New to a genre? Make sure you don’t out yourself as a newbie.
Winter semester means working on a jazz solo project with Shades of Blue. They have all selected and prepared a jazz standard to study and perform. But sometimes this is their first time singing in this genre, and it’s important to make sure they know a couple things that will raise flags if they don’t know to avoid them.
- Know your songwriters. Nothing tells me you’re not really “of the genre” more than saying “‘Fly Me To The Moon’ by Frank Sinatra” or “‘Misty’ by Ella Fitzgerald.” Having a recording you’ve referenced is important, but it’s also important to recognize you’re singing a song by someone who almost always isn’t the performer.
- No 5-6-7-8. Dancers count off with numbers greater than 4. Jazzers do not.
- Do Your Listening. Have a list of recordings of great singers and instrumentalists you’ve heard interpret your song. It will help you with your interpretation and let’s me know that you’ve settled into the oral tradition.