Having been to Cabaret Summer School three times before, I have some idea of what to expect next week.
Each of us will create a ten-minute miniature cabaret segment, consisting of three songs and connecting patter.
I should be doing some preparation.
I'm still coughing. It's not getting any worse, and with three days to go, I hope I'll feel better by Monday. But I don't feel like singing at the moment.
What I could do, though, is to learn some song lyrics.
But which songs?
I know what my segment will be about - heart surgery; the funny, the sad, the weird aspects of it. I want to create a full-length show for the Cabaret Fringe Festival in June, and the segment I create next week will be a short, "pilot" version.
While I was going through the process I made a lot of notes and put together a long list of songs that I might use. I have no idea yet which of these songs will suit my voice, and which ones I might use. A lot of these songs are about hearts or have "heart" in the title. I'll probably choose a few of these, but I don't intend it to be a show about hearts. The songs will need to complement the story.
I will also need some special-purpose songs for the various workshops during the week, and these might not be related to the show. In past years there have been jazz, foreign-language and Stephen Sondheim workshops, and I'm starting to think about which songs I would select for these.
I'll need an "ice-breaker" song to sing in front of the group on the first day. Should this be a new song that I want to develop, or should it be a familiar one that I can sing with confidence?
One thing I've learned - to set yourself up for success, you need to allow yourself plenty of time to learn lyrics, especially if it's a big song. At the first Summer School, I tried to learn a big new song overnight, and was sure I knew the words, but at the dress rehearsal they evaporated. It was quite stressful, and I'm not keen to repeat that experience.
It takes a few days for the words to sink in. The longer you can give yourself, the better.
I decide to refresh my memory of some songs, and to learn a big new song that I'd like to use. It's "Double Rainbow", by Jobim. I have Portuguese and instrumental recordings of this song, but I don't have a good version in English. My guitarist friend Mike has helped me to find sheet music with lyrics in both Portuguese and English. I've managed to work out the form of the song, and the way the words fit with the music.
Now to learn the lyrics.
Double Rainbow - Portuguese version
Double Rainbow - instrumental version
Each of us will create a ten-minute miniature cabaret segment, consisting of three songs and connecting patter.
I should be doing some preparation.
I'm still coughing. It's not getting any worse, and with three days to go, I hope I'll feel better by Monday. But I don't feel like singing at the moment.
What I could do, though, is to learn some song lyrics.
But which songs?
I know what my segment will be about - heart surgery; the funny, the sad, the weird aspects of it. I want to create a full-length show for the Cabaret Fringe Festival in June, and the segment I create next week will be a short, "pilot" version.
While I was going through the process I made a lot of notes and put together a long list of songs that I might use. I have no idea yet which of these songs will suit my voice, and which ones I might use. A lot of these songs are about hearts or have "heart" in the title. I'll probably choose a few of these, but I don't intend it to be a show about hearts. The songs will need to complement the story.
I will also need some special-purpose songs for the various workshops during the week, and these might not be related to the show. In past years there have been jazz, foreign-language and Stephen Sondheim workshops, and I'm starting to think about which songs I would select for these.
I'll need an "ice-breaker" song to sing in front of the group on the first day. Should this be a new song that I want to develop, or should it be a familiar one that I can sing with confidence?
One thing I've learned - to set yourself up for success, you need to allow yourself plenty of time to learn lyrics, especially if it's a big song. At the first Summer School, I tried to learn a big new song overnight, and was sure I knew the words, but at the dress rehearsal they evaporated. It was quite stressful, and I'm not keen to repeat that experience.
It takes a few days for the words to sink in. The longer you can give yourself, the better.
I decide to refresh my memory of some songs, and to learn a big new song that I'd like to use. It's "Double Rainbow", by Jobim. I have Portuguese and instrumental recordings of this song, but I don't have a good version in English. My guitarist friend Mike has helped me to find sheet music with lyrics in both Portuguese and English. I've managed to work out the form of the song, and the way the words fit with the music.
Now to learn the lyrics.
Double Rainbow - Portuguese version
Double Rainbow - instrumental version
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