Runaway Home- New Musical

Runaway Home- A New Musical
Book and lyrics by Darren J. Butler
Music and lyrics by Judy Rodman
additional songs by Will Fincher

I have taken part in songwriting, producing and directing music for a new contemporary rock play named “Runaway Home”, script written and play directed by acting coach/author Darren Butler. The opening performance of the play was October 8th at the Studio One Playhouse in Decatur, Alabama. After great feedback from the initial workshop performances, and positive reviews for the play and the cast from some major theater sources, (and some revisions based on the feedback we got), I think it's a play you will want to see. We are awaiting adjudication from the Richard Rogers Award, we're submitting it to other contests and will probably be taking it to New York for the Fringe Festival. I am very excited as we present the final initial run of this play in Darren's dinner theater.

It will run in Decatur, Alabama through this end of this February, Friday and Saturday nights at 6:30pm. Come see it and tell us what you think!

The music runs the gamut from hip-hop, pop, rock, latino, r&b, to punk rock and other cool weirdness. We cut the tracks for the play at engineer Ronny Light’s studio, Nashville. For details, log onto http://www.studioonedecatur.com/RunawayHome/index.htm .

For reservations, Contact
By Phone: 256.308.2300 or (Toll Free) 888.420.8879
By Email:
Caroline Duffey (Manager)- CarolineDuffey@CharterInternet.com
Darren J. Butler (Director)- DarrenJButler@aol.com

Venue:
Studio One Playhouse

Synopsis: Runaway Home tells the story of Pyper, Steve, The Preacher and Aleah, four runaways that have banded together to form a family, depending on one another for survival. When Pyper’s friend Catie comes looking for her, she challenges them to face their past and confront their demons, which villian Gracie likes to stir up. Runaway Home is filled with laughter, drama and a fast paced musical score! Call 308-2300 to make your reservation!
http://studioonedecatur.com/index.htm

Dinner & Show............... $25.00 per person
General Admission……... $10.00 per person

Remember... playing most Friday and Saturday evenings thru February of this year!

Posture for Singers- Live Performance

Posture sounds like a technical, cold word. But you wouldn't believe how assuming a better one can change your life as a vocalist.

First let's talk about live performance. Next post will concentrate on posture for the recording studio.

Don't -

• DON'T STAND STIFFLY with your arms clenched into your sides- you will lose both resonance and control. Especially watch the hand holding the mic... don't let that arm clench. This "non-verbal" body language will communicates a lack of confidence, too. The voice will obey the cue with an unsure, thin, pitchy sound.
• DON'T LEAN FORWARD toward the audience in such a way as to cause your ribcage to tighten in front, you're also going to have trouble with support and control of breath and your voice will not be as wide. If you lean forward, do so from the hips so as to keep the ribs wide open.
• DON'T TIGHTEN YOUR RIBCAGE by slouching when you sing while playing guitar, keyboard, drums or other instrument. Instead... play your instrument with your chest out! Move into the mic with your feet and body so you can lean back a bit- NOT FORWARD! Chin level. This will help you use your butt for power, whether standing or seated on a stool. I will reiterate this point below...

DO -

• PLAY YOUR INSTRUMENT WITH YOUR CHEST OUT, SPINE FLEXIBLE!
• STAND OR SIT SO THAT YOUR WEIGHT IS BALANCED ON YOUR BUTT.
• STAND OR SIT TALL AND FLEXIBLE
• MOVE! Feel the groove in your feet, legs and spine- like dancing. This will also transfer energy to the hips and butt, and will result in a more correct breath support (vocal power should come from the pelvic floor).
• MAKE YOUR POSTURE COMMUNICATE CONFIDENT BODY LANGUAGE...This is not an arrogant stance. It's a taking care of business stance that tells your audience you've got something good to give them!
• KEEP YOUR HEAD BACK , chin down (level), neck floating and when going for a high note, pulling slightly to the side!! (Hint...Study a good hip hop artist for this posture)
• KEEP YOUR CHIN floating and level.
• MOVE YOUR FEET FORWARD (causing you to lean back and open the chest) - when using a boom stand while standing, singing and playing. This tip is HUGELY important. If you're using a straight stand, be sure and get close enough that you don't have to lean forward and close your ribs (have I said this enough??) Or take the stand in your hand and lean it towards YOU. Or better yet, take the mic out and use it to help balance you. Don't lean your head in to follow the mic.
• USE YOUR HANDS! Talk with your hands... they are connected to your arms, shoulders, spine, ribcage and eventually your diaphragm. This is good stage presence, too. Just make it look REAL... make sure the hands are communicating what you're saying or singing. Don't let them become dead weight pulling your ribs down and inward.

Next time... studio posture!

Help for Singers with Tight Throats

Have you had problems ever feeling tight or strained in your throat after singing? Did you know that you can sing almost as loud and long, as high or low as you want without ever having your throat feel pain or fatigue?

First, let's define "the throat": Let's call it the top back of your nasal membrane where the Eustation tubes open, the back of your mouth and the top of your trachea. Trace it by doing this little exercise which I call the 6-way inside stretch:

Expand these areas as you read the words:

• Nose
• Eyes
• Jaw (drop open)
• Ears
• Scalp (about where a baseball cap would cover)

If you are doing this, it will probably make you want to yawn.

Now try pulling a word... grab the word by your upper teeth and say it in such a way that the 6-way inside stretch occurs.

Try this slowly speaking (pulling) the words "Should...Old....Aquain...tance...Be...For...got...

Now try doing it faster.

Now try singing it this way. Sing faster. Now that you're laughing... know that you don't exactly have to be this crazy on stage or with friends... BUT... Do try to retain a bit of this animation and try singing it for real.

Does your throat feel more open? Let me know...

For training materials, try my "Power, Path & Performance" cds http://www.judyrodman.com/buy.html

I have recently created a single cd condensed course...contact me via judyrodman@comcast.net