Vocalist.org archive


From:  Peter Louis van Dijk <plvdijk@i...>
Peter Louis van Dijk <plvdijk@i...>
Date:  Thu Mar 15, 2001  8:56 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] students with pitch problems


Thank heavens the show is now nearly over! At the preview I felt I had to
say something to the Musical Director and he had the "brainwave" to add a
melody line to the backing track. But he let everyone suffer for weeks!

The problem with listening to the Broadway recording for this show was that
the kids were not supposed to sound like it, so were actually told to avoid
it. Why do it in the first place, I must then ask.

I overheard some members of the audience wondering where all the popular
tunes were, after all, it looked like The wizard of Oz, why didn't it sound
like it? At least they sang "Somewhere over the Rainbow" at the end, but by
then the audience might have lost interest.

I agree that any kind of live orchestra pooled from the talents of the
pupils is infinitely more desirable than having a "canned" backing.

Thanks for your imput

Regards

Susi

----------
>From: Elizabeth Finkler <mightymezzo@h...>
>From: Elizabeth Finkler <mightymezzo@h...>
>To: vocalist-temporary@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [vocalist] students with pitch problems
>Date: Tue, Mar 13, 2001, 11:58 PM
>

>>From: Peter Louis van Dijk <plvdijk@i...>
>>From: Peter Louis van Dijk <plvdijk@i...>
> Well, she
>>has now been given a backing-track to sing to and her pitch is all over the
>>place, just not on the note.There is not much of a melody line on the
>>track,
>>rather a wash of sound.If a live piano plays her notes while she is
>>singing,
>>she is more secure, but the intention is to perform with the backing track
>>only, and she just cannot cope. >
>>
>
> AAAAUUGH! If there's one thing I hate worse than an over-miked or
> badly-miked musical, it's a musical performed to RECORDED accompaniment.
> Yuk!
>
> My first suggestion would be to lobby for the school to use a piano to
> accompany the performances, but I assume you thought of that already. One
> thing that may REALLY help her to get on track is to work with (lean in
> close, I'm about to speak heresy) the original Broadway recording or other
> score recording. Hearing a singer with the pit band might help her to get
> used to singing with the instrumental accompaniment. I sometimes use
> recordings myself to learn choral or small-ensemble music.
>
> Other than that, be supportive, patient and understanding. Assure her that
> this will pass, and she WILL improve with practice. You have my permission
> to tell her that I still have trouble with that stuff sometimes.
>
> Elizabeth Finkler
> Rainyvale (formerly "Sunnyvale"), California
> http://home.earthlink.net/~mightymezzo/
> mightymezzo@h...
>
> "If you must be wrong, then be wrong at the top of your voice!" --Lucy Van
> Pelt
>
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