Don't forget the lyrics!

It's taken us a while for us to get part 2 of our thoughts from the International Congress of Voice Teachers in Brisbane but (finally!) here it is:

USING A TEXT BASED APPROACH

David Sisco in his presentation said something that rings very true, "the text is the key to building the bridge between the audience and the performer." Singing well is one thing, but if you aren’t communicating the message of the song clearly, we won’t ultimately be moved.

Mary Saunders-Bart had a similar message –a music theatre audience wants first to be drawn into the story and the character on stage, not to be aware of vocalism or how well a person sings. Another helpful hint: think before every line. You want the audience to see your thoughts.

David had some interesting ideas for how to build a closer personal relationship with the text. Here are a few things you could try:

Separate the text from the music and investigate the song. What is happening to that character at the time? What has happened? What do they want?

Write out the text on a separate piece of paper. It helps with memorisation and forms a visual relationship with the lyric.

Recite your lyric as a monologue – this can be difficult to do, but helps you put an emphasis on communicating the text. Also, whilst you do this, make a mental note of where you breathe, this might help you make breath choices when singing.

Translate the text in your own words, on the spot, whilst singing the melody. This is tricky to do, but David says that often it will help a singer find their own voice within the text.

Avoid listening to recordings of other singers performing the song until you have your own solid understanding of what your interpretation is.

If a singer has done their homework, then the clarity they bring to the lyric will help make that performance stand out. The question David said all singers should ask is: “What of myself can I offer in service of this song?” And, as a bonus, a helpful tip from Mary: in rehearsals or concerts try to take a moment before you sing. Find your place in the song, and know where your journey is coming from and where you are about to head.

Let us know if any of these approaches and techniques have worked for you or if you've got any other ideas for connecting to the text. Hey, if we didn't love the lyrics, we'd probably all be clarinetists rather than singers!