• Matilda - From "Quiet"

• O Vertigo - Kate Miller Heidke

• How High the Moon (1st Take) - Ella Fitzgerald

• Nobody Wants to Hear Songs Anymore - Ben Abraham

• Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson

(2014)

Style: Musical theatre 

Characteristics for this style: 

• Character and emotionally driven piece 

• High energy as it is usually presented to a live audience 

• Used to convey a story, there is always a deeper meaning behind the pieces

• Presents a wide range of techniques from fast paced lyrics, to slow passages

Expressive Outcome: 

Lively, energetic, passionate 

Style: Jazz standard 

Characteristics:

• Swing feel, feeling the 2nd and 4th beats

• Many jazz standards are rooted in the blues tradition, adding depth and emotion to the piece. 

-Blues chord progression - it does include bluesy elements such as dominant seventh chords.

- Bluesy Melodic Phrasing: features bluesy melodic phrasing, characterized by bends, slides, and expressive vocal inflections.

- Performed with multiple instruments 

Frustration, angsty, acceptance 

Style:

• Singer-songwriter genre, with elements of folk and indie rock.

Characteristics of this style:

• Acoustic guitar-driven instrumentation 

• Intimate and raw lyrics - this style prioritises melodic and lyrical content, with a strong emphasis on storytelling and emotional resonance. 

Style: 

Piano ballad 

Characteristics:

• Solo piano accompaniment 

• The slower tempo and emotion driven melodies allow for piano ballads to evoke deep emotions such as love, heartbreak, longing etc

• Feature a wide dynamic range from soft and intimate moments to powerful and dramatic crescendos. This dynamic contrast adds depth and intensity to the emotional expression of the song.

Style: Indie & Art Pop

Characteristics:

• Experimental Sound

  -Incorporates unconventional song structures and innovative soundscapes.

• Complex Arrangements

  -Emphasizes musical sophistication and depth.

• Strong emphasis on catchy, memorable melodies.

For example, do not sing Quiet by Matilda with a monotonous expression, or How High the Moon in a 6/8 time signature or like a pop song

• This articulation must be executed really well in order to then bring out her anxiety, frustration and mental breakdown. (Understand what is actually saying too)

• Strong and resonant head voice through achieving an “open jaw” technique

• Strengthen my head voice ability, not straining (mastering your head voice is a key technique that forms the basis of many other pieces)

• Allow me to bring out the passionate and raw expressive character in particular the chorus.

Working on agility, pitch, fluency

This will bring out the pieces light, free and easy and energetic expressive outcome

• In both the lyrical component & also the scat solo, I need to be able to maintain a 2/4 feel in order to not only to be able to bring out the swing feel in jazz music, but also be able to play around with the way I feel the piece but still sing in time, bringing out a more relaxed and laid back but also passionate character.

• "Jazz groove"

Being consistent with where I am feeling the beat/pulse

• Still controlling and keeping in time with the 12/8 time signature. 

• Be consistent! The time signature has not changed

• Quiet - uses belting to express her frustration and desperation regarding the sounds in her head.  “cannot reach me anymore” 

• Nobody wants to hear songs anymore - similar to quiet, to express frustration and in this case anger - “how did it all get so bad”

• Breathy (glottis partially open or partially open), glottal (closed glottis) balanced (closing glottis @the same time as pushing air through)

• glottal - bold, harsh

• breathy - airy, light - used to convey intimacy and ambience into my chorus as singing in a vulnerable state.

• balanced - warm, smooth, full

  more assertive

• Several runs, as well as the ending section of “O Vertigo”, producing still full sounding and resonant tones/sounds, but with a more crisp articulation. Short and sharp attacks, without delaying it or holding it. 

How High the Moon: The scat solo extends over a wide range of notes in the G Mixolydian scale over the D7 chord in her scat solo. 

Head voice showcased in Since U Been Gone vs lots of belting and chest voice in Quiet & Nobody Wants to Hear Songs Anymore

Scat syllables she uses in her scat solo in How High the Moon, "bo", "be", "da" - manipulates/uses these as they tend to sound rounder and fuller, and not as harsh and sharp.

Push and pull of the rhythm, therefore important that the piano follows the vocals. - Interaction

-Texture than grows, thicker chord progressions, and harmony to build a thicker texture to support the growing character of the piece

-Potential call and response section with the bridge. Piano plays call, singer plays response

Scat solo, push and pull, piano follow me as the vocals when scating.

The accompaniment should not overpower the vocals, but be enough to support it

Ensure the piano is aware of that (empathy)

Silence from the piano "anymore"

Then building the texture frrom nothing into a passage where while the piano is playing harmonic backing, on top of that vocals are singing a melodic line (without lyrics)

Create interaction between, and as each cycle grows (there's 4) the piano and vocals both become more intense.

• Ensure that the piano follows the vocals.

• Vocals lead! Particulary as there is a lot of push and pull involved/present.

• Ensure that the piano does not overpower the vocals at any point in time.- Empathy.

• Adjust my volume production as well depending on how loud or soft the piano is

• Practice being familiar with starting a section and ending it at the same time as pianist. e.g How long is the intro? When am I coming in?

• Also eye contact and body language throughout to communicate is important. 

However, I decided to interpret the SAME lyrics in the complete opposite: what if this person was still in pain, still heartbroken and not over the person?

Rock pop → Piano ballad

Upbeat, lively → Raw, vulnerable, melancholy, passionate

In the 2 choruses, they are sang in head voice, allowing for a lighter more delicate and vulnerable tone to be brought out.

--> Still really hurt and coming into terms with the relationship ending

Ending the song with a chorus "down" (sung in chest voice) produces a more grounded, richer tone.. she is coming to a conclusion and is coming into terms with the relationship

Grounded tone (chest voice) also provides a sense of closure

4/4 has a straightforward, steady feel. Also feels very "predictable" Changing it to 6/8 allows a flowing, lilting, and less predictable feel.

• The triplet feel of 6/8 time signature creates a more fluid and lyrical rhythm compared to the steady beat of 4/4.

• Adds gentleness/delicateness to the piece and more emotional depth.

  
  

Change of rhythm in other parts of the song

"How can I put it? You put me on" - Add rhythmic variety

Taking inspiration from artists such as Adele and Kelly Clarkson herself who sing many "heartbroken" songs and being able to carry my facial expressions in the same way.

Minor keys often use chords that have a darker, more somber quality compared to the bright and cheerful chords in major keys. Changing the key provides me a deeper scope to potray that vulnearble, melancholy, pain filled character.

• Light articulation, clarity in the articulation of my words in the first verse to bring out the desired message 

• Emotionally driven, facial expressions - telling a story and portray this child having a mental breakdown 

• Dynamic contrast between the first verse and the softer chorus, that drop in her emotion that then builds again 

Facial expression is CRUCIAL to a music theatre piece

• In order to demonstrate an informed interpretation of this: cohesive and clear runs, ensure all notes area hit accurately on pitch, particularly at such a fast tempo (138 bpm)

• Sound light and effortless, all in an even head voice tone

• Singer songwriter style 

• Understanding what the lyrics are saying, man disappointed and frustrated that no one truly cares for deep music anymore 

• Portraying this - telling a story as I sing is crucial to the style of this piece as well as the execution. 

• Beyond what is written, fully understand that 

-Jazz swing 

-Phrasing in the scat solo as well as a clear articulation of the constants being sung.

-Ensuring that accents are brought out appropriately, and phrases that are legato are done so appropriately too.

Ensure that I am striving to maximise the points in the rubric, bringing my performance to the highest standard.

• Alternating “heavy", "light", "heavy" then "light" again character.

• Ending with Nobody Wants to Hear Songs Anymore - one of my strongest pieces, furthermore the ending section I am developing I think will end the piece on a strong/nice note.

• Also alternating the slow and more upbeat songs throughout, not all at one end. Adds variety to the program!