This is going to be short and sweet: I'm going to Fiji.
Through the miraculous wonders of my jazz vocal guru and mentor, I have been invited to tag along on an adventure to the other side of the planet to perform in a jazz festival in Fiji.
Fiji!!!
I have been up for hours just researching things online -- what to do, where to go, what to expect.
In Fiji.
I don't even know. Our hotel is fabled to be a heavenly resort in one of the most sought-after locations.
*
That sound was the sound of my mind being blown.
More coming soon.
5.03.2012
7.18.2011
BTP: Day 9
I can't believe it's been a week. It kind of feels like it flew by, but also like it was ages ago since I got here! I've already learned so much about so many things, both from being exposed to new ideas and from being surrounded by incredibly experienced and talented individuals. Much of the star-struck factor is gone, which has been replaced with a greater sense of belonging. I initially felt very out of place; welcome, but out of place. Now I'm starting to really form relationships with the instructors, guest artists, and kids. It's great!
Also, apparently everyone is vying to use me in their numbers. So cool! It makes for some really long hours, but I'm glad that I'm making a good impression on everyone. I still want someone to offer me a job... Ha! Imagine that!
Today was cool because we started working on Volleygirls. The entire morning and afternoon sessions were spent on it, in fact. It's fun music, though! We're mostly focusing on the choreography and making it authentic to sports-like movement, which is possible since the choreographer is a huge volleyball fanatic.
It's tedious work, feeling out a brand-new musical, but it's gratifying work. I got a chance to rework some harmonies which will make it into the show! Bwa ha ha ha!!!1! I'm gonna be a star!
I missed a ride to get dinner, which was pretty sad. I did think to bring my emergency crackers though, so they saved the day. The new piece we started tonight is "Ring Them Bells" from Liza with a Z. Such a cute little piece! It's also tedious to piece it together because of all the little bits that go into it, not to mention the fact that every single dancer has jingle bells attached to their wrists and ankles and they jingle-jangle every time they move. Huh.
All in all though, it's still going really well! I wish I had some more free time so I could get some writing done; I'm way behind on that. Maybe soon... or at least after the workshop.
Oh, and apparently the AC unit in my room leaks onto the carpet? Ick. I stepped in it the other day and called, and it still hasn't been fixed. I'll be changing rooms tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. The only room they had tonight was a smoking room. Ummm... no thanks. Even when I smoked I didn't want to stay in a smoking room. Gross!
Well, off to bed. What I need is a good night's rest!
Also, apparently everyone is vying to use me in their numbers. So cool! It makes for some really long hours, but I'm glad that I'm making a good impression on everyone. I still want someone to offer me a job... Ha! Imagine that!
Today was cool because we started working on Volleygirls. The entire morning and afternoon sessions were spent on it, in fact. It's fun music, though! We're mostly focusing on the choreography and making it authentic to sports-like movement, which is possible since the choreographer is a huge volleyball fanatic.
It's tedious work, feeling out a brand-new musical, but it's gratifying work. I got a chance to rework some harmonies which will make it into the show! Bwa ha ha ha!!!1! I'm gonna be a star!
I missed a ride to get dinner, which was pretty sad. I did think to bring my emergency crackers though, so they saved the day. The new piece we started tonight is "Ring Them Bells" from Liza with a Z. Such a cute little piece! It's also tedious to piece it together because of all the little bits that go into it, not to mention the fact that every single dancer has jingle bells attached to their wrists and ankles and they jingle-jangle every time they move. Huh.
All in all though, it's still going really well! I wish I had some more free time so I could get some writing done; I'm way behind on that. Maybe soon... or at least after the workshop.
Oh, and apparently the AC unit in my room leaks onto the carpet? Ick. I stepped in it the other day and called, and it still hasn't been fixed. I'll be changing rooms tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. The only room they had tonight was a smoking room. Ummm... no thanks. Even when I smoked I didn't want to stay in a smoking room. Gross!
Well, off to bed. What I need is a good night's rest!
7.17.2011
BTP: Day 8
I thought I was tired, but then today happened. Oy vey! I almost didn't make it to the performing arts center in time because I fell back asleep! Thank goodness I woke up again...
My day started out bright an early with callbacks for Volleygirls, a new musical that is being workshopped by two faculty members. It's based on a play, but essentially it's a feel-good show about a women's volleyball team that comes up from the bottom and takes the championship. A sports musical! Aside from Damn Yankees, its never been done!
The music is really catchy and modern -- much like "The Wedding Singer" and "Legally Blonde". We had the girls learn 32 bars of a song which they sang and did choreography to. All in all, they did very well! The best were chosen and we start working on a section of it tomorrow morning. There is a great choreographer coming in the do the sessions, so it's mostly centered on dance rather than music. They are shooting for the show to open in LA where there is a huge volleyball community, and eventually move to Broadway. Even if it doesn't do anything, it's still really exciting to workshop a new musical!
After that, I assisted with a musical composition class lead by Frank Wildhorn. If you don't know who that guy is, he's written Civil War, Scarlet Pimpernel, and Jekyll and Hyde. He's a pretty relaxed guy, and definitely knowledgeable about songwriting structure. He had kids get up and perform some of their original pieces, and we talked about what could be done to improve them. Unfortunately, none of the kids had a lead sheet or any readable music, so my job was pretty pointless. I still loved the chance to get advice from the guy who wrote "This is the Moment"! I did have to work through lunch being there, but at least they ordered pizza for us.
Next came another grueling session with Binder. He was in good spirits and the pieces were all pretty clear, but it was still more sight-reading. However, most of the kids were great singers, so it made it much easier to follow them. On top of that, Betty Schneider was there helping to coordinate music for me. But oh my gawd, it was colder than the 7th circle of Dante's Hell up in there! I managed to get through everyone, though. Binder had me transpose several songs for people, which wasn't a shock at this point. It definitely kept me on my toes, and made me look like a wizard to Betty! That's the great thing about having someone next to you in auditions -- when shit gets crazy, you have someone to commiserate with rather than just be dumbfounded by yourself!
I had a much desired beer with dinner, and came back for rehearsal in the evening. We were on the main stage working "Coffee Break", and we got some really great work done! I met the drummer, and let me tell you he is fantastic. I'm sure that this guy can really throw down. but what amazed me was how much attention he gave to specific details regarding choreography hits and musical accents! Oh yeah, I should mention that he's writing his own part... which is great, since I don't want to write a drum part! Speaking of which, I need to write bass and keyboard parts for that tune tonight.
Amazingly, we finished early! I was home just before 9pm, which may be a new record! Let's see what tomorrow holds; hopefully they'll give me a little time off during the day to write/relax/catch my breath.
Staci -- I'll have to tell you all about Speech Level Singing! I think you'd really get a lot out of it... but I need to learn more details first. :)
Julie -- Still haven't gotten the needle! :( That's ok though, I honestly haven't had ANY time to knit. Well, maybe a little, but not when I had the energy and focus!
My day started out bright an early with callbacks for Volleygirls, a new musical that is being workshopped by two faculty members. It's based on a play, but essentially it's a feel-good show about a women's volleyball team that comes up from the bottom and takes the championship. A sports musical! Aside from Damn Yankees, its never been done!
The music is really catchy and modern -- much like "The Wedding Singer" and "Legally Blonde". We had the girls learn 32 bars of a song which they sang and did choreography to. All in all, they did very well! The best were chosen and we start working on a section of it tomorrow morning. There is a great choreographer coming in the do the sessions, so it's mostly centered on dance rather than music. They are shooting for the show to open in LA where there is a huge volleyball community, and eventually move to Broadway. Even if it doesn't do anything, it's still really exciting to workshop a new musical!
After that, I assisted with a musical composition class lead by Frank Wildhorn. If you don't know who that guy is, he's written Civil War, Scarlet Pimpernel, and Jekyll and Hyde. He's a pretty relaxed guy, and definitely knowledgeable about songwriting structure. He had kids get up and perform some of their original pieces, and we talked about what could be done to improve them. Unfortunately, none of the kids had a lead sheet or any readable music, so my job was pretty pointless. I still loved the chance to get advice from the guy who wrote "This is the Moment"! I did have to work through lunch being there, but at least they ordered pizza for us.
Next came another grueling session with Binder. He was in good spirits and the pieces were all pretty clear, but it was still more sight-reading. However, most of the kids were great singers, so it made it much easier to follow them. On top of that, Betty Schneider was there helping to coordinate music for me. But oh my gawd, it was colder than the 7th circle of Dante's Hell up in there! I managed to get through everyone, though. Binder had me transpose several songs for people, which wasn't a shock at this point. It definitely kept me on my toes, and made me look like a wizard to Betty! That's the great thing about having someone next to you in auditions -- when shit gets crazy, you have someone to commiserate with rather than just be dumbfounded by yourself!
I had a much desired beer with dinner, and came back for rehearsal in the evening. We were on the main stage working "Coffee Break", and we got some really great work done! I met the drummer, and let me tell you he is fantastic. I'm sure that this guy can really throw down. but what amazed me was how much attention he gave to specific details regarding choreography hits and musical accents! Oh yeah, I should mention that he's writing his own part... which is great, since I don't want to write a drum part! Speaking of which, I need to write bass and keyboard parts for that tune tonight.
Amazingly, we finished early! I was home just before 9pm, which may be a new record! Let's see what tomorrow holds; hopefully they'll give me a little time off during the day to write/relax/catch my breath.
Staci -- I'll have to tell you all about Speech Level Singing! I think you'd really get a lot out of it... but I need to learn more details first. :)
Julie -- Still haven't gotten the needle! :( That's ok though, I honestly haven't had ANY time to knit. Well, maybe a little, but not when I had the energy and focus!
7.16.2011
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:
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! :)
BTP: Day 6
ugh. I am so tired.
Still having a great time, but man this job takes stamina! Today was great though! I ended up doing a lot of different things by the time I was finished, but all good stuff.
First, however, I feel I must mention that I have a sort of informal breakfast ritual -- I usually come down to the lobby for breakfast as Ross Kimura is still there; he is SUCH a riot! He is a daunting-looking Japanese man who talks with the thickest Brooklyn accent I've heard in quite a while... and SO funny! It's basically an ideal start to the day: Coffee Talk with Ross.
My first class was accompanying for Michael Maresca. I feel like we're on such a similar level much of the time -- we're the same age, have the same voice part, like the same music, and he even has the same kind of glasses as me! I'm like his slightly fatter, slightly more Southern cousin. But anyway, he's incredibly knowledgeable and extremely entertaining to listen to! I really enjoyed his session, even though I only played for a small portion of it. He spent most of the time addressing questions and problems with the voice that were posed by the lecture group. Great stuff!
After that, I had a little bit of a break before accompanying another one of Darren's ballet classes. I really like accompanying for him, although it can sometimes be tricky to come up with the right thing to play for the situation. I have to think of something that will fit in the time signature, the tempo, and the form of the combination. Sometimes I get lucky, sometimes not. I suppose that's the risk you take!
The usual crew went to lunch (Bill, Michael, and I) and while I was there Julie Denninghoff asked if we could swap classes in the afternoon block. I was supposed to accompany another one of Michael's sessions and another vocal masterclass, but instead I accompanied back-to-back dance classes with Mr. D'Amboise. I'm assuming it was modern... although it's hard to tell. A little ballet, a little jazz, a lot of movement and flow. At any rate, it was tricky to get a bead on what he wanted as far as music since I was so used to playing the ballet classes. It ended well though, and I enjoyed his session as well.
After dinner, I started the next block with Rick Pessagno: "Coffee Break" from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. I hadn't ever heard the song before, so I had the smarts to check it out on YouTube the night before. As it turns out, the tune is really pretty simple! All the harmonies between the men and women are doubled, so teaching it was relatively easy. They took direction well, and although the had a few high schoolish lapses in focus, they are a really sweet and hard-working group. And funny?!? these kids can be hilarious!
There was a little glint to the whole day, though -- one guy came up after rehearsal and told me, not asked, that he was signing up for a lesson with me as soon as possible! I wasn't even on the books to teach private lessons! How amazing! This is like the third kid who has approached me on their own and inquired about private lessons from me. So awesome! Tomorrow I'm going to make a list of these folks and get it to the administrative staff so they can schedule me in accordingly. As a side note, it's also an added bonus that he asked me, "Did you play Mark Cohen in Rent?" After telling him no, he said, "Well, you look and sound just like him! When I first saw you I thought, 'Oh my god! It's him!'" How can you not feel just a little proud after that?
It's just such an amazing feeling, knowing that with all of these incredible and accomplished instructors and performers, that several individuals are approaching me for guidance and advice. I don't have the credentials of these people, but I do feel that I can offer them something very real and unique, so I'm certainly going to accommodate their requests.
Aside from a stiff left elbow, I still have absolutely nothing to complain about! I'm having to be careful about how I play, since I'm playing so much. I literally played all day today, aside from meal breaks and a couple of transition periods. By the way, anyone ever had tennis elbow? Know how to relieve it?
Be sure to check out my video in my last post!
Still having a great time, but man this job takes stamina! Today was great though! I ended up doing a lot of different things by the time I was finished, but all good stuff.
First, however, I feel I must mention that I have a sort of informal breakfast ritual -- I usually come down to the lobby for breakfast as Ross Kimura is still there; he is SUCH a riot! He is a daunting-looking Japanese man who talks with the thickest Brooklyn accent I've heard in quite a while... and SO funny! It's basically an ideal start to the day: Coffee Talk with Ross.
My first class was accompanying for Michael Maresca. I feel like we're on such a similar level much of the time -- we're the same age, have the same voice part, like the same music, and he even has the same kind of glasses as me! I'm like his slightly fatter, slightly more Southern cousin. But anyway, he's incredibly knowledgeable and extremely entertaining to listen to! I really enjoyed his session, even though I only played for a small portion of it. He spent most of the time addressing questions and problems with the voice that were posed by the lecture group. Great stuff!
After that, I had a little bit of a break before accompanying another one of Darren's ballet classes. I really like accompanying for him, although it can sometimes be tricky to come up with the right thing to play for the situation. I have to think of something that will fit in the time signature, the tempo, and the form of the combination. Sometimes I get lucky, sometimes not. I suppose that's the risk you take!
The usual crew went to lunch (Bill, Michael, and I) and while I was there Julie Denninghoff asked if we could swap classes in the afternoon block. I was supposed to accompany another one of Michael's sessions and another vocal masterclass, but instead I accompanied back-to-back dance classes with Mr. D'Amboise. I'm assuming it was modern... although it's hard to tell. A little ballet, a little jazz, a lot of movement and flow. At any rate, it was tricky to get a bead on what he wanted as far as music since I was so used to playing the ballet classes. It ended well though, and I enjoyed his session as well.
After dinner, I started the next block with Rick Pessagno: "Coffee Break" from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. I hadn't ever heard the song before, so I had the smarts to check it out on YouTube the night before. As it turns out, the tune is really pretty simple! All the harmonies between the men and women are doubled, so teaching it was relatively easy. They took direction well, and although the had a few high schoolish lapses in focus, they are a really sweet and hard-working group. And funny?!? these kids can be hilarious!
There was a little glint to the whole day, though -- one guy came up after rehearsal and told me, not asked, that he was signing up for a lesson with me as soon as possible! I wasn't even on the books to teach private lessons! How amazing! This is like the third kid who has approached me on their own and inquired about private lessons from me. So awesome! Tomorrow I'm going to make a list of these folks and get it to the administrative staff so they can schedule me in accordingly. As a side note, it's also an added bonus that he asked me, "Did you play Mark Cohen in Rent?" After telling him no, he said, "Well, you look and sound just like him! When I first saw you I thought, 'Oh my god! It's him!'" How can you not feel just a little proud after that?
It's just such an amazing feeling, knowing that with all of these incredible and accomplished instructors and performers, that several individuals are approaching me for guidance and advice. I don't have the credentials of these people, but I do feel that I can offer them something very real and unique, so I'm certainly going to accommodate their requests.
Aside from a stiff left elbow, I still have absolutely nothing to complain about! I'm having to be careful about how I play, since I'm playing so much. I literally played all day today, aside from meal breaks and a couple of transition periods. By the way, anyone ever had tennis elbow? Know how to relieve it?
Be sure to check out my video in my last post!
7.15.2011
BTP: Day 5 (Video Teaser)
Not too much to say, except I suck at uploading video. No idea why it's sideways.
Oh well, you'll just have to tilt your head I suppose. Anyhow, it's pretty to listen to!
"For Good" from Wicked -- end of third day for the first block
Oh well, you'll just have to tilt your head I suppose. Anyhow, it's pretty to listen to!
"For Good" from Wicked -- end of third day for the first block
7.14.2011
BTP: Day 5
It's funny, everyone keeps coming up to me and asking me, "How are you hanging in there?" and "So... what do you think so far?" I love it, and it gets better every single day!
Of course, I am starting to feel the grind of the day to day sinking in now. Always a little sleepy, but the amazing kids, exciting classes, and wonderful instructors and staff keep me going!
Today was a pretty involved day -- While my 4-5 class got canceled, I still had plenty to do! I started out bright and early at the studio at around 9:30am. I accompanied one of Mary Walkley's vocal technique classes, which was incredibly stimulating! I'm so used to a different style of technique -- she teaches something called "Speech Level Singing". Basically, it encourages a lowered, relaxed larynx and vowel shapes that are the same as when speaking, often rather guttural! Even so, her technique is incredible at getting a huge, satisfying "belt" sound from your mix while staying in control and totally relaxed! Insane!
After her class, I did some more arranging for Lauren's percussion piece. It's coming along, albeit slowly. I did have some nice compositional moments though, which was especially gratifying. I love it when I try a new idea out, and it works the first time! makes me feel smart.
After lunch, there was a massive presentation involving all of the pre-professional students who had been participating in McQuinn's class. The assignment was for these groups to pitch a new musical, and each group was as different as could be! While there were several technical difficulties involving the projector and sound system, all in all the ten groups did an amazing job! Some of them not so much... but there were a few groups that I honestly wished had continued performing! It was informative and entertaining! Very cool.
After our dinner break, we spent our evening block working on "For Good". After much ado, Ben Vereen finally arrived and began working on our piece. He got the basic concept of it, but managed to simplify the idea and really clarify it for the girls. The shaping that he did was incredible, and as an added bonus, it suited my music perfectly! I am so pleased with it! Ben Vereen is terrific to work with as well -- personable, yet disconnected. He managed to find the "real" in our selection, which is tough with such a sentimental and highly metaphoric song. I think we've succeeded in creating a new piece separate from the simple duet that was there before. So amazing! Oh, and have I mentioned that those 19 girls sound FREAKING amazing?!? Well, they do.
And if I could figure out how to rotate a video that I took on my iPhone and upload it, I'd show you all. So that's your homework assignment!!!
Of course, I am starting to feel the grind of the day to day sinking in now. Always a little sleepy, but the amazing kids, exciting classes, and wonderful instructors and staff keep me going!
Today was a pretty involved day -- While my 4-5 class got canceled, I still had plenty to do! I started out bright and early at the studio at around 9:30am. I accompanied one of Mary Walkley's vocal technique classes, which was incredibly stimulating! I'm so used to a different style of technique -- she teaches something called "Speech Level Singing". Basically, it encourages a lowered, relaxed larynx and vowel shapes that are the same as when speaking, often rather guttural! Even so, her technique is incredible at getting a huge, satisfying "belt" sound from your mix while staying in control and totally relaxed! Insane!
After her class, I did some more arranging for Lauren's percussion piece. It's coming along, albeit slowly. I did have some nice compositional moments though, which was especially gratifying. I love it when I try a new idea out, and it works the first time! makes me feel smart.
After lunch, there was a massive presentation involving all of the pre-professional students who had been participating in McQuinn's class. The assignment was for these groups to pitch a new musical, and each group was as different as could be! While there were several technical difficulties involving the projector and sound system, all in all the ten groups did an amazing job! Some of them not so much... but there were a few groups that I honestly wished had continued performing! It was informative and entertaining! Very cool.
After our dinner break, we spent our evening block working on "For Good". After much ado, Ben Vereen finally arrived and began working on our piece. He got the basic concept of it, but managed to simplify the idea and really clarify it for the girls. The shaping that he did was incredible, and as an added bonus, it suited my music perfectly! I am so pleased with it! Ben Vereen is terrific to work with as well -- personable, yet disconnected. He managed to find the "real" in our selection, which is tough with such a sentimental and highly metaphoric song. I think we've succeeded in creating a new piece separate from the simple duet that was there before. So amazing! Oh, and have I mentioned that those 19 girls sound FREAKING amazing?!? Well, they do.
And if I could figure out how to rotate a video that I took on my iPhone and upload it, I'd show you all. So that's your homework assignment!!!
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