by Deb Rabbai
There are many ways to connect to the music
and I find using my body to be a very helpful one because I love to dance.
- Deb Rabbai
You're onstage, the pianist is improvising music and the music is coming around again to a place where you should probably start singing something. Anything! Uh oh….
Welcome to the mind of the musical improviser.
Those moments can be scary or uncertain as you're learning how to improvise a song, melody, and lyrics. So here are a few tips to gently jump into the pool of improvising a melody.
Breathe
Here's a great place to start: breathe. Inhale and exhale. It probably sounds obvious but to quote a teacher of mine, “Breathe. You breathe or you die.”
Ok, now you're breathing, what's next?
Focus
Focus your mind to listen to what the pianist is playing and start moving your body to the rhythm that is being suggested in the music. There are many ways to connect to the music and I find using my body to be a very helpful one because I love to dance. Most times I can't stop my body from moving to the music. And in moving to the music, I start to feel a style that the music might be suggesting. Any musician you see playing music is tapping the rhythm of the beat with one of their feet. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.
Hum
Sometimes it's hard to know how to jump in and actually start just singing and I've found that when I'm practicing improvising songs, just humming quietly while the pianist plays helps me connect to what's being played. I can then find the notes in myself that connect with what's being played. When I'm feeling challenged by a difficult tempo or chord progression, humming quietly to the music helps me understand where I need to go musically and offers a starting place.
This all needs to happen long before you start thinking or worrying about lyrics.
Being able to create a melody is the most important place to start.
Artistic Director Deb Rabbai on her five favorite Phony winners - including ones where she had to sing entirely on someone else’s back!
Artistic Director Deb Rabbai shares how flexibility can be an improviser’s best insurance policy.
Artistic Director Deb Rabbai describes “ear candy,” why you want it in your improv songs, and how to create it. Photo Credit: Love Imagery
Not sure what to sing about when it's time to improvise a song? Artistic director, producer, and performer Deb Rabbai gives simple options when you're making up songs on the spot.
Artistic director, producer, and performer Deb Rabbai gives simple tips to stop panicking, connect with the music, and create a melody.
Producer, director, and performer Deb Rabbai shares how she got through a summer with less acting work than usual.
Producer, director, and performer Deb Rabbai shares how to continue singing while staying in character. And gives a quick tip on the best way to do it.
All of the highlights from our show at the Warren Performing Arts Center. Including the Red Carpet video, the Phony Award-winning song, and more!
All of the highlights from our show at Kent State University Tuscarawas's Performing Arts Center. Including the Red Carpet video, the Phony Award-winning song, fan responses and more!
All of the highlights from our show at Bloomsburg University. Including the Red Carpet video, the Phony Award-winning song, fan art and more!
Winning Song:
"He Mortgaged His House to See the Superbowl"
Musical Title:
"Letting Him Go"
Artistic Director Deb Rabbai explains the vision behind all of the different workshops cast members have gone through the past few weeks.
