Voice Courses

This choir consists of 4-12 singers divided into SATB (soprano, alto, tenor bass) parts and performs standard jazz choir repertoire with full rhythm section accompaniment (piano, bass, drums). Each meeting is devoted to rehearsing parts, focusing on blend, dynamics, intonation, articulation, expression, interpretation, and stage presence. Iconic groups that would be emulated include The Manhattan Transfer, New York Voices, Syncopation, and Vox One. Vocal arrangements recorded, performed, and published by these groups (and others) will be used in addition to the works of contemporary arrangers including Michele Weir, April Arabian, Greg Jasperse, Darmon Meader, Paris Rutherford, Ward Swingle, and Ned Rosenblatt.

This class teaches personalized arranging. It asks students of any musical style to delve deeper into the performance art of reinvention; that is, to take repertoire from, for example, jazz, rock, the Great American Songbook, country, Beatles, soul, Brazilian, pop, and original tunes and modernize assigned pieces to complement the student as an artist (or as producer, studio arranger, etc). These arrangements become part of the students' professional performing repertoire. One of the goals of the class is to experiment, sometimes drastically, with preexisting songs through harmonic, metric, and orchestral elements, while remaining respectful of the original melody and lyrics. The class includes a rhythm section; each week students experiment with and finesse ideas with the band in this new territory. The class is geared toward vocalists, but instrumentalists who also sing are welcome.

An ensemble designed to provide singers with an understanding of repertoire styles and basic stagecraft. An end-of-semester musical/dramatic presentation will be scheduled.

Topics integrated into assigned materials will address intonation, blend, rhythmic phrasing, singing riffs and embellishments, entrances and cutoffs, voicings, blend, articulation, written arrangements as well as rote or head arrangements, stage presence including movement while singing, microphone setting, and microphone technique. Written transcriptions and arrangements or lead sheets of specific arrangements may be assigned.

This course focuses on understanding and performing staged readings of new contemporary musical theater works in the professional setting. During the semester, students who have auditioned and been cast in the course will learn how to create and develop a character in the context of a staged reading. New works created by Berklee students, alumni, and faculty will be explored in this process. Students are required to learn the songs and scenes from the piece, analyze these songs from an acting perspective, and perform a staged reading in front of an audience.  The course requires a full commitment and focus, and is by audition only. Students are evaluated through weekly song performances, scene work, a graded midterm and final performance, character analysis, and through dialogue and presenting papers. There is a focus on the analysis of music and lyrics of the songs in these contemporary pieces. The focus begins with basic stage terminology and works toward creating a more detailed connection between analysis and performance. Students will gain a better understanding of how theater songs create and bring dramatic elements to life.

This course focuses on the process and development of new musicals after completing the staged reading phase. During the semester, students who have auditioned and been cast in the course will learn how to create and develop a character in the context of a new musical workshop and how that differs from a staged reading or a full production. They will use improvisational techniques as well as traditional acting methods. This will be the second stage class that allows new works created by Berklee students, alumni, and faculty to be developed and explored.

After Berklee’s staged reading course is completed, the writers of the musical will regroup and offer suggestions for what the workshop class should focus on. Students are required to learn the songs and scenes from the new work that need to be revised, analyze these songs from an acting perspective, and perform them at public workshops in order to help with the development of the work. When given feedback, the writers will rewrite portions of the songs and scenes, and students will have the opportunity to learn and explore these changes as well. The course requires outside work with fellow actors and each week there will be a weekend lab that allows students to practice their scene work. Students are evaluated through weekly song performances, scene work, a graded midterm workshop performance and final performance, character analysis, and through dialogue and presenting papers.

There is a focus on a deeper analysis of music and lyrics of the songs in these contemporary pieces than in the staged reading class. Students will gain a more thorough understanding of how theater songs create and bring dramatic elements to life as well as how actors are an integral part of the development of new works.