Music theory question

CanadianMTgirl
Thu, 04 Jun 2015 03:33:31 +0000

Freshmen at Viterbo have to take two semesters of music theory and one semester of piano proficiency. A dedicated sight-singing class is also recommended (though sight-singing is covered in our freshman theory classes). I recently auditioned for a new Toronto Fringe Festival musical and remarked to my parents how helpful my sight-singing skills were in getting through the audition/callback process. I ended up getting an offer (although I can’t accept it, unfortunately, because of the summer program I’m doing this year)–music theory pays off in a big way!

I’ve had theory training ever since I was young (I’ve played piano on and off for 9 years) and I truly think I would be lost without it. You have to think about how much it would cost (in dollars and in intangibles) you to be out in the world trying to make a living as a performer if you did not have music theory skills. If you can’t read music, you can’t teach yourself the material you have to prepare for your audition, which means hiring an accompanist to record the vocal line for you. If you’re updating your book frequently and going in for new projects consistently, that’s an expensive prospect. Furthermore, learning a song from the cast recording (if one exists) just doesn’t cut it–in an audition, you definitely want to sing what’s on the page (this often applies to reading rhythms) unless you’re told otherwise or unless it’s a very strong, justified acting choice.

Of course, there are always going to be those success stories (like Ramin Karimloo) who don’t know how to read music…but they’re the exception, not the rule.

I did not take AP Music Theory in high school, but I did try to brush up on theory prior to going to college (although frankly, if it had been allowed, I would have been able to test out of both semesters of theory, and I will test out of piano proficiency this fall). There are lots of dedicated theory workbooks that can be found at music stores. Although a more expensive option than apps, perhaps, they tend to be a little more comprehensive.