Musical Theatre Audition Technique: What's In That Backpocket, Anyway?

I can give you two of my five "backpocket" songs - songs that I can sing any where at any time, upside down and inside out - "I Want To Be With You" from Golden Boy and "Go The Distance" from Hercules (movie). Now, if your response is "Everybody sings those!" well, duh, everybody sings everything -- difference is, I just KNOW I sing those songs better than anybody else.  That's why I use 'em!

Both are very positive, self-assured tunes with great finishes - one has a big F#, the other has a big G.  Both hit their emotional high points quickly because, frankly, if I need more than 32 bars to make my point, then we already have a problem...  Here's a mini-breakdown on why I keep these two songs with me always:

"I Want To Be With You"
Use for Legit Musical Theatre (meaning: big, fat round sound)
Moderate tempo
Positive, "I Want" song (check with Stephen Schwartz and son on this one!)
Dramatic
Unidirectional -- speaking to one person, in one direction
Utilizes a "cover" on legit high notes (a cover is where you maintain the same tone while slightly changing the vowel sound and fooling the listener into believing you just sang the actual vowel - which you didn't because you "covered" it)

"Go The Distance"
Use for Pop/Rock Musical Theatre
Moderate tempo
Positive, "I Want" song (more: Stephen Schwartz and his son don't like the obviousness of "I Want" songs and are always looking for ways to mask them)
"House" number -- omnidirectional, you sing to "the house" meaning: Left, Center, Right
Utilize a rock tone (definitely brighter, edgier, more strident, sticks out in front of the noise of a rock track)

Both songs leave the listener feeling upbeat and positive.  Both songs show off the highs and the lows of my voice really well.  Backpocket songs.

Quick Fix: Clap The Beats To Get "In The Pocket"

Clapping to the beat might seem pretty "back to basics," we learn how to do it in kindergarten, but whether you're a pro or a beginner, it can be a huge help when trying to focus a vocal performance.  Had a minor tempo issue today with one of my favorite clients. He was "out of the pocket" (lagging or speeding up just slightly ahead of the track) singing Elton's uptempo "Fortune Favors The Brave" from Aida.  The strong downbeats appeared to be missing in his vocal.  So I asked him not to sing, just to clap to the track. Thankfully, he didn't take it personally and we clapped straight fours while the track played.  We continued clapping fours as I called out the accents (louder claps).  We accented the "1."  Then we accented the "1 & 3" (Country).  Then we accented the "2 & 4" (Pop/R&B). "Fortune Favors The Brave" can contain all three of these feels - it really depends on how you sing it.  When we added the vocal back to the song (sans clapping), the vocal performance ended up much stronger, more present and much more "in the pocket."    

Plant Your Technique

Technical performers bug the hell out of me; mostly because I used to be one.  Perfect technique, pitch, intonation, every note spot on...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Nothin' wrong with all of the above, but  imagine if every tree looked the same.
Like this:

Instead of this:

Great vocal technique is like the roots of a tree; deep and hidden underground.  The tree grows in its own unique way; finding energy; chasing sunlight with its limbs, branches and leaves.  Great technique is fundamental to artistic growth.

Haller Music Studio - Ramped Up And Rarin' To Go!

Broadway, Pop and Rock singers of all ages; whether you seek a professional career or a great hobby, we're here for you.  We are so excited at the number of talented, hard-working people coming through our doors! Everybody gets the same attention and care at Haller Music and while many of Bill's vocal students are professionals in the arts and many of Nathalie's voice students are younger, everybody still receives the same professional training to rely on for the future.  We're in Lake Balboa, the San Fernando Valley, just off the 405 at Victory.  We have new rates in the column next to this item to help you budget for your professional development, including recording needs like demos or voiceovers.  Join us!

The Sweetland Link

Seth McFarlane studied voice with my beloved and highly respected teacher, Lee Sweetland; the gentleman who, when I asked him for his blessing to teach his vocal technique to other people, said, "Well, Bill, you know everything we know.  Go ahead!"  Now, Lee and Sally, his wife and accompanist, didn't call it a technique and didn't really like it when other folks called it a technique; they preferred calling it a "natural, holistic approach" to singing -- which makes a lot of sense, but also takes more time to describe until someone responds with, "...so it's a 'technique?'" At which point, I would agree and then get down to the question of "why" a potential client wants or needs to study singing.  There are always going to be writers who attack the hosts of  the Academy Awards (excepting Billy Crystal's early years and also when Steve Martin solo hosted), but the most successful hosts have been scamps -- guys with loads of charm who can "get away with it."  Seth McFarlane fits that description for 2013 and beyond.  Plus, he sang great.      

Removing The Emotional Distance....

Music has some very magical properties. Magic happens in my studio quite a bit, mostly because I push my singers to "remove the emotional distance" between themselves and the song.

We don't ever want to fake ourselves or our audience out of the real energy that is present in our being. That would not only be inauthentic, but, ultimately, pretty boring.

Of course, we don't need to be a serial killer barber in real life to pull off the lead in Sweeney Todd on stage, either.

Our job within the context of a song or a musical theatre role is to find the through-line of humanity and spirit, which makes all things "relate-able." Let the sets, lights and costumes do their part. Let the orchestra do theirs. Let us choose to be the vessel of informed energy, armed with words, pitch and emotion, and, having burned said information into our DNA, let us become full energy in performance; concentrated and free, focused and present.