Artistry - How to Find It
SPRING FLING was the first time since I started directing BBS that the Family and Friends Concert did not leave me with a laundry list of things to fix before the actual performance. Spring fling was beautiful and I was very proud, happy, delighted and most encouraged. Thank you for your energy and great singing.
Can Reno be better than Spring Fling? Yes, I know it can be even better. Do you know that we will be better on Saturday? Do you know what you will do to be better on Saturday? Please have this in your brain on Wednesday night. We need a clear game plan that we all can execute. Much of it has to do with attention to details that are actually in the high A- level. Much of it has to do with making sure there are NO moments when our musical product becomes less than thrilling, less than emotional, less than well sung. Every breath, movement, note, phrase, vowel is done with great focus, commitment and emotion. Then we are talking Artistry.
Yesterday's SPRING FLING had glimpses of artistry! Artistry happens when a chorus or quartet goes beyond the technical. The performance is top-notch technique married to a compelling interpretation. The audience no longer hears the dynamic plan - they FEEL it through the emotion of the performance. The audience never focuses on a voice that is out of the unit, or a tuning issue caused by an unmatched vowel or lack of common vocal peoduction. The interpretation plan is a living, changing plan. It never feels like the singers are just doing it because they were told to do it. The performance is from the heart with everyone living every single moment. The audience is in the palm of our hand and living the performance with us. This is our goal. This is what we want to do in Reno.
Wednesday, we will focus on the details with all singers executing every nuance with honest emotion and total intent - each singer feeling where the music is going and never losing focus of the moment. The brain is engaged - and so is the heart.
Artistry is our future....
And now - read what Gwen Marks, a long time BBSer and a member of yesterday's audience, wrote to Shirley about one of our songs....
Hi,
What on earth made "Jump, Jive and Wail" so different from the rest of SV's numbers yesterday? It was one of three times I've ever felt privileged to be in the right place at the right time. Sure, I've heard lots of special performances, but in those times I always knew ahead of time that something exceptional could or might happen. Yesterday I knew that SV would be putting forth their best, but JJW had something special and unique about it. I actually saw the chorus in a different conformation. Seriously, their sound during JJW made them look different. The usual sound-shape of all choruses is like this: IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII. That's probably because the singers on the center risers are facing the director and facing out to the audience, so their sound is dominant and more demanding of the audience focus. But yesterday, the sound-shape of JJW looked like this IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII and the chorus really did have that different physical look. Also, the the sound was magnified and in very strong stereo. The strength of the sound (with perfectly matched voices) came from the outer risers - almost like they had special speakers. And yet the chorus did not seem to be facing down the tiles - they seemed to be in their normal singing positions with Dede in front of the chorus. As one who spent many, many (many) years on an outer risers, I was very impressed. Thanks for the special experience.
I want you to think about this. How could we make Honey's Loving" like this? CAN we make Honey's Lovin' like this? Think about this. A new song. New choreo. And a BLAST!!
See you Wednesday for a game changing rehearsal. We have not reached the peak yet. xoxox Dede
