Visualization Rehearsal Tip

During an initial rehearsal with the vocal chorus of a musical, something seemed out of place to me. The cast was very talented, there was just a lack of focus. How do you get all that talent to bring it as far as they can? I spent the better part of a week mulling this over. I came to the conclusion that the lack of focus had nothing to do with a lack of intent. It had more to do with a lack of knowledge on how to rehearse most effectively. Or more accurately, a lack of quality rehearsal habits.
Thoughts and actions repeated become habits. Through repetition you can create the habits you want for your cast that will make the difference in between an ok show and an exciting adventure.

Breaking in a cast can seem a little like breaking in a horse. So know in advance what your expectations are and keep driving that home until it happens without thinking. Here’s a two step process I used tonight for breaking in a new cast and I feel it was effective.

FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION

I think a non-equity (read non-professional) cast needs a delineation for when concentration begins. I began by showing them a hand clap signal. I clap a “ta-ta-teetee-ta” rhythm and they respond in like. Over the evening we repeated this with an expectation of total silence at the end. Perhaps a little grade-schoolish, but a good tool bringing a large cast back to focus. If there wasn’t silence then I would repeat the sequence. The whole idea being to make the instant focus switch a habit.
Most pros have an imaginary veil they step through that delineates a time for focus. At some point they were probably taught how to do that. If there’s something you do well, there’s probably a little pause you take before beginning the task. That’s your mental preparation.

VISUALIZATION

I had the cast split up into four sections. We did “Row Row Row Your Boat” as a round with each part singing once through and starting every other line. There were some snickers because that was a bit silly. Then I asked them to do it again but not to sing. They were instructed to hear the parts in their head. There were a lot of confused looks and hands went flying up, and I just cued the first group who started singing. A few started singing, not quite understanding the game yet. I stopped and told them again that we were doing the song but no one should sing, they should just hear it in their head. I started the first group, then the other three.

Here’s the great part. In many of the cast’s eyes I could see a lightbulb shining. An “AHA” moment. Many of them could indeed hear the singing in their minds. I wonder if for some of them this was the first exposure they had to visualization as a rehearsal tool.

Then they were instructed that while one part was practicing, they should be running their own parts in their minds. That’s the purpose of this exercise. For cast members to get in the habit of rehearsing parts in their head while other groups are singing.

Keep demonstrating different takes on visualization until it becomes a habit for the cast. As a musician, I can see most of the music I play in my head. If I can’t see it, that means I don’t really have a grasp on it. Many times I’ll practice in my head to find out the rough parts I need to work on. If I can’t see it, then that’s what I have to work on.

May seem like work, but this is one rehearsal tip for lazy people. By incorporating visualization into your practice time you can get as much done in 1/3 the time.

If you have other visualization tips for actors and singers please drop a comment here and let me know about them.

Music for Robert Burns Supper – Toast to Lassies and Laddies

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You may copy, distribute and perform these two pieces freely, I just ask that you link to this page so people come here for the source material.

More info on Scottish Poet Robert Burns and the annual Burns Supper.

Choir music for A Toast to the Lassies (Male Choir -Tenor/Bass) and a Toast to the Laddies (Female Choir – Soprano/Alto) created for the 16th Annual Robert Burns Scottish Evening presented by the Celtic Arts Foundation of Skagit County, Washington on January 20, 2007.

Both songs were received very well on their debut. The Toast to the Lassies is straight ahead Burns poetry, and our new response The Toast to the Laddies filled the room with laughter.

Toast to the Lassies Burns Dinner Choir Music MP3 – Audio
Toast to the Laddies Burns Dinner Choir Music – Audio

Vocalists on the recording include Ruth Haines, Kelly Pollino, Rebecca Wright, Natalie Howell, Judy Sjernen, John Haines and Evan Erickson.

TOAST TO THE LASSIES – Listen MP3
Lyrics by Robert Burns
The Henpecked Husband – 1788

Curs’d be the man, the poorest wretch in life,
The crouching vassal to a tyrant wife!
Who has no will but by her high permission,
Who has not sixpence but in her possession;
Who must to she, his dear friend’s secrets tell,
Who dreads a curtain lecture worse than hell.
Were such the wife had fallen to my part,
I’d break her spirit or I’d break her heart;
I’d charm her with the magic of a switch,
I’d kiss her maids, and kick the perverse bitch.

Note – Last word omitted on recording. Men’s chorus can motion with hands in a “ta-da” fashion on the beat of that nasty “b” word. Also over enunciate the word “switch” and everyone will know what word should have been there. A good way to present authentic Robert Burns coarse material in mixed company. The word has a different feel to it now than it did in Burns’ time, and I think it offends modern sensibilities. Your choice on how to perform.

TOAST TO THE LADDIES – Listen MP3
Lyrics by Conrad Askland – 2007
(An updated response to and similiar metre for Robert Burns “The Henpecked Husband”.)

A toast to the Laddies for the very best in life,
And a few concerns from your lovely wives.
It seems to us you’ve misplaced your thinking cap,
Why when you’re lost won’t you just ask for a map?
When you hear us talking do not act like we’re dull,
And could you just one time give up the remote control?
You should know when we ask you about our behinds,
We expect a sweet reply that’s gentle and kind.
Remember that we know the form that God hath wilt,
So stop exaggeratin’ bout what’s beneath yer kilt!

Zeus Worship Now Legal in Greece

zeus-story.jpgAfter a 1600 year moratorium, it is now once again legal to worship Zeus in Greece. Ellinais is a group of lawyers and academics who have fought in the courts to bring back part of Greek history. The worship of Zeus had previously been illegal.

In mythology it’s generally accepted that the “Gods” of ancient Greece died when their worship ceased. Or more correctly they “faded” because they were not needed anymore. The followers of the ancient Greek Gods did not have liturgy or set “rules of living”. These beliefs gave way to the monotheistic religions of the God of Abraham which is reflected in Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

It’s interesting to note that the start of the final blow to the worship of Greek Gods was Constantine’s conversion to Christianity in the 4th century. Also of note, the followers of the Greek Gods did not have a set order of creeds or sets of social protocol.

I learned something new. Did you know that at the beginning of the Olympic games when they light the flame at Olympiad, that this is actually an invocation of Apollo, the Ancient Greek God of Light? For this reason many church officials refuse to attend. Most Greeks are currently baptised as Orthodox Christians.

CNN Article Excerpt:
Christianity rose to prominence in Greece in the fourth century after Roman Emperor Constantine’s conversion. Emperor Theodosius wiped out the last vestige of the Olympian gods when he abolished the Olympic Games in A.D. 394.

Read the CNN article on Zeus worship making a comeback.

The Olympian Gods of Greek Mythology

In Greek Mythology, the Olympians are a group of 12 gods who ruled after the overthrow of the Titans. All the Olympians are related in some way. They are named after their dwelling place, Mount Olympus. The Olympian Gods are: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Hera, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes, Artemis, Hephaestus.

Hip Hop Speaks Out: We Cannot Be Denied

world-headphone.jpgGemcee, a moderator at my hip hop forum RapDogs.com, has written a great article called We Cannot Be Denied. It talks about turntable courses at Berklee College of Music and the work professor Stephen Webber has done to promote the recognition of hip hop in academic circles. Professor Webber has also helped create the Harvard University Hip Hop Archives website which tracks hip hop’s movement and effect on our society.

As a female Canadian rapper, author Gemcee gives unique perspectives on hip hop culture.

Excerpt from the article:

Do rappers read? Yes silly, they do. In the movement that is Hip Hop we have created a niche for writers who come from this culture. Writers like Toure, Cheo Hodari Coker, and Nelson George who are great reflections of Hip Hop journalists. Also, popular fiction novelists like Sistah Souljah and Erica Kennedy, who’s novel “Bling” I am reading right now.Some people believe that much of the Hip Hop literature that is around perpetuates stereotypes. The truth is, these novels reflect the harsh realities that many youths face. Their redeeming qualities are the fact that they are brutally honest and they share the consequences of decisions. These books are used to communicate in a way that is considered meaningful and anything to get kids reading and thinking, should be considered a positive.

So in the movement that is hip hop, a place where we have created poets, philosophers and independent, intelligent thinkers….it also inspires street novels. Chalk another one up for Hip Hop. Literature like this confirms that the spreading influence of hip hop is reaching far and wide. We cannot be denied.

QandA: Legal Requirements to be a Music Producer

E-mail question received:

Mr. Askland, I have been producing tracks for a few years and I’m trying to figure out what to do to sell my beats legally so i decided to ask a professional with more experience. How did you become a music producer? What steps did you take to get started? Is there a certain license you have to apply for with the government or can you use a specific business license?

Response:

I’ve received several emails similiar to this over the last month. Either it’s the same person or a widespread question. I’ll assume it’s a legitimate question.

This seems obvious to me: To be a music producer you just have to produce music. There is no legal stipulation or registration involved. Think of it as being a painter. “Do I have to register with the government to be a painter?” – No, you just paint.

I think your unspoken question has to do more with sample clearance and copyright issues. I’ll address each seperate issue as to what I THINK you are really asking.

SAMPLE CLEARANCE

If you use a sample of pre-recorded music in your track, it is NOT cleared, and someone recognizes where the sample came from – you are in a bad spot. If your track has generated over $10,000 of revenue you can expect some legal papers in the mail. Copyright is seperate from Master Recording rights. One person owns the copyright on the song, and a different person can own the rights to the recording (ie: the source of your sample). US Copyright Office website.

Mechanical rights can be obtained to re-record a song already published (published means at least one copy has been offered publicly for sale). The mechanical rights only allow permission to re-record the song, not to use any source master audio material. Mechanical rights are usually in the ballpark of ten cents per copy sold. (If you record an album of ten songs by previously released material, you may pay about one dollar per CD sale in royalties). The amount of mechanical royalties varies but is “reasonable”.

The owner of the Master Recording has the right to negotiate whatever amount they like to clear a sample from it. If they want one million dollars for a two second sample, then you have to pay that or not use it. These fees are considerable. As an example: Around 1996 I used a sample from the “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast. The sample I used was about ten seconds long and only played once in the song. The owner of the master recording wanted $20,000 to use that sample in the piece which was slated to be part of a movie soundtrack.

If you’re already playing in the big leagues (which you’re not if you don’t know this info already) like Aftermath Entertainment then you can afford some sample clearances. Short of that, you need to use samples that are already cleared from sample libraries or create your own material. Quick read: Don’t use samples.

WHAT I DO FOR SAMPLES

There are a lot of “royalty free” libraries out there that really aren’t totally cleared. I’m referring to seperate stand alone websites and a lot of Ebay sales. I don’t trust fringe producers of royalty free libraries because I have little faith that they have the discipline to actually know where all their material came from. For that reason I only use cleared samples from large established companies like Sony, Roland, Big Fish Audio and Sound Ideas. For my productions I do a lot of original MIDI work and also create my own samples if I want a grainy feel, so the other samples I use are just for a little color.

Like my view on Trademarks, don’t worry about it so much until you need to. As my music became more widely heard I would run into situations where something wasn’t cleared properly. So for me it was a slow shift to tighten up on my use of samples. Sometimes a client would bring in a sample of their own and would say they knew it was cleared. My response was “That’s fine. I just need you to sign a paper that you are responsible for any legal action regarding that sample.” I never had a client follow through to sign that piece of paper. They liked relying on me for making sure the project was legal and clean. As a music producer I feel this is one of your chief responsibilites, especially in hip hop music.

SAMPLE VIOLATIONS AND COPYRIGHT LAW

There is no set time limit of how much of a sample violates copyright law. There is no “two second” rule or anything like that. So be careful.

TRADEMARKS
Trademark registration is handled by the US Patent and Trademark Office. A trademark is a name or graphic that represents an entity. You can register with the government if you like for a trademark. It will go into a waiting period for possible disputes, then become “registered” over time – usually 1-3 years. For example, the symbol for Prince is probably trademarked. As is the golden arches for McDonalds, the windows logo for Microsoft, the logos for major television stations and corporations. The name “Dreamworks” was in legal dispute several years ago between Dreamworks in Los Angeles and a smaller Dreamworks company in Florida. Google for more info, I could go on for a long time just about trademarks. Yes, I have trademarked elements of my business. Yes, it was a hassle.

I really think if you are starting out and worrying about trademarks, that you are putting the cart before the horse. It’s like recording artists that spend their time worrying about agents and they haven’t focused on their material yet. I would suggest to worry about these things down the road. For instance, the few trademarks I have personally registered were because I had entities with noticeable marketshare, and there was confusion in the market place about who was the “real” entity. So in order to keep my product lines intact I had to do it. Also, to register for Trademark you should already be doing sales nationally across state lines. Trademark is to protect entities on a national level.

If you think having a trademark is a status symbol then you need to read more information about it. It’s a tremendous burden. Once you are granted a trademark it’s your responsbility to police it’s use. Often you will read stories about major corporations going after mom and pop businesses or college students who are infringing on their trademark. Those news stories usually make it sound like the corporations are behemoths trying to control the world. Simply not true. Those corporations are under a LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY to enforce their trademarks. If the trademark becomes diluted, ie: other people are using it actively, then the trademark holder can lose their trademark. Some stories you can look up in this area are Kleenex and Xerox. In my case, I had one trademark in process that unfortunately used a name that was original on a local level but in widespread use in different variations on a national level. I finally had to abandon it because it made bad business sense to commit the amount of legal resources it would take to enforce the trademark.

BUSINESS LICENSE

If you are running a recording studio then you can obtain a business license from your local town. You don’t need one as a producer, but just for the business if you have paying clientele. These are usually inexpensive, from about $40-$100 per year just for the license.

THE EXCEPTIONS

Most of the info I’ve put out here is for people starting out. If Disney is doing a major push on a new artist then they will do everything all at once: Trademarks, Sample Clearance, Copyrights, Licenses, etc. That’s a different animal. For the rest of us mere mortals my advice is to take it as it comes along and focus on your art.

Let me know if there are particulars I didn’t cover or if you have more questions.

Author Michael Yaconelli

I have been emailed a photo of Michael Yaconelli, author of the book “Messy Spirituality”. Apparently this photo was sent to me as a visual comparitive study.

I fail to see any resemblance whatsover between Michael and myself. The photo here of Michael Yaconelli clearly shows a very silly eccentric person, and my photo obviously reflects an upstanding and proper member of society that blends in well with a minimum of social faux pas.
Here’s the visual proof:

Photo of Michael Yaconelli

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Might be me in 11/06, on right
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Mr. Yaconelli is no longer with us, but I am slowly becoming a fan of his writings.

Overcoming the Saboteurs of Spirituality

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
– Nelson Mandela

No punishment anyone might inflict on them could possibly be worse than the punishment they inflict on themselves by conspiring in their own diminishment.
– Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak

Quotes from Chapter Three (Resisting the Resisters) of “Messy Spirituality” by Michael Yaconelli.