[Dixielandjazz] Courses in acting was stage p[resence
Stephen G Barbone
barbonestreet at earthlink.net
Mon Jan 11 13:41:49 PST 2010
I think perhaps we are approaching "Stage Presence" from several
different angles, but here's my bottom line. Can it be taught only
through a course. probably not. It has to be honed through trial and
error in performance or in front of a mirror.
Are courses then to be avoided? Probably not. Stage presence IMO is
really a form of acting and there are a myriad of formal acting
courses that actors take in addition to the trial and error method.
Both in schools like the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute or those at
various Universities, or from personal coaches.
Best, IMO is a combination of both, plus video taping your
performances to check on how you are doing. And going to concerts of
all types to see how the other musicians do it. Note how they make of
fake eye contact to different sections of the audience, etc.
If you don't want to go to Juilliard to study Stage Presence, (In this
class, students build repertoire and address issues of performance
anxiety, including focus, memory, technical problems, and stage
presence.) but want to read a book about it, check out "Stage Presence
From Head To Toe - A Manual for Musicians" by Karen Hagberg. Gamble
that the $30 it costs, won't be wasted. <grin>
http://www.amazon.com/Stage-Presence-Head-Toe-Musicians/dp/0810847779
One review of it on the site says:
"Although it is not generally mentioned, a musical performance is more
than just the playing of music. The audience notices all kinds of
things - what a musician is wearing, what is on the stage, how
performers enter and leave, and how they conduct themselves on stage.
Poor stage presence can damage or even ruin the performance of even
the most accomplished musician. This book highlights the many non-
musical things that can seriously affect a musician's performance and
their audience's perceptions. It is very enlightening - there are so
many factors that you might not have thought of but that really affect
what the audience experiences! If you want to win more competitions,
have more successful auditions and better attended performances, this
straightforward, practical and very helpful text is definitely worth
reading."
Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
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