MOOC [mook] n. massive (or massively) open online course: a usually free online course open to anyone and potentially having a huge number of enrolled participants. Anyone here taken a MOOC? I have just completed my first two MOOC courses with Coursera, one of the major provide of free online courses. The Read more…
One of the most valuable things you can do as a singer is to join a choir. Why, you ask? Why should you give up another evening a week and a few weekends? Well, here are my top five reasons; 1. Meet other singers Singing can be a very solitary Read more…
As we have been discussing in previous posts, the use of movement in a performance is always tied to the information you’re trying to communicate to your audience. So far, we’ve talked about the big movements – walking around and changing levels. In this post, we’ll take a look at a Read more…
As we talked about on Tuesday, movement isn’t normally part of a singer’s repertoire, but it becomes vitaly important in musical theatre. However, once you’ve worked out why you’re moving, it’s time to work out where to go. Geography of the Stage In this post, I’m going to give a quick run-down Read more…
If you’re preparing for an LCM Musical Theatre Performance exam, you might have noticed this rather ominous line in the syllabus: …dance and movement are encouraged and expected, and credit will be given for appropriate dance and other movement which is in context and is integral to, and enhances the Read more…
It’s January, and that means it’s cold season! When you have a cold, often, it can seem like a bad idea to keep singing. Singers often cancel gigs because they have a cold. So should you stop singing if you have the sniffles? There’s a very simple rule with singing Read more…
In the theme of New Years resolutions, we’re taking a look at what makes practice good practice. Many musicians resolve to practice more, but that often falls by the wayside because they don’t have good practice habits. This post will give you three key principles for practicing that will make Read more…
January is that time when we all look at our post-Christmas selves and consider the improvements we could make to our lives. Us musicians are no different. We’re all making resolutions to practice for two hours a day and watch more operas. If you’re one of us, here are five Read more…
This is a re-post of an article I published last May. As it’s a New Year, I thought this might be a good time to share it again. No matter what it is you’re learning, setting yourself a target is essential. You need to know where you’re going to Read more…
Exam results are now trickling through, and I am among those who have not been delighted with the results. I was sitting a piano exam, and although nerves got the better of me, I thought I had done ok. Turns out, my pass was much more marginal than I had Read more…