Introduction: Music coaching has been a huge part of my 30+ years of professional music-directing for theatre. My approach might be called “exacting”—but it’s also very patient and caring. And always with an undercurrent of fun. After all, who wants music to be a drag?
I’ve been on both sides of the audition table more times than I can count, both as musical director and as accompanist, so I have a very good idea what the creative staff might be looking/listening for, what might pique their interest, and what might not.
‘Might’, being the key word. Rarely is it possible to learn why you really “lost” a particular job. A story I often tell: Once Upon the End of Auditions, one singer had delivered the best audition & callback of the week and was at the top of everyone's “want” list. But after we mixed & matched with the other roles, we realized our show would be far more “balanced” without "Frank" in it. So, take heart—it’s not always you.
Every coaching session is different, but typically we’ll first work through your material, with me at the piano, using my listening & teaching skills to make sure you grasp the essential technical aspects of the music—pitches, rhythms, words, etc.
Then we’ll put the material into theatrical context (Who’s singing, to whom, and why? What’s the song trying to accomplish within its scene?), and its audition context (What do the people behind the table need to learn out about you and what do you want to get across?) We’ll deal with such dull-but-crucial questions as "How to Mark Up The Music For Trouble-Free Sight-Reading" and "What To Tell The Audition Accompanist In Under 10 Seconds" (assuming it’s not me). And, as needed, we’ll come up with the 16- or 32-bar version that will show you off best.
Finally, using either your smartphone or my equipment, I’ll send you home with a rehearsal recording (maybe three) that I'd specifically tailor for that point in your learning process. As admitted client and Bistro/MAC Award-Winner Lorinda Lisitza says: “Albert makes the best rehearsal tapes in the solar system!" And no doubt I’ll be seeing you again soon, so we can work on your callback!
The immediate goal is to parlay your particular strengths into a self-assured, convincing performance—a big step toward reaching the ultimate goal of long-lasting confidence and authority.
If you’ve been given music to learn—a song, a harmony part, or if you just want to learn a song you’ve already chosen, bring it in.
And if you want to learn to read music, I can teach you that too.
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Selected Experience (for more, see my LinkedIn profile—link below):
Musical Director, Arranger, Orchestrator: 'The Christmas Sweater' -- Nationwide Tour
—Wrote music based on traditional themes, and led an onstage orchestra, backing a not-yet-infamous CNN personality in a staging of his semi-autobiographical NY Times Bestseller.
Musical Director, Conductor, Arranger, Orchestrator: Multiple Industrial Shows
—Co-created shows with producers such as Jack Morton, Caribiner and Sandra Arnold; for Dean Witter, Johnson & Johnson, Siemens and others; at the Metropolitan Club (NYC), Plaza Hotel (NYC), Charles Hotel (Boston), Ritz-Carlton (Montreal), Century Hotel (LA), and other venues just as schnazzy.
Published Arranger for Theatre Music, Band, Orchestra, Keyboards: Hal Leonard, Warner Music, United Artists, Samuel French, Dramatic Publishing, Theodore Presser, Chappell Music
—The most notorious of these 200+ published arrangements is "Let's Go Blue!" --
a musical cheer written for the University of Michigan—which has by now appeared in nine major motion pictures (among them 'The Big Chill' and 'Remember the Titans')
as well as on 'The Simpsons', 'How I Met Your Mother' and 'Ed', and can be heard -- incessantly -- in stadiums and arenas worldwide.
Musical Director, Arranger, Cast Member: 'The Big Bang' • A New Musical -- Douglas Fairbanks Theatre, New York, NY
—Because I was involved in the creation of this hilarious 3-man musical, the role of "Albert" the pianist was named for me!
Musical Director, Arranger: 'Eating Raoul' • A New Musical -- Union Square Theatre, New York, NY
—With its $1,000,000+ budget, this wonderfully irreverent musical comedy was, at the time, "The Most Expensive Flop in Off-Broadway History!" (oh, the stories I could tell). But now, in its afterlife, the show is a hit worldwide.
It's pretty gratifying when a client nails the audition they worked on with me.
