Part of guiding the audience to a dramatic emotional response is creating a road map. Everybody trying to go somewhere needs a road map. The same is true in performing. A good performance group must map and plan each show for maximum audience enjoyment.
The road map is a mental list you create to help you concentrate while practicing your music. It is your step-by-step instruction manual and list of objectives for each song. Your list of objectives may include dynamics, mood, styling, blending etc. Your list may also be different for each verse and/or chorus of the song.
Tips to making an effective road map for each song:
Write turn by turn directions for yourself for every section of each song. Know your responsibility both musically and dynamically. Practice at 100% volume, and intensity. When you work to improve a song, put the improvements on your road map so you dont revert to old habits the next time you rehearse.
When you start learning a new song, have a group member or the arranger write a road map for you for that song. Have them give you an idea of the whys and hows for the song. Also have them give a basic road map as a jumping off point so you have a goal and objectives in mind before you start. This will make you rehearsal time more effective.
Build songs based on your road map. Prepare to entertain the audience by making a road map for each song. Plan each section of the song for maximum audience enjoyment.
Soon enough, as you rehearse and perform each sing effectively, the road map you have prepared for each song will become second nature and you can sing on autopilot. Once you reach such a group synergy that you can sing on autopilot, you can give more attention to the audience and give them a better emotional journey.
Tips to making an effective road map for performances:
Build your show by putting certain songs together in blocks. For example, you may want to sing blocks of three or four songs in a row that you perform in the same order in every show. If you do perform in blocks, the group can improve more quickly because each member will already know whats next. Also, its a good idea mix up the blocks a bit so repeat audience members dont feel like they saw the same show twice.
Road map your choreography/blocking. Know where to be and when. Add the performance-element road map to the musical road map for each song. Make it part of the plan to expand your road map to include performance elements with musical elements.
Map the whole show for each performance. Map the space between songs and say things to the audience that will contribute to the emotional journey. Make them feel or believe something.
Finally, when you are not able to practice vocally, practice mentally. Run through your road map in your head while you are traveling to work or cooking breakfast or anytime outside of rehearsal. Clear your mind and concentrate on your responsibilities. Athletes have been visualizing for years; practicing mentally is no different. If you concentrate, you can hear the rest of your group; you know what they sound like; you know what to do to make your part match perfectly with the other group members.
As you continue to plan to take your audience on their emotional journey, road maps will help you maximize the limited time you have to prepare a moving experience for the audience. More audience satisfaction translates to bigger audiences and more performance opportunities. The more opportunities you get, the more likely you will enjoy your time performing and be performing well into the future.
{mosimage}Greg Baird is an ICCA certified judge, a former member of Brigham Young Universitys Vocal Point, and a general a cappella enthusiast. In the past six months he has held 15 workshops with collegiate a cappella groups on the east and west coasts. He enjoys when groups find new purpose in performance through a good workshop. Greg owns and operates from the website: www.allthearrangements.com.
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