Broadway Isn't All Fun and Games

Although a few of our peices of music for our Broadway Talent Expo are uplifting and "feel-good" music, the majority are the slow moving ballads often buried within a show during times of distress or lack of hope. I wanted to write about this forum because I think in order to convey the correct type of mood during songs, we must first understand what they mean. In Choral Spectrum, when we first learned "What'll I do," Noelle and I struggled a bit to move the phrase, or enrich it with interesting and capturing dynamics. One night, I read the lyrics before I started singing. After reading them I became a bit nostalgic and thought about my days at camp and all of the friends that live so far away. The meaning the lyrics had in my own life helped me to add emotion to the words while singing. I think that relating the lyrics to our own lives, although it may seem difficult, is essential to captivate the audience. I also believe it is equally important to consider what the lyrics could mean to those watching the show. For example, "You'll Never Walk Alone" could be especially meaningful to someone going through a rough time. The comfort found within the lyrics and the way we express these lyrics can truly make this Talent Expo experience a memorable one.