Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Making Music

I’m not sure there’s any torture greater than listening to your child practice the piano.  Well, maybe violin.  I’ll admit that listening to a child practice violin could be worse.  I mean, at least our piano is in tune.  (Mostly.)  My daughter is eight years old and she has been studying the piano for four years.  She’s getting there.  This year she played her first Bach minuet, and she’s learning her scales and cadences.  I don’t have any idea whether or not she will be interested in pursuing music in her adult life, but I’m a big believer in the idea that learning music teaches you how to think.  Given that her dad and I are both professional musicians, we figured it was important to make music a part of our kids’ lives from the very beginning.  (Our younger daughter is four and will start lessons in January.  Oh God.)
My husband and I came to music in very different ways.  READ MORE….

The Sound Of Music

You may be surprised to learn that in addition to writing for the musical theater, I have had a bit of success as a choral music composer, too. For me, ensemble singing (and writing and conducting) taps into the part of me that really does prefer to be making music with other people as opposed to sitting alone in a room with a piano, a notepad, and a computer loaded with Finale.  I love using music to tell stories, as musical theater folks do, but I also really like using music just to make music, and I start to feel atrophy when I get too far away from it.  I was a classical musician before I was a part of the Broadway community, and sometimes I forget how much I depend on the fuel that classical music provides.  Little me was the girl at the piano after school, practicing Bach and Rachmaninoff and Tcherepnin over and over again until her fingers were vibrating with the kind of energy and exhaustion you feel after a hard workout.  The changing of the seasons was marked by marching band, holiday concerts, wind ensemble, Easter music, spring piano recitals and summer music camp.  READ MORE…

Friday, September 27, 2013

WRITING ACTABLE SONGS

The good folks at newmusicaltheater.com have started a blog!  So now, in addition to buying the original sheet music, legally and efficiently, for the contemporary songs you want to learn, you can also go there to read the thoughts and insights of your favorite contemporary musical theater writers.  (I'm hoping I'm on that list.  If I'm not, why on earth are you reading my blog?)

Here's my first entry.  Enjoy.

WRITING ACTABLE SONGS
by Georgia Stitt


I’ve got this duality to my career that has provided me with some pretty helpful insight.  I spend a big part of my professional time writing music and lyrics for songs and shows, but I also spend a big part of that time music directing, teaching, and coaching singers.  One of the most important things I’ve discovered as a vocal coach has deeply influenced the way I write, and I wanted to share it with you guys — writers and performers alike.

A lot of us composer and lyricist types became writers because we felt like we had so much to say and so much to express, and we loved putting words and music together to make great songs.  Don’t get me wrong; I believe there’s a place for anything that’s inside you that you need to express.  But not every great thought is a great piece of musical theater.  If a song waxes poetic about an emotion for three and a half minutes, and it requires the singer to belt really high and it has some really awesome chords and a great groove — it might be a blast to sing but I’m gonna have a really hard time coaching it.  Actors need something to DO, not just something to FEEL.  We contemporary writers are the worst about writing songs that just feel really good to sing and aren’t actually sustainable.
READ MORE...

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Second LA master class added on Tuesday nights

Hi, friends!

Last week I posted about the very last LA musical theater master class I'll be able to offer before moving back to New York.  (See post below.)  Twelve hours after I announced the class, it had sold out.  The next day there was enough demand for the class to justify adding a section, so I've decided to do just that.  In addition to the Wednesday night class outlined below, I'm now also offering a Tuesday night class -- same location, same pianist, same format, same time of day.  

Here are the dates:  Tuesday nights, 6:45-9:45 on April 16, 23, 30, and May 7, 14 (skip 21) and 28.

If you're interested, send an email. As of right now I have three more spots available in the Tuesday night class. Hope to see you there!

Georgia



Friday, March 08, 2013

The Last Georgia Stitt LA Musical Theater Class (for a while...)


Well, here it is.  I'm announcing the LAST private 6-week musical theater class I'll be able to offer in Los Angeles in the near future.  (My family and I are relocating to NYC this summer.)  If you've been meaning to come in for private coaching, you've got a few months left for that, too.  Hope to see you soon!  (And thanks for helping me to spread the word about these classes.)

Thanks so much.
Georgia
-------

SPRING 2013 MUSICAL THEATER CLASS (Pasadena location)
with Georgia Stitt
and Ross Kalling at the piano

Wednesday nights, 6:45 - 9:45 pm (maximum 8 participants)
Six weeks: April 17, 24 and May 1, 8, 15 (skip 22; I'm out of town) and 29
$450

Choose a music theater or pop song from any genre and either shape it into a useful audition selection or discover why it's problematic.  Topics include: audition cuts, choosing material, personalizing songs, connecting, letting the music work for you, knowing your type, and making strong choices.  Identify the structure of your song and use it to strengthen your storytelling.  By looking at phrase length, rhyme, contrast, musical gesture, and surprise, you can uncover clues from the composer that can fuel your acting choices.  Maximum eight participants.  Each singer/actor will work for 20 minutes each week.

Location:
Pasadena Presbyterian Church (Choir Room, downstairs)
585 East Colorado Boulevard
Pasadena, CA  91101

TO REGISTER FOR THIS CLASS, send an email directly to georgiastitt@mac.com.