The new Singing for Musical Theatre syllabus is a recently published and welcome addition to the ABRSM stable of musical expertise and is perfect for getting students ready for auditions and stage performance. New songbooks are available, which save teachers much precious time and trouble in finding the music.
Teaching the new syllabus
Musical theatre is a greatly demanding style of singing, needing subtle interpretation, voice control, expression and stamina, and this new syllabus fulfils all these criteria, designed as it is for safe singing at high or low voice, carefully selected, featuring age-appropriate songs and a huge choice of repertoire from stage and screen musicals, from the 1920s to today. There is a vast selection indeed: Gershwin to Disney, via Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter and the Sherman brothers, while also featuring modern favourites such as Matilda and Frozen.
There are three lists of songs: A, B and C, and one song from each list is to be performed. Personally, I think it best that the student selects the songs; if the teacher chooses one which the student dislikes, then that will affect the performance and communication, and these are the cornerstones of the syllabus. This choice of repertoire and performance is a great opportunity to show off the range of character that can be expressed. As the teacher, you will provide a live piano accompaniment, which will give the student the necessary musical experience for concerts, auditions and interaction with other musicians.
There is also one song to be performed unaccompanied. This can be taken from any list and is excellent preparation for auditions and concerts, giving students confidence in their ability to hold their own, alone on the stage, in front of an audience.
Sight-singing is another area to be tested, and again, this part of the syllabus has multiple musical advantages, for example, helping students to learn new pieces more easily, or join in with a new choir or singing group, or stand in at short notice if a lead is indisposed. The new Joining the Dots singing books, like the books for the piano, by Alan Bullard, are immensely helpful here. He provides practices not only for sight-singing, but also in slightly unexpected areas such as learning to make things up if something goes awry. This, I find, bolsters student's confidence, as they have an extremely useful tool to fall back on if necessary, and that usually means that they hardly have a need to use it. Good advice is ‘Just keep going.’ Continuity is key to success, and not solely in the exam, the trick is to keep going even if the student has gone wrong.
The piece will be in the style of musical theatre, beginning with a piano introduction ending in the first note of the song. In Grades 1 and 2 the piano part doubles; in Grade 3 there is less support. I encourage sight singing as a regular part of the lesson; the trick is to keep the tonic in mind. If pitch is difficult, there are now apps to help, or the student could simply record themselves and play back to improve.
Acing the exam
In the exam, the songs are to be performed from memory in order to communicate the sense, meaning and emotion of the piece. Remembering lyrics can be difficult, so tell students to start by reading them out loud and considering the meaning. Just memorise a bit at a time. When people forget, the problem is usually that they have not been clear in their minds about the story they are telling, and every song is a story. Read the text; these words have meaning; who is this character? where have they been? where are they going? why are they singing? what emotion are they displaying? do they decide on action?
Overall, the examiners will be looking for a well-projected tone, with sensitive use of tonal qualities; an expressive, idiomatic musical shape and detailing, and an assured, fully committed communication of character and style: the exam is designed to be an assessment of singing, not acting or dancing. If the pupil wants to use the space, then they are free to do it, but bear in mind that this is purely a singing exam. Focus on the musicality of the singing and the quality of vocal delivery; clear lyrics with strong consonants, especially in fast-paced songs. Get the student to record themselves and play it back to someone else for checking, as you will know the words already.
In my teaching, I focus on the following questions; are the notes and pitch accurate and clear? Is the tempo suitable and stable? Is there a sense of rhythm? Is the tone controlled, varied and well-projected? Is the shaping effective, detailed and clear? Is there engagement and involvement in the performance? Is the student showing enjoyment and enthusiasm?