2017 Songbook Academy Screener Evaluation Form

Transcription

1 SCREENER: Kathleen Hacker INTONATION: This applicant s intonation has few minor errors. Overall good. Just some passing tones that fall off the breath line and then lose pitch TONE QUALITY: This applicant s tone quality has frequent minor errors. Work to develop greater consistency between registers The tone is inconsistent from top to bottom and from various points of expression. Work to find a core sound that will serve you throughout your entire expressive palette. This sound can and should be built upon for variety and color, but should not migrate quite so far from center. RHYTHM: This applicant s rhythm has few minor errors. Rhythmic choices are appropriate to style Good. I got all the words with intention. Not too far away from the page, but stresses and vowel lengths are clear and communicative. Thoughtful expression and inflection of phrases He s Here is a great song... and you do it well! PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUE: This applicant s performance often, but not always conveys the meaning the intent of the Performance reflects thorough understanding of the meaning of the repertoire; Strong presence as a performer; Facial expressions demonstrate a connection to the lyrics; Consistently engaging throughout the performance There are just a few moments when your focus becomes less clear. Good job! You are an expressive singer and offer quite a bit to your audience. Keep working for consistent core tone quality up and down the range and throughout your expression.

2 SCREENER: Scott Hines INTONATION: This applicant s intonation has few major errors. For the most part it was nice. It got pitchy and tense in the upper register and at the ends of phrases where you might have been running out of air. TONE QUALITY: This applicant s tone quality has occasional errors. Again, seemed to be a breathing issue. It got thin and pinched in the upper register. RHYTHM: This applicant s rhythm has very few minor errors. Nice job. Would have liked to have seen a better connection to the characters of the songs. Watch your phrasing on "Goodnight", I feel like there were more moments to take advantage of musically. PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUE: This applicant s performance generally conveys the meaning the intent of the Be specific with the character and then really work on being consistent with it. The "Millie" selection doesn't really fit the criteria of the Songbook Academy. I get it's in the style of the 1920s, but it was written circa 2000, and therefore isn't a part of the Songbook genre. But, overall, nice job! Good luck!

3 SCREENER: Beckie Menzie INTONATION: This applicant s intonation has nearly no errors. Voice is consistently in tune Your pitch is a very good. Even when you were bending the note or sliding, I don't worry about intonation on you. Tone is mature; Resonant tone supported by strong breath management You have a great voice I love it. I am curious about some of your key choices. Since I don't know the upper part of your register, I don't know if they were chosen because of range challenges or because of musical intention. But a few times I thought we lost you in the lowness of the key. RHYTHM: This applicant s rhythm has nearly no errors. Good sense of rhythmic feel/groove; Rhythmic choices are appropriate to style You have a great sense of jazz stylings and it shows beautifully in your phrasing and your rhythmic choices. STYLE AND INTERPRETATION: This applicant s style and interpretation are sometimes appropriate for the Thoughtful expression and inflection of phrases; Pitches and rhythms are clear, but performance lacks emotional connection Be careful to not wear the costume of a jazz singer. Really communicate your vantage point on the lyric. For instance, on Someone to Watch" you could add in vulnerability about what you wish for, versus being too smiley. PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUE: This applicant s performance frequently conveys the meaning the intent of the Face & eyes, body language, and gestures are used effectively; Strong presence as a performer; Consistently engaging throughout the performance It is always more interesting to get a glimpse of the person in their artistry. Be careful to not be too slick or too stylized. You are wonderful. My favorite jazz singers really connect to the lyric. Try saying them as a monologue without the music.

4 SCREENER: Linda Pauli INTONATION: This applicant s intonation has few minor errors. The mic in the videos was very hot, and made the sound seem to be a bit sharp. Work for a richer tone RHYTHM: This applicant s rhythm has very few minor errors. Rhythmic choices are appropriate to style; Rhythm is clear & precise, but needs more groove; Look for opportunities to add musical interest by varying the rhythm Phrasing needs more shape/contour; Diction is precise, but lacks understanding of the overall context of the phrase PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUE: This applicant s performance frequently conveys the meaning the intent of the Face & eyes, body language, and gestures are used effectively; Facial expressions demonstrate a connection to the lyrics; Consistently engaging throughout the performance Thank you for singing. I have a couple of comments and suggestions for you. What Did I Have is a song by a woman who is regressed back in time by her therapist and she becomes a different person. The therapist falls in love with the other personality instead of the living woman. Through this song, she is trying to figure out what went wrong and why she is not what he wants. She is heartbroken, angry, confused, all of the above. Your job is to convey that through your singing and your acting. I think you have a good start, but you need to really dig into it to bring it to life. Use dynamic contrast, tempo variation where appropriate and tell us the story. My Funny Valentine is an often performed piece, so finding a way to make it your own is the challenge. Good luck!

5 SCREENER: Lynne Rothrock INTONATION: This applicant s intonation has nearly no errors. Generally very good - a couple times on "So In Love" it took a minute to lock in on some held notes - especially when moving upward on a larger interval. I think it is a technique issue, nothing to do with your ear. Tone is mature Lovely, spunky voice. Careful not to push - you don't need to. Nice variation between the belting and legit sounds. Keep trying to equalize the vibrato - meaning let it happen when it's appropriate but don't allow it to change the quality of the tone when it starts. Placement could be a bit more forward in head voice at times. RHYTHM: This applicant s rhythm has no observable errors. Good sense of rhythmic feel/groove STYLE AND INTERPRETATION: This applicant s style and interpretation are nearly always appropriate for the Phrasing emphasizes important words, phrases, and ideas Very appropriate style choices for these tunes. With GAS songs, we can take a few more liberties to add to the style and I would encourage you to try exploring that. Perhaps a bit more variety in dynamics on the first tune - might be fun to play with that. PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUE: This applicant s performance nearly always conveys the meaning the intent of the Performance reflects thorough understanding of the meaning of the repertoire; Strong presence as a performer Nice energy and engaged performances. You are beginning to use gesture on the first tune and I think it works well - trust your instincts on that. I think you could have even more fun on that one - especially facially. Nicely done. Very nice work - I love the variety shown in the two pieces. Lots of potential! You seem very comfortable performing - I'd love to hear you approach a standard - something that you can stylize more and make your own, as opposed to these two theatrical pieces - but a very strong submission. Well done.