Do s, Don ts & Pitfalls of Theatre Conducting

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Do s, Don ts & Pitfalls of Theatre Conducting Carl Rowles carl.rowles@gmail.

1 Do s, Don ts & Pitfalls of Theatre Conducting Carl Rowles A Clinic Session Presented to The 89th Annual Iowa Bandmasters Conference Thursday, May 12, :30 P.M. Des Moines Marriott Downtown Sioux City Room Des Moines, Iowa

2 Carl Rowles D.M.A. University of Iowa, 2016 M.A. Tennessee Technological University, 2013 B.M. Simpson College, 2009 Carl Rowles is the newly appointed Director of Bands at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas, where he will conduct the Symphonic Band, assist with the Marching Pioneers, teach conducting and instrumental music education courses, and supervise student teachers. As an active theatre conductor, Carl has music-directed and conducted more than a dozen shows at the community theatre and university levels. His credits include: Striking 12 (University of Iowa); Sweeney Todd, Company, Hair, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Jesus Christ Superstar, Rent (City Circle Acting Company of Coralville); Peter Pan, Cinderella (Nolte Dance Academy); Guys and Dolls, Big-The Musical, Wizard of Oz, Anne and Gilbert (New Minowa Players); Footloose (New Hampton High School); and Wonderland (Simpson College Student Opera Workshop). In April 2015, he received the Best Musical Direction Award from the Iowa Community Theatre Association for his direction of Jesus Christ Superstar. Carl has held memberships and leadership positions in a number of organizations, including: Iowa Bandmasters Association, National Association for Music Education, Iowa Music Educators Association, Tennessee Music Education Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Kappa Kappa Psi (Honorary). Carl was a finalist for the National Band Association s Young Conductor Mentor Project in 2011 and In addition, he has been a two-time finalist for conducting positions with the United States Air Force Bands and interned with the USAF Band of Mid-America (St. Louis, MO) in June

3 Organizing the Orchestra Rehearsal Schedule Set BEFORE contracting musicians Distribute Music ASAP Arrives 6-8 in advance of show Include reference recording (YouTube, Reference CD from company, Cast Album) Score Changes Periodically send out updates (once a week) if before rehearsal sequence Tempo markings if not in parts Vocal Cues (Tobias: Ladies and Gentlemen last time at m.7 ) Communicate Regularly You cannot over-communicate any information Reducing Instrumentation Ask the licensing company Keep basic rhythm section (Set, Aux. Perc., Keys, Bass) Principle Winds/Largest Books Double vocal melody Melody in dance breaks and underscoring Strings? - Ask about a keyboard reduction OrchExtra Laptop Musician Fills out orchestra in addition to acoustic performers Physical Set Up - Be Logical Strings/Brass/WWs/Percussion/Keyboards near their respective families Symphony Orchestra as basis for groupings Brass Considerations Trumpets & Trombones are directional Horns should have a deflected sound Percussion is loud - ALWAYS Small Pit Strings to the left Woodwinds in middle back Brass to the right Keyboards in front center, or back right Percussion back right 3

4 The Rehearsal KNOW THE SHOW Attend multiple rehearsals Learn pacing, tempos, score changes, etc. Establish seating arrangement in first orchestra rehearsal 4-Rehearsal Model Act 1 (3 hours) Act 2 (3 hours) Run of Show (3-3.5 hours) Sitzprobe with Cast and Production Team (4 hours) Include Director and Audio Engineer Provide cuts/changes in succinct manner, ASAP Cut from m.32 to m.64 Play 3x Rehearse at performance tempo Sing along! Gives vocal cues to orchestra Helps you establish correct tempo Expect mistakes First rehearsals always rougher than you expect Scores are riddled with errors Treat the orchestra according to its type Students = Learning opportunity (more rehearsals involved) Community = Less teaching, more direct rehearsing Style usually biggest issue - accents/articulations, space Break it down Rhythmic motor, harmony/counter melody, melody Send Rehearsal Notes Send throughout dress rehearsals Review before each dress rehearsal as necessary 4

5 The Rehearsal Typical Tech/Dress Rehearsal Schedule Sunday: Sitzprobe (afternoon) /Tech of Act 1 (NO ORCHESTRA) Also: first actor mic check Monday: Tech of Act 2 (NO ORCHESTRA) Tuesday: Dress Rehearsal 1 Wednesday: Dress Rehearsal 2 Thursday: Final Dress BE ORGANIZED Community members appreciate efficient use of time DO NOT WASTE THEIR TIME DO NOT TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED Sweeney Todd in Concert, Tech Week Schedule, City Circle Acting Company TUESDAY, FEB. 9, :00 AM - 12:00 PM Tech Notes 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM BREAK 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Tech Notes 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM BREAK 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Stage Prep Mic check, costumes and make-up CAST AND CREW CALLED 7:30 PM -10:30 PM DRESS REHEARSAL #1 10;30 PM - 11:00 PM PRODUCTION NOTES CAST AND CREW CALLED 11:00 PM END OF DAY WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10, :00 AM - 12:00 PM Tech Notes 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM BREAK 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Tech Notes 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM BREAK 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Stage Prep Mic check, costumes and make-up CAST, CREW CALLED 7:30 PM -10:30 PM DRESS REHEARSAL #2 10:30 PM - 11:00 PM PRODUCTION NOTES CAST AND CREW CALLED 11:00 PM END OF DAY 5

6 Conducting: Back to the Basics Conducting is a series of preparations... a game of opposites Are you moving? Stop moving. Are you stopped? Move. Is your pattern big? Be small. Is your pattern small? Get big. What can I do, through gesture, to help the ensemble? Can I do anything that would be clearer? Ask the musicians! Ability to start/stop ensemble Actions must have defined beginning/ending point Preps & Releases Prep beats must come from a place of stillness Meters/Patterns Avoid vertical rebounds Conducting 3 in 1 Transitions Rules for Subdividing 1) Don t. 2) Only if one of the following conditions is met: a. Rate of Change is unpredictable b. Tempo is too slow to do so otherwise Tempo Changes Weight/increase size to ritard Lightness/smaller size to accel Fermatas Continuous Timed Release Release with caesura Fermata with fractional re-start Gesture of Syncopation (GOS) Helpful for accents and entrances Full stop the beat prior (Place of Stillness) The intensity of the GOS is proportional to the proximity of the entrance. The sooner the entrance, the more intense the GOS must be. 6

7 Conducting: Back to the Basics Fermatas Continuous & 4 4 œ œ œ œ U œ œ Timed-release & œ œ œ œ U, œ œ Release with caesura & œ œ œ œu " œ œ Release with a fractional re-entrance & œ œ œu œ œ œ œ & Vamps & Safeties Safeties: Use only if needed Vamps: Intended to be used, set change, staging, etc. Predetermined number of times vs. Open Use gesture to navigate! Recitative Show ALL beats Stops & Preps 7

8 Sweeney Todd IN CONCERT Orchestra Rehearsal Schedule Orchestra Rehearsals The following rehearsals will be held at the Regina Catholic Inter-Parish Educational Center (Thanks, Tom Nelson!) Address: 2150 Rochester Avenue, Iowa City, IA Enter through Door #10, closest to Dan s Shortstop. Band room is down that hall, left, then the double doors on your left labeled band room. Sunday, Jan 17 1p-4p Act I orchestra only Sunday, Jan 24 1p-4p Act II orchestra only reviews from Act I as needed Sunday, Jan 31 1p-4p Act I & II orchestra only Sunday, Feb 7 1p-4:30p Act I & II orchestra and cast, sitzprobe * I will only use the entire rehearsal time if needed. Once we re done, we re done! Dress Rehearsals Dress rehearsals and performances will take place at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, th Street, Coralville. For those new to the center, park in the back in the lower level of the parking garage and enter through the big RED door to the green room/stage entrance. Tuesday, Feb. 9 7pm Orchestra Mic Check 7:30p Dress Rehearsal #1 Wednesday, Feb. 10 7pm Orchestra Spot Check 7:30p Dress Rehearsal #2 Thursday, Feb. 11 7pm Orchestra Spot Check 7:30p Final Dress Rehearsal Because of the limited rehearsal schedule, City Circle has decided NOT to do an invited dress on Thursday evening. Performances please arrive minutes before curtain Friday, Feb. 12 7:30p Curtain Saturday, Feb. 13 7:30p Curtain Sunday, Feb. 14 2:00p Curtain 8

9 Peter Pan, Nolte Dance Academy, August 2015 Cinderella, Nolte Dance Academy, August 2014 Guys & Dolls, New Minowa Players, June

Summer School of the Performing Arts at Proctors Pippin

1 Summer School of the Performing Arts at Proctors 2017 Pippin PRODUCTION STUDENTS Preliminary Production & Rehearsal Schedule Subject To Change (January 19, 2017) May Thursday, May 19 th Production Students