Expert: Wanda Reinholdt - 7/3/2011

Question
Hello,

I will be playing Billy Bigelow in the musical Carousel and I would just like to see if you are familiar with the song Soliloquy. I have been listening to it, but I have yet to get the words down. Can you just tell me how I should go about performing it and maybe some tips vocally? Just a run-down of the song would be fantastic and some tips on what I should do throughout the song. I am a baritone-bass, but I can get up to tenor if I practice hard enough. Please know that I do have a wide vocal range. So, if you are familiar with it and would like to give me some tips, that would be greatly appreciated! If not, then thank you for your time.

Answer
Hi there, Austin...And thanks for writing.  

I am not super familiar with the song nor have I studied it.  However, I do believe that I can help you with some general tips...

First, about performing it, the best way to do so is to first get to know the song intimately.  To do this, you need to break the process down into bite sized pieces.  What I mean is that you need to first take the top of the song and get to know the notes of that part of the song well first.  Then take the next part.  Try to do a few bars at a time.  As you learn more bars of the music, you put them together.  

So first step - get to know the music piece by piece.  Not the words but the music, the tune, the rhythm.   You should be able to confidently sing the tune without even thinking about it.  When you get to this point, then you are ready to move to the next step.  When you are singing the music, use "La la la" or "ahh"  - a nice open sound.  Be sure to focus on getting very clear notes and crisp notes while in this phase of learning the song.

Next step - Listen to the words.  What do they mean?   What are they saying?  What's the point of the song?  Write out the words and write out the meaning.  Learn the words separately from the music so that the words also become a part of you - you can say them and you understand them without thinking about them.  

Once you really know the music and the words, then it is time to put them together.

Third step - put the words to the music.  Get to know the song this way now.  Feel the music and the words working together.  How does it make you feel?  What does it make you want to do?  What does it stir in your - actions, feelings, thoughts?  Take note of that.  Get to know the song so well with the words and music that you are just singing it in the shower and in the car and wherever without a problem.  You are intimately associated with this song.  It is a part of you.

Final step - Remember what stirred in you with the song - actions, feelings, thoughts?  Express that now with your body.  Put your body into action with the song and express it through action.  What is the person going for when they are singing the song?  What is the intent?  What do they want?  And how can you convey that with your body?  Try things and find the best actions that express clearly what you are trying to say through the song.  Get someone to watch you with this step - to make sure it is clear.  

Does that help you?

Wanda