"As performers we're insecure. That's why we get up on stage."

AUDRA MCDONALD

Music Theatre - Education's Third Wave?

At Music Minds; technique, interpretation, improvisation and musicality are the building blocks used to give students an awareness of how to entertain, to emote, but fundamentally stay honest to themselves and the story they are telling.

The new AMEB Music Theatre Exam Syllabus now allows students to be recognised nationally for their passion while shows such as Glee have opened up possibilities for students to explore music they love and new songs from classical, contemporary and jazz styles. Combining song, acting and dance musical theatre encourages students to inhabit characters and experiences outside of themselves.

Lessons at a glance

• Tailored to suit individual learning style, interests and abilities

• Strong classical technical foundation incorporating posture, breathing, placement and vocal line

• Sight-reading, scales and exercises to build vocal agility, flexibility, range and timbre

• Exploring different styles in the music theatre genre: the 'legit', golden age sound (The Sound of Music); pop and rock infused scores (Pippin, Next to Normal), and contemporary music theatre (Heathers; The Last Five Years; Something Rotten)

• Vocal styling, riffing and improvisation for contemporary pop/rock styled musicals

• Musical interpretation and text meaning, students are encouraged to become independent artistic thinkers in performance

• Acting and character work, understand the context of a song, the motivations and intricacies of the narrative and its players

• Explore repertoire appropriate for age and vocal maturity to foster safe, honest and sincere performances and artists

Why do we sing?

Singing is an expression of who we are as people - each with our individual and unique vocal instrument. Research has shown a strong correlation between choral participation and extra-musical benefits in socialisation, academia and identity construction (Bennetts, 2013). In particular this may benefit the challenging adolescent transition for males as they navigate pressures from society, peers and adults to discover their authentic self.

As a choral educator and vocal specialist I am a passionate advocate for singing throughout the adolescent years. This in part was developed from my own choral experience at school and with organisations such as the Australian National Choral Association, Victorian Opera and Starbound Musical Theatre. 

The two videos below underpin some of the reasons why singing is a crucial part of my musical classroom and approach to teaching. The first, focused on imminent American choral composer Eric Whitacre, explores the intrinsic connectedness experienced through song; whilst the second, a rehearsal video from The Greatest Showman (2017) demonstrates the collaborative joy that can be experienced in singing together.

EXPLORE MEDIA

Music Minds offers 30 minute, 45 minute and 60 minute individual lessons. For more information, contact us or email at musicminds@iinet.net.au.

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