Voice Performance Class 4/19

We will all meet together in HRH today, 4/19/19.

Voice Class 4/12

Hi folks,

We have a very full class this week, but will need to meet all together in HRH. See you then!

Juries

Hi folks,

Jury sign-up sheets have been posted on my door. Remember, the sooner you sign up, the more likely you are to get the time you want! Double check your final exam schedule before signing up, so that you don't have to change anything later.

Thanks.

OPERA: here we go!

Folks,

We agreed to a 9am rehearsal tomorrow, Saturday. Please make every effort to be there. I would love to be done by 11am. Let's work efficiently to make that happen. Be on time and warmed up.

TUESDAY is not only our first dress rehearsal, it is also the day in-action photos will be taken. Please be in costume, in makeup, ready to go by 6pm. I have quite a bit of makeup and white hairspray for the "old folks," so no need to buy that if you don't wish. Though I will bring alcohol to clean things so you can share if needed, I do recommend having your own face makeup for sanitary reasons. Most cost-effective way to do this: go to Sephora and ask for a color-matching and one or two samples to try. They will be free. There is a shop at the Summit and anther in JCPenney at the Fultondale Target shopping center.

Tech week has been posted for months, so you know the drill. Here are the times again:

Orchestra-only rehearsal on Monday, April 8 (7-9pm). This is not required, but might be very helpful if you’d like to hear the orchestra parts before you sing with them. Please come if you can.

Piano dress April 9 (6-9 pm: 5pm call for costumes and makeup)

Orchestra dress rehearsal on April 10 (6-9pm: 5pm call for costumes and makeup)  

Performances: April 11 and 13th (BOTH at 7pm: this is a time change you all agreed to! Make a note of it). 6pm call for costumes and makeup. Come earlier if you need the time to warm up, etc.

As always, the key to this week is pacing yourselves and budgeting your energy. Do what you must to take care of yourself. Hydration, good nutrition, and adequate sleep are of paramount importance this week. It might feel like babying yourself, but it is VITAL.

Thanks, and see you tomorrow.

Voice Performance class 4.5.19

We will meet all together in room 209 this week. Thanks!

Voice Performance Class 3.29.19

All studios will meet together in HRH this week for Voice Performance Class. Next week: we will be in 312, 209, or both. Stay tuned!

Voice Studio Recital groups posted

The groups for the voice recitals are posted on my door. Please double check that nothing was inadvertently omitted. Cut and paste/copy and paste sometimes yields weird mistakes! 

If you would initial next your name, that would be terrific. Email me if there are any problems.

Thanks.

Performance Class March 22

All together in HRH...we may not get through everything, but we will do our best! Be on time, please.

Schedule through performance week

Hi folks,

Since today is cancelled, I thought I'd post a revised schedule, along with the email I sent you last week.

March 21, CANCELLED 

OFF BOOK from now on, no exceptions! March 26,  3:30-5:30pm: scene 2 and end of scene 3 (starting with Hermits entrance). Again, we won’t have Chris, but this is still an opportunity to refine your acting and get used to orchestral cues. Hermits, do what you can before Michael has to leave at 4:30. This is what we'd planned for 3/21.

March 28, 3:30-6 we will have Chris, so all called! Our lighting designer will either attend or I will be recording, so all bodies are needed. Run the show at least once. Lighting designer present.

April 2 and 4: TBA, based on Chris’s availability. Keep 3:30-5 free, at the very least...till 6pm on the 4th, please.

Tech week has been posted for months, so you know the drill. Here they are again:

Orchestra-only rehearsal on Monday, April 8 (7-9pm). This is not required, but might be very helpful if you’d like to hear the orchestra parts before you sing with them. 

Piano dress April 9 (6-9 pm: 5pm call for costumes and makeup)

Orchestra dress rehearsal on April 10 (6-9pm: 5pm call for costumes and makeup)  

Performances: April 11 and 13th (BOTH at 7pm: this is a time change you all agreed to! Make a note of it). 6pm call for costumes and makeup. Come earlier if you need the time to warm up, etc.

A few thoughts as you move closer to opening night:

Now is the time to experiment. I gave you very few “don’ts” in terms of gestures, but other than that, you all have tons of latitude. Try things within the blocking guidelines and the character discussion we had. From there, I can help you refine your work...bigger, smaller, what works, what doesn’t, etc. PLEASE don’t feel afraid to try something for fear it will be vetoed! You only find out if something works in context if you go for it unabashedly. And some things work or don’t work simply in accordance with what else is happening on stage. Trial and error is part of the process, and half the fun. Enjoy playing around!

Please be on time. We have such limited rehearsal time—twice weekly is really scant for any staged work—so I implore you to honor each other’s time. We are all spread pretty thin.

Remember that part of your memorization process is integrating the coaching we did. If it’s pitches we fixed, diction we refined, tuning we adjusted, or balance issues, be sure you’ve made all of those automatic. Please do not sing it the way you did in the first rehearsal! The reason we spent weeks working so specifically is so you’d bring those changes through the rehearsal process and to the final performance.

This is such a profound opera, and all if you have the gifts to bring something truly special to it. I challenge you to stretch yourselves. Conquering a tough piece is something you’ll never forget, and truly makes all of us better people.

Know that each of you is loved and honored.

Opera TODAY 3/21 cancelled

Hi folks,

Jeff just texted me. He's very sick. Today's rehearsal is cancelled.

Please continue drilling anything that needs attention, so that as few snags as possible are present on Tuesday. I will not be there, but plan on working whatever you didn't run this past Tuesday on that day.

Thanks!

Schedule this week

 Hi folks, I emailed you the schedule for this week and next over a week ago. Check your email if you are at all confused! Thanks.

Opera this week: changes!

Please read the times carefully and let me know if you gave any problems. This week we have Chris on Thursday from 4:30-7, so it would behoove us to make use of his limited time. We won’t have rehearsal next week during spring break, obviously.

Tuesday, March 5
3:30-4:30 finish blocking the opera with final scene (all called in Scene 3)
4:30-5 Hermits dismissed; review scene 3 until Hermits entrance

Thursday, March 7
4:30-7 all called; slog through entire opera!

Voice performance class 3/1

We will meet all together in HRH today, March 1.

Opera this week

February 25 (IPC)

NO rehearsal: Jeff is available for musical touch-ups as needed at IPC. 
Please contact him directly if needed. Thanks.

February 27 (IPC)

NO BISHOP: Beau, please stand in again, if you don't mind!
3:30-4:30 Scene 3 through p.127 blocking
4:30-5:30 Scene 1 review blocking WITH music. 

Performance class, 2.22

On February 22, we will all meet together in HRH. Thanks!

HERMITS schedule this week

Hi folks,

We are beginning blocking this week in the space, so allow travel time to/from IPC. We will not have accompaniment, so be prepared to speak your text both out of rhythm (like plain spoken dialogue) as well as in rhythm, if needed.

Enter through the parlor door (in the glassed-in area just to the right of the sanctuary as you're facing the church). I'll keep an eye out for you!

February 19 (IPC)

3:30-4:30 Hermits (scene 2)
4:30-5:30 Captain, Mother and Nuns (scene 2)

February 21 (IPC)

3:30-5:15 all called (scene 1) Bishop joins us at 4:30
5:15-6pm Mother and Bishop scenes (start with scene 1; we’ll see if we get to scene 3)

This week: HERMITS

PLEASE notify me immediately if I have scheduled you when you cannot be here! 
This week is our last musical review week. Thank you.

Tuesday, February 12 (UAB: Hulsey 249)

3:30-4 Hermits: review
4-4:20 Nuns, Mother, Fisherman, Captain pp.46-53, 116-127
mini break
4:30-4:50 Mother, Nuns, Captain 72-77, 80-83
4:50-5:30 Nuns and Mother pp. 15-24, 31, 57-60, 103-106, 110-115

Thursday, February 14 (UAB: Hulsey 249)
Rehearsal CANCELED today--use the time to memorize!!

We begin blocking next week at IPC. Be sure you have ironed out ALL of your musical issues by then! We will not have time to stop and work after this week.

Be ready to speak your lines in rhythm starting February 19 as part of the staging process.
We will not always have accompaniment, so get used to it! Thanks.

Performance Class 2/8

Dr. Cho and his students will start in the Dance Studio with Mr. Byrd. Drs. Jaworski and H-W will meet in HRH and start with Dr. Steele's singers. Dr. Cho's studio and Mr. Byrd will join us for the rest of the class in HRH once they are done.

Clear as mud? See you then.

THIS WEEK: Hermits schedule

All rehearsals are 3:30-5:30 unless otherwise noted. Please note whether rehearsal takes place at UAB (KHW's office or choir room) or at IPC (choir room). Rooms may change: stay tuned!

Page numbers will be fleshed out or changed as needed as we go. Check here regularly.

February 5: UAB (room 249)
REVIEW: please take the time to solidify anything that was rocky. 
Rehearsal is NOT for note-banging! Be ready to do it with accompaniment.
3:30-3:50 Nuns, Mother, Fisherman, Captain pp.46-53, 116-127
3:50-4:10Mother, Nuns, Captain 72-77, 80-83
4:10-5 Nuns and Mother pp. 15-24, 31, 57-60, 103-106, 110-115

February 7: UAB (room 249)

ALL CALLED (no singing) character work 3:30-5
(Beth joins us via FaceTime 3:30-4)
(Chris joins us via FaceTime or Skype at 4)

This week: HERMITS opera schedule

All rehearsals are 3:30-5:30 unless otherwise noted. Please note whether rehearsal takes place at UAB (KHW's office or choir room) or at IPC (choir room). Rooms may change: stay tuned!

Page numbers will be fleshed out or changed as needed as we go. Check here regularly.

January 29: (UAB, Hulsey Center)

NO REHEARSAL: solidify your music for Thursday!

January 31: UAB
3:30-4 pp. 116-127 
4-4:30 touch on anything we haven't addressed or needs work

4:30-5:30 ADD Bishop: run through entire piece

Performance Class 1/25

We will all meet together in HRH. See you then!

Performance class on Friday

Folks,

Singers in my studio will meet in 307 on Friday. Nothing to prepare: we'll have a discussion. Be sure to purchase Michael Gelb's BODY LEARNING if you haven't already: it's on the required reading list, and is in the bookstore. You can also buy it on Amazon and get a Kindle version if you prefer.

We'll be lying on the floor in semi-supine position for Constructive Rest, so no skirts, please.

Have a great first week of classes!