bb will be much more effective when sung by someone who knows what the words mean.