MUSIC NOTES FROM 4/24 ACT I WORKTHROUGH

 Notes on ACT I Work through 4/24

Some good stuff today!!!   However, lots of niggly little spots of being unsure of time, notes, etc.  Use the guide vocal tracks as much as you can for review.  Also the 11 tracks I added to the Drive.  Use all of them! Happy to help anybody any time, but we're running out of time so do your best to catch up with some of this stuff on your own. You've been doing great work and we're going to get there. The more secure you are in music and lines, the more you can focus on how it will all fit together with the band, set, costumes, props and lights...Whew!

HERE’S A MAJOR NOTE!!!!!!!!!!!

It’s CRUCIAL that you say all the lines that have music underscoring EXACTLY AS WRITTEN.  The conductor will be using those lines for CUES in the music.   You CANNOT paraphrase or change word or sentence order.  There's no room for improv here!

;0)

#1 - Prologue

Percy - check timing @ m. 47; 119

All - timing of entrance @ m. 20 - it’s a ¾ bar!

check notes @ m. 162

Chorus: Thanks for rehearsing the end of #1 - everyone remember - the tempo doesn’t slow down.  You have to COUNT!!   The first time you say ‘expelled’ you hold for 14 counts; rest for 1.5 counts; expelled for 8 counts; HERE’S THE IMPORTANT PART!!! - REST for 5 ½ counts then expelled again at tempo and hold for 6 counts.

S, A, G, L, Mr. B - sing out on those oos!  @ m. 91 - 95; notes at m. 183 - gotta have that chord!

@ m. 185 - 4 bars for Dobbs to rise and shriek, Brunner to toss P the pen. Then, note the change of music and tempo @ 190 for the “Wagnerian Battle”  HIgh opera - Mr. B let 2 measures of that go before you shout “What ho, Percy!”

#2 - Strong

Sally Check the notes at m. 52.  You’re missing the A#

#3 - Minotaur/Dream

Get the lines right.  They are cues.

Percy - timing at m. 35, 43

#4 - Terrible Day

Kale - great job.  Pay close attention to diction as this number goes by so fast.

#5 - Their Sign

Chiron/Percy - please sing the song in the straight rhythm in which it’s written.  If you mess with the rhythm the words get mushy.  

The lines @ m. 52 are in the clear.  Time the lines for that.

Please review the harmony at m. 78.  

#6 - Place

Clarisse - @ m. 51, 55 - Annabeth’s notes are above yours.  Please review the harmony there.  

#7 - Campfire

Grover - review m. 131 -  sing those notes the same as the note of “beguiled”.

#7a - Trident/Thunder

Luke/Percy - another place where the lines must be clearly placed to coincide with the music.  @ 7 - running 16th notes under “it’s a trident…All hail “Perseus Jackson.”  CHORD - Son of the Sea God CHORD - Poseidon - CHORD - my dad’s Poseidon.  The next bit is in the clear.  Then more running 16th notes for Luke, what’s going on and the transition to Mr. D and Chiron arguing 

#8 - Oracle

A., C., G., L., Chi. - please review those notes - you are the Echoes and we need “crazy over the top” there…..

I’m sorry I won’t be able to be with you Thursday to nitpick you to distraction on this stuff.  

I will be with you on Friday and you will all make me proud!!!

Your pal,

Chrisse the Wonderful

Eleven new practice tracks in the Drive

 Back by popular demand, I've made 11 new mp3s of various requested spots and tunes.  Please give them a look-see and if they apply to anything you sing, start using them.  Thank you.

Scheduling Notes: 4/22-4/28

Hey y'all -

We are looking at relatively little changes for the upcoming calendar to accommodate our current moment in the process of the show.  Yay!  Y'all are working really hard!

The details are:

4/22: This is the 'Work Stuff That Needs It' day.  Here is the agenda...

- 400p-500p...Triad works Music in the Choir Room, with anyone else with music questions or wanting tutorial work should make themselves available in the Auditorium, in case time comes available; Shaelyn and Giuseppe will be available in the Auditorium as well, if anyone wants time

-500p-600p...Large Group (Triad, Pantheon, Chorus) Music in the Choir Room

-530p-630p...Chorus in the Choir Room (until 600p only, and are then released); Triad, Pantheon, Synolo onstage for DOA, Luke's Fight

-630p-700p...Dinner break (provided)

-700p-800p...Review Fights, Work as needed

-800p-900p...Zhuzh up songs as needed with stylized movement

4/23-4/25:  Run/Work Acts (Act II on 4/23 and 4/25; Act I on 4/24).  **Remember: All actors, except Triad, are to be off book.**

4/26: Sitzprobe...This means a sit-and-sing, integrating instrumentalists and singers (Synolo are excused).  It's a long-ish session.  Snacks and Breaks will be available.

4/28: The HeART of Portland performance

This is an opportunity to share our work in a large setting with folks who don't get to see it very often, and, well, show the City of Portland that the arts are alive and thriving.  It'll be a stand and sing opportunity (think stand mics and no choreo/dialogue, singing to the youtube instrumental tracks linked HERE).  

• Performance Date & Time: Sunday, April 28th at 12 PM
• Call time: 1030 AM, same day for sound check
• Location: Sunken Ballroom - Portland Art Museum, Mark Building at 1119 SW Park Ave, Portland OR 97205. A PPS Rep will meet you at the front doors of the Mark Building at 1030 AM.
• Transportation: Students are responsible for their own transportation. Please let me know if there are serious barriers to participation.
• Occasion: This is the closing event of the 2024 HeART of Portland. There is free admission to the Portland Art Museum all day, and these small ensemble performances are a highlight of the festivities! 
• Logistics: We will have a green room upstairs for students to store their belongings, plus a small amount of snacks for students.
• Audiences: Parents, Friends, etc. are welcomed and invited!
• Songs:
• Strong: Percy and Sally/Aspen and Ella
• Good Kid: Percy/Aspen
• My Grand Plan: Annabeth/Sabina
• Tree On A Hill: Grover only (Percy, dialogue only)/Arlo and Aspen
• Son Of Poseidon: Ares, Annabeth, Grover, Percy/Orie, Aspen, Arlo, Sabina

New MP3s in the Drive!!!

 There are new practice tracks for #21, #22

If there are any sections that DONOT yet have practice tracks, or that you want to go over one-on-one, email me: chrisseroccaro@gmail.com and let me know what # and which section by measure #.

Chrisse

MUSIC NOTES FROM 4/16 SING THROUGH

 #1 - Silena - can you please try to sing @ m. 14 an octave higher? (or at least the first word: godly - sing the higher F)  

Percy - check timing at m. 47 - comes on beat 3

Percy - timing at m. 119 - comes on last half of beat 4 (1&2&3&4What?)

Percy - m. 241 - 3 measures before you come in

#2 - Percy/Sally - Review this whole number

Percy - review rhythm of notes at top of song

Percy - review rhythm at m. 39-40

#5 - Chiron - check melody @ m. 11-12 especially the accidental on the last note (sign)

Percy - check the melody @ m. 31-32 especially the accidental on the last note (whine)

Percy - this song is written in a strict 6/4 tempo.  Please do not mess with that rhythmic structure.  Sing it straight; as written.  We can review if you’d like to.

#6 - Clarisse/Annabeth - review the notes @ m. 49 - 56

ALL - we need to be together on the last 2 measures - it will be conducted.

#7 - ALL pay attention to the cut offs, especially if more than one singing at a time.  M. 16 - campers  You hold ‘worse’ 3 counts and a quick ‘s’ on beat 1 of the next measure.  “Universe” in m. 20 is 2 counts and off on beat 3.  All these endings - especially if they end in an ‘s’ - need to be together!!

ALL - pay attention to how many measures are between each verse/solo.  

ALL - We should put this on the ‘review’ list.

#11 - DEFINITELY NEEDS TO GO ON THE ‘REVIEW’ LIST! ;0)

#12 - ALL pay attention to the key changes!!! Like at m. 66-67, Percy. 

Grover - take notes @ beat 4 of m. 84 & m. 85.

#14 -  ALL treble voices - if you need pointers on how to navigate between head and chest voice without sounding like you’re 2 different people, let me know.  We can have a mini-workshop.

#15 - TRIAD - this needs review.

#17 - GROVER - we will spend time on this.  I think you can navigate the melody so that you needn’t sing too high or too low.  We’ll work it out.

#20 - G, AR, AN, P - let’s review @ m. 93

Percy - let’s review melody/rhythm

#21 - REVIEW - ALL - you have to count how many ‘summer’s there are!

#22 - REVIEW - ALL

#18 DOA Vienna Boys Choir

 Track for 3 part Vienna Boys Choir section starting at m. 42 has been uploaded to the track folder

C

Music Notes from Act I RT

 Music Notes from Act I RT

We went over some of these but…

#1 - m. 16 - 22 - review timing. Note ¾ bar at m. 20!  Crucial!

M. 32 - harmony

M. 44-46 - harmony and timing.  Another ¾ bar.

M. 91 - 96 - everyone review!!!

M. 156-7 - Percy, Mrs. Dodds - exact rhythm!

M. 183- That chord needs to BLAST!!!

M. 215 - Percy.  notes/rhythm

M. 256 - end - let’s nail those harmonies

#2 - M. 40 - Percy notes/rhythm.  Establish new tempo.

M. 66 - end - harmony review

#3* - M. 35 - end - review harmony!   

#4 - Mr. D - let’s find a time to work those awkward spots.  Remind me!

M. 87 - Mr. Brunner - “I did mean to tell you…” is said in the clear.

#5 - M. 9 - 10 - tricky rhythm - review. Ask me if you need to.

M. 78 - review harmony

#6 - Review all

#6a* - work this! - track tempo way too fast.  No camp song I ever sang was that fast!

M. 236 - 247 - review harmony

#7a* - review underscoring with dialog

#8 - Review w/accompaniment

#9 - m. 55 - Percy note awkward wording/rhythm “well, she vanished INTO the air” - 

M. 61 - 76 - review harmony.

M. 87 - Percy really dig into the switch from 4/4 to ¾ at m. 88

M. 114 - end - pay attention to the count for the final cut off!   

#10 - M. - 49 - Annabeth - great job on the high note! I knew you’d get it. ;0)

• *= Tuesday work underscoring 4/16 (TBD)