MUSICAL THEATER

1) Look up the plot of the musical your song is from. Read the entire synopsis, and know what exactly is going on right before and during your song.
2) Read through the text of your song a few times. What is the song about? How does the character evolve or change over the course of the song? Look up any words that you do not understand.
3) Listen to a couple different versions of your song to get an idea of what it sounds like.
4) Play your melody on the piano. If you have trouble with a section melodically or rhythmically, break it down into smaller segments until you can put it all together.
5) Once you know the melody and the rhythms, try to play the piano part. If you are not an experienced pianist, just try to play a few notes of each chord so you can hear what’s going on while you’re singing.
6) If you can find a karaoke version or a recorded accompaniment, sing along to it.
7) Think about the character and how you will act the song out. Come up with a few adjectives to describe your character in each section of the song. Come up with some ideas about movement and expression and work in front of a mirror to make sure everything looks natural.
8) You are now ready to perform!

CLASSICAL

1) Translate EVERY WORD of the text if it is not in English (this includes all of the foreign markings in the score, like ritardando, meno mosso, etc.).
2) Research the background of the poetry, poet, and composer of the works you are learning; if it is from an opera, read through the entire synopsis, and know what exactly is going on right before and during your aria.
3) Look up any concepts, literary devices, or words you don’t understand.
4) Be able to restate the text in simple English.
5) Be able to list two or three adjectives that describe the feelings in the text.
6) Write in the pronunciation if the song is in a foreign language. I will speak the text for you in a lesson, and you can record that to practice with.
7) Read the text aloud, noting stresses and important words.
8) Memorize or mostly memorize the text as a poem. Be familiar enough with the text that you know what each word and phrase means without looking at your music.
9) Listen to a few recordings to get a feel for how the song goes.
10) Learn the rhythm and melody at the piano.
11) Sing the melody on your favorite vowel or syllable.
12) Sing using the text.
13) Once you know the melody and the rhythms, try to play the piano part. If you are not an experienced pianist, just try to play a few notes of each chord so you can hear what’s going on while you’re singing.
14) If you can find a karaoke version or a recorded accompaniment, sing along to it.
15) Begin committing the piece to memory as soon as you have learned it accurately, both musically and textually—NOT BEFORE.
16) Think about the character and how you will act the song out. Come up with a few adjectives to describe your character in each section of the song. Come up with some ideas about movement and expression and work in front of a mirror to make sure everything looks natural.