Dos and Don’ts: Talking between songs

By Mike Scalise on Feb 5, 2009 in Dos and Don'ts, Featured

On selected Thursdays, ACB Production Manager Mike Scalise makes his recommendations on a cappella performance in a DO and DON’T format.

DON’T: Talk excessively between songs.

DO: Focus on preparing for the following song.

Members of a cappella groups are performers. They entertain their audience using their vocal talents. However, as performers, many individuals choose to speak to the audience between songs to tell a story, a joke, or make introductions. While all of these have their place, perhaps at the beginning or end of the entire set, they don’t belong excessively intermingled with the performance. What I would rather see is a group that either focuses on setting up mics and members efficiently so that they can nail the following song or creatively transition to the next piece using choreography and voice. Small talk is good, but I think it’s best served at the beginning or end of a set.

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Related posts:

  1. Dos and Don’ts: Order of Songs
  2. Measure for Measure: Should groups only perform new songs?

2 Comment(s)

  1. Hi Mike,
    I think that one of the reasons why spoken introductions between songs are usually way too long is that they are seriously under-rehearsed. Stand-up comics hone their content, timing and delivery until it works really effectively; singers do that for their songs, but forget to for the whole package. It’s like forgetting to comb the back of your hair because you can’t see it in the mirror :-)
    liz

    liz garnett | Feb 5, 2009 | Reply

  2. Liz nailed it. Speaking between songs can be a CRUCIAL part of your performance, but only as you use it to ENHANCE the experience and PREPARE the audience to receive the music. It sometimes makes up as much as 10% of the audience’s total sitting time… how could you not prepare that?

    Dave Brown | Feb 5, 2009 | Reply

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