Music Director
#TBT: May 3rd – Birthday of Lyricist Betty Comden
Throwback Thursday: May 3, 1917, Broadway & Hollywood lyricist and librettist Betty Comden is born. “A risk was taken with ‘On the Town’, and look what happened: Betty and Adolph burst onto the scene. A shout-out to Comden & Green!” (Title of Show). Lyricists and librettist Betty Comden, of t Comden & Green, was born May 3, 1917. She and Adolph Green are known for several works, such as On the Town (1944), Singin’ in the Rain (1952), and Bells are Ringing (1956). Together, this duo’s musical comedy talents became theatrical classics that are still performed and beloved today. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Comden had always considered herself a performer, and she was first seen on the stage at the Brooklyn Ethical Culture School (jwa.org). Comden went on to major in drama at New York U...
REGISTER NOW for the Best Practices: Inclusive and Accessible Theatre Symposium
It’s not too late to register for the Best Practices: Inclusive and Accessible Theatre Symposium! HOSTED BY: The American Alliance for Theatre & Education WHEN: February 2 – 4, 2018 WHERE: The Kentucky Center, 501 W Main St, Louisville, KY 40202 Join theatre educators, artists and scholars from near and far for this exciting gathering in downtown Louisville, KY. Hosted by the Kentucky Center for the Arts, one of the nation’s most accessible performing arts complexes, this weekend intensive will offer keynote speakers, hands-on workshops, and a sensory-friendly performance including a pre-show touch tour. Come explore one of the country’s most arts-rich communities, and leave with practical tools you can use at home: in your classroom, and your theatre! Keynote: Storyteller, Playw...
Your Audition Book
BY: AARON JODOIN via www.savemyaudition.com THE MUSIC THEATER AUDITION BOOK Your audition book. Where it all begins and ends. The music theater audition book is something to behold. It should contain all the things that you need. This blog is about what the actual audition book should be. Soon I’ll get to what should be inside of it. Bare in mind, all the things I’m about to say are my opinion only. I have audition pianist friends that would argue most of what I’m about to say. And I have audition pianist friends that would agree with most of what I’m about to say. Gather all the information you can and make your own decisions. The biggest thing I can say about your audition book is to keep it clean. If it’s starting to fall apart, go buy a new one from Staples. Binders are not expensive. ...
Tempo Vs. Time Feel and Tips On Improving Them
BY: DIEGO MALDONADO via www.learnjazzstandards.com As a professional drummer and educator, I’ve taught many students and I’ve noticed that many of them are concerned about their tempo. They always ask for advice on how to improve or overcome their tempo issues. However, rarely has a student asked me about time feel. I’ve found that in many cases, students of all instruments are confused with the two terms. And on many occasions when they ask about tempo issues, they are really talking about time feel issues or the other way around. Tempo and time feel are two greatly related concepts, they complement each other. If you have a good grasp on tempo, it is most likely you going to have a nice feel, and vice versa. However, you don’t necessarily need one to have the other; for instance, you can...
The “Forward Placement” Chart
MATTHEW EDWARDS explores the use of voice placement charts, like the one pictured from Lilli Leghmann’s book “How to Sing“, as a way for voice teachers to communicate with their students. He goes on to say in his article, “while some students may find placement charts such as the one above useful, many others will not. If you are getting good results with all of your students using placement terminology – great. However, if a student fails to respond, it is likely because their perceptions of resonance are different than yours or the creator of the charts they are using. For those students, focusing on vocal function will yield much better results than continuing to force the voice into a place it does not want to go. If you feel like your description of placeme...
