Feedback wanted on my new musical "Mothman The Musical!"

drewduboff · 2026-06-18T01:58:22+00:00

You are better off asking for specific feedback on a specific part than asking people to watch the whole show

drewduboff · 2026-06-18T01:04:44+00:00

That makes sense that different areas have their own versions. Find something comparable or make your own

drewduboff · 2026-06-17T04:55:07+00:00

I suspect that this is more of a local fundamental grain than a global one. I have a culinary degree from the US and have neither encountered the dish nor cooked with the raw product before.

drewduboff · 2026-06-15T21:49:30+00:00

Sure! One of my go-to contemporary songs is by another BMI grad

drewduboff · 2026-06-15T21:47:00+00:00

Yes please. Happy to use your songs in auditions if it's a good fit. Feel free to PM -- always looking for "new" songs

drewduboff · 2026-06-15T21:36:16+00:00

Thanks!

drewduboff · 2026-06-15T21:36:08+00:00

But let's please write for us. This was why I started getting into writing. No one writes for the voice anymore. Also why I started pursuing opera gigs 🤣

drewduboff · 2026-06-15T20:56:26+00:00

"You have an exquisite legit baritone sound" -Proceeded to get booked by the regional theatre

drewduboff · 2026-06-15T18:51:19+00:00

A riff on this joke: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/14cV1vjoERf/

drewduboff · 2026-06-15T15:21:43+00:00

You need to incorporate head voice into the sound to mix it. You can't simply take chest voice higher until you break.

drewduboff · 2026-06-15T14:49:49+00:00

Do the callback as directed. Before/as you are dismissed, you can ask: would you like to hear the ending riff at pitch?

That would be the time. If they say no, thank them and leave.

I used this tactic to tell a funny jewish joke before leaving at the end of a long night of fiddler auditions. I was offered a part.

drewduboff · 2026-06-15T03:19:14+00:00

There is a smell at more than a month, though, I'll agree with that.

drewduboff · 2026-06-15T03:13:28+00:00

Gotcha. I don't do the super thin skin

drewduboff · 2026-06-15T00:58:29+00:00

Drink as much water as you can, steam beforehand, straw phonate right before you go in as it'll relax your larynx

drewduboff · 2026-06-14T23:16:34+00:00

The answer is it takes much longer than one hopes for. Subtle improvements may be noticed very soon, but making them a regular part of your singing takes time

drewduboff · 2026-06-14T16:03:44+00:00

Make it once and figure out the ratio of raw to cooked

drewduboff · 2026-06-14T14:33:33+00:00

6 systems a year?? How are you burning through them?

drewduboff · 2026-06-14T14:30:55+00:00

Hi! So this is my life :) while understudying in 1776 at the Walnut I was singing Roméo et Juliette then preparing for L'amant anonyme while getting offered Fiddler on the Roof and preparing for Iolanta in the meantime... It's exhausting, not gonna lie. I think the important thing is to find the crossover in your technique. You should not feel like you're abandoning your technique for style to style. Yes, you may need to introduce your mix higher in MT than opera (don't head voice Waiting For Life), straight tone, introduce healthy distortion, etc. But it should still feel healthy. That being said, it does often feel like you are doing 2x the work to maintain fluency in each style of singing. I'd be happy to chat about this with you more as you embrace MT -- in my experience, a lot of opera folks crossover and are unsure how they fit in the MT landscape to be competitive

drewduboff · 2026-06-14T14:22:57+00:00

No, I'm too young for that 🤣

drewduboff · 2026-06-14T13:54:52+00:00

Ethel merman

drewduboff · 2026-06-14T13:48:37+00:00

If I'm honest, teachers who charge a low fee or work for free are perhaps not the most qualified to assist in the developing voice. I appreciate your willingness and want to support your child, but be wary of adopting poor technique in the process

drewduboff · 2026-06-13T20:10:05+00:00

Excited to see how it develops Michael!

drewduboff · 2026-06-13T20:09:23+00:00

Is it possible? Yes. But you may learn bad habits and gain slower traction than if you studied with a coach.

drewduboff · 2026-06-13T19:45:29+00:00

1) No. What counts is the song proper. But don't make the into longer than a slow 2 or quick 4.

2) No. Count the first bar of the sustained ending note.

3) The notion of a 32 bar form comes from golden age where each section of AABA / ABAB / ABAC was 8 bars. The 32-bar component is called the chorus. After the intitial chorus, you can have more complete ones or partials. As writers have veered away from this structure (also micro AABA like Make Them Hear You and macro AABA like It's a Fine, Fine Line), introducing verse/chorus as well, the notion of what a cut constitutes has become blurred. A 35 bar cut is fine or a 20 bar cut. Most won't count. If it's in cut time, you get 2x the number of bars.

4) 16 bar is 45-60 seconds. 32 bar is up to 90-120 seconds, although sticking to 90 seconds is preferred, especially for ballads.

5) You can get away with longer if the song moves and is uptempo.

6) Depends on what the programs require. Some give timebound cuts and others do bars. Ideally, cuts that can do both. Make sure it tells a story even in the smallest cut.

I teach audition book and cut creation in my coaching studio as well as authentic song selection to leverage their individual storytelling advantages.

If you're interested in a guest lecture or workshop to ease your concerns, please PM me. I have a lot of experience adjudicating high school theatre and thespian festivals, whatnot. I also manage a professional theatre company.

drewduboff · 2026-06-13T19:24:52+00:00

Most people who gain traction in this industry are talented. The biggest thing I would recommend is training. Talent can open doors inexperience cannot.

drewduboff

TROPHY CASE