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OPEN SEMINAR IN WRITING MUSICAL THEATER

NOMTI's Open Seminar in Writing Musical Theater is an intensive day-long instructional seminar covering the most critical elements of writing for musical theater.

Registration Details
When Saturday, November 3, 2007, 9 am - 5 pm
Where

Berklee School of Music
150 Mass Ave
Boston, MA

Directions at bottom of page

How much

$50 for non-students

$25 with student ID

Checks made payable to "NOMTI"
Covers tuition, handouts & coffee break
Lunch is on your own

By whom NOMTI staff:
David Reiffel, Nancy Rexford and Michael Wartofsky
For whom People interested in writing a musical or learning how they are put together
How to Register

For Registration Form , click here

Send filled-out form and check to:

     NOMTI
     c/o David Reiffel
     2 Greenough Avenue, No. 1
     Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Questions: dreiffel "at" nomti.org

 

Program

This day-long program of intensive lecture and discussion introduces the principles, standards and skills most widely recognized as central in the field of musical theater. If you enjoy this great American art form, then this seminar will give you new appreciation and respect for the great musicals. If you are beginning to write a musical, then these are the tools that you will need to know how to use.

The skills and standards discussed in this seminar are also those that NOMTI considers when assessing applicants to the Advanced Writers Lab. Admission to the Lab depends on your presenting work that shows that you understand these issues and are learning to master these skills.

Please note that this seminar is not designed to provide an opportunity for sharing one's work.

The program will cover the following topics:

Designing the book

Story: governing idea, protagonist and point of view, character arc, working backwards, creating change in scenes, writing lean dialogue

Musical structure: opening out the book, put-together, who sings with whom, mining the book to find the songs

Writing the songs

Song forms: verse/chorus, AABA and its variants

Character and drama: how to design songs that forward the action, evoke character and situation; integrating song, dialogue, underscore

Songwriting tools: title, melody, leitmotif, breathing space, setting up expectations and surprises

Lyrics for musical theater: how they are different from pop song lyrics, art song, and poetry; subtext and irony

Setting words to music: vocal ranges, true vs. near rhymes, matching rhythms, word setting that works for singers

Case Study: Wicked**

** Wicked is playing in Boston September 12 through November 10, 2007. We recommend that seminar participants see this show or at least become familiar with the songs.

 

Directions to Berklee meeting space:

Room TBA: When information is available, this site will be updated.

T stop: Hynes Convention Center

Parking: On-street parking is extemely limited. Allow at least 30 minutes to find a space (meters in effect through 8pm, 25c for each 15 minutes). Or park at any of the adjacent lots (on Hemenway or Boylston or on Dalton Street between Boylston and Scotia).