Music Blog with tips on playing piano and singing

Les Miserables: Universal Appeal on Stage

4/6/2015

If you love musical theater, you have already seen it. If musical theater is not your thing – this musical will change your mind. My favorite musical, Les Misérables (The Miserable Ones), has been seen by more than 70 million people in 43 countries and is performed in 22 languages around the globe – and it’s still breaking box-office records everywhere in its 30th year.

Based on Victor Hugo’s novel, Les Misérables is written from the premise that any man can rise above his circumstances to reach perfection. The plot of the novel is suspenseful from start to finish; it follows both Jean Valjean’s and society’s struggles with good and evil. It’s universal appeal was probably why it was the most talked about novel in the history of publishing when it came out in 1862. Hugo expertly summarizes the story’s framework:

“The book which the reader has before him at this moment is, from one end to the other, in its entirety and details … a progress from evil to good, from injustice to justice, from falsehood to truth, from night to day, from appetite to conscience, from corruption to life; from bestiality to duty, from hell to heaven, from nothingness to God. The starting point: matter, destination: the soul. The hydra at the beginning, the angel at the end.”

Check out these sites for more information:
http://www.lesmis.com/
http://www.lesmis.com/uk/

10th Anniversay: The Valjean’s:

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What I've Learned about Singing

4/1/2015

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In teaching voice for many years, I have found a few things that may cause you re-think your approach to singing:

Most people have more of a vocal range than they believe. Singing in our higher range, especially demands relaxation. The least bit of nervousness as we reach a high note and our body will likely start to constrict our voice apparatus – the opposite of what we want.
Singing really is like speaking on pitch. It should be mostly easy and comfortable. If it isn’t, you’re likely doing something wrong or working harder than you need to. Try noticing how you speak to a group of people. The way you're producing the sound should "feel" about the same to you when you sing.
When you were growing up, if someone told you that you’re off-key or a bad singer, they were probably wrong – or maybe there were things present that can be helped. Often someone believes what someone tells them early on and no longer tries to become a good singer, believing they’re a lost cause. I suggest you re-visit the situation later on with a good teacher and let them decide.

What has been your experience in singing? Do you like to sing, or notice other people's reactions when you sing?

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Les Miserables: Universal Appeal on Stage

What I've Learned about Singing

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