Lesson Six - Music

Musical Director

Skills a music director should have to begin with

• The ability to hear what the music should sound like in your head
• Literacy in sheet music
• A discerning ear when it comes to pitch
• The ability to la exactly what you want to hear
• The ability to transpose (moving from key of __ to the key of __)
• The ability to play at least  one instrument (keyboard ideally).

Getting the music together

A script will either 1) come with or reference specific music 2) have descriptive music cues or 3) not have notations but have a director who wants to put in music

In the case that the script comes with or references specific music. You should pull the sheet music specific to the instruments or singers being used. You should become very familiar with each piece of music. It needs to be second nature to you when you’re teaching it to others.

In the cases where there are descriptive music cues, you should go through the script with the director to decide which instrument(s) they want used. Then you should gather the instruments (keyboards that synthesize different instruments are very useful for this part), and compose music to fit each cue. The director should be with you while you do this to avoid double work. You should record what you compose both audibly and in written format. Then go over and over it until you are fully familiar with it.

In the case where there is no music or music cue, most likely during a stop start rehearsal the director has said “you know what would sound great here” or something synonymous. At this point they’ll look at someone with music directorial experience and ask, “what do you think would work here?” Rehearsal will pause for a few minutes while the director and newly appointed music director confer. Usually something simple which makes use of the available instruments will be composed. Recording and notating will be crucial to remembering and performing what you’ve come up with on the spot.

Rehearsal

There will be a lot of one on one focus to begin with. Take each musician and/or singer and go over their exact part with them. Once you’ve got them doing it exactly as you’d like it, make them repeat it over and over until you believe that they’ve got the hang of it. Recording it for them would be ideal so that when they continue to practice on their own small but noticeable deviations don’t become habit.

After you’ve worked with each individual, it’s time to put it all together. This works best as a stop start cue to cue read through. This means you’ll read the couple lines directly before the music cues, play the music cues as they should be all together and then read a couple lines directly following the music cue.

If you have notes, stop them in the middle of playing, and give your notes verbally. Then start the cue over back from the start. Repeat that as many times as needed to feel like they’ve got it. Recording it again, will be a useful tool for them.

If there are several music cues near each other, it will be best just to read it straight through rather than trying to skip from cue to cue.

The Tech Stuff

Next you’ll be working with tech assistants and the board operator to determine which mics, levels, and effects would best produce the best version of the music for the cues.

For this, you’ll mostly be giving opinions on things like “the strings should be more prominent,” “I don’t think we’re getting the low register on our bass” and “I’m hearing one singer more than the others.” For those who have studied the tech section of this course you may be able to coordinate with the tech assistants and board operator to come up with solutions to these issues.