<p>So, I’ve selected my songs, and made my cuts, and both are not overdone, and sit nicely in my voice, but, apart from just singing them over and over again, how should I work on them to get them to their best? I have a voice teacher and all, but I’m looking for things I can do on my own to really make them ‘pop’, like interesting exercises to do for the acting or to get things vocally perfected as well. Basically, any tips on song preparation would greatly be appreciated!</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Understand the show and the character who sings those songs and why she is singing that song.</p>
<p>Also make sure you get “in the moment” of your character and know what was the last thought or action before the first note you sing.</p>
<p>Of course it’s important to sing the song in tune and with good vocal technique. If you have mastered that part, now forget about it – and sing the WORDS instead of the NOTES. If you don’t understand and FEEL what you’re singing, it will be boring, no matter how technically correct you are. I see a lot of young singers make this mistake.</p>
<p>What we are all saying in different ways is act the song. Forget about hitting the notes perfectly (you said you can do that already, right?) and throw yourself completely into the moment and what the character is saying.</p>
<p>One specific exercise you can use to help you with the acting of the song is to take the lyrics and work on them as a monologue. See where that leads you in the acting of it. (It also helps with phrasing sometimes too !)</p>
<p>Florence Birdwell, the legendary OCU voice teacher of Kristin Chenoweth and Kelli O’Hara, uses that technique, i.e., saying the lyrics of one’s song as a monologue.</p>
<p>When people say “act your song”, please know that they really mean “know and feel your song”, and make it heartfelt, rather than introducing hand motions like “pointing at the sky, when you refer to heaven, or look at your wrist, when you sing about running out of time”. For some this may go without saying, but we have heard of and seen some people make some unnecessary, overly affected choices.</p>
<p>I coach my students to ask the same questions when they are singing a song that they would when working on a monologue. Short version… </p>
<p>Who are you talking to?
What is your action statement? (What do you want from the other person you are talking to?)
Where are you?
Why are you compelled to sing this song? (How will this song help you to get you what you want?)
Where were you right before you started singing this song? (I don’t mean literally… but within the context of the song :))
What has changed by the end of the song? What is the journey? (Did you get what you wanted or not?)</p>
<p>Treat the song like a monologue on pitch. Monologuing the text of your song is a great idea, and has become pretty standard in musical theatre song preparation. </p>
<p>Good Luck! :)</p>
<p>Yes, please don’t make arm motions! Acting the song means communicating in an authentic way what the song is saying/feeling. It doesn’t mean wringing your hands or, as my friend above says, pointing to the sky. :)</p>