Juanita Drama * Posted Saturday, January 16, for the week of Monday, January 18, 2021
Congratulations, JHS Drama Students, for making it to the final week of the semester! I want you to take a moment and reflect on your successes and achievements over the past 5 months, on the new friends you have made, the new ideas you have explored, the challenges you have overcome. You are amazing, and your determination to keep growing and learning in the midst of all you have to had to endure is remarkable.
We are better at what it takes to do school remotely, and as we move into 2nd semester it will be easier because of that. Meanwhile, I know that there is a lot going on to finish out first semester for all of us. 100% of your teachers want you to do well. If you need help from any teacher at Juanita be willing to reach out to them. They want to hear from you. That includes me, of course, at any time and for any reason.
The final two showings of 9 REASONS are TODAY, Saturday, at 1 & 7pm. I hope you all had a chance to see the show!
In classes this week!
Small Group Work: I am available next week to work with you on your song or monologue or theoreticals. Please let me know if you want to be booked for a session on Wednesday or Thursday of next week. I am going to keep the groups small, so I will offer multiple sessions if needed. Book NOW to get a spot!
What is FEEDBACK? What is your role in FEEDBACK?
1. Feedback is not criticism, or even constructive criticism. I know others have used those terms with you. Critique (criticism) is one-way communication of someone's opinion. Feedback is an assessment process that involves the performer in a two way conversation. This is called formative assessment, and is a powerful way for you to work with a teacher or coach to improve your skills.
2. When I give feedback I am looking at a specific skill set and where you are at this time in your vocal development in relationship to skills like breath control, character objective, pacing, etc. This is different from telling you what you are doing 'wrong' or what you need to do 'better'. Every performer, on every level, from beginning, to long time professional, is constantly working on breath control, a dynamic process because it involves so many parts of our bodies. I am giving you feedback on what I am seeing and hearing as you perform, whether you are at the beginning of understanding how to use your vocal tools, or somewhere in the middle of your journey with vocal production (you have been in a choir, have a voice coach, taken classes). Everyone will get feedback to be able to specifically and in practical ways be stronger performers. 10 years from now, working with a vocal coach or teacher, you will be working on the same skill sets! It is the nature of the work.
3. Performing with a speaking or singing voice is essentially the same, so the feedback for vocals, whether a monologue, solo song or duet, will always target the skills needed to control your vocals.
4. Creating a character is far more complex than just singing a song. Theatre is centered on character and narrative, specifically how your character fits into their world. So you can't just focus on what you sound like, you have to fully embody a character and the world of the play. The good news is that the more character you develop, the more you understand what you want and need, the better you will sound and the stronger your performance will be. Your body, the physical nature of the character, therefore, needs to be 100% engaged. Who are they? How do they stand, move, gesture within their world? What are their facial quirks and expressions? How does that affect their pacing, pitch, intonation?
5. Feedback is a partnership. I am using your Thespy submissions to be both your vocal teacher (improve vocal skills) and your vocal coach (work a specific song or monologue). I learn as much from your response to the feedback as I do from your performance. What do you understand, for example, when I give you tips on musicality (musical artistry)? How can I help you to put into practice the ideas I am sharing with you? What I am hoping is for you to tell me what you know and understand from the feedback, and to ask questions. Sometimes, especially when this process is new to them, students respond by saying they were nervous or weren't warmed up. Try to look past your worries about not doing it 'right' and instead work with me to build your emerging and deeply personal performance skills.
See you for another great week in Drama classes!
Questions? Just ask!!
Take care (virtual HUGS!)
Mac @ emcmurray-hauk@lwsd.org
Elizabeth McMurray-Hauk, MTS, CTE
Juanita Theatre Director
We are better at what it takes to do school remotely, and as we move into 2nd semester it will be easier because of that. Meanwhile, I know that there is a lot going on to finish out first semester for all of us. 100% of your teachers want you to do well. If you need help from any teacher at Juanita be willing to reach out to them. They want to hear from you. That includes me, of course, at any time and for any reason.
The final two showings of 9 REASONS are TODAY, Saturday, at 1 & 7pm. I hope you all had a chance to see the show!
In classes this week!
- 6th Technical Theatre! Models for The Hound of the Baskervilles are due this WEDNESDAY on Teams! We will continue our presentations of Mood Boards and Models in class on Tuesday.
- 7th DRAMA 1 & 2: As of this writing there have been 25 Flipgrid entries for solo songs and monologues. Well done!! Make sure that you respond (by email) to my feedback (see below for feedback notes).
- 8th Period Production Workshop: On Tuesday we will discuss the notes on Feedback (see below) and continue to help you to create quality performance videos. We can upload if someone is ready on Tuesday, but I need to view the videos first, and you need to be completely ready. ONCE WE SUBMIT WE CANNOT MAKE A CHANGE. The FINAL deadline to upload videos to THESPYS, is Tuesday, February 9th. I don't want you to rush this, but I also want to make sure that we get everyone uploaded. I imagine the first week of 2nd semester will be a big upload week. Are you having troubles recording? I can record your submission live in a session if you need that. Just ask!
Small Group Work: I am available next week to work with you on your song or monologue or theoreticals. Please let me know if you want to be booked for a session on Wednesday or Thursday of next week. I am going to keep the groups small, so I will offer multiple sessions if needed. Book NOW to get a spot!
What is FEEDBACK? What is your role in FEEDBACK?
1. Feedback is not criticism, or even constructive criticism. I know others have used those terms with you. Critique (criticism) is one-way communication of someone's opinion. Feedback is an assessment process that involves the performer in a two way conversation. This is called formative assessment, and is a powerful way for you to work with a teacher or coach to improve your skills.
2. When I give feedback I am looking at a specific skill set and where you are at this time in your vocal development in relationship to skills like breath control, character objective, pacing, etc. This is different from telling you what you are doing 'wrong' or what you need to do 'better'. Every performer, on every level, from beginning, to long time professional, is constantly working on breath control, a dynamic process because it involves so many parts of our bodies. I am giving you feedback on what I am seeing and hearing as you perform, whether you are at the beginning of understanding how to use your vocal tools, or somewhere in the middle of your journey with vocal production (you have been in a choir, have a voice coach, taken classes). Everyone will get feedback to be able to specifically and in practical ways be stronger performers. 10 years from now, working with a vocal coach or teacher, you will be working on the same skill sets! It is the nature of the work.
3. Performing with a speaking or singing voice is essentially the same, so the feedback for vocals, whether a monologue, solo song or duet, will always target the skills needed to control your vocals.
4. Creating a character is far more complex than just singing a song. Theatre is centered on character and narrative, specifically how your character fits into their world. So you can't just focus on what you sound like, you have to fully embody a character and the world of the play. The good news is that the more character you develop, the more you understand what you want and need, the better you will sound and the stronger your performance will be. Your body, the physical nature of the character, therefore, needs to be 100% engaged. Who are they? How do they stand, move, gesture within their world? What are their facial quirks and expressions? How does that affect their pacing, pitch, intonation?
5. Feedback is a partnership. I am using your Thespy submissions to be both your vocal teacher (improve vocal skills) and your vocal coach (work a specific song or monologue). I learn as much from your response to the feedback as I do from your performance. What do you understand, for example, when I give you tips on musicality (musical artistry)? How can I help you to put into practice the ideas I am sharing with you? What I am hoping is for you to tell me what you know and understand from the feedback, and to ask questions. Sometimes, especially when this process is new to them, students respond by saying they were nervous or weren't warmed up. Try to look past your worries about not doing it 'right' and instead work with me to build your emerging and deeply personal performance skills.
See you for another great week in Drama classes!
Questions? Just ask!!
Take care (virtual HUGS!)
Mac @ emcmurray-hauk@lwsd.org
Elizabeth McMurray-Hauk, MTS, CTE
Juanita Theatre Director
