BTP: Day 7

Non-stop!  That's how today was!  I am just now relaxing a bit!

I started out very early; took the hotel shuttle to the bank so I could deposit my first check from this gig.  Hurray!  Now I just need it to clear really soon.  That would be terrific.

At the performing arts center, my first rehearsal was from 9:45-10:45.  We were tech'ing a few numbers from block one, including my number ("For Good") and a Grease medley.  I'm glad I know that music pretty well, because I had to pretty much accompany the whole shebang totally cold with no rehearsal!  Pretty exciting, actually!

After that, I had a 11-noon session with a representative from Webster University.  He did a really informative class about using active choices in singing.  His warm-up was based in breathing and a bit of yoga,  but the really interesting part came when the kids started running their songs.  He utilized a technique which involves holding an active pose, yet not an energy-less freeze.  The impetus was always an abstract action, like "to destroy" or "to seduce".  After they got the movement into their bodies, he had them run their songs.  As they were singing, he would call out one of these actions and they would become very physically active.  Upon the second singing, he took away the privilege to move, so all of that intent had to be broadcast through facial expression and vocal inflection.  It was incredible how expressive they were able to be!  Great little techniques.

After lunch, I accompanied the Jay Binder (pronounced "bin-der") auditions.  He's a casting director in New York, and head of Binder Casting.  Three sessions.  Ughhhh.

It's not that I didn't want to work with him, because he was actually pretty chill, although curt and direct.  It's just that... I hate playing auditions.  Hate it hate it hate it.  Always have, probably always will.  I just don't like the pressure!  You have literally a few seconds to look at the music before playing it up to performance standards.  Frightening.  Also, I don't want to mess anyone up.  I don't really care so much if I suck, I just don't want it to affect the singer.  I mean, besides -- what are they gonna do, stop asking me to accompany auditions?  That'd be great!

But probably one of the biggest reasons I hate accompanying auditions is that people don't know what the hell they're doing.  Granted, several do!  But there are so many that DO NOT.

For your convenience, I will provide a list of pointers below:

• If you're singing a song, make sure you know it.  It's not easy to sing a song you don't know.
• If you're singing a song, make sure you can sing it.  It's not easy to sing a song you can't sing.
• Provided you have sheet music, make sure that it is clearly marked.  As in, where you want to start and stop, any cuts you have, and for God's sake point out any tempo changes you may want to take.
• On the subject of sheet music, make sure you can read it.  Or more importantly, make sure the accompanist can read it.  A photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy of a piece of music is not the best option for an auditioner.  
• Neither is something with have of the music cut off.  Pianists are a creative bunch, but if you want me to improv something Sondheim-esque, you've got another thing coming.
• Oh yeah, and make sure it's in the key you want to sing it in.  You wanna sing "Don't rain on My Parade" in Bb?  Super.  Try getting it in that key, rather that cart your E version in.  Pianists are logical, but we ain't computers.  Transpose that shit yourself.
• When the accompanist asks what tempo you want to take your song, sing a little of it.  Like, out loud... where people can hear it.  Pianists don't have telepathy.  Also, be aware that if you sing your snippet really fast, I'm gonna play it really fast.  

For more helpful tips on how not to suck, buy my book... whenever I write it.

After dinner, we worked on "Coffee Break" for our second night.  This number is really coming along!  I feel like I got all the easy numbers -- some people really have to work hard with the people they're working with! Mine just seem to flow.  Awesome sauce!  Can't wait to see it on stage, and especially with all the really fun orchestration I want to do with it.  It's gonna be great!

So I went up to the office after my super-busy day, only to be approached by Neil about a project: a new musical!  It's in its second year of writing, and they really want to start workshopping the hell out of it.  They plan on using kids from the Project to work on this.  After asking around all the BTP staff about who would be ideal to accompany/Music Direct parts of the show, my name was the one people kept coming back to!  So I have a meeting tomorrow with Neil's new wife, musician and producer of the show, to work through ideas regarding harmonies and basic musicality of it.  It's a fun concept!  More to come on that for sure.

But now, blueberries and beer!  :)