Can the current cabaret performer say enough good things about Free Hand Music and their Solero music viewer?
The site has an amazing library of sheet music available for instant electronic download. However, the downloads are not delivered via pdf or jpeg but using their Solero music viewer, a mini program that needs to be installed on your computer. But once the program is installed, not only can you use it to view the sheet music you’ve purchased — but the program will play the music on the page. Perfect to rehearse to!!! Not only that, but it has a built-in transposer, that will allow you to transpose it to the key you need. (Which yu’ve detrmined by having the program play the song…)
OK. On the downside, the program limits you to actually printing out two copies of the sheet music. And since the transpositions are done programmatically, they can occasionally come out with certain wacky elements. But it’s a lot easier to get a music director to review the transposition and correct it than it is to hire someone to transpose a whole song. (And especially useful when you want to
And the service makes an impressive wealth of songs available. This spring I was looking for the verse to April Showers, and there it was. And for two of the songs we are preparing for CHAWbaret, it was fabulous to be able to say to the music director — no problem, we’ll get you the song in the new key!
For those of you who love cabaret tourism the way I do…
The 2009 Chicago Cabaret Intensive
August 21, 22, & 23
Lina Koutrakos and Rick Jensen
at Davenports
Award winning New York cabaret artists Koutrakos and Jensen return to Chicago to facilitate the third consecutive 3 day Cabaret Intensive focusing on the art of song performance.
“I highly recommend working with these two
in any capacity when it is possible …”
- KT McCammond (Chicago)
Between them, the teaching team of Koutrakos and Jensen are the recipients of 9 MAC Awards, honoring excellence in New York cabaret, in addition to numerous other awards. They have been teaching ongoing advanced performance workshops in Manhattan for over a decade and have guided countless performers through the creation of solo cabaret shows. Both have served on the faculty of the Cabaret Conference at Yale University, The Eugene O’Neill Cabaret Symposium, The St. Louis Cabaret Conference and together have taught three day performance intensives in Chicago, Boston, Santa Fe, Washington, DC. and Las Vegas. Jensen is one of New York’s most sought after musical director/arrangers and Koutrakos added two more MAC awards to her credit in 2007 – BEST MAJOR FEMALE ARTIST and BEST DIRECTOR.
“..a marvelous ability to guide singers “
- Lori Davis (Houston)
The core of the 3 days will focus on performance coaching, led by Koutrakos as director/performance coach and Jensen as music director/coach. Singers will prepare at least 5 songs that are memorized and ready to work. Participants receive individualized peformance feedback in the following areas: connection to material, physical choices, song selection, interpretation, arrangements, audience connection and internal/external focus of song. Other topics covered in the three days include constructing a show, working with your musical director, the importance of the arrangement and developing patter.
“… great insight, energy and, above all,
love for the art of cabaret.”
- Jerome Elliott (Palm Springs)
The weekend culminates on Sunday evening, August 23rd at 7 p.m. with a PARTICIPANT SHOWCASE. There will also be a Faculty Performance on Saturday evening August 22nd at 8 p.m. featuring Koutrakos, Jensen and Schall. Both evenings are open to the public. Performance location is Davenports Piano Bar and Cabaret, 1383 N Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60642 (773) 278-1830.
Cost for the workshop is $625, includes one ticket to Saturday August 23rd performance. Hours are approximately 9-5 p.m. on Fri & Sat, and 10-4 p.m. on Sunday. Space is limited. For further information or to register, please contact Tim Schall at 314-721-4634 or email tjschall@sbcglobal.net.
To inquire about separate private one-on-one sessions contact Tim Schall.
The site has links to songs (both YouTube clips and audio) from the three revues that the group has done. The songs by Nick Zill and Howard Bennett are a great source for people looking for special material — especially of the political sort. The clip above is the lovely Nkemjika Ofodile dealing with alternative medicine.
I can’t tell you how many times Rick Starr has assisted me as the “always helpful” phone voice of Hollywood Sheet Music. Rick has now launched an interesting new venture as a repertoire consultant. I’ve asked him to tackle a specific brick-wall I’ve encountered, and I’ll share the results with you all when I get them.
In the meantime, here’s the official announcement of his services:
If you have an audition or an upcoming concert and need song ideas, contact Rick Starr. With 20+ years of experience co-running Hollywood Sheet Music, he is an expert at finding the perfect material. He has set up a business to recommend songs for you. You fill out a form for him and answer a bunch of questions about vocal range, style, the show you are doing or auditioning for, etc. Then for $25 he will give you, via email, 5 song ideas and direct you where to purchase the sheet music for the songs he has for you, especially if it is “hard to find” or “out of print” material. Email: RickStarr51@yahoo.com or (818) 308-6335 home or (323) 590-3461 mobile.
Tom Griep of AuditionTrax publishes an interesting monthly newsletter for singers, where each month different theater/music professionals give 10 tips. I thought this month’s ideas by Joshua Finkel were particularly useful, and easily adapted to the cabaret performer. Here’s my favorite:
Set an audition checklist. Before going into the room and actually before every rehearsal of your number, declare what you want to accomplish in positively phrased goals. Don’t write something like “I won’t be nervous” or “I won’t crack on the high note”. If that weren’t happening, what WOULD be happening? Rephrase it in positives: “I will be calm and energized” or “I will sing the high note with emotional fullness and even breath”. That gives you a positive thing to do, instead of a judgmental or defensive outlook as you prepare.
Now isn’t that what we all should be doing to prep for a show?
Interesting feature on MSNBC about “25 Country Albums You Need to Hear.” I was surprised to find out that I own at least 10. (And I don’t understand why the Gretchen Wilson songbook hasn’t penetrated the cabaret world the way Mary Chapin Carpenter’s has.)
Set Rudetsky will tell you. (And tell you, and tell you….)
Rudetsky is a noted music director and appreciator of Broadway song. He was also part of the ensemble cast of the Broadway revival of The Ritz and writes a weekly column for www.playbill.com. Of late, he has become known for entertainingly “deconstructing” performances, especially concentrating on issues of tone, vibrator, and placement. Both his Web site and YouTube have a plethora of clips of him discoursing on a variety of singers.
Here’s a typical session, discoursing on the great Patti LuPone:
His passion and plethora of words occasionally makes it feel like you’ve been cornered by your ADHD show-queen nephew after Thanksgiving dinner. But the good news is that, unlike your nephew, you can pause or exit when you’ve had enough.
This sounds fascinating. (And darn those rehearsals that are keeping me from taking it. Sort of.)
SIGNATURE SCHOOL Building a Songbook: Selecting Material that Works for You!
Mondays, May 4 & 11, 7:00 – 9:30pm
Saturdays, May 9 & 16, 12:00 – 1:30pm
Okay, you sang your song, and now the director wants to know: “Do you have a ballad…or something legit…or…?” Musical theater performers need to have four or five selections that show their voice at its dynamite best. Under the guidance of recent Helen Hayes Award-winning Musical Director (Les Misérables) and Signature Theatre’s Resident Musical Director, Jon Kalbfleisch, you will learn how to build a repertoire that works for all occasions.
Spaces still available!
LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER:
Deadline May 1st
Tuition $300
I’ve got mixed feelings about this one. A songbook has just been released with arrangements of songs that were originally created by Chris Marlowe for Nancy LaMott. These include both the David Friedman classics written for her such as Just in Time for Christmas as well as signature standards such as When October Goes and Downtown. The arrangements purport to be in LaMott’s keys.
I am a huge fan of the late LaMott’s work and Chris Marlowe’s genius arrangements for her. And I can see why people would want to have them
However, I can’t help but feel that this project seems to have a major flaw. It would seem that the primary audience for the songbook are singers with a LaMott vibe that sing in the keys that LaMott used to sing in. However, if you are that Nancy LaMott-ish anyway, why would you want to obviously copy her even more, rather than establishing your own musical identity?
… about goldstar? The service provides discounted tickets to arts events in this area (and others) that can be ordered online and in advance! (And as much as I love the people at Tickeplace, there are some major advantages here.)
Also, it is a great forum to publicize your event. The people doing Santaland Diaries said that even though they put a limited number of tix for each of their shows on the service, there was a spillover effect in terms of attendance.
Posted by cabaretdc 
Posted by cabaretdc 
Posted by cabaretdc 
