I want to feel the rhythmic energy crackling.
Have you ever stood near a high-voltage power line? The very air around you seems to vibrate – even putting aside the loud hum, there is so much energy in those wires that it feels palpable from a distance.
I told my ensemble today that that’s how their rhythmic energy should feel in their ultra-upbeat swing tune. Even when they’re singing whole notes, it has to be crackling like a high-voltage line. It has to come from their very center and be felt by every audience member.