The Moment Before the Music Begins: A T.E.A.M. Approach to Song Study

By Lisa Campbell Albert, Bill Lynch and Taylor Louderman

For over twenty five years Lisa Campbell Albert and Bill Lynch have been collaborating on and in Musical Theatre; working in professional productions, conducting workshops, teaching song study, and coaching both professional and aspiring Musical Theatre artists.Over the years (and the occasional beers), they maintained an ongoing dialogue. They noticed that they were both almost invariably drawn to the same artists. So they asked each other the simple question “why?” What was it that these artists had, or perhaps more importantly, what was it that these artists did that compelled Lisa and Bill to both become involved with the song? While the question seemed simple, the answer seemed elusive. After much debate and discussion, eventually the answer became clear: Lisa and Bill understood why the artist was singing. That's because the artist knew why they were singing. The need to sing arose in the artist long before the first chord of the song was struck, and was sustained until the final chord resolved. Lisa and Bill cared about why they were singing, therefore cared more about what they were doing in the song than how they were singing the song.In short, the need to sing began for the artist in the moments before the music began. Lisa and Bill set out to develop a vocabulary and a process that guides singers to discover their personal reason for why they are singing a specific song. Through a series of specific questions, the singer then develops a series of actions to play using the lyric, the melody and the accompaniment as tools to achieve an objective. This empowers the singer to make a song their own while honoring the given circumstances provided by the composer, lyricist and librettist.After years of testing and refining this process with students of all ages and levels of experience, Lisa and Bill are excited to share their T.E.A.M tm approach to song study.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vita Histria
• Release date: Sep 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781592112227

Book preview

Acknowledgement

If we attempted to list all of the people who have profoundly influenced us personally and professionally, we fear this section may be longer than the book you are about to read!

Friends, colleagues, mentors, you know who you are. We hope you see the influences you all have had on us in the following pages.

Foreword by Taylor Louderman

I’ve known Lisa Campbell Albert since I was in High School, which was many one acts ago; in fact, she is the co-developer and refiner of my vocal storytelling ability. Despite deserving every bit of pay for individualized coaching, she knew I drove over an hour to spend those ever-so essential moments with her gifts. Honorably, she chose not to charge me the full extent of what she deserved: a testament to not only her kindness but also her commitment to growing young talent and growing me. Following, she and I began a journey in a theatrical a cappella group: she as the director and me as a student. Her high expectations and extraordinary ability to lead challenged me in all the right ways. In addition, Lisa guided me through the process of application of acceptance into a dream school: The University of Michigan. In those times before, in between, and after, she coached me to belt, mix, and soprano my way to a competitive edge; in other words, you name it, she taught me: she pushed me, challenged me and ultimately tuned my ears and voice to the sounds of musical storytelling.

It was this intuitive coaching which sustained me through eight Broadway shows a week; MEAN GIRLS, KINKY BOOTS, and BRING IT ON on Broadway, all of which showcased her storytelling techniques through the voices of characters who borrowed them. Remarkably, Lisa never fueled my ego, but instead, gave me enough confidence to move forward; And, to this day, she refuses to claim her mark in my success. She may not know this, but it is my honor to coach alongside her. As for the students I pass along, I say this: I confidently pass them to a mentor with a gift (a secret of sorts). I know these students are in for lessons beyond sounds of music. I believe once her gift is shared with them, like mine, their stories inevitably change, both in voice and in life.

The art of storytelling does not come with a one-size fits all playbook and yet, this book manages to erect clear guideposts encouraging artists to execute bold, honest choices while intentionally balancing audience and industry expectations. It is here, Lisa and