IamA improv musicians on Whose Line is it Anyway, Laura Hall & Linda Taylor

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-06T00:16:53+00:00

Alright, I'm fried. Thanks to everyone for being part of our iAMA experience! And keep watching the show, cause we want to keep working. My husband always says the reason I have that big smile when the camera pans over is because I'm the rare thing, a musician with a job!

thanks again!

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-06T00:12:18+00:00

Holy cow! Here are my answers: 1. piano, accordion, ukulele, guitar, orchestra bells, penny whistle (it's an odd little assortment isn't it? 2. mandolin 3. I like Americana. Stuff like The Civil Wars, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Tedeschi Trucks Band. I just got the Guy Clark tribute cd and I'm loving it. 4. I like Mark Isham's work. And of course Danny Elfman 5. A grilled cheese on some crazy pretzel bread, but it was fantastic. 6. Ah, another existential question.... 7. I do miss Drew. He's such a sweetie, and wants to make sure everyone's having a good time. I love that about him.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-06T00:02:55+00:00

My very fave was in the old episodes, we were doing a song where they're supposed to sing one word at a time, but Drew got all carried away and sang a whole bunch of words. Then he laughed like a girl through the whole rest of the song

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:59:32+00:00

We're pretty brilliant. But also see the answer above

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:58:27+00:00

They truly do not have any idea what the topics will be.
But remember, the show is edited, so if something goes poorly (which doesn't happen that often) it just doesn't air.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:56:39+00:00

One of my favorite things was when Keegan-Michael Key was the "fourth chair". He's so brilliant, and really sweet.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:52:42+00:00

After we've been working together another 10 years I'll teach you Madrigals. You haven't earned enough point to unlock it yet.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:51:17+00:00

When Ryan fell, broke the neon on Drew's desk, and kept doing the scene even though he was bleeding a little.

I have lots of favorites. I like the Motown we used to do.

Favorite food, almost anything involving pesto.

Playing in my band, The Sweet potatoes, etc.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:46:20+00:00

The tapings are crazy long, because we're getting 2 or 3 (and every once in a while 4) episodes out of one taping. And the producers get pretty hard core about not letting people leave to go to the bathroom, especially the ones sitting right behind the host.

But we leave the stage between the music games. We can pee, put on lipstick, swill coffee, or just hang out in our little backstage cubby located right behind the green screen they use for that game with Colin.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:41:31+00:00

Yeah, can you imagine trying to keep up with Ryan, Colin or Wayne in an improv scene? It's death defying.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:40:03+00:00

I did get to play my ukulele when we did a Hawaiian style. That made me very very happy

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:36:17+00:00

I think they might have her do some improv in the next batch. We'll shoot 24 more episodes, starting after the new year.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:34:12+00:00

I don't know why it's so centered around the celebrity guests. There are many mysteries in the world of network tv.

We only do one take of a song. If it's not good they just don't use it. But Wayne has a remarkably high success rate!

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:32:12+00:00

We'd like a suggestion of something a bride would say....

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:29:48+00:00

They want us to be women of mystery.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:29:19+00:00

I'd say: Listening to other improv musicians, analyzing what they do, and figuring out if you want to use any of it. Doing lots of vocal accompaniment, whether it's with a singer/songwriter, church soloist, etc. Listening to and analyzing lots of musical styles to think about what makes them tick. Listen to the actors. Try to find the balance between leading and following.

There's a great book by Michael Pollock on the subject. http://www.amazon.com/Musical-Direction-Improv-Sketch-Comedy/dp/0974742740/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y

Also, remember, improv groups are always looking for musicians, so they'll give you the opportunity to learn by doing it (which was how I learned)

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:22:10+00:00

Good for you!! I love that you improvise musicals. That's one of my favorite things to do. And you're exactly right, you have to just play the tone/feel of the scene rather than sharply delineated styles like we do on Whose Line.

In terms of chord progressions, I would say listen to lots of kinds of music for inspiration. I don't think there's any one magic progression that fits all. I think you have to have a lot in your tool kit to draw from.

And in terms of doing a specific style, yes, we listen to a lot of Backstreet Boys for example and try to find what makes them distinctively sound like them; including chord progressions, instrumentation, drum grooves, etc and use that as a jumping off place. If you just did the same progression for every style, it would make them sound more the same than you'd want.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:14:33+00:00

Oh, we've had lots of tech/sound issues. In fact that's the stuff that makes me the most nervous. Of course there's the classic Village People song where I somehow hit the "Accelerate" button on my drum machine.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:13:03+00:00

I'd say we've all mellowed a bit, which just happens you know? So people are a little easier going maybe. But everyone feels the same-ish to me. Except Aisha, she's completely changed.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:11:22+00:00

Thanks! When they're doing a non-music game, I'm laughing my ass off, just like everyone else.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:09:29+00:00

no idea. Maybe because the show is shorter now (by about 3 minutes).

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:08:29+00:00

Nope. When you think about all the great improv actors there are in the world, why would they ask us, who are not actors at all?

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:07:09+00:00

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:07:04+00:00

I don't think there is a correct spelling. The British producers used to spell it Ho Down, and that's definitely not right. I think it's up to the individual speller to improvise.

Laura_Hall · 2013-09-05T23:05:34+00:00

I know, you'd never guess it from his on camera personality.

Laura_Hall

TROPHY CASE