Musical Theatre: Singing Techniques

Learn techniques for eliciting the best vocal performance of a song from acclaimed Broadway actor, singer, and performer Sydney James Harcourt (Hamilton, Lion King, American Idiot, Girl from the North Country).

You'll learn practical and effective ways to prepare for a performance, including vocal warm-up exercises and strategies for managing your breath, mapping who you are to the meaning of a song, and crafting the emotional arc of the song. 

All throughout the course, you will receive personal feedback from your instructor, and also gain self-awareness to help in evaluating your own performances and making adjustments to improve them. You'll also gain insights of what is expected at professional auditions and tips to stand out.

The goal of the course is to prepare you for your next performance, whether it is an audition or a production you are already cast in, so that you triumph.

What you will learn:

✔ Develop a routine that includes practical and effective vocal warm-up exercises   
✔ Improve your performance of a song by identifying vocal transitions, preventing consonants from impeding your vocal production, and developing ease with phrasing   
✔ Make effective use of dynamics to heighten the emotional impact of the vocal performance   
✔ Develop strategies for understanding the meaning of a song, memorizing it, and delivering it authentically   
✔ Evaluate your own performance and make adjustments based on feedback from others   
✔ Gain strategies to ensure you are prepared for professional auditions

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What you need to participate:

• Computer or mobile device with Internet. Internet speed must be at least 1.5Mbps download and 800Kbps upload. For students using a mobile device, download the Canvas mobile app and select “Interlochen Online” as your school.
• Audio device to play an accompaniment track, separate from the device you will be using to participate in the course

How the course works:

Interlochen Online courses are designed to be inspiring and flexible with weekly learning units that combine video segments and guided instruction that you can complete on your own schedule during the week. You will interact regularly with your teacher and peers inside the learning environment. 

You can also participate in an optional weekly hour-long video class meeting, where you can learn from the teacher and interact with your classmates in real-time. At the beginning of the course, you will complete a survey indicating your preferred times for the class meeting. The teacher will make every best effort to identify a meeting time that works for everyone. The teacher will also post recordings of the meetings and you can view them when it is convenient. 

The goal is that you walk away not only with practical skills and friendships but that you are inspired and motivated to pursue your art and realize your potential.