Working in the pit as a West End musician

Recently I had an email from an aspiring musician who had read my West End rehearsal pianist article and was very keen to join the West End pit musician clan. She was Grade 8 on four instruments and already had experience playing in local theatres and regional orchestras on clarinet, flute, piccolo and saxophone. She had recently moved nearer to London and emailed to ask me if I had any advice for how to start getting theatre work in a new area.

The thoughts I had turned into the following article, recently published in a number of ezines and journals. You are welcome to add it to your blog or ezine in its entirety if the author paragraph at the end is included with its live link.


Seven Key Elements for Working as a West End Theatre Musician

If you're a young musician wanting to break into the world of the West End theatre orchestras, where do you start?

It is impossible to walk into a West End pit job (or "hold a chair") with no previous experience. Therefore, your first task is to deputise for the existing players in a show.

It may come as a surprise that players who hold a chair would need a deputy. You might expect a chair holder to play at all performances, but there is an unwritten rule that says that players can take some shows off. It might be because they have other commitments, taken on before being offered the show. In my case, my first West End depping appeared because the keyboard player on Me and My Girl was also the assistant conductor, and needed a regular dep because he conducted at least one show a week.

If you are looking for musical theatre pit depping work, you need to put yourself into the mindset of a permanent pit orchestra player. If a musical theater orchestral player needs a dep (and they do, quite frequently), there are at least seven things they look for in a musician.

1. Can you do the job? The West End is the highest arena for orchestral pit playing in musical theatre. The players are, without exception, extremely good at what they do. Are you up to the standard of everyone else? When you hit the West End, everyone expects you to be able to play the notes in time, in tune and in style - that's a given. You need to demonstrate that you can play the instruments, play the music and fit in with the existing ensemble with the minimum of fuss.

2. Will you get on with the other players? Remember that your sponsoring musician will not be there when you dep for him. If you get to play a performance, but you irritate the people around you, you won't be asked back. Getting on with your colleagues is as vital as getting on with your sponsoring musician. Will you fit into the social structure? The job is as important in the off-duty moments as the playing moments. Demonstrate that to the musician you're depping for, and you're half-way there.

3. Can you sightread superbly? You'll probably be sightreading or reading music at very short notice - make sure you can do this (and count the bars rest of course). Most deps in the West End get to sit in on a show once or possibly twice, then dep either the following day, or later that week, or occasionally a month later. When you're sitting in, take particular note of the difficult or exposed entries and the solos, those are the things you will be judged on later!

4. Does the fixer know you? West End players are ALWAYS fixed by an MU approved orchestral fixer. It's not possible to play in a West End show otherwise (in fact, it's not legal). Therefore you have to be known not only to the player but to the fixer as well. Check out the list of fixers (the Musicians' Union can give you a list), and contact them too. If your name comes from different directions (personal approach, and recommendation by other players), you're more likely to get onto the dep ladder. In my own case as a pianist, things were slightly different in that I got my name around without a fixer as a solo and rehearsal pianist - but once I got onto two fixers' books, I was in work for six years without playing for anyone else.

5. Do you know the show, the style, the feel of the music? It's not only competitive, the jobs are RARE! Do anything you can to know more than the other potential deputies. Take every opportunity can to see the shows you are interested in (and those you're not), get to know the music, the style, the players. When I first worked on Les Miserables, I was asked back because I'd spent time learning the show before I arrived on the first day, and I knew it better than any other dep they'd had before.

6. What is your playing like? The sponsoring musician needs to know your playing. You're up against other potential deps who have probably been taught by the chair holders themselves. The chair holder already has knowledge of their playing ability and their personality. Rather than taking your instrument in to a show and asking someone to hear you, booking a lesson from the resident player might be a good move. A coaching session or two on pieces, techniques and (maybe) pit-playing advice would give the player a chance to hear and work with you (and be paid for it).

7. It's essential that you play a range of instruments. Almost all woodwind pit parts are for doubling and trebling, and if you can do flute, picc, sax AND clarinet, you've got a headstart. Even with the traditional musicals like Oklahoma, the wind parts are for treblers (usually clarinet/sax/flute, but occasionally for clarinet/bassoon or even flute/oboe).

And finally, expect to do some touring before working on a West End show. It's a fairly tricky career to break into. I had been touring the UK and Europe for some time gaining experience as a pit performer before I received regular invitations to play in a West End show.

If you are determined, focus and dedication go a long way to getting where you want to be.

Jeremy Fisher trains singers and performers to find and maintain their best. He's the author of Successful Singing Auditions, and creator of the Voicebox Videos (featured on the BBC and broadcast to an estimated 44,000,000 people). Sign up for Jeremy's free newsletter containing original interviews, pre-release offers and receive your BONUS free copy of "86 things you never hear a singer say" at http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk/

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The Vocal Process "opening your throat" techniques appear on the new sell-out Constriction and Release DVD
The Vocal Process website has 280+ pages, including a series of free articles on vocal technique and style, memorising and different musical genres.
Visit http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk/ for the latest downloads:
the Vocal Process eZINE (free electronic magazine)
86 things you never hear a singer say (free ebook)

A Rhythm and Pulse Exercise for Cool, Swinging Singing

Here's the second of the articles I wrote while working in Stockholm last month. Been testing out the exercise recently in my private coaching sessions, on everything from Legally Blonde the Musical to Dido and Aeneas. Works a treat...

You don't have to sing louder or higher to make the music swing - it's all in the beat. Here's a story of a coaching session I gave in Stockholm recently where I used the Rhythm and Pulse exercise to help a singer give a much cooler, stronger performance.

During a musical theatre class, one singer arrived with the piece "What's the Buzz" from Jesus Christ Superstar, the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical. He was performing it well, but his whole body was involved with the (very fast) pulse inherent in the song. He was bouncing with every eighth note and was displaying a highly tensioned body which was detracting from his performance, both vocally and as an actor.

In the song, the ensemble sings "what's the buzz, tell me what's a happenin'" repeatedly, with high energy. His character then has to interrupt them, stop them chattering and calm them down in a very short space of time. He starts with three quarter notes (crotchets) beginning on a high F, which should silence them immediately. Because he was using the same frenetic pulse as the ensemble, his entry was having little impact, and the feel of his performance was not strong enough. Rather than getting him to sing stronger or higher, I took him through the following exercise for finding a different pulse.

1. This involves using your body, so standing is best. Sing the first few phrases of an up-tempo song, such as What's the Buzz. Find the fast energy of the piece and move to it, using your foot, leg, body or clicking your fingers. What's the Buzz has four quarter notes to each bar, but for this exercise I'd like you to move on the eighth notes (quavers). So for example your foot taps on the beat and your fingers click on the offbeat. The important thing is to have some part of your body moving on every eighth note.

2. Now we're going to change the pulse while keeping the "speed" the same. Begin to indicate only the quarter notes - you are now moving in "half time". Keep the energy high, but move only on the quarter notes. Again, you can either move your body to each quarter note, or divide the quarter notes between foot and hand. The speed of the piece stays the same, but the pulse has now changed to a less frantic one.

3. Now begin to indicate only the half notes (minims). Again, keep the speed of the piece the same, and keep the energy high. Now you are only marking two pulses per measure instead of the four or eight previously. The speed of the piece has stayed the same, but the feel is now different, with a bigger scope, somehow funkier.

You can continue with this exercise, using one pulse per measure, or even one pulse per two measures.

In the case of the singer in the masterclass, the use of a different pulse was electrifying. By using a different, slower pulse (the halfnote or minim rhythm) against the rhythm of the chorus around him (eighth note or quaver rhythm) he was able to differentiate himself from them, and stop their beat in its tracks. This easily marked out his character (Jesus) as a man to be listened to, who did not march to the beat of the people around him. By following this exercise, the singer was able to convey that effortlessly.

I have used this exercise in many different genres of music, including opera arias (O Zittre Nicht, Questa O Quella), German lieder (Gretchen am Spinnrade), music by contemporary singers such as Duffy or Christina Aguilera, and of course musical theatre pieces from West Side Story to Spring Awakening. Try it for yourself!

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Jeremy Fisher trains singers and performers to find and maintain their best. He's the author of Successful Singing Auditions, and creator of the Voicebox Videos (featured on the BBC and broadcast to an estimated 44,000,000 people). Sign up for Jeremy's free newsletter containing original interviews, pre-release offers and receive your BONUS free copy of "86 things you never hear a singer say" at http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk/


[You are very welcome to publish this article in its entirety in your own blog, ezine or website, provided that the author paragraph above is included with the live link to Vocal Process. Thanks]

A quiet night in?

The world is definitely getting weirder.

Did you know that the human ear doesn't just take in sounds, it actually gives them out too?

The latest idea from the phone boffins is to use the micro tones that are emitted from your ear as a security device for your mobile phone.

Apparently, otoacoustic emissions are produced by the tiny hair cells in the cochlea. We already know that the hair cells respond to vibrations in the air, translating them into electrical impulses for the brain to accept. But it appears that they also vibrate of their own accord, creating tiny sounds that are themselves too faint for us to hear.

It is thought that each set of sound vibrations is slightly different for each individual. Once those vibrations have travelled through the whole ear canal (also different to each individual) to the outside world, the sound becomes unique.

It's the exact equivalent of having a unique set of vocal folds, set inside a unique throat. Both together can make an instantly recognisable voice.

Banks are already looking into using supersensitive microphones on their phonelines, so that their callcentres can confirm that the caller is who they say they are. The question is, can we get conscious control over the signals (and what happens if they're out of tune?).

As with all good ideas, there are a couple of drawbacks...
It seems that the signals change slightly when you've got a cold, and they are also affected by alcohol.

So if you're using otoacoustic signals to unlock your front door, you're going to have to have an alcohol-free night out if you want to get back in!



The Vocal Process "opening your throat" techniques appear on the new sell-out Constriction and Release DVD
The Vocal Process website has 280+ pages, including a series of free articles on vocal technique and style, memorising and different musical genres.
Visit http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk/ for the latest downloads:
the Vocal Process eZINE (free electronic magazine)
86 things you never hear a singer say (free ebook)

Front Foot, Back Foot

Here's an article I wrote recently on the fascinating topic of rhythm.
I've been experimenting in my teaching studio with different energy and flow, and the results of this exercise have been, without exception, amazing.

All I can say is, try it out!

Front Foot, Back Foot - Finding the Energy Flow In Music

There are many ways to shape musical phrases - with dynamics, with tempo, with rhythmic intensity or variation. here is an exercise I use with high-energy performers to help them grade their performances. It will work in any musical genre, and will also work for speeches, both in the theatre and in the wedding reception. for this you will need a favourite song, speech or phrase.

First, let's examine the physicality of the front/back foot idea.
Stand up with one foot slightly in front of the other, about shoulder width apart. Stand with your weight balanced over both feet.
Stand on the outside of your feet, so that your weight is pushing outwards slightly.
Now stand on the inside edge of your feet, with your weight pushing inwards slightly.
Move your weight to your heels, then move your weight to your toes.
Finally, stand with your weight balanced on the centre of both feet, evenly distributed.

You may notice now that you have an habitual stance, on the outside or inside edge, or slightly back or forwards. This is the preparation for the front/back exercise.

Move your weight now onto your front foot. You may find yourself leaning forwards, or you may be able to balance successfully without the lean. Nevertheless, more of your weight will be on your front foot, with less on your back foot. This has an inherent emotional and directional feel. The emotional feel is more urgent, faster, more aggressive, more pressing. The directional feel is forwards and either down or up, depending on how your weight is balanced. You might also feel narrower in your upper body, and your breathing might change or feel different.
Now sing your favourite song or start your favourite speech, staying on the front foot. Notice the feeling of your body and emotions as you continue your vocal task, staying on your front foot.

Now do the opposite. Move your weight onto your back foot. You may find yourself leaning backwards, or you might be able to shift your weight backwards easily without the lean. Notice the inherent emotion and directional feel. This feels less urgent, more "laid back", slower, even more accepting. The directional feel is backwards and either up or down, depending on how you are balanced. You might also feel wider and more open in your body, and your breathing might alter.
Sing your favourite song or start your best speech again, staying on the back foot. Notice how your body feels, and what emotions emerge as you continue to speak or sing, staying on your back foot.

Now do the same song or speech, but this time stay balanced upright with your weight equally on both feet. Notice the emotions and the feelings in your body that arise.

These different "directions" can be used very well in music - many pieces have phrases or sentiments that have a forward, urgent feel and others that have a more laid-back, lazier feel,. this form of tension and release in the phrasing is something that experienced performers use constantly. Many comedians and presenters use the front foot/back foot technique to encourage an audience to laugh, applaud or quieten.

It's a very effective way of adding interest and variation to your performing.

Jeremy Fisher trains singers and performers to find and maintain their best. He's the author of Successful Singing Auditions, and creator of the Voicebox Videos (featured on the BBC and broadcast to an estimated 44,000,000 people). Sign up for Jeremy's free newsletter containing original interviews, pre-release offers and receive your BONUS free copy of "86 things you never hear a singer say" at http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk

[You are very welcome to publish this article in its entirety in your own blog, ezine or website, provided that the author paragraph above is included with the live link to Vocal Process. Thanks]

Two reasons to celebrate

There's one celebration just gone and one coming up.

This blog has just passed its third birthday!

The first entries were in March 2006, and featured Village Halls and Fairy Lights - comments on touring with Hatstand Opera.

Well, this month, three years later, I'm featuring Island touring with Hatstand Opera... no change there then. It's been a blast writing for this blog, including all the stuff I can't fit into the Vocal Process eZINE.

And talking of the eZINE, edition 36 is due out at the end of April, and it's a celebratory one, because...

Vocal Process is 10 years old!

Yes, we really have been around for 10 years. Gillyanne Kayes and I incorporated the company on 27 April 1999, and we've been sharing information and promoting expertise ever since.

We've run a barrel-load of training courses in several countries across the world, set up our Integrated Voice teacher training programme, written two books, and created the UK's first endoscopy video ebook downloads (and a sell-out Voicebox Videos DVD version too).

The latest addition to the creative canon is the Constriction and Release DVD, the first time that the teaching process of opening your throat by controlling the false vocal folds has ever been seen on DVD.

And there are more plans for the future.


If you'd like to celebrate with us, just add a comment to this blog entry, or join the free Vocal Process eZINE mailing list to get a copy of the anniversary edition.

(If you haven't joined the eZINE mailing list already, you also get a free copy of my very first ebook, 86 Things You Never Hear A Singer Say)

Just visit the Vocal Process website homepage and click on the box that appears magically before your very eyes.


The Vocal Process "opening your throat" techniques appear on the new sell-out Constriction and Release DVD
The Vocal Process website has 280+ pages, including a series of free articles on vocal technique and style, memorising and different musical genres.
Visit http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk/ for the latest downloads:
the Vocal Process eZINE (free electronic magazine)
86 things you never hear a singer say (free ebook)

4 islands, 8 shows, 4 days

Just got back from the Channel Islands tour again.

Hatstand Opera and a mad schedule (the two do seem to go together somehow...)

It wasn't just "If it's Tuesday it's Guernsey", this time it was "If it's Tuesday, it's Alderney, Guernsey AND Sark". Three islands, three modes of transport (plane, boat, tractor). Two shows. In one day.

And as if there wasn't enough to do while we were there, we included a couple of radio interviews.

The excellent radio station BBC Guernsey sent their roving reporter from the Jim Cathcart show out to meet us in our favourite venue - St James Arts Centre in the middle of St Peter Port.

The interview (with all four of us chipping in) was a blast, and included a succinct report on warming up the voice before a show, and begins with the MOST important thing for singers.

Click here to listen

Many thanks to BBC Guernsey for allowing me to include an extract of the interview on this blog.



The Vocal Process "opening the throat" techniques appear on the new sell-out Constriction and Release DVD
The Vocal Process website has 280+ pages, including a series of free articles on vocal technique and style, memorising and different musical genres.
Visit http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk/ for the latest downloads:
the Vocal Process eZINE (free electronic magazine)
86 things you never hear a singer say (free ebook)

Working with the adolescent voice

At Vocal Process we believe that good, informed training should start early.

So on April 25th we're running our one-day training course on working with the child and adolescent voice.

The Developing Voice is presented by Jenevora Williams, adolescent voice expert, researcher and teacher. Jenevora's currently involved in research into the training and vocal health of boy choristers and has a great deal of useful, practical information on the development of the larynx and vocal tract throughout childhood.

It is worrying that so many singing teachers, conductors and vocal coaches think that the young voice is simply a smaller version of the mature adult voice. So much damage can be caused by well-meaning but misguided teaching.

A child's voice is not the same as an adolescent's voice, and the adolescent voice is not the same as the adult voice. There are massive physical changes, both skeletal and hormonal, that occur for both boys and girls in their early teenage years.

On the course, Jenevora will guide teachers (and students) through the five stages of change that a boy's voice goes through, and help them identify which vocal practices are healthy.

There is also a three-minute voice test to work out which stage of change the student is passing through, and information on range, voice qualities and suitable exercises, including how to deal with breathiness in girl's voices.

Singing is now a required part of the school curriculum - the UK government's Music Manifesto intends to “put singing back at the heart of all primary school musical activity through the creation of nationwide singing campaign leading up to the 2012 Olympics”.

To find out more about Jenevora's work, and to read about changes in the vocal mechanism from birth to adulthood, visit the Vocal Process website and click on Resources, Articles. You'll find interviews, downloads and presentations on the adolescent voice.

You can also read more about the Developing Voice course on April 25 by clicking here.

We hope to see you there!

The Vocal Process "opening the throat" techniques appear on the new sell-out

Constriction and Release DVD
The Vocal Process website has 280+ pages, including a series of free articles on vocal technique and style, memorising and different musical genres.

Visit http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk/ for the latest downloads:
the Vocal Process eZINE (free electronic magazine)
86 things you never hear a singer say (free ebook)

The Vocal Process eZINE

Following on from the Swedish newspaper article in the previous postings, here's a link to the Vocal Process eZINE we wrote for the occasion.

The Vocal Process eZINE is a free emailed "magazine" that we send out about once a month.

Each edition contains an update on us, our training courses, reviews and specially written articles and thoughts on music, performing and voice.

We also usually include an interview with industry experts - previous interviews have included Paul Meier, the dialect and accent coach, Kim Chandler, session singer extraordinaire, Craig Jennings, soloist with Cirque du Soleil, and Daniel Zangger Borch, pop and rock vocal trainer, author and coach on Pop Idol.

eZINE 35, the Sweden Special edition has an interview with performance psychologist and author of The Confident Performer, Dr David Roland on performance anxiety and the Flow performance.

It's also got an interesting photo taken by the photographer of the Svenska Dagbladet, one of Sweden's national newspapers. It wasn't posed, the photographer happened to catch me in mid sentence - I was demonstrating the emotional response of a character in a song (pity I can't remember which one...). I have to tell you it's one of my favourite photos, partly because I move around so much it's difficult to capture me in action on film!

If you would like to join our mailing list to receive the eZINE, just click on this link to the Vocal Process homepage, and click on the magical materialising box.

You're very welcome.

Visit http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk/ for the latest downloads:

the Vocal Process eZINE (free electronic magazine)

86 things you never hear a singer say (free ebook)

The Vocal Process "opening the throat" techniques appear on the new sell-out Constriction and Release DVD

The Vocal Process website has 280+ pages, including a series of free articles on vocal technique and style, memorising and different musical genres.