Masterclass at SSCM's Summer Vocal Institute

Congratulations to everyone who sang in this class. You were all "performance prepared" as requested. First a few general notes:

- Almost every time I give a masterclass I divulge the million dollar secret to my success: practice. Practice every day. To elaborate: practice every day under guidance of trusted teachers / mentors who will help develop a routine that keeps things fresh, efficient and enjoyable. "Never toil." Sometimes it can be a challenge to find a way to keep working on that same song or that same vocalise so that it's still gratifying. Just like they teach in acting school: "find the love." Sometimes it's hard to remember why you love this song, but when you do rediscover that thing that makes it so wonderful, you love it even more. It's the same way with people.

- Introductions: good job everyone:

1.) Enter smiling as if you are happy to see us.

2.) Arrive at the place on stage where you will sing (it is especially helpful to wait until you've stopped walking if your shoes are really loud on stage.)

3.) Stick to the script "Good morning, my name is ________ and I would like to sing ______ ."

- The most important time in your life is now. When a trusted teacher gives you a new song and says "you'll sound awesome singing this song," when do you start singing that song? Now. When your teacher asks you to submit your song title to the master clinician, when do you do that? Now.

Notes on the songs performed today:

1.) "Don't Rain on My Parade" Well prepared, especially considering you've only been singing this for a month. The choreography is well-rehearsed, but needs now to be assimilated. You need to look like the moves are coming from you and your emotions, not the choreographer.

Changing points of focus. You have a great focus on one point throughout the song. Because this song is "all over the place," your focus has to go with it. Move focus with each new idea. Conveniently all your classmates were seated in a semi-circle and so you could sing each line to a different friend.

In addition to a new focus, each line needs a new intention. Chose an intransitive verb and/or action for each line. We came up with

"Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter" push arms out, palms forward ("shut up!")

"Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter" reach one arm our, palm up, fingers beckoning ("come on, it's fun!")

(How cool is it that in two phrases / six seconds you're moving from one action to the exact opposite!)

We also tried just speaking the opening line to a friend and discovered that if you look really strange talking a certain way, you will probably look strange singing that same way. Even if that's not the case, I think that line opening line is a direct confrontation and shoulders should be square to the person you are addressing.

If you haven't seen Barbara Streisand sing this, go and do it now.

2. "Lovliest of Trees" Good legato and solid stage presence. We took a long time to achieve one good [^] vowel but it was worth it. Practice achieving that big, resonant, open, supported and projected vowel again and again.

This is why we practice every day: so you don't forget the sensation of singing.

3. "I Could Have Danced All Night" Your first time through, you began to dance right at the beginning of the chorus. We went back and sang the song again, this time imagining you were dancing, rather than actually dancing. The performance was much more compelling; I believed you were musing about a wonderful time you just had. And after all, the title of the song is "I could have danced all night," not "I am currently in the process of dancing all night."

Changing focus points makes your performance even more engaging. Remember: first the thought happens, then you sing the new phrase.

4. "Adieu" - Faure A few ways to make the French sound more French without actually working on the French. Accents. Two examples: De clo se the more accent you put here, the cooler it sounds because the 'se' is higher than the 'clo.' Fu me e. The more accent you do here the cooler is sounds because of the reason above and because 'Fu' isn't really the accented of the word. For this reason, this is much harder at first. Accenting an initial unaccented syllable is called an 'accent d'insistance.'

5. "Apres un Reve" - Sing through the high note, not to it. Plan out your breaths and chose a tempo that allows you to complete the phrase. There should be virtually no rubato through the entire song. Ditto for "Adieu." When you grow up you can use a little rubato in one spot.

6. "I Enjoy Being a Girl" Diction. The great Broadway musicals of this era have carefully written lyrics that deserve the performers utmost attention. This hall makes it especially hard to get your words across. We tried the exercise of underlining one or two words per phrase and emphasizing those words (one of the 1,000's of tricks to do when you've hit a wall with your song). Emphasizing a word does not necessarily mean singing it louder. It could mean lengthening the initial consonant, hardening the initial consonant, separating the word from the previous word, singing the word softer than the previous, lengthening the word, shortening the word, any combination of the above or 1,000 other different devices. YouTube yielded two good, instructive recordings (and a lot of young singers, some under the age of 5). One from the 1961 film, one an audio of Idina Menzel. I prefer the latter, a great 21st century take on a song written by two men about being a woman.

7. "Someone to Watch Over Me" The student who performed this is a very accomplished singer-songwriter and has a unique, self-taught way of singing heavily influenced by contemporary pop and folk artists. This singer's rendering of this standard was exquisite, with varying subtle turns to each phrase. This singer also "staged" the song with blocking and gestures. For me, the visual worked against the music. I asked the singer to simply stand in the crook of the piano and sing the song. Everyone in the room liked this better.

If someday as you continue your voice studies 1. don't ever lose the way you sing your original songs, no matter what you do. 2. if you're interested in developing a mixed head voice and belt voice, you can then stage Broadway numbers like this and sing them out, if you want.

I searched youtube for folk-pop singers who took on this classic. Every voice is unique and so it is impossible to find someone who sings exactly like today's participant, I didn't find any folk singer-songwriters performing this song. *If you know of any, please share.

Amy Winehouse - a standard jazz approach, though it is a tribute to Ella, she makes this song her own,

Ella - everyone must hear

Allison Iraheta - pop/"white soul" singer another example of give-and-take with words but it's an undistinguished jazz attempt

Blossom Dearie - overwhelmingly beautiful simplicity

Chet Baker - also recommended for its simplicity, for those who don't know Baker, he also plays trumpet.

Traci Hines - very interesting, worth checking out. I thought she was famous but apparently not (yet).

Sting - (I sang a Sting song with our masterclass participant; that may be why I'm including him here.) Sting has branched out a bit ever since The Police broke up, but he hasn't become known as a hard-core jazz singer. You still hear his pop voice and his style in here - informative for any pop singer taking on a jazz standard.

8 "What I did for Love" In contrast to some of the other numbers heard today, this piece needs some real commitment in the body. I'm not talking about dancing or even moving around on stage, but the urgency of the song demands that you plead with your whole body. This could be an opportunity to try the trick of making a note with a part of your body. If you have a difficult note, pretend that putting your foot down makes that note happen, or clenching your fist, or extending your arm, palms down fingers spread and bent (baritones only).

9. "Mi Sueno" How wonderful that our singer speaks Spanish. There also was an intense dramatic commitment to the text. The problem was, that we say inner pain and were not invited to share in the experience. I suggested simply directing the face out (forward) and up and leaving more air between your elbows and ribs and under your arms. Also about gestures: they have a beginning, a middle and an end. At this stage in your performing career we typically have the beginning and middle pretty well practiced, but to paraphrase Charlie Wilson "we f--- up the endgame." A gesture needs a clear ending. You need to decide when the gesture will end and how. Quickly on the rest? Slowly as the phrase tapers? If you find yourself in the middle of a song with an arm hanging out in the air, whatever you do, don't ask yourself "what do I do now with this arm?" Try a.) checking in with your character - what is he/she feeling now? The arm will do what's natural. b.) just do something that will look cool. Quickly clench a fist then slowly retract the arm back, or the reverse, or something else with two different speeds of movement. It may be totally against the music, but at least it will look cool. If it was the wrong thing to do, chalk it up as another learning experience.

Any questions? Feel free to contact me. Thanks for coming to SVI and keep up the good work.

Thank you ONJ Young Artists

Dear All ONJ Young Artists:

Thank you for all your hard work this summer. I know it's not over - not even close - but I wanted to take the time now to thank you for all your work. The principals appreciate your support at opera chorus, we also appreciate your scenes concerts for a chance to see you shine as soloists and relax and enjoy the show for a change.

I know you are doing a LOT, especially this week. Again I want you to know I appreciate your support in Carmina Burana. There are many moments where we soloists rely on you to help us sound good (my 'Wafna' is nothing without your 'Wafna!') I urge you to stay focussed and immersed in this piece when you're on the stage and in the precious time you have to prepare before the performance. When you are under a lot of pressure and stress and fatigue, your natural reaction is to disengage, to try to expend less energy. It's a survival mechanism, I'm sure. But I guarantee that if you dig deeper in this next Carmina rehearsal and performance you'll actually feel much better. Stress comes from daunting tasks not met, not the act of meeting them. If you force yourself to look out from the score - no matter how unfamiliar all those middle German Latin words are - and sing with all the rhythmic intensity and focus and emotional engagement you can, you'll feel better and less tired than you would if you try to "save yourself." (I'm not talking about saving your voice, that of course you need to do and we're all doing that.) Save your voice if you need, but give yourself.

Many of you recognize that in programs like the one you're in now you are paying your dues. While this is true, I will say that as you advance in your careers the amount of pressure you are under on any given day does not necessarily go down. We are always preparing the next show while performing the current show. I've been reading posts from Lawrence Brownlee. He's rehearsing one opera in Italy and performing another in a city 4 hours away. I remember hearing an interview with Oprah Winfrey. When she was shooting the film Beloved and her TV show at the same time, she would complain about going back and forth between the two sets and with good reason: those are two full-time jobs. But when she considered how hard life was for the characters in her story - based on a true story - she resolved never to complain about the workload.

So, maybe these words help. At the end of the day, I just want a really good chorus to back me up! Thanks again for all your hard work and break a leg!

Never Toil

I was discussing some of the lessons I learned in my Chekhov class (thanks k. Jenny!) Here's the book that made it all happen. If you're a performer, you need to read this book and practice the exercises within.

On The Technique of Acting by Michael Chekhov

Harper, 1993

• ISBN-10: 0062730371
• ISBN-13: 978-0062730374

Song-Cycling

Returning back from a 50-mile/3-hour ride-turned 70-mile/6-hour ride, (FYI the bridge at Wertsville Road near US-202 is out) I collapsed on the couch. Since I could not move my legs, and barely move the rest of my body, just about the only think I could do is check in with my friends on Facebook. I saw an update from my friend, an extraordinary pianist Susie Stranders. She, along with soprano has just completed her unique bicycle-song recital tour of the UK. I've never heard of anything like this. Congratulations, Susie and Alice!

Read about their adventures at http://songcycling.blogspot.com/

ONJ Masterclass July 3, 2010

Many thanks to the talented Young Artists at Opera New Jersey for their time and attention and wonderful performances. I thought I'd offer a post-game wrap-up for those who could not attend some or all of the class:

- The introduction: contrary to my theme for the day, your introduction is not the best portion of the audition for you to try and stand out. Greet the auditors with a friendly smile and "good morning/afternoon" when you walk in the door. Walk to the piano like you're walking to the front door on a hot date: thinking about the excitement of where you're going, not how you look to the auditors. To quote Charles Wright: "It's not what you look like when you're doin' what you're doin', it's what you're doin' when you're doin' what you look like you're doin'." Don't try to be unique or funny; just be you. Show your music to the pianist. If they need a tempo, just mark the first few bars; this is much better than snapping or conducting the tempo. And you can do this in plain view of the auditors; there is no need to conspire secretly with the pianist.

- Selecting words to emphasize ("Hat man nicht auch Gold"): on a copy of your music or the text, one phrase at a time, chose one, two or three words to underline. Choice can be made for dramatic intent, direction of phrase, syncopation, other reasons, or totally at random. Speak just these words then sing the complete phrase. Go back, erase the underlines and underline words you did not underline the first time. As with any exercise, listen to great singers performing the piece, focus on this aspect. Fischer-Dieskau is one great exampleto study: how does he chose to emphasize words?

- Also with the Fidelio aria we discussed singing through the 'ng' consonant. Hear how Matti Salminen articulates "und stillet das kuenste ferlangen" at 0:48.

- Breathing Exercise: About 60% of you noted that your breath was lower and easier after this exercise. It's not for everybody. One important *correction: when doing this as a partner exercise, in the first stage, the standing partner should stand over your head facing your feet, lean over and compress your upper ribs as you exhale (not stand facing you and hit your upper ribs Swedish massage style as in the single exercise. This is a breathing exercise designed for actors by Roy Hart. The complete exercise:

If this is your first time trying the exercise, let out a few long, easy sighs from the extreme top of your range (falsetto for men), allow the voice to crack if it wants, after you reach the bottom of your range, continue to expel the rest of your air.

In partners (recommended when possible):

1. One partner lies on his back on the floor. Other partner stands over prone partner's head, facing his feet. Standing partner places heels of hands on prone partner's upper ribs and compresses at a rate between 240-360 compressions per minute (eighth notes and triplets at 120 bpm). 3 reps.

2. Standing partner straddle prone partner, facing prone partner, feet at or near prone partner's hips. Lean down and compress lower ribcage in same manner during sigh. 3 reps.

3. Prone partner lift knees, place feet flat on floor. Standing partner brace top of prone partner's head so that it will not slide back. Prone partner begin sigh then lift toes while pushing down slightly on your heels as if to slide your body backward 3"-4". Because your head is braced your neck will tilt up. 3 reps.

By yourself

1. Stand with good singing posture. Sigh and take the heels of your hands and beat your upper chest Tarzan style. 3 reps.

2. With your fingers together, thumbs separate from your fingers place your hands on your lower ribs, thumbs in back, fingers in front. Sigh and compress. 3 reps.

3. Gently tilt your head up allowing jaw to open. Be very careful not to move to quickly or to move to far back. Sigh while making this motion. 3 reps.

One note: you will produce funny, involuntary noises. Allow the noises to come out.

- We are all guilty of carrying unnecessary tension when singing and in our everyday lives. In addition to practicing yoga/alexander/another body-mind centering technique, find the everday activities where you carry tension (waiting in line, texting, brushing your teeth, shaving, etc.) and carry those out without the unnecessary tension. Build in to your practice routine a focus on relaxing specific areas of tension one area (shoulders, neck, eyebrows) at a time. One week is not too long to focus on one area.

- Two of you tried performing your texts as answers to questions. It worked extremely well. (Example: I was standing in a garden, "What kind of a garden?" a garden gone to seed, "How far gone?" choked with every kind of weed. This tool can be helpful with just about any piece at any stage of preparation.

- Several of you discovered a very cut-and-dry gesture you can make at a critical dramatic point in your aria. Your vocal and dramatic technique can seem elusive and mysterious. As you progress in your voice lessons your singing gradually becomes second nature; it becomes as simple as "in order to sing that, I just to this." Your staging of audition arias should be established just as firmly. Which brings up another point I didn't discuss plainly: your audition arias need to be staged. I'll put in a little plug for director / drama coach Chuck Hudson. He supplied the quote "If in your audition you raise your elbow above your ear, you'll be the only one who did that day."

- I highly recommend observing auditions. Some young artist programs or even regional companies where you have worked may let you sit in on their auditions. Try to sit through at least 4 hours. Notice who - if anyone - stands out and what they do.

- Remember your vow: "I will stand out!"

I'm around the theater this week for rehearsals. If you have any questions about our work in the class, please don't hesitate to ask. You can also reach me at andrewbgarland@gmail.com .

There was a conspicuous lack of baritones in this class. If any baritones want me to hear their stuff, we may be able to arrange that. We should also have a baritone breakfast to talk about all the stuff that interests us the most (and others very little.)

Last but not least many thanks to Keith Chambers for playing so beautifully and supportively and for organizing this and all of the 19 ONJ masterclasses.