Voice Coach

Acting 101 for Singers: Day 1, Topic 8

One of the sets of information we need to identify to build our context and stimulate our imagination is where musical and textual ideas begin and end. We will build on this idea throughout this course. For now, our goal is to identify where phrases start and end. We will focus on musical phrases because if you are working on a song by a good composer, the text phrase will be within the musical phrase. This is another key element of musical information you have to gather to feed your imagination what it needs to garner the truth the music is trying to tell

Where do I put arrows?

You will put an arrow pointing down to the beginning of the last note or syllable of every phrase. If it is the end of the phrase there should be an arrow pointing down to that note or sung syllable.

The first arrow of any piece will actually be before the music starts. Here is an example of how it could look:

Example of how to mark arrows in the score.

So what? What does musical structure have to do with acting?

Be patient. We are laying the groundwork for future lessons here. But to answer this question, the musical structure has everything to do with acting. Another way to think of musical structure is in the way we identify musical change. The musical change reflects an implied change in the performer’s emotion and action. If we don’t know what the basic musical structure is, then we will be missing a key source of information. Musical information is information that the audience will hear. Therefore, if we don’t take that musical information into account and our audience still hears that there will be a mismatch of what the audience hears versus what they see. This will not read as a cohesive performance. It will lack artistic integrity and ultimately be a weaker performance. In short, it won’t look right and won’t engage the audience as it could. So hang in there with the initial footwork.

Common Mistakes

1. Putting the arrow after the note or at the end of the last note or syllable. That arrow should point to the beginning of the last note or syllable. Trust me, it matters and will make more sense later in this course.
2. Ignoring music that doesn’t have words attached to it. The performer on stage should be engaged in the storytelling from right before the music starts until after the music ends.
3. Forgetting that the first arrow is always before the music starts and the last arrow is after the music ends. Why? Because the dramatic moment of the song starts before the music and ends after the last note stops sounding.

For more on the connection between musical expression

The terms to research are “Musical Prosody” & “Musical Syntax”.

It may sound completely boring, but it is actually really cool! Here are some articles that I thought were fascinating to read.

Articles on Musical Prosody

Prosody in Songwriting 101

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228641841_What_Is_Musical_Prosody

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2008-16279-007

https://www.apa.org/pubs/highlights/peeps/issue-29

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079742106460072

Articles on Musical Syntax

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284066849_Musical_Syntax_and_Its_Relation_to_Linguistic_Syntax

http://www.sfu.ca/~hedberg/Syntax_of_music

https://mitpress.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.7551/mitpress/9780262018104.001.0001/upso-9780262018104-chapter-10

https://academic.oup.com/mq/article-abstract/79/2/281/1148510?redirectedFrom=PDF

Assignments:

Writing Assignment 0: Choose your performance projects

Writing Assignment 1: Marked Up Score 1.0

Writing Assignment 3: The “Who am I” Paper 1.0

Links to other articles in Acting 101 for Singers Day 1

Topic 9: Circles – Finding the music that we have to move to

Topic 10: Where does imagination come from?

Acting 101 for Singers: Day 1, Topic 6

Boxes

We will talk in Acting 101 for Singers Day 2 about what you will put in the boxes. For now, all you have to do is draw a nice big box right in front of each new section of music. If the audience would hear an abrupt change from major to minor keys, or fast to slow tempo, there needs to be a box. If you are changing from verse to chorus, there needs to be a box. Anywhere this is a new section of music, there needs to be a box. Why? Because if the music makes a big change, that means something had to have happened dramatically to cause that big change. We are first focusing on gathering information and not making the decisions yet. We want to identify what those structural changes are and where they are to make decisions about what we think happens there later with all the information available to us.

Here is an example of how it could look

Note: This particular piece is much busier than most. There is a lot happening musically in a very short time. Most pieces will not have this many boxes in just two pages of music.

Common Mistakes

1. Overthinking it. Keep it simple. If you were the average audience member would it sound like something significant changed in the music? Think of a change of keys, tempo, melody, or soloist entrances. Remember we are looking for BIG musical change moments with the boxes.
2. Forgetting that the first box is always before the music starts and the last one after the music ends.
3. Not counting starting to singing as a big structural element. If there is an introduction to a song then almost always there is another box right before the singer starts to sing. Something had to have changed to make it so the singer had to sing.

Assignments:

Writing Assignment 0: Choose your performance projects

Writing Assignment 1: Marked Up Score 1.0

Writing Assignment 3: The “Who am I” Paper 1.0

Links to other articles in Acting 101 for Singers Day 1

Topic 7: Lines – It’s about stress!

Topic 8: Arrows – Pinning Down Where Ideas Shift

Topic 9: Circles – Finding the music that we have to move to

Topic 10: Where does imagination come from?

Acting 101 for Singers: Day 1, Topic 9

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” Albert Einstein

“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.” Carl Sagan

The question of where imagination and inspiration come from is the source of many good books, articles, research, and discussion. Let me summarize the majority of them. Imagination and inspiration don’t come from nowhere. I realize this isn’t the best-written phrase, but I think it best reflects what I believe most young artists subconsciously feel. Creativity, imagination, inspiration, and other related topics get discussed as an almost mystical occurrence. It’s a gift that you either have or you don’t, where you spontaneously and randomly produce creative, imaginative material. How many times have you heard a young person trying to be witty use the phrase, “I know this is random but…” or “That is so random” or some iteration of that. The reality is, it wasn’t random. Something caused that thought to occur, it didn’t just come out of the blue. They might not have been aware of the thought process happening at the time, but it had a source. Imagination always has a source. Imagination is the process of taking a source of information and extrapolating meaning and stories from that information.

The best performers have imagination in spades. Children who are free to be themselves seem to have it in abundance with little or no effort. Here are some basic strategies and tools to unlock and activate the imagination.

What is interesting is that children usually have imagination in abundance. So, is there anything to learn or just things to unlearn? Both. We need to remember and unlearn what keeps us from accessing that childlike vivid imagination, but we also have to learn what the process looks like to be intentional about going through it. Children rely on instinct and external forces to prompt imagination. As artists, we need to know how to spark it through internal intention.

Where does imagination come from?

We don’t create anything from nothing. Therefore, imagination has to come from somewhere. Too often, a young singer gets up and tries to come up with something creative and imaginative from nothing. So what is that from? The short answer is that it comes from sensory input, then choosing to observe that sensory input, and making meaning of that sensory input. In other words, make a story out of that information. Art then becomes the artifact that is the product of the creative process. For example, if you walk from the store your car but don’t take the time to observe your surroundings and make meaning from them, there isn’t a story to tell when you get home. If instead, while walking from the store to your car, you notice the old lady talking to the bag boy about her grandson and the storm clouds that are surely going to drench that old ladies newly blued hair, then you start to have the start of a story to tell when you get home. In short, sensory input is the gas that we have to have to drive the imagination car. So, you want to be more imaginative then spend more time going through this process with deliberate attention.

There is an infinite number of ways this process can play out. A large part of an artist’s journey is exploring the different ways they can go about this process and what works best for them as an individual. What can you do to start on this journey? I would suggest that you start with identifying situations and sensory stimuli that make you react strongly or make you feel deeply, and those that make you think new thoughts. Put yourself into those situations or in front of that stimuli and spend the time observing. Ask yourself as many questions as possible about what you are experiencing. Be curious! Then find ways of expressing the thoughts, feelings, emotions, questions, frustrations, and whatever else you experience to someone else in as many different ways as possible. Take the time to experience the world through your unique lens, and then find how you can share that best. If you are reading this, then most likely one of the ways you communicate best is music.

Creativity & The Young Artist

There are two scenarios that I find most common among young artists. The first is the young artist trying so hard to be creative, unique, and profound that it reads as false, disingenuous, and manufactured. The other is the artist that is so busy doing it “right” that they can’t even imagine how to access their imagination.

The problem for both kinds of artists is they don’t understand where imagination comes from. They think that it is something that comes from nowhere. Unless they are taught the process and realize that at its core, imagination and creativity are about discovering and expressing truth then they will struggle to find the artistic value they are probably craving and so will their audience.

Where does imagination go and how do I get it back

Note: Actually take time to answer the questions in this section for yourself. Don’t just blow through them without thinking about it.

Imagination doesn’t go anywhere, but it does get buried. Growing up and not letting one’s imagination get buried either takes a lot of work or a very special person. That doesn’t mean we can’t rediscover it though.

Identify what moments, experiences, or factors in your life led you to shut your imagination away? Were you hurt when you revealed yourself to someone? Were you scared of rejection? Were you so busy trying to get the “right” answer that you forgot how to explore the many possible answers? Does your imagination suffer from atrophy and disuse?

Rediscovering your imagination is a matter of freeing it from whatever is keeping it locked away. What are you afraid will happen if you let it out? How can you overcome that fear? What can you do to nurture your imagination and practice using it to build it back to its robust childlike vividness?

What can I do to nurture my imagination?

There are a lot of ways to rediscover your imagination, but here are some suggestions of things you can do right away.

1. Read a story to a child in as many different voices and as much ridiculous expression as possible. If they don’t laugh, you aren’t being ridiculous enough.
2. Define the moments where you learned not to use your memory. If you could go back to that moment and do it again, what would you do differently to protect your imagination? Now that you are older would you interpret that scenario in a different way that wouldn’t be so damaging to your imagination?
3. Be mindful of the world around you. Take moments to observe, paying special attention to one sense at a time. Try to observe in as much detail as possible, discovering every aspect of that object, moment, or interaction. By intentionally observing without trying to judge we are giving our mind the building blocks of imagination.
4. Play. Do whatever it takes to get your mind out of thinking and into doing an activity that you find energizing.
5. Be still. Learn to meditate.
6. Draw. Paint. Sing an improvised song. Dance.
7. Give yourself permission to do something wrong or do something silly or ridiculous.
8. Find a way to make a stranger smile.
9. Find situations and people that make it safe for you to be authentic and vulnerable. Then start to explore what it means for you to be authentic and vulnerable.
10. Keep a dream journal or write “morning pages“.

Assignments:

Writing Assignment 0: Choose your performance projects

Writing Assignment 1: Marked Up Score 1.0

Writing Assignment 3: The “Who am I” Paper 1.0

Acting for Singers: Day 1, Topic 4

How would you finish the sentence above? What do your actions say the end of this sentence is? What do you think your most important asset is? Do you agree with the answer that comes to mind? Is it an answer you think someone else would think is the correct answer? Let me share with you what my answer would be and why.

Imagination

Imagination is what makes an artist an artist. It’s what makes it so the same opera can be performed for hundreds of years but still be as relevant and fresh as it was the first time. For me, without imagination, there isn’t much value for the performance besides being background music; and even so, it wouldn’t be notable. Also, as a stage director trying to work with a performer who hasn’t nurtured their imagination and isn’t prepared to use their imagination, but is instead waiting for me to feed them everything, it’s a drag! It wastes time, sucks the energy from a rehearsal, and keeps production from reaching its potential. However, this great potential does happen when each artist contributes to the overall product that couldn’t happen by one imagination alone.

The Role of an Artist

One of the traditional roles associated with artists is to be a person that uniquely sees the world or is more sensitive than the average person. It doesn’t mean the average person can’t become an artist. I believe anyone, in some way, can develop an artistic mindset. The challenge is unlocking and honing your observational skills and expressing the truths you find. You must do this while being authentic to who you are as an individual. This means being more concerned with asking questions and exploring possibilities, than setting definitions and limits. It means being vulnerable and sharing your discoveries with the world. This role and what it means is a theoretical discussion that can go on endlessly. The hope is that through this course you will become a more sensitive, deliberate, and expressive artist, not just a technician.

Training an Artist vs. Training a Technician.

First, there is nothing wrong with being a technician. The technique behind art can be a valuable aspect of unlocking expressive potential. However, the ultimate goal of becoming an artist versus becoming a technician seems to alter the training process. The overly simplified way of describing this difference is that with an artist, the teaching goal is usually to facilitate someone learning to think independently. Oppositely, a technician is trained to do what they are told.

In this course, a good deal of what we will discuss will be technique-oriented. The techniques have the end goal of helping you to unlock your imagination and body. You will be gaining tools that will allow you to express your unique perspective of the world. As you start to apply the techniques, if they seem strange, odd, or limiting, I ask you to give them a diligent try. Often something can feel weird or wrong simply because it isn’t a habit yet. Watch videos and compare your performances between when you do what is suggested and when you don’t. You will find that with time and practice, the principles and techniques you are taught in this course will free you to become an artist who is technically proficient and artistically engaging.

Would You Rather Have a Blank Stage or a Fully Realistic Stage?

I was asked this question by my directing mentor when I started graduate school, “Would you rather have a blank stage with a single light bulb or a fully realistic stage with all the bells and whistles?” The set with more impressive production values seemed to be the obvious choice to me. What would you choose?

Over the coming years, he convinced me to believe that each added physical element on-stage took away that much more freedom to utilize imagination by both the performing artist and the audience. The mind can come up with things that are much more wonderful and much more terrible than anything real. A blank stage is a blank canvas where the artist is free to imagine anything, and so is the audience. With imagination, you don’t need anything beyond a performer, a light source, and an audience. Conversely, you could have a spectacular set, but if the performer doesn’t have an imagination, the audience will be impressed for five minutes by the set and bored the rest of the time by the performer.

So Is It Either You Have It or You Don’t? If I Don’t Have an Imagination, Should I Just Quit?

Everyone who functions in society is born with imagination, but most of us learn to lock it away behind very tall walls. The question isn’t one of imagination, but of what you need to do to unlock it, nurture it, and build the confidence to show it to the world. Stop letting others tell you that you don’t have an imagination or that you aren’t creative. Stop telling that to yourself too. Let’s get to work in helping you rediscover what has always been there!

Assignments:

Writing Assignment 0: Choose your performance projects

Writing Assignment 1: Marked Up Score 1.0

Writing Assignment 3: The “Who am I” Paper 1.0

Links to other articles in Acting 101 for Singers Day 1

Topic 5: Where am I? Who am I?

Topic 6: Boxes – What does the Music Have to Say About Dramatic Change?

Topic 7: Lines – It’s about stress!

Topic 8: Arrows – Pinning Down Where Ideas Shift

Topic 9: Circles – Finding the music that we have to move to

Topic 10: Where does imagination come from?

You can’t make strong acting choices if you don’t know what’s driving you. This assignment gives you a clean picture of you—in your own words—so later your character work isn’t guesswork. It’s simple, honest, and private if you want it to be.

[Read more…] about Writing Assignment #3 : The “Who am I” paper version 1.0