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Studio Building Blocks. Methods for the 4 year development of a BFA in Musical Theatre. Year One: The new freshman. Getting to know them High school experiences What their expectations are can be surmised by their high school performing experiences Performance so far
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Studio Building Blocks Methods for the 4 year development of a BFA in Musical Theatre
Year One: The new freshman • Getting to know them • High school experiences • What their expectations are can be surmised by their high school performing experiences • Performance so far • How they feel about performing • Family life • Outside activities and hobbies • Where they are in their family (other siblings, birth order, etc.)
Year One: The new freshman • Getting to know them • Voice lessons • How many years have they taken • Who have their teachers been • What was the focus on voice like in high school (classical, MT, both, neither) • Musicianship background • Do they play other instruments • Were they in choir • Do they dance • Have they had any theory prior to college
Year One: The new freshman • Those first few lessons: things to establish • Talk through the syllabus • Expectations of practicing • How much • How often • What happens in a practice session • A warm-up routine • Mix old and new • Establish a hierarchy of technique • A weekly schedule/routine • Investigate their schedule of classes • Help them decide on a best time of day for practicing
Year One: The new freshman • Putting together a notebook • Purchasing music • Balanced focus of repertoire • Why classical music is important • REP SUGGESTIONS • Issues of breathing • Issues of belting • Emphasis on middle voice continuity • Basic song analysis • Working with an accompanist
Year One: The new freshman • Checkpoints • Issues of vocal health • Impact of their new college life on their voice • Lack of sleep • Alcohol • Sorority stress • Other stress: Being away from home, Trying to live at home, boyfriends, girlfriends • Practice habits • Warm up routine • Performing in Voice Lab for your peers • Coping strategies • The first jury • Coping strategies
Year One: The new freshman • Auditions • NATS • SerNATS – even if just to observe their own level as well as upper division levels for perspective • FTC • SETC • Shows • What to expect from an audition • Being a good ensemble member • Being a cover or understudy
Year Two: Those Wise Sophomores • Evaluating the first year • What they learned • Comparing their two juries • Voice lab preparation and choice of rep for performing in voice lab • Issues of scheduling practicing • Things that worked • Things that didn’t work
Year Two: Those Wise Sophomores • Expand the range • New warm-ups for range extension • Continued focus on middle voice connection • The middle voice should be stronger than it was at this point to allow for higher, lyric belting • REP SUGGESTIONS • Still be cautious about balance of repertoire in this stage. Only one really belty piece for experimenting, otherwise, legit and classical. • REP SUGGESTIONS
Year Two: Those Wise Sophomores • Auditions • NATS • SerNATS • FTC • SETC • Straw Hat • UPTAS • Shows
Year Three: Juiced Juniors • Repertoire expansion • More difficult repertoire at this stage • Thinking ahead to the senior showcase • Balance of repertoire as far as style • What are they lacking – get it balanced • Ballads • Up tempo • Belt • Legit • Pre-1965 • Post-1965 • Post-2000 • A SAMPLE NOTEBOOK
Year Three: Juiced Juniors • Auditions • NATS • SerNATS • FTC • SETC • Straw Hat • UPTAS • Shows • Being a lead • Collegiality
Year Four: Schizophrenic Seniors • So excited and so scared all at the same time! • Showcase mode • Audition mode • Grad school mode • Trying to graduate mode
Year Four: Schizophrenic Seniors • Auditions • NATS • SerNATS • FTC • SETC • Grad school ones as well • Straw Hat • UPTAS • Shows • To be or not to be