Having been to Cabaret Summer School three times already, I have some idea of what to expect next week.
Each of us will create a ten-minute miniature cabaret, consisting of three songs with connecting patter.
I should do some preparation.
I'm still coughing. It isn't getting any worse, and with three days to go, I'm hoping I'll be feeling better by Monday. Right now I don't feel like singing.
What I could do though, is to memorize some song lyrics.
But which ones?
I know what my segment is going to be about - heart surgery: the funny, the sad, the weird aspects of it. While I was going through it I made a lot of notes and wrote some blog posts to capture my thoughts and feelings and as much detail as I could. It's all "material". I'm aiming to create a full-length show for the Cabaret Fringe Festival in June, and this segment will be a short, "pilot" version.
I've put together a long list of possible songs for the show. I have no idea which ones will be suitable for my voice, or which ones I will use in the full show, or which three I will sing next Friday night. And I might be advised to choose different ones altogether. I have to be open to advice from the mentors.
We'll be performing a week from tomorrow.
A lot of the songs are about hearts or have "heart" in the title. Some of these will be short-listed, but I don't intend this show to be "Songs about Hearts". The songs will need to complement the story with its range of emotions.
I also think I'll need to choose songs for the various workshops during the coming week, and these songs might not be related to the show. For example, I'll need an "ice-breaker" song to perform in front of the group on the first day. Should this be a new one that I want to develop, or should it be a familiar song that I can sing with confidence? And in previous years there have been jazz, foreign-language and Stephen Sondheim workshops, all of which have called for particular types of songs.
The Summer School presents an opportunity to to stretch and challenge myself, so it's a good chance to try out new songs. At the same time, we'll be performing to a paying audience in just over a week, so I need to be able to perform the songs to a good standard.
This is quite a conundrum. One thing I have learned, however, is that when you learn your lyrics over a longer period, the better they "stick". It takes a few days for them to sink in, especially if there are a lot of words. At the first Summer School I tried to learn a big new song overnight. I was sure I knew the words, but at the dress rehearsal they evaporated, and this was quite stressful.
It's important to give yourself preparation time; to set yourself up to succeed.
There's a big new song that I want to learn. It's "Double Rainbow" by Jobim. I have several recordings of this, but they are either Portuguese or instrumental versions. There are English lyrics, but I don't have a good recording of the song in English. My guitarist friend Mike helped me find sheet music with both Portuguese and English lryics. I've managed to work out the form of the song.
Now to learn the lyrics.
Double Rainbow, Portuguese version
Double Rainbow, instrumental version
Book tickets for our show here
Each of us will create a ten-minute miniature cabaret, consisting of three songs with connecting patter.
I should do some preparation.
I'm still coughing. It isn't getting any worse, and with three days to go, I'm hoping I'll be feeling better by Monday. Right now I don't feel like singing.
What I could do though, is to memorize some song lyrics.
But which ones?
I know what my segment is going to be about - heart surgery: the funny, the sad, the weird aspects of it. While I was going through it I made a lot of notes and wrote some blog posts to capture my thoughts and feelings and as much detail as I could. It's all "material". I'm aiming to create a full-length show for the Cabaret Fringe Festival in June, and this segment will be a short, "pilot" version.
I've put together a long list of possible songs for the show. I have no idea which ones will be suitable for my voice, or which ones I will use in the full show, or which three I will sing next Friday night. And I might be advised to choose different ones altogether. I have to be open to advice from the mentors.
We'll be performing a week from tomorrow.
A lot of the songs are about hearts or have "heart" in the title. Some of these will be short-listed, but I don't intend this show to be "Songs about Hearts". The songs will need to complement the story with its range of emotions.
I also think I'll need to choose songs for the various workshops during the coming week, and these songs might not be related to the show. For example, I'll need an "ice-breaker" song to perform in front of the group on the first day. Should this be a new one that I want to develop, or should it be a familiar song that I can sing with confidence? And in previous years there have been jazz, foreign-language and Stephen Sondheim workshops, all of which have called for particular types of songs.
The Summer School presents an opportunity to to stretch and challenge myself, so it's a good chance to try out new songs. At the same time, we'll be performing to a paying audience in just over a week, so I need to be able to perform the songs to a good standard.
This is quite a conundrum. One thing I have learned, however, is that when you learn your lyrics over a longer period, the better they "stick". It takes a few days for them to sink in, especially if there are a lot of words. At the first Summer School I tried to learn a big new song overnight. I was sure I knew the words, but at the dress rehearsal they evaporated, and this was quite stressful.
It's important to give yourself preparation time; to set yourself up to succeed.
There's a big new song that I want to learn. It's "Double Rainbow" by Jobim. I have several recordings of this, but they are either Portuguese or instrumental versions. There are English lyrics, but I don't have a good recording of the song in English. My guitarist friend Mike helped me find sheet music with both Portuguese and English lryics. I've managed to work out the form of the song.
Now to learn the lyrics.
Double Rainbow, Portuguese version
Double Rainbow, instrumental version
Book tickets for our show here
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