Advertise on podcast: Studying the Song - Audition Prep and Musicianship for Musical Theatre

Have you ever wondered how much movement is too much movement in an audition?   Have you struggled to find movement that feels authentic to you?   In this episode, Roger Ellis (@rogerellis), head of movement in the MFA Acting Program at Northwestern University, shares how he develops character, creates choreography, and develops a directorial vision through the lens of movement.  He pulls back the curtain on his creative process and reveals the specific tactics he uses to devise choreography, dig deeper into a show’s themes, and how to bring out each actor’s truest self. Roger Ellis (they/he) is a movement director and filmmaker investigating the mixed reality of Black-queer-aspec experience. Roger is the original director of Nikki Lynette’s Get Out Alive (Steppenwolf, film adaptation, National Alliance for Musical Theatre). Current projects include the documusical series Unhappy Songs About Unhappy Things, sound installation Interstitial and the short film Emergency Contact. Ellis is an assistant professor and head of the movement area for the MFA Acting Program at Northwestern University. In this interview, we discuss: What does storytelling mean to you? What's your approach to storytelling through choreography? When you're starting to choreograph a new show, how do you begin? How do you approach the score?  What's your process? What's your take on movement in auditions?  How can actors utilize movement in auditions without it feeling fully choreographed? How can they best represent themselves in the movement? What are you looking for in callbacks that is different from auditions? I hope you enjoy this fascinating conversation! Xo, Korrie Find more about Roger Ellis at www.movementdesignchicago.com Check out www.korrieyamaoka.com to find info about FREE RESOURCES and AUDITION COACHING, and to sign up for my email list.   Korrie’s Email List - Sign up for weekly resources about auditioning, information on new offerings, and the latest news from Studying the Song. Did you enjoy today’s episode?  Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe today! Contact Korrie at [email protected].

Ever wonder what it’s really like to WORK a National Tour of a Broadway musical?  I mean, like being in BUSINESS as an actor and dealing with contracts, agents, and managers? In this episode, April Josephine shares her journey as an actor in New York and how she booked the First National Tour of Mean Girls.  She admits that she had to learn the ropes of the business side of things by asking other actors while on tour.  She also had to get active on the Equity website and find things out for herself.   In this interview, she tells you all the things she wish someone had told her, including: The benefits of self tapes for actors with learning disabilities What to look for in an agent The difference between an agent and a manager How and when do you pay your agent and manager The audition and callback process for the First National Tour of Mean Girls How do contracts work for tours The rehearsal and maintenance process for long running tours How to be a life-long learner and discover new strengths in yourself April is based in Manhattan, and loves the art of storytelling in any and all forms. She grew up in sunny California, and had the opportunity to grow and work in many regional productions based there. To Name a few: La Jolla PlayHouse, Moonlight Stage Productions, Lambs Players Theater, La Mirada/McCoy Rigby Entertainment, 3-D Theatricals, Welk Resort Theater.  Other passions include teaching/ collaborating with budding artists (tiny tot to young adult)  in any way that furthers growth, safety and positivity in dance and the performing arts.  She has been on the road with the Broadway First National Tour, Mean Girls The Musical, since October 2021, playing Mrs. George, Mrs. Heron, and her favorite adult woman, Ms Norbury. She looks forward to working in and alongside the arts in the future as a beacon for hope, a catalyst for change, and rehabilitation in our world. If you’re looking for VERY PRACTICAL advice about managing the business side of your acting while also pursuing work that connects to your heart, then this is the episode for you! Xo, Korrie Find more about April at www.apriljosephinemedia.com Check out www.korrieyamaoka.com to find info about FREE RESOURCES and AUDITION COACHING, and to sign up for my email list. Korrie’s Email List - Sign up for weekly resources about auditioning, information on new offerings, and the latest news from Studying the Song. Did you enjoy today’s episode?  Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe today! Contact Korrie at [email protected].

A disarmingly honest conversation about career, loving yourself (ie your voice), and taking on the identity of "artist." In this episode, you’ll hear Sasha talk about finding success in unexpected opportunities like workshops, readings, and cabaret shows.  She also shares her honest realizations about fighting her “type” and coming to terms with her voice (which she now loves, btw). Sasha received her MFA in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University and her BFA in Musical Theatre with emphasis in Acting and Vocal Repertoire from The Boston Conservatory.  Some of her favorite NY credits include: Jerry Springer the Opera (Carnegie Hall); Colette Collage (The York Theatre) I and Albert (York), The Grand Tour (York); and readings/workshops such as Carrie: the Musical (with Sutton Foster & Marin Mazzie, dir. Stafford Arima), Mister Hollands Opus: the Musical (with BD Wong), Dig Lenny Bruce (with Mario Cantone & Mary Testa, dir. Jerry Dixon), TV: ABC's What Would You Do? (“Ugly Americans in Paris”), Food Fighters (judge), and one-time game show winner on $100,000 Pyramid. Commercials: Jenny Craig nat'l (w/Mariah Carey).  Sasha wrote her thesis on “The Art and the Venue of Cabaret” and has written, produced, and performed her own cabarets in NYC, San Diego, and LA. Sasha has been a faculty member in the Musical Theatre programs at Pace University, Marymount Manhattan College, San Diego State University, and The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA)..   If you’ve ever questioned your own success or wondered if this was what you were “supposed” to be doing, then you’ll want to hear this conversation. Find more about Sasha at www.sashaweiss.com Xo, Korrie Check out www.korrieyamaoka.com to find info about FREE RESOURCES and AUDITION COACHING, and to sign up for my email list. Korrie’s Email List - Sign up for weekly resources about auditioning, information on new offerings, and the latest news from Studying the Song. Did you enjoy today’s episode?  Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe today! Contact Korrie at [email protected].

Discover how training your brain and neurological system can instantly yield more freedom, control, and flexibility in your voice. You guys, I’ve seen Kimberly Moller’s work first hand, and I have to say - it’s like magic!   In this episode, I ask Kim all my questions about how neurology (all things nerves and nervous system) affects our voice.  How can we improve tone, resonance, and control so that we feel more freedom and ease as we sing.   We also talk about how we can calm our nervous system and anxiety before auditioning and performing with simple physical exercises.  Whether you’re backstage before a gig or in the waiting room for an audition, you CAN improve your singing within just minutes of doing these drills. SPOILER: I’ve added these drills to my routine before I perform and before I record and am so happy with the results. Kimberly Moller is on the Board of The National Association of Teachers of Singing in San Diego and a member of The Musical Theatre Educators Alliance. Her mentors include: Singing Athlete creator Andrew Byrne, Laurinda Nikkel (SDSU), Mary Saunders Barton (Penn State/Bel Canto can Belto method) and master Z-Health trainer Missy Bunch. Kimberly is Z-Health Essentials, R-Phase and I-Phase certified to assist with drills and mobility that impacts vocal production at the speed of the nervous system. If you’re looking for a new way to access freedom in your voice (something beyond breathing exercises and vocalises), then listen to this episode.   Then go check out Kim at www.vocalkinesthetics.com Let’s get into it! Xo, Korrie Check out www.korrieyamaoka.com to find info about FREE RESOURCES and AUDITION COACHING, and to sign up for my email list. Korrie’s Email List - Sign up for weekly resources about auditioning, information on new offerings, and the latest news from Studying the Song. Did you enjoy today’s episode?  Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe today! Contact me at [email protected].

In this 2-part series, I’m going to tell you exactly how to mark your sheet music so that the accompanist has all the information they need to play well and in sync with YOUR version of the song. Today’s episode covers how to mark the cuts inside your song, whether to use highlighters, what to do if you’re changing lyrics, how to clearly mark your ending, and even a short tangent on Bruce Willis.  (So there’s that.) Be sure to  listen to last week’s episode (Episode 41) so that you get the full picture of how to prepare your sheet music so that you have successful experiences with every accompanist: EPISODE 41 Preparing Your Sheet Music PART 1: First Page of Your Cut & Binder Best Practices.  If you need a refresh on the industry standards for preparing your audition sheet music OR if you are completely new to this, then pull up a chair and press play!  Let’s get into it! Xo, Korrie Be sure to grab the FREE PDF - 7 Ways to Create an Intro for your Audition Cut  Check out www.korrieyamaoka.com to find info about FREE RESOURCES and AUDITION COACHING, and to sign up for my email list. Korrie’s Email List - Sign up for weekly resources about auditioning, information on new offerings, and the latest news from Studying the Song. Did you enjoy today’s episode?  Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe today!

Learn the 6 pieces of information that MUST be on the first page of your audition cut. Do you worry the accompanist won’t play your song the right way? Well, worry no longer, friend. In this 2-part series, I’m going to tell you exactly how to mark your sheet music so that the accompanist has all the information they need to play well and in sync with YOUR version of the song. Today’s episode is a detailed run-down of what needs to go on the first page of your audition cut.   For most of us, we’re starting our song somewhere in the middle of the song, right?  Well, there’s a ton of information that the accompanist needs to know that is ONLY ON THE FIRST PAGE of the music.   So, you need to transfer this information to the page you’re starting on.   I’ll also cover best practices surrounding binder choice and the age-old question: to use sheet protectors or not? If you need a refresh on the industry standards for preparing your audition sheet music OR if you are completely new to this, then pull up a chair and press play!  Let’s get into it! Xo, Korrie Be sure to grab the FREE PDF - 7 Ways to Create an Intro for Your Audition Cut  Check out www.korrieyamaoka.com to find info about FREE RESOURCES and AUDITION COACHING, and to sign up for my email list. Korrie’s Email List - Sign up for weekly resources about auditioning, information on new offerings, and the latest news from Studying the Song. Did you enjoy today’s episode?  Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe today!

Let’s talk about 3 ways you can create contrast in your song choices and show your range of abilities and skills! So you’ve got an audition coming up and they want you to bring “two contrasting songs.”  What do you choose? Do you find yourself paralyzed by this question?   Or at a minimum, staring at your audition book with a dazed and confused look as you struggle to decide which two songs to sing? Well, let me help you out!   In this episode, I’m going to guide you through three different ways you want to show contrast when you’re pairing a song.   Once you know these three categories of contrast, you can go back to your book and start pairing songs with confidence and (dare I say) excitement!  It’ll be like each pair of songs is a mini one-person-show you get to put together for your audition.  Fun! Let’s dive in!   xo, Korrie Be sure to grab the FREE PDF - Uplevel Your Audition Book Workbook Check out www.korrieyamaoka.com to find info about FREE RESOURCES and AUDITION COACHING, and to sign up for my email list. Korrie’s Email List - Sign up for weekly resources about auditioning, information on new offerings, and the latest news from Studying the Song. Did you enjoy today’s episode?  Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe today!

Ever wonder what you should be writing into your sheet music during rehearsal?  When I’m music directing a show, I have a very specific list of things I want singers to write down in their score.  These are stylistic choices that go beyond what’s written on the page, and when everyone performs them as a unified ensemble, the music elevates to another level of nuance and professionalism. But, what exactly are these “things” I’m telling them to write down? Friend, let me tell you! Today, I’m sharing nine essential music markings you should be writing in your score during every rehearsal!  Some of these markings are basic and others involve higher level musical analysis.  But, ALL of them are integral to helping you: Learn a song with precision and accuracy Perform musical phrases with consistent interpretation choices Sing in tune with other singers Elevate your ensemble singing skills And improve how you communicate with your music director and accompanists If you want to learn your music faster and with greater detail and nuance, then this episode is for you.  Grab a pen and paper, and let’s go! Xo, Korrie Check out www.korrieyamaoka.com to find info about FREE RESOURCES and AUDITION COACHING, and to sign up for my email list. Korrie’s Email List - Sign up for weekly resources about auditioning, information on new offerings, and the latest news from Studying the Song. Did you enjoy today’s episode?  Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe today! Contact me at [email protected].

You guys, this episode is GOLD!!! I sat down with Jacole Kitchen, Casting Director for the La Jolla Playhouse (San Diego, CA), and asked her all the questions I’ve been dying to know about the casting process and what directors and casting directors are looking for in auditions.  And, boy did she deliver! We talked about: What is the role of a casting director? What place does “type” have in today’s climate of color-bold casting, reimagining roles, and creating equity for actors of all backgrounds? What makes an actor stand out in the audition room? What is expected in a self-tape? And so much more! Jacole is incredibly generous and dropped truth bomb after truth bomb about what actors should be doing in their auditions.  Jacole’s full bio: Jacole Kitchen is the Director of Arts Engagement and In-House Casting at La Jolla Playhouse, spearheading numerous community based programs. She works closely with our San Diego veterans and other communities underserved in theatre arts.  She is also the resident casting director working in tandem with NY casting offices for La Jolla Playhouse Productions including: six-show season, POP Tour, and various developmental workshops and readings.   In addition, Jacole is an educator and private coach for acting, auditions and professional development. Formerly, Jacole was a bicoastal talent agent at Kazarian/Spencer/Ruskin, specializing in professional theatre actors, directors and choreographers.  Directing credits include, Pick Me Last and Light Years Away (La Jolla Playhouse/Pop Tour), The Music Sounds Different to Me Now (La Jolla Playhouse/WOW Festival), Cardboard Piano (Diversionary Theatre), An Iliad (New Village Arts) and September and Her Sisters (Scripps Ranch Theatre/ OoaL New Play Festival).  Assistant/Associate directing credits include, Escape to Margaritaville, Tiger Style and Guards at the Taj (La Jolla Playhouse), HONKY, The Oldest Boy and Detroit (San Diego Repertory Theatre).   Get out a pad of paper for taking notes, and press play now! Xo, Korrie Check out www.korrieyamaoka.com for FREE RESOURCES, AUDITION COACHING, and to sign up for my email list. Korrie’s Email Community - Sign up for weekly resources about auditioning, information on new offerings, and the latest news from Studying the Song. Did you enjoy today’s episode?  Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe today! Contact me at [email protected].

Hey friends, in today’s episode we are talking repertoire suggestions from the rarely done (yet Pulitzer prize winning) musical, Fiorello! (1959).  From the writing team of Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick (also Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me), this Golden Age show has a score that alternates between brassy, energetic uptempo numbers and string-driven bittersweet ballads.  Throughout all the songs, there is wit, humor, and emotional depth, and totally relatable POLITICAL COMMENTARY! I’ll share the specific songs that you can pull out for audition material and cabaret shows as well as the ensemble numbers you can use with your college and high school students.  I hope this helps you find some Golden Age material that feels fresh and not overdone! Xo, Korrie Check out www.korrieyamaoka.com to find info about FREE RESOURCES and AUDITION COACHING, and to sign up for my email list. Korrie’s Email List - Sign up for weekly resources about auditioning, information on new offerings, and the latest news from Studying the Song. Did you enjoy today’s episode?  Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe today! Contact me at [email protected].

Friends, are you constantly worried you’re singing a song that’s overdone for auditions?  Do you worry you won’t stand out from the crowd and that maybe, GASP, someone else will sing the same songs as you?!  OR, do you have this undiscovered gem of a song and you’re not sure if it’s a good choice for your audition? Well, first let me way:  There’s a time and place for every song - both the well worn classic tune and the undiscovered gem.   In today’s episode, I’m going to walk you through the pros and cons of each type of song - the Familiar song and the Lesser Known song - so that you can make your decision with confidence and go into your audition without any apprehension. Press play and let’s get into it! Xo, Korrie Check out www.korrieyamaoka.com to find info about FREE RESOURCES and AUDITION COACHING, and to sign up for my email list. Korrie’s Email List - Sign up for weekly resources about auditioning, information on new offerings, and the latest news from Studying the Song. Did you enjoy today’s episode?  Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe today! Contact me at [email protected].

Hey friend, have you ever wondered “why does my version of this musical theatre song sound so plain in comparison to the cast recording?”  Or maybe you wondered, “how can I differentiate my performance from so-and-so’s famous Broadway version?”  Well, I’ve got you covered, boo!  In this episode I walk you through a process I call “shaping a melody,” a skill that all singers MUST have.   Shaping a melody is about making choices about how to interpret your song beyond the instructions given on the page.  All those little black notes are just the beginning!  Shaping a melody is also the key to creating your own unique version of a song while staying aligned with the appropriate style and genre of the song.    Friend, press play now to learn the 3 specific ways you can shape your melody and transform your song from ho-hum to heavenly.   Xo, Korrie Check out www.korrieyamaoka.com to find info about FREE RESOURCES and AUDITION COACHING, and to sign up for my email list. Korrie’s Email List - Sign up for weekly resources about auditioning, information on new offerings, and the latest news from Studying the Song. Did you enjoy today’s episode?  Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe today! Contact me at [email protected].