SECONDARY SCHOOL MUSICALS: A CRITICAL VIEW

Celeste-tina Hernandez Binnema

B . A . , Trinity Western University, 1986

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@ Celeste-tina Hernandez Binnema 1996

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

March, 1995

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Title of Thesis/Project/Extended Essay

Secondary School Musicals: A Critical View - - -- - - - -

Author:

(Signature)

APPROVAL

Celeste-Tina Binnema

DEGREE Master of Arts

TITLE Secondary School Musicals: A Critical View

EXAMlMfMG COMMITTEE:

Chair Sharon Bailin

~ardslav Sdnyshyn Senior Supervisor

Stuart Richmond, Associate Professor Member

Dr. Robert Walker, Coordinator and Professor of Music Education. UBC External Examiner

Date: k&fc~ LC, /Tfd

Abstract

secondary School Musicals: A ~riticc.1 View

Celeste-tina Hernandez Binnema

secondary school teachers in B.C. have incorporated the performance

of musicals into their extracurricular drama and music programs with

increasing regularity in recent years. The teachers responsible for this

argue that musicals are a unique and valid form of arts education which

helps foster school spirit and co-operation; as well, they demand a high

degree of discipline and responsibility from the students, which xay

nurture their talent and creativity. It has been assumed that the

pedagogical motivation of music and/or drama teachers is sound; therefore,

until now the production of the yearly musical has not been questioned.

The educational validity of secondary school musicals as they are

currently being performed in B.C. was studied from both a theoretical and

practical perspective. The theoretical study included examining relevant

literature in the fields of both music and drama education. The findings

were then related to the performance of secondary school musicale. In

addition, the B.C. secondary school music and drama curriculum guides were

scrutinized for indications of the Ministry of ducati ion's official view

concerning musicals. The practical study was carried out by way of

qualitative, ethnographic research, which included the participation of

five current secondary scnool. teachers and eight studefits currently

involved in a musical production.

iii

I recummend as a result of this study that major changes be made to

the way that musicals are currently being rehearsed and performed, if they

are to benefit students and their teachers respectively. As it is,

teachers are suffering from exhaustion and burn-out due to practices that

invalidate the educational value of musicals. It is absurd to impose

professional and thus unrealistic expectations of musicals on a school

system which was never designed or intended for the implementation and

performance of musicals conceived in this way,

DEDICATION

his thesis i s dedicated to the memory of my sister,

christine Dawn Hernandez

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, f would like to thank my Lord and saviour Jbsus

Christ, for giving me the privilege of being able to earn a Master's

degree, and for giving me the strength and courage to continue with my

studies at S .F.U. even when times were tough. A big thank-you is also in

order to the five teachers who participated in this study, without whose

help none of this would have been possible. I would also like to thank

Slava and Stuart for taking the time to read my drafts and for believing

that I could do it. And finally, I must thank Gerry, Bryan and Phillip,

for their love, tatience, and encouragement during my two years of studying

at S.F.U.

??-ABLE OF CONTENTS

Approval

Abstract

Dedication

Acknowledgements

ii

iii

v

vi

Chapter one: The M U S ~ C ~ ~ As A Learning Experience ................... 1 Introduction ........................................... 1 Scarecrow at sahel Academy ............................. 2 A Brief History of Musicals ............................ 7 a . what Is A ~usical? ................................. 7 b . The Musical As A Constantly Developing

Art Form .......................................... 13 Endnotes.. ............................................ 16

Chapter Two: The ~ r t s in secondary schools ......................... 18 Drama Education As A Unique Component of the secondary School Musical .............................. 19 a . D r a m a As Experience ............................... 22 b . D r a m a As A Body of Theatre Knowledge

and skills ........................................ 29 Music Education As An Obvious Component of the Secondary School Musical .............................. 33 a . The Social Value of Music ......................... 35 b . xusicals AS Transmitters of culture ............... 37 c . Music As An id to Physical Development ........... 38 d . ~usicals AS An A ~ U to Developing creativity ....... 38 e . The Value of Scientific and Artistic Aspects

of ~ u s i c .......................................... 39 f . Three Further Values of Music Education ........... 39

An Examination of the B.C. M U S ~ C Curriculum Guide ..... 41 Tying Drama and ~usic Together ........................ 46 Endnotes .............................................. 48

Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................... 51 Qualitative. Ethnographic Research .. What Is It? ..... 51 school-Related Ethnography ............................ 52 Generalization of Findings ............................ 54 The ~articulars of This Study ......................... 54 a . My Conceptual Framework ............................ 54 b . Developing A Questionnaire ......................... 56 c . Choosing the Players ............................... 57 d . The Interviews... .................................. 59

vii

Chapter One

The Musical As A Learninq Experience

Introduction

For many people, the very term "musical" conjures up exciting images

of huge extravaganzas complete with fabulous singing, breathtaking costumes

and scenery, showstopping dance numbers, and perhaps an exciting and

thought-provoking plot, In recent years Vancouver has played host to a

number of major musicals performed by professional casts assembled from

both the United states and Canada. I have been fortunate to be able to

attend Les Miserables, Joseph and the Amazing ~echnicolor Dreamcoat, and

Phantom of the Opera in Vancouver in recent years, and have been duly

impressed by the high standards of acting and singing, not to mention the

impressive lighting, scenery, costumes, and special effects. ~lthough

there are no doubt a few people who dislike musicals, the fact is that they

are a multi-million dollar per year industry, providing live entertainment

to millions of theatre-goers in North America and abroad. It would seem

that musicals are here to stay.

In light of thsse observations we must ask, what is the place of

musicals in B.C. secondary schoois?" They are frequently perftrned at inany

s e h f s around the province, but is this practice educationally valid?

his thesis proceeds on the assumption that both music and drama are very

important, valuable, and legitimate subjects in the secondary school

curriculum; however, I will provide a brief argument for the validity of

drama and music as separate subjects in secondary schools in Chapter Two,

partly for the benefit of those who are still unconvinced, but more

importantly t.o help establish later on whether or no: the educational

purpose of each of these subjects becomes lost when combined in the form

of a musical. To arts educators, including myself, the issue of the value

of music and drama per se is basically a closed subject, but the question

of combining the two disciplines by way of a musical remiins open- The

foe-3 of this thesis, therefore, is to provide a critical examination of

musicals performed at the secondary school level by way of a qualitative,

ethnographic study. irs s d 1 , by considering research in related aspects

of educational drama and music, I wish to arrive at some conclusions that

should help teachers decide whether or not to perform a musical at their

particular school.

Scarecrow at Sahel Academy

In October of 1988, I directed, produced, co-ordinated and acted in

a 45-minute musical production called Scarecrow at ahe el ~cademy, a small

school of about 35 students in Niamey, Niger, West Africa. This school,

located at the edge of the Sahara Desert near the Niger River, consisted

of children of missionaries from seven different countries who were in

grades one through nine. The countries represented included Canada, the

U.S.A., Australia, Singapore, England, Germany, and Belgium. All of the

students spoke English in addition to their native languages; therefore

1 taught in English. Hy responsibilities that year included teaching

English (Literature, grammar, spelling, speech, and creative writing) to

the grade seven, eight, and nine students, as well as teaching music to all

of the students at the school.

As this was my very first classroom teaching job, I wanted to make a

good impression on the principal, so I decided to tackle this small

musical with the students. By this time I had already been teaching in

Africa for seven months, and felt that I knew the students' abilities and

interests well enough to do the musical which I had brought with me from

Canada in the possible anticipation that such an osportunity would arise.

Since I was determined to do a musical with the children that year,

and because the prrneipal appreciated my enthusiasm for the task, she gave

me permission to go ahead with the project. The students at Sahel Academy

had never done anything like it before, mainly because there had been no

qualified music teacher at the school. until my arrival, and we both assumed

that performing a musical would be an excellent educational experience for

the children. As soon as the new school year started at the beginning of

August, I began the music rehearsals for Scarecrow, planning on a late

october performance.

Unlike Canada, Niger has no music curriculum which one must follow.

IT. fact, the limited snpply of textbooks, musical instruments, space, basic

supplies such as pencils, erasers and notebooks, and sometimes electricity

makes it necessary for school teachers of all subjects to simply teach

according to what they think is appropriate, with due consideration given

to materials and space available, * s age of their students, and the time

of year. The principal did caution me about the alpcoining hot season, which

would be in full force for the rehearsals and performance. As I had

already survived one very hot season from March to June of that year, where

t v r a t u r e s soxed up to 50 degrees Celsius almost daily with not a drop

of rain, and as I suffered no serious repercussions during that time, the

principal's warning basically went unheeded.

Drama and music are both subjects that I am deeply interested in.

Doing a musical with the children seemed a natural way to combine the two

subjects, "kiiiing birds with one stonen, one mighf, say. I rehearsed

the grade four through nine students during their music classes twice per

week, starting in ~ugust and continuing until the performanca on October

28th of that year. I felt that the music was too challenging for the grade

one, two, and three students; therefore, I excluded thea from this

particular performance, much to the consternation of both students and

principal. I am not an insenaitLve teacher, and would have included these

students if there had been some simple song in the musical that I thought

they could learn. However, Scarscrow was written for intermediate level

students, not primary age szudents. To put them in the musical would have

--fe against my p*uqxse for teaching at Sahel Academy, that being to 7-

improve the studentst skill and knowledge of music. It was a professional

decision, and after I explained to the principal that none of these younger

students could as yet carry a tune properly, let alone sing in parts, she

grudgingly accepted my decision. she truly felt that if a musical was

going to be done, the whole school should be allowed to participate, but

since I knew more about music than she did, she permitted me to have my

a In the end, the grade one, two and three students sang an unrelated

song with their French teacher before the show began, pleasing both the

children and their parents,

only the few students to whom I assigned speaking parts had to sing

solos and do some acting; the rest of the students in the school were in

the chorus, which made it very convenient to turn music classes into choir

rehearsals for that three month period of time. I did teach the children

some basic =sic theory during that time, and of course I taught them some

vocal warm-ups which we did to start off every class, but otherwise, music

classes mainly consisted of the students memorizing the tunes and words to

h u t tec different songs from Scarecrow in preparation for the big

performance. Every Saturday I held a drama rehearsal for the students who

had speaking parts and solos. These rehearsals lasted about two hours and

tmk place in the dining hall of the dcmn in which the boarded children

1 ived . Drinking water was an important and essential component of every

rehearsal, whether it was a group rehearsal during school time, or an

individual rehearsal witr: one of the soloists. one cannot survive, let

alone sing well, in the heat of ~iger, without drinking copious amounts

of boiled, filtered, cooaec! water. A teacher once tried to keep track of

the number of litres of water she drank each day, just for the record, but

she gave up counting after consuming six litres in one day. Each student

and teacher at Sahel Academy had his/her own personal drinking cup which

was kept at school. I allowed the children to get a drink of water

whenever they needed it from the large container at the back of the room.

I also changed the position of the singers about every ten minutes during

rehearsals so that each child got to sit close to the water cooler (which

cools the air like our Canadian air conditioners) for an equal amount of

time. People can so easily faint when exerting themselves through

exuberant singing in very hot temperatures, and because of these

precautions, only one student did faint throughout all the rehearsals and

performance-

All was proceeding well until I came down with a serious bout of

malaria during the first week of octoher. I struggled to continue teaching

for another full week nonetheless, as I was unwilling to let the musical

suffer because of nry health. However, continued high fever and severe

headaches necessitated an emergency flight to ~almi hospital, where I was

given immediate medical attention and recovered well enough to return to

W i m y in a week. X was very disappointed that a week's rehearsal time had

been Lost, but there was still one week left until show time, and we made

the most of it.

The students, in my opinion, did a fantastic job of presenting

Scarecrow. They sang in parts for the first time in public, (soprano,

alto , and bassi, and the excitement of this particular evening made them

sing with even more enthusiasm than I had witnessed in class. There were

a few technical problems which occurred, but for the most part, the

children enjoyed being a part of this very special presentation, and the

parents certainly appreciated seeing their children perform in a musical.

Recently, while watching the video that was made of the performance, fond

memories returned of my time in Africa, and my belief is that if we ever

return to serve in Niger, I will do another musical with the children at

Sahel Academy.

There are many factors which make my experience directing a musical

in ~iger completely different from the experience of those who direct

musicals at the high school level here in canada. he age difference is

the must obvious difference, as the oldest students at sahel Academy would

be the same age as the youngest students who attend a secondary school in

B.C. While on the topic of age, it must be noted that Scarecrow was

written for children. The difficulty of the music, the amount and length

of lines the characters had, and the length of the musical itself were all

written with children in mind. Musicals such as Annie and The sound of

Music, which are frequently performed by high school students, were not

written for teenagers; rather, they were written for professional adult

entertainers who work on Broadway. The environment in which I worked is

another obvious difference between my experience at sahel Academy and the

exgerience of a teacher who directs a musical in B.C. Providing equal

opportunities for stadents to sit near the air cooler, and ensuring that

students don't faint from heat stroke are not usually issues that local

teachers have to deal with on a daily basis. Another difference concerns

money- The budget of Scarecrow was $0.00, whereas the budget for local

secondary school musicals can range from $8,000 - $18,000 (as expressed in

interviews done with current secondary school teachers. See appendix B).

Concerning performance standards for the musical, there was no

standard to compete with in Niger, as professional musicals are simply not

performed in a country that lacks the money to provide adequate health

care, food and housing for the people. Thus, as long as the chilcren at

sahel Academy did their best, both parents and teachers could be proud of

their effort, and consider the musical a success. In B.C., this is not the

case. The situation here in Canada will be discussed more fully in chapter

Five.

It has been shown, therefore, that my personal experiences with

musicals, whether it be attending a professional performance of a musical

in Vancouver, or directing a small childrenrs musical overseas, have been

positive. The more specific question of whether musicals belong in B.C.

secondary schools still remains. Looking at the history of musicals may

bring us one step closer to answering this perplexing question.

A Brief History of Musicals

Although most people take it for granted that they know what a musical

is, it would appear that many music teachers and students do not in fact

know either the history of musicals or the many definition6 of them. In

order for one to discuss the implications of teaching musicals at the

secondary school level , it is necessary to trace the notion of what a

musical actually is.

a. What Is A Musical?

According to The Hew Harvard Dictionary of Music, a musical is:

A popular form of musical theatre of the 20th century, developed chiefly in the united States and England. In structure and general style, it is similar to European operetta, with spoken dialogue developing dramatic situations appropriate for song, ensemble numbers, and dance,

Another source, The ~usical From the Inside Out, defines the musical as the

"amalgamation of the arts of music, lyrics, playwriting, orchestra,

amplification, design, costuming, stagecraft, acting and dire~ting".~ The

author of this book, Stephen citron, also claims that "the musical is the

most popular form of entertainment in the world".3 When tracing the

history, then, of this popular art form, it is difficult to know how far

back one should start. ~usicals have been performed in one form or another

throughout musical history, but for our purposes, it would seem to suffice

to begin with the 19th century. It was during this time that musicals

began to take on the form that we recognize today.

There have been many forerunners of the musical theatre form,

including opera, ballad opera, operetta, and the burletta, all of which

combine songs with drama in some way.4 For over 300 years the opera, (a

draxa that is sung), has been a major form of musical entertainment. It

combines the resources of vocal and instrumental music, soloists,

ensembles, and chorus, orchestra and ballet, with poetry, drama, acting,

pantomime, scenery and costume^.^ In opera of the more popular variety,

the recitative is generally replaced by spoken dialogue. This is the type

known as operetta or musical comedy, which has its counterpart in the

French opera-comique and the German ~ingspiel.~ operetta is defined as

"a popular form of entertainment made up of spoken dialogue, song, and

dance, whose tone may range from sentimental comedy through satire and

parody, to outright farcemS7 one author claims that operetta is similar

to traditional opera "except that it employs spoken dialogue and more

frivolous ~usicals eventually evolved from the light opera and

operetta of the 18901s and early 1900's. Except in Stephen Citron's book,

The Musical From the Inside Out, where he establishes many separate

categories such as "Theatre opera", "Musical Play", "Musical comedy", and

"Concept Musical", there has been no clear line firmly established between

operetta and musicals, though most people would agree that ~ehar's The

Herry widow is operetta, while the perceptibly lighter Floradora (by Leslie

Stuart) is a mu~ical.~

The first stage piece to have the name "musical comedyw was Gaiety

Girl (1893) produced in London by George Edwardes, with music by Sidney

Jones .lo When it was produced in New York the next year, the critic of

the Dramatic Mirror called it "an indefinable musical and dramatic

melangen, containing "sentimental ballads, comic songs, skirt-dancing,

Gaiety Girls, society girls, life guards, burlesque, and a quota of

mel~drama".'~ It was from this sort of indefinable mixture that musical

comedy was to emerge. However, the Viennese-style operettas of Victor

Herbert (1859-1924) continued to hold the stage during the first part of

the 20th century, as well as productions by Jerome Kern (1885-1945). Kern

worked in both London and New York, writing first single songs to be used

in stage works, then his first complete shows, including The Red Petticoat

(1912), and eventually many more successful musical comedies begincing in

1915 with Nobody Home and Very Good, Eddie.'' As can be seen, there was

much give-and-take between the English and American popular theatre in this

early period.

The theatrical experiences of 19th-century ~merica centred around New

York City. French and Viennese operettas translated into English provided

entertainment forthe large immigrant population, which longedto keep ties

with its native lands. The operettas of ~ilbert and Sullivan were easily

pirated and available to anyone who wanted them, so there were at least two

companies always playing and touring the major cities of the United States

at any given time. operettas satisfied highbrow tastes while

extravaganzas, vaudeville and burlesque shows entertained patrons who

preferred lighter entertainrnent.13 The first indigenous American musical

theatre took the fern. of the minstrel show and the ~audeville, similar to

products of the 19th-century music hall in consisting of a string of

musical and comedy acts without dramatic unity. Extended stage pieces

unified by common characters and a semblance of a plot appeared only with

the later Mulligan Guard shows in the 18808s, starring Ned Harrigan and

Tony Hart.14 Another important step toward indigenous musical theatre

were the "musical playsw of George M. cohan (1878-1942), including ~ i t t l e

Johnny Jones (1904) and Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway (1906). These

musicals included American subject matter, aggressive patriotism, and

memorable songs in the style of popular American songs of the day.''

The first decades of the 20th century were still dominated by variety

shows, vaudeville, and revues, as opposed to musicals, however, the musical

theatre genre continued to evolve. In New Orleans, jazz was being born,

another element which was to have an effect on the ~merican musical.

After the 1914-18 war, the genre became in general lighter and faster-

moving than before, with more dancing and less accent on romance, but

including more comedy. The trend was away from Romantic sweetness and

toward a more realistic style.16 According to The New Harvard Dictionary

of Music, American musical ccmedy took its definitive f0.m in the 1920's

with a series of shows built on fast-paced librettos, into which songs and

other musical nunbers were smoothly integrated, contributing to plot and

character development. settings were usually contemporary and urban, anc!

musical style was squarely in the stream of popular songwriting of the day.

some typical shows of the time were La La L u c i l l e (George ~ershwin, 1919),

Lady Be Good (Gershwin, 1924)' and No, No, Nanette (Vincent Youmans,

1925) .17

By the 19201s and 19301s, the terms "musical comedy", *'musical dramaw,

or simply "musical" came to be preferred to operetta, although it is

debatable whsther the new terms indicate new genres. After the term

"comedyw was dropped from the adjective "musical", the prefix "Broadway"

was often added in the united states, to function as a noun in identifying

the 2orm.18 The Broadway musical was possibly the most commercially

successful theatrical form during the 19201s and 19301s. No decade before

or since sponsored as many musicals as did the 19201s -- a total in excess

of 400, not counting the revivals, and 12 hitting the 500 - or - better continuous performance mark.19

The commercial theatre was not without its troubles, however. The

economic unrest in the 1920fs, as well as increased production costs

eventually lessened the number of musicals produced annually. Another

factor which hurt the commercial theatre at that time was the growing

popularity of movies, especially after the introduction of sound in

1929.20 Historians assert that the stock market crash of 1929 also

contributed to the closure of Broadway's "Golden Age".

Nevertheless, major musicals continued to be produced. In the late

1920's characters and plots were drawn from American life outside of New

York and with music sometimes reflecting nonurban styles. Jerome Kern's

Show Boat (1927), with a book (story) by Oscar Hammerstein I1 based on Edna

Ferber's novel set on the Mississippi ~iver in the 19th century, became the

first hugely successful "populist" show.*l ~t was something of a

landmark, establishing a new standard for musicals with its combination of

compelling drama and some immortal melodies. show boat tells a more

serious dramatic story than did previous musicals, since it deals with

relations between blacks and whites, a topic which previous composers were

afraid to deal with. Show Boat tells the story of capln Andy and his

theatrical troupe who perform aboard the Mississippi steamer cotton

Blossom. The love interest revolves around the romance of Magnolia, the

leading lady, and Gaylord Ravenal, the dashing gambler, The second act

brings the couple to the Chicago worldls Fair sf 1893 and the Trocadero

Music Hall. heir daughter Kim turns out to be a successful singer, and

as the action ends on board the cotton B ~ O S S O ~ in the year 1927, we hear

her singing some of the old songs of another day.22 In addition to the

glorious musical score, another departure from the norm is show Boat's

elimination of the chorus line.23

Show Boat is a good example which illustrates the point that the

matter of nomenclature is still in the air. Cecil smith calls Show Boat

a musical comedy; Mcspadden, a musical play, The ~arvard Dictionary of

Music, an operetta; J.T. Howard calls it "almost a folk opera", and

Gilbert Chase calls it "an operetta in the tradition of American musical

~ome&y".~~ Thus, as has been discussed earlier, the names may have

changed over the years, but it is debatable whether these labels clearly

outline significant boundaries between the different types of musical

theatre. If the above-mentioned experts cannot even agree on the

nomenclature for Show Boat then it comes as no surprise that the general

public uses these terms interchangeably as well.

The 1930's and 1940's brought ~merican musicals to their peak, with

such shows as Strike up he Band! (George ~ershwin, 1930), Oklahoma!

(Richard Rogers, 1943), and Annie Get Your Gun (Berlin, 1946) .25 Dance

sequences became an integral part of the productions, something that

operetta does not necessarily require. These dance numbers were primarily

designed to be show-stoppers, adding sheer spectacle to the show. only

rarely did they further the dramatic action.26

The years during and following world war II were vintage years for the

American musical. classics such as south Pacific were performed at 3his

time. This period gave the music more sophistication, and allowed the

musical to thrive at home and even become popular abroad, where its stature

was acknowledged by its admission as a subject for study at the graduate

level in prestigious music school^.^' Some attempts were made in the 60's

and 70's to integrate the music and culture of the rock age with the

traditions of musicals. Two examples are Godspell and Jesus Christ

Superstar (Galt MacDermot, 1971), but the form has remained for the most

part oriented toward a prerock msical vocabulary, strongly influenced by

European styles. 2 8

b. The Musical As A constantly Developinq Art Form

operetta and its offshoot, the musical play, are the two mainstays of

today's musical theatre. Far more works in these forms are presented on

worldwide stages than all other forms combined. But like any of the fine

arts, the musical is a constantly developing art form. As has been

previously mentioned, Stephen citron, in his book, The Musical From t '

Inside Out, distinguishes "musical playw from other categories such as

operetta, musical comedy, and concept musical. He maintains that in a

musical play, songs almost always further the action or reveal character.

Dancing tries to be 'realistic', (as in West Side Story's 'Rumble', or its

'Dance at the ~ y m ~ ) . ~ ' According to citron, musical plays can deal with

unpleasantness such as the pre-war Germany of Cabaret, death of a major

character as in Man of La Mancha, or murder as in West side story. The

author includes Evita, Les Miserables, and Miss saigon in his list of

recent musical plays. on the other hand, citron establishes "theatre

opera" as a separate category of entertainment which is concerned with

song, while opera (like a rock concert), has to do with the singer. He

explains that theatre opera generally has a serious subject similar to the

musical play, but it uses duets, trios and concerted numbers rather than

solos, and it also lacks the dance numbers of musical plays.30

Having established numerous categories of dramatic and musical

entertainment, citron then cautions against labelling musicals and thereby

falling into cliche inteAqretations. Another noted playwright, Stephen

sondheim, (born 1930); also agrees that it doesn't matter what the various

forms of entertainment are called. He feels that "what is new and

different in the theatre is that there are so many forms it can takeWe3'

Thus, we see that citronrs various categories of musicals are by no means

rigid. one common feature in all of the categories, however, is the

overriding importance of music in operas, operettas, and musicals. This

is shown by the fact that only the music can be isolated and enjoyed as a

separate entity: opera arias are sung in song recitals, operas and

operettas are enjoyed via radio, and original cast albums of musicals are

among the best sellers at C.D. stores.32 one possible exception to this

rule is Stephen Sondheimts musicals, which seem to be pursuing a course of

weaving music into the dramatic fabric so tightly that the music is an

integral part of the action, thus, his songs lose effectiveness when

isolated.

In the present decade, the total running time of most musicals is

about 2.25 hours. The first act, ciccording to citron, should be 1.25

hours, and after a 15 minute intermission, the second act should be 45-50

minutes in length. Because of its brevity, every section of the libretto

must count. Sondheim advises, "TO write a good libretto, you have to

accomplish everything a play accomplishes in half the It has

been established already, however, that exceptions to the rules abound when

it comes to musical/theatrical entertainment, and ten years from now, the

parameters will no doubt be wider still. The final page of the history of

the musical cannot be written yet, as the musical continues to evolve as

a living, vibrant art form.

It is obvious that a thorough job of reviewing the full history of

musicals is beyond the scope of this thesis. However, it is hoped that

this brief g l i q s e ids the development of the musical has revealed the

fact that it is imperative that we do not freeze our conception of what

musicals are or can be in scnools. with this background we can now proceed

intelligently to the main question, "what is the place of musicals in

B.C.'s secondary schools?~

Endnotes

yy on Randel, ed., The New Harvard ~ictionary of Music, (cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard university Press, 1986), p. 518.

*stephen Citron, The Musical From the Inside Out, (Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 1991), p. 13.

'Edwin wilson and Alvin Goldfarb, Livinq Theatre, (New York: MCGraW- Hill Book Company, 1983), p. 360.

'Joseph Machlis, The Enjoyment of Music, 3rd ~dition, (New York: W.W. Norton & company Inc., 19701, p. 140.

7 ~ h e New Harvzrb Dictionary of ~usic, p. 569.

'~ilbert Chase, America's Music from the Pilqrims to the Present, (New York: McGraw-Hill ~ o o k Company, Inc., 1955), p. 617.

'John Russell Taylor, The Penquin Dictionary of the Theatre, (Hamondsworth: penguin ~ooks, Ltd., 1966), p. 194.

he New Harvard ~ictionary of Music, p. 518.

12T-he New Hazard ~ic5ionarv =f Music, p. 519.

13~he Musical From the Inside Out, p. 36.

he New Harvard ~ictionary of Music, p. 518.

151bid., p. 518.

16Edith Borroff and ~arjory ~rvin, Music In ~erspective, (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1976), p. 261.

he New Harvard ~ i c t i o n a ~ of Music, p. 519.

leMusic In Perspective, p. 262.

"~ack Burton, The Blue Book of Broadway Musicals, House, 1952), p, 6 2 6 .

'kivinq Theatre, p. 306.

he New Harvard Dictionary of Music, p. 519.

(New York: Century

''~rnerica*~ Music, p. 627.

2 3 ~ i v i n q Theat-e, p . 307 .

2 4 ~ e r i c a f s ~ u s i c , p. 627,

2 f ~ h e New Harvard Dictionary of Music, p . 519.

2 6 ~ u s i ~ In perspective, p. 291.

2 7 ~ b i d . - 2 8 ~ h e New ~ a r v a r d ~ i c t i o n a r y of ~ l u s i c , p . 519.

he Musical From the Inside Out, p . 39.

301bid., p . 40.

3 1 ~ b i d . , p. 41.

3 2 ~ u s i ~ In ~ e r s p e c t i v e , p. 190.

3 3 ~ h e Musical From the Inside Out, p. 47.

chapter Two

The Arts in Secondary schools

It seems that we teachers of the arts are constantly defending

ourselves. we are asked by colleagues at school, students, parents, and

zz&&sistzat-Jrs +- -- ~ X ~ A G ~ Z ---- - = - -- += -w teach hat we teach, and bow we can -I

justify doing so in the public school system, ~t is no wonder that

teachers of the arts can become very defensive during discussions about

their particular subject. ~s a teacher of both music and drama, 1 firmly

blieve in the walue of what I do; however, belief alone is not sufficient.

I am required to argue in a concrete way, using logic, facts and research.

What is the unique value of drama education in secondary schools? what is

the unique value of music education in secondary schools? Are either the

purposes or values of these two subjects lost when they are combined to

form a musical? or does the integration of these two arts (as well as the

arts of dance and fine art) constitute an excellent way for the students

to gain a practical usage of the skills they are taught in separate art,

dance, music, and drama classes?

This chapter will deal with drama and music only, as these two

subjects are the stain focus and cfsnabnents of a musical. I acknowledge

that both dance and art are also very important elements of musicals, (not

to smntion carpentry, cos-tmte designing, and others), but a separate study

needs to be conducted in order to determine the answers to the above-

ragentioneti questions w i t h regard - these other subjects,

Dr- Education A s A Unique Component of t h e secondary school Musical

Because m o s t people are forced t o th ink i n a propr ie ta ry way and

because school budgets and personnel must be a l l oca t ed t o s p e c i f i c a reas

wi th in schools, t h e quest ion must be asked, "What i s t h e unique value of

drama education i n t h e context of a broad general education?" O r , put

another way, "How can drama t eachers j u s t i f y t h e i r sub jec t ' s p lace i n t h e

school curriculum?" his i s s u e must be explored, s ince drama i s an

i n t e g r a l p a r t of every musical. I f drama ( a s taught i n t h e secondary

school curriculum) cannot be proven t o be a j u s t i f i a b l e subjec t , then w e

have no b a s i s f o r performing musicals a t a l l .

Before proceeding, a c l a r i f i c a t i o n of what drama r e a l l y i s seems t o

be i n order. I t must be understood t h a t drama a s a sub jec t wi thin t h e

school system involves an enormous number and v a r i e t y of a c t i v i t i e s and can

l e a d t o a g r e a t d i v e r s i t y of outcomes, There a r e cu r r en t ly two major

t r e n d s i n t h e way drama is taught i n schools today, and both w i l l be d e a l t

wi th i n t h i s sec t ion , The f i r s t way involves regarding drama a s an

emerie-n-ce valuable I n i t s e l f , =d the second way involves teaching drama

as a body of t h e a t r e knowledge and s k i l l s .

Some drauia teachers would say t h a t t he re i s a s t r i c t dichotomy between

t h e s e t w o viewpoints, and these teachers w i l l t each one method only i n

t h e i r drama c l a s se s , t o t h e complete exclusion of t h e o ther . still o the r

drama t eachers include s o m e "drama as experiencew a c t i v i t i e s i n t h e i r

classes, in add i t i on t o s c r i p t e d plays and o ther knowledge and ski l l -based

a c t i v i t i e s . However, it is important t o note t h a t each of t hese two major

viesrpc~iets are represented i n Canadian drama classes, and proponents of

each sf them have m d e strong claima as to the value of their particular

viewpoint i n an educat ional s e t t i n g .

I n nty opinion, drama should be viewed a s a knowledge and s k i l l - l a s e d

s u b j e c t f i r s t and foremost. ~ u t r a t h e r than go i n t o t h i s debate, I w i l l

i n s t e a d s t i c k t o t h e t o p i c a t hand, s t a t i n g t h e arguments f o r t h e value of

drama a s taught by a *drama a s experience1* proponent, and a l s o s t a t i n g t h e

arguments f o r t h e value of drama a s taught by a " s k i l l s and knowledge"

advocate l i k e myself. ~ h u s , t h e reader w i l l s ee t h a t no mat te r which way

drama i s taught i n schools, it s t i l l has a unique value i n t h e contex t of

a broad genera l education. With t h i s information, we can then c l e a r l y see

whether t h i s "unique value" s t i l l e x i s t s when drama i s combined wi th music

i n a musical .

The d i f f e r ence between "drama a s experience" and "drama a s a body of

t h e a t r e knowledge and sk i l l s1 ' w i l l be examined i n f u r t h e r d e t a i l sho r t l y ,

bu t f o r now, l e t us consider t h e general quest ion, "Why teach drama a t

a l l ? * My f i r s t argument i s t h a t knowledge, (and ways of a t t a i n i n g t h a t

knowledge), i n our soc i e ty i s expanding s o r ap id ly t h a t it i s important f o r

today 's youth t o master ways of l ea rn ing r a t h e r than t o merely master

accumulations of f a c t s , many of which may be obso le te by t h e time they

f i n i s h school. Drama i s an obvious example of a non- t rad i t iona l sub j ec t

i n which s tudents o f t e n l ea rn , not only by memorizing t h e f a c t s about

drama, (such a s t h e a t r i c a l terms), bu t by doing drama i t s e l f .

Secondly, drama has been seen by many, p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t h e l a s t

decade, t o be one of t h e b e s t means of helping s tudents t o know themselves

more f u l l y . The Soc ra t i c imperative, "Know thyse l f1* has s p e c i a l meaning

i n an age when peoples' i d e n t i t i e s a r e o f t en threatened, i n an age when

i s o l a t e d psychopaths at tempt, f o r example, t o escape t h e i r i s o l a t i o n and

draw a t t e n t i o n t o themselves by a c t s of violence. ' Pe t e r Slade, a noted

&-aim ediicator, s&es a zcmpelfirrg p a i n t i n h i s state,m.ent suggest ing t h a t

"One of t h e m o s t important reasons f o r developing c h i l d drama i n schools

gene ra l l y is not a c t u a l l y a therapeut ic one b u t t h e even more cons t ruc t ive

one of preventionw.* He asserts that children who act out their

internalized emotions, either through assuming roles in pre-existing plays

or through engeging in the sort of creative dramatic activity demonstrated

by Dorothy Heathcote, come to grips with their emotions, see themselves

more dispassionately and objectively and, in healthy group activity, cope

with the causes, effects and consequences of violent, anti-social

behaviour. The participants in such activities learn lessons that last a

lifetime .

It is also important to realize that drama is an art form which is

valuable in itself as a form of aesthetic education. It should be taught

to students because it is an ancient form of art that is artistically

interesting formany reasons. We are fascinated by the theatre largely due

to its form. If a play is well written and acted truthfully, the audience

is afforded a rare opportunity to watch the humour, tragedy, and complexity

of human life, but from a safe distance. Through drama, a unique learning

experience is provided. Plays include such aspects as the development of

character and plot, and the expressive movement and speech of actors.

Thus, plays allow both participants and audience members the chance to

explore the theatre of life, but they do so in a way that is coherent and

well put.

In her book, eeli ins and ~orm, author Susanne Langer discusses the

importance of various types of drama, including comedies, tragedies, and

spectacles that are performed solely for the audience's entertainment.

She states,

Drama is a great form, which not only invites expression of elemental human feeling, but also permits a degree of articulation, complexity, detail within detail, in ahort: organic development, that smaller poetic forms cannot exhibit withoat confusio~~.~

It is clear that here we have at least one noted philosopher who recognizes

drama as being valaable, not for the "external" benefits it affords the

students, but for the aesthetic education which may be derived from both

watching and participating in plays.

a. Drama As ~xperience

Before proceeding, we must ask, "What is #drama as experiencet and

what is the educational value of doing drama in this way ?" The terms

"educational dramaw and "creative dramatics" are, for the most part,

interchangeable, and both fall under the heading "drama as experience" (as

used by Gavin Bolton, Dorothy Heathcote, and others); therefore, both will

be mentioned at this time. Dorothy Heathcote, a controversial and

influential drama educator from Great Britain, defines educational drama

... anything which involves persons in active role-taking situations in which attizudes, not characters, are the chief concern, lived at life rate (i.e. discovery at this moment, not memory based), and obeying the natural laws of the medium.*

In her well-known essay, "Drama and Education: subject or system?"

she stresses that more attention needs to be focussed on drama as a system

rather than as a subject. Dorothy Heathcote does not use children to

produce plays, Instead, she uses drama to expand their awareness, to

enable them to look at reality through fantasy, and to see below the

surface of actions to their meaning. she is interested, not in making

plays with the children, but in, as she terms it, burnishing children

through the play. She does this, not by heaping more information on them,

but by enabling them to use what they already knowa5 Both Dorothy

Heathcote and Gavin Bolton assert that theatre has its place -- and that place is not in the classroom. They see children who are made to do

scripted plays in the drama classroom as children who are being "d-rected

into a totally inappropriate mental set of taking responsibility for

entertaining adults~,~

It is obvious then, that here we have two reputable drama educators

who would not agree at all with my doing Scarecrow with my students in

Africa, nor with the many B.C. secondary school teachers who direct

musicals every year. These authorst complaint would not be based on any

problem that they have with mixing music with drama. Instead, they would

find the students# memorization of lines and assuming of characters in the

play to be problematic, and contrary to their view of what school-age

children should be doing during any school-related drama activity. They

claim that most children are not ready to perform scripted plays, and that

these plays are merely put on for the enjoyment of adults, hardly

benefitting the children at all. ~lthough I do not necessarily agree with

this viewpoint, I would be highly remiss if I did not at least mention what

these well-known drama theorists have to say, especially since the B.C.

secondary school drama curriculum guides for grades 8 - 12 are baaed largely on Boltonfs and Heathcotets phil~sophy.~

Heathcote and Bolton are certainly not alone in their viewpoint.

Many other important drama theorists say that "drama as experience" is

valuable in providing a way fox a participant to build social skills or to

work through urgent personal problems or psychic tensions. Cecily o#Neill,

in her article, "Context or Essence: The Place of Drama in the

Curriculum", values drama as a unique mode of learning to know about human

behaviour and its consequences.' As well, authors Lynn McGregor, Maggie

Tate and Ken Robinson, in their book, Learninq Throush Drama, argue that

drama is an active process which functions as a way of exploring and

expressing meaning in certain kinds of experience. They look at this in

terms of the concept of symbolization. he arts as a whole are rooted in

symbolic forms of expression of particular kinds, and it is in this context

that their role in education can most clearly be seen. In McGregor, Tate

and Robinson's view, the potential value of active experience in the art6

lies in the child's controlled attempts to explore, develop an6 express

ideas and concepts which will help him to make sense of his subjective

responses to the public world. Drawing from this, the authors strongly

argue that the arts should be givea at least the same status as other areas

in the curric~lum.~

According to McGregor, Tate and Robinson, the distinctive contribution

which drama can make in this process revolves around the experience of

acting out. This involves the child projecting into imagined roles or

situations. The authors define acting out as the "exploration and

representation of meaning through the medium of the whole person; this is

done by and through social intera~tion."'~ In drama, the child negotiates

meaning through social interaction at what the authors have called the

'real8 and the rsymbolicr levels. AS she explores problems of

understanding in the represented situation, she is simultaneously exploring

and deepening her real relationships with the other children involved in

the work.

"Creative dramatics" is another term used to describe activities which

take place in a classroom where "druna as experience" is the underlying

theory. "Creative dramatics is an impressive vehicle for leading students

into an understanding of their own deepest feelings and to their own

intrinsic personality as it relates to society."" It does this by moving

students into areas of time and space apart from those they are most

familiar with and allowing them to create intense and cogent situations

within which they assume -- and indeed create -- a persona. In turn, they

can use that persona as a mirror of their most real selves. In 1957,

Winifred Ward, who trained most of the leaders in the educational drama

movement in the United States and had a profound impact upon American

echcatio:: thrcugh her h k s , asserted that creative &matics is "an art

with such unquestioned value that it should be a part of every elementary

school curriculum, on equal footing with music and graphic and plastic

xts" ,I2

It is clear then, that the terms "educational drama" and "creative

dramatics" encompass all dramatic activities that are largely

improvisational and created by the participants themselves. Although at

first glance this type of drama may seem to have little to do with

scripted musicals, a closer look at what happens during rehearsals and

performances of secondary school musicals reveals that the term "creative

dramatics1* is not far off the mark. First of all, during rehearsals of

musicals, tLa director will usually allow the student actors to make

creative, artistic choices with regards to their characters. Such

decisions as how their character will walk, talk, react to situations on

stage, use hand gestures and facial expressions, etc. are improvised during

rehearsals. Once the student has "locked onw to what she thinks works

best, she then continues using her artistic choices for the remainder of

the rehearsals and performances. noth her situation when improvisation is

called for is during a performance of a school musical when everything does

not go exactly as planned, Sonethes actors do nst enter on cue,

telephones do not ring when they should, or perhaps an actor will say tha

wrong line entirely. These are all situations where the student actors

must use their skills of improvisation in order to prevent the musical from

becoming disastrous. For example, if an actor does not come on stage on

cue, the audience will definitely notice if the other actors freeze in

alarm, not knowing what to do next. However, if the actors are experienced

in improvisation, they can cover up the problem by adding a line or two

until the missing actor finally appears.

L e t US naw lock st how such improvisational activities help students

to develop their language, which is surely a worthy educational goal.

Because students make up the details as they go along, not only are they

pressed to produce language, but they capture the vitality and tension of

spontaneous human interaction as well.13 The goal in all language

education is the develapment of the ability to send and receive

increasingly complexandmature verbal messages effectively, independently,

creatively, and symbolically. Drama is particularly well suited to

facilitate the achievement of this overall goal.

The recogniticn that drama is an effective way to develop a child's

oral language goes back at least 100 years. In the 1880fs, ranc cis W.

Parker, as head of the Department of Didactics at Martha's Vineyard Summer

Institute, was lecturing to urge the use of simple improvised activities

as an excellent technique for the development of oral expression.14

Improvising, or inventing, is at the heart of all oral language

development. No toddler ever matures as a speaker until she makes up

sentences she has never heard before. she plays with options, tries out

new forms, and makes up hex own utterances by putting together in a novel

way the language she has heard. Educational drama provides a stimulus for

the continuation of this valuable activity,

How can drama help students build their vocabulary? several

significant research studies have shown that groups of children who have

had regular creative dramatics experience in the classroom have made

greater gains in language arts, including the mastery of a larger

vocabulary and reading skill, than control groups who have not had

drama. l5 In one program called Im~rovise, five drama teachers toured the

state of Rhode Island teaching creative dramatics to groups of fourth

graders in a 15-week experiment. ~t the end of the period the groups that

had had drama showed a vocabuf ary growth double that of a control group. l6

In the process of sharpening his vocabulary, a drama participant

learns to adapt his communication to his situation and to the needs of his

liste~iers.~' In other words, he engages in the art of rhetoric.

Educational drama performs a valuable service in helping a child overcome

his immature egocentricity. This is the term Jean Piaget used in his

classic study of the language development of children in which he

identified two distinct stages: egocentric language that is uttered by a

child for no particular purpose and to no particular person, and adapted

communication that is socialized. A child adapts his communication to

influence another specific person; in order to be successful he must take

into account the point of view of the other.''

As long as a child's language is egocentric, it is considered

deficient, at least in a larger public than his or her own home. If the

child fails to take into account what her words mean to others, she is

still being egocentric. Effective communication calls for decentering,

rising above one's egocentricity and putting oneself into the role of the

listener. Several significant research studies have shown that creative

dramatic experiences increase a child's capacity to put herself into the

role of another person and thereby adapt her communication with that other

person. l9

one of the goals of all education is to enable students to mature to

the point where they can engage in this genuine dialogue. Michael

Oakeshott even went so far as to say that our whole culture is nothing but

an extended dialogue, "a conversation, begun in the primeval forests and

made more articulate in the course of cent~ries".~~ Surely undoing

egocentricity to the point where one can converse not only with those

persons of his own time but with those of ages past as well is a worthy

educational goal and one to which educational drama makes a significant

contribution.

How can &-ma help improve a child's fluency and articulation?

Educational drama calls forth speech in a natural, life-like situation,

therefore it builds self-confidence in speakers. As children discover that

they can move and speak appropriately in a wide variety of situations, they

have a solid, successful experience to build on in their actual real-life

interactions. 21

A child participating in drama faces pressure from his peers to

articulate the sound of speech clearly. one of the many research studies

which show that classroom drama increases a child's power over language is

that of Barbara McIntyre, who, in a controlled experiment with students who

had speech disorders, showed that the experimental group that participated

in creative dramatics made a significant reduction in the number of

consonant articulation errors.22 In another study by E. Irwin of

emotionally disturbed boys, the experimental group which had creative drama

showed significantly greater improvement on verbal fluency tests than did

the groups who were treated with activity, psychotherapy, and recreation

respectively .23

It is no surprise that articulation and fluency should improve when

students take drama as a subject in school, whether it be the "drama as

experiencew variety, or the "drama as a set of knowledge and skills" type.

Children have to speak so they can be heard and understood if they are to

get on with the drama, and they are constantly having to adapt their

thinking to the suggestions and direction of other individuals. Thus, a

persuasive case for drama has been made by showing its effect on oral

language. In doing so, I assert that drama is nothing less than the "basic

skillw that is the foundation of all language development.

One final argument for the value of facilitating "drama as experience"

activities in the drama classroom has to do with the way improvisational

drama encourages children's creativity. Creative drama involves

essentially a composing process demanding independent thinking and

encouraging the child's creative processes. ~lthough it is generally a

group activity, a creative drama is composed of the contributions of each

individual, and every contribution is important. As the group plans

together, each member is encouraged to express his or her own ideas and

thereby contribute to the whole.24

Improvisational drama demands that participants invent. However,

students do not feel the fear of failing that they often experience in

other school situations. Drama and play are closely related, and students

fall naturally into both, In doing so, they are able to exercise all of

their creative powers and indeed, build these powers consistently,

confidently, and positively. We must keep in mind that civilizations are

best remembered for the creative activities of those people who helped to

build them. "If schools do not nurture creativity above all else,

civilization canzlot move forward".25

5. Drama As A Body of Theztre Knowledqe and skills

When the underlying theory is that drama classes in schools should be

taught as a body of theatre knowledge and theatre skills, the content of

the course is very different. Authors such as David Hornbrook, in his

book, Education and Dramatic Art, and Sharon aili in, in her article, "Drama

as Experience: A Critical View", propcise that drama teachers include such

things as acting skills, reader's theatre, mime, and the production of

plays in their basic drama curriculum, rather than continuously improvise

scenes, class after class, and year after year. Let us now examine just

a few of the activities which drama students who had a teacher of this

persuasion would participate in, to see whether they have value within the

context of a broad general education, It will also be shown how these

activities are strongly related to the rehearsals and performances of

secondary school musicals.

The first area which will be looked at is Reader's Theatre. Reader's

Theatre is a flexible form of dramatic art that can be very useful to

teachers dealing with drama. From the standpoint of basic skills, this

form of drama helps students to develop reading and listening skills and

also has the potential to lead the student to making intelligent, critical

judgements about plays.26 Reader's Theatre essentially consists of having

the students assume roles in a play and act out these roles while reading

their parts aloud rather than reciting memorized lines. On a formal level,

such readings may be rehearsed for presentation to an audience. When used

as an exercise in class, roles are sometimes assigned and reading begins

immediately, if the teacher knows that her students are good sight readers.

scripts may be held in the hands or else placed on a music stand in front

of the reader, thus allowing for some hand gestures to be used if desired.

The techniques used in Reader's Theatre are similar to the techniques which

are used in early rehearsals of high school musicals, where the cast has

to read through the play for the first few times with script in hand,

putting as much "character" into the reading as they possibly can while

their eyes are still on the script.

The value of oral rear'ing has been tested in a number of research

studies with conflicting conclusions. significant among these, is Paul

Campbell's study indicating that Ln the case of poetry, at least, there was

considerably greater retention of facts in the silent reading ~ondition.~'

However, Daniel Witt's study indicates that Reader's Theatre presentations

were consideredmore "vafuableu and "serious" than the same literature read

siiently . 28

Pantomime, or mime, is interpretive, nonverbal acting, and is

currently included in the B.C. curriculum for grade 11 and 12 acting

classes. Its most noted exponents are Charlie chaplin and Marcel Marceau.

Mime is often used in portions of musicals when it is not possible to bring

the actual prop on stage. Riding a horse, making a campfire, or flying on

a broomstick are all examples of actions found in musical scripts which are

much more practically accomplished using mime rather than attempting to

depict the action on stage with actual props. Mime activities can lead

students one step further in developing a sensitivity to body movement and

its dramatic possibilities. once again we have a drama activity which

develops self-discipline and physical exercise for students, since mime

emphasizes movement and non-verbal reaction to stipulated situation^.^^

Another aspect of school-based drama that will be treated in this

section is that which produces a tangible, demonstrable outcome in the form

of a well-rehearsed and polished production for an audience. The school

play is truly a school-wide activity which serves the valuable function of

bringing the school and the community closer together. It provides a

positive, creative outlet for a more diverse group of students than any

other school activity, Its success is dependent upon its enlisting the

talents of actors, musicians, dancers, directors, and (in some eases)

writers, as well as those of students competent in electricity, painting,

sewing and a host of other skills.

Because the school play is essentially a social activity, those who

participate are encouraged to work together in groups, to co-operate with

each other, and to accept and follow directions from the director. These

are all things that the students will have to do in the real world once

they graduate (just substitute the word "director" w i t h the word "boas");

therefore, those who believe education should prepare students forthe real

world should be pleased with the outcomes that participating in the school

play affords secondary sehwf students.

Three additional reasons why one may justify teaching drama as a body

of theatre knowledge and skills are: Drama forces children to accept

responsibility for the way they act, and this is an important and valuable

Lesson in education- As well, drama develops language skills by leading

the actors to the mastery of a script. ~hirdly, exposing a shy student to

acting may move her several steps toward building the kind of self-

confidence which will eventually make her less shy and retiring.

Federico Garcia Eorca once asserted, "A nation which does not help and

does not encourage its theatre is, if not dead, dying;. . ."30 If we can

accept this small portion of his writing, then we can understand why

encouragin~ participation in school-related theatre activities is so

important. Few students will graduate and then go on to work

professionally in the theatre; however, if children do not begin to develop

a love for the theatre while they are still in school, perhaps even fewer

students will choose to become actors, directors, etc. after they graduate,

and our professional theatres will begin to decline in both audience

attendance and in the quality of performances. Anne Sheppard, in her book,

Aesthetics: An Introduction to the Philosophy of m t , argues that,

The formal study of literature, art, and music is worthwhile not only because it enriches our aesthetic experience but because like any other formal siudy it provides training in intellectual discipline and rational reflection. Enriching our aesthetic experience goes together with developing our powers of hgFnation and under~tanding.~'

I ~ea in ta in that Anne sheppard's argument can easily be applied to the study

of &asap Idhen it is taught as a 'mo5d1edge and skill-based s-&jet=t. And

if developing pouez~s of hagination a d understanding is a goal of all

education, then we have a case for drama right there,

It has been argued that no matter which way drama is taught in

schools, (either "drama as experiencew or "drama as a body of theatre

knowledge and skills"), value can be found in both types of learning. In

addition, it has been shown that elements of both of these major trends in

the way drama is currently taught in schools can be found in rehearsals and

performances of secondary school musicals. Thus, from the standpoint of

the school drama/theatre program, theoretically it would seem that

performing musicals is a valid educational activity. The curriculum

guides for grades 8 - 12 drama/acting classes make no mention of teaching the style of acting which is found in musicals. However, there is a list

of recommended musicals in the appendix of the grades 11 and 12

curriculu~ll/resource guides, ~ncluded in this list are Anne of Green

Gables, Annie Get Your Gun, Brigadoon, Oliver, and others. From this we

can deduce that the Ministry of Education views the performance of

musicals as a supplement to the school drama program, rather than a

necessary classroom component.

"Music is a puzzling combination of both the concrete and

This may be one of the reasons why music, like drama, is

still regarded with suspicion by many parents, students, and

administrators. The facets of music are many: it may be performed,

studied, enjoyed in concert, recordings, or various other media; it has

a content of form, style, theory, history, etc; it is a serious

intellectual subject, but it can also arouse human emotions and feeling . 33

Allowing that this is so, we nonetheless must remember that music

teachers themselves believe that music as a subject is not limited to the

affective &main of the student's education, but is also intellectually

sound,34 In ail seneviratne's unpublished Master's Thesis, The Artist-

=%-; ~ ~ ~ c i a n in ~ducatioii, it was found that many colleagues of the music

teachers she interviewed, as well as parents of their students, vieved

music as a "fringe activity" and a pleasant enough pastime, but a pastime

nonetheless .35 In many cases, the participants in her study felt that

parents and students viewed success in music as a form of status. "As

teachers, and as a subject, both are exploitable, and like fashion,

ultimately dispen~able".~~

Although the quote above paints a bleak picture of the status of music

in secondary schools, it is my perception that music enjoys a somewhat more

secure place in the school-wide curriculum than drama, on page one of the

1980 Curriculum Guide for secondary Music, put out by the ~ritish columbia

Ministry of Education, we find a quote from Plato: ducatio ion in music is

most sovereign, because more than anything else, rhythm and harmony find

their way into the secret places of the soul". From this quote we can

assume that the Ministry of Education regards music as a valuable and

important aspect of secondary school studentsr education. In fact, the

entire music curriculum is based on the philosophy that music is an

essential aspect of human existence and that music education is a central

part of the total educational program.37 According to the Ministry:

In today's rapidly changing society the development of fundamental values and attitudes is paramount to human understanding. Music education provides an opportunity to bring art form to life: to respond, express, perform and create.38

And further,

Preferablv all pupils should participate in some form of art if only to appreciate what is involved in attaining excellence. Appreciation should lead to one's developing the capacity to perceive the beautiful, to know what constitutes good taste, and to discriminate between the good and the bad in artistic expression,39

Given this strong affirmation of the value of music education as seen

in the curric~lum guide, Let us now look at some specific ways in which

music education, as an obvious important compment of the musical, is

valuable to secondary school students.

a. The Social Value of Music

One of the most often cited reasons for giving music top priority

in studentsr education is the social benefits that can be derived from

belonging to the school band or choir. Education seeks to improve the

individual and help him find a place of usefulness in society. Music can

play an important role in this kind of ed~cation.~' For example,

performing in the pit orchestra of a musical can satisfy the need for

belonging to a group and the desire for social acceptance. Becoming a

member of the band or choir is attractive to some students for the same

reasons as the crowd, gang, or clique, but with none of the negative

connotations. Although it is true that Canadian secondary sche~ls do not

have as much of a problem with gangs as do American schools, gangs have

become increasingly more common in our high schools in recent years. In

any case, it has been my experience that in most schools the music

performing groups are admired and respected. Thus, we find that students

in bands and orchestras desire to learn to play well, but they also want

to develop skills in order to gain acceptance from their peers and

recognition from teachers and parents. This social recognition and

acceptance are important motivational forces in music.41 "Man is not born

a social being; he needs to learn how to live and work harmoniously with

others".42 The music program affords ample opportunity for such learnings

to occur. one need only ask members of the chorus or pit orchestra of a

secondary school musical to confirm the truth of this statement.

A second value of music education which also falls under the heading

"socialvaluesn is this: Membership inmusic groups cuts across boundaries

of social class, wealth, and family background. Musical talent is not

restricted to any one social group. Thus, school music groups provide for

a beneficial mixing of pupils who might otherwise remain aloof. ~ccording

to authors Ira Singleton and simon Anderson, music groups weaken the

influence of cliques and gangs. They provide an opportunity for boys and

girls of all races to work together toward common ends.43 I must

acknowledge that their book, ~usic In secondary Schools, was written in

1969 in the united States. can this information be considered reliable

when applied to Canadian schools in 19961 My answer to this is that it

depends on the school. some canadian secondary school music departments

own their own band instruments; thus, any student, regardless of his or her

socio-economic background, can join the school band. On the other hand,

some high schools require that the students purchase their own band

instruments. This would effectively eliminate anyone who could not afford

to buy their own instrument, even though this would not have been the

intention of the music teacher.

A third social value of music education is that of social

responsibility. In music performing groups, pupils begin to see the need

for group discipline and cooperation. In few other school activities is

there the possibility for building this kind of social responsibility and

demonstrating it in such convincing ways. HOW does this happen? A member

of the orchestra or choir finds herself in a position of responsibility in

the sense that she must accept her share of the work as well as her share

of the credit. Through these experiences the adolescent moves closer to

the stability and confidence she should feel as an adult, learning to

control herself and her emotions, and developing an assurance that improves

her social conduct. 44

Music education is also valuable because it builds self-confidence in

adolescent pupils. AS a student's skill in music increases, coupled with

utifiaation of the skill in ensemble playing, this is evidence that the

student is beginning to achieve mastery, that he can do something well, and

he is worthy of the esteem of others. The more a student performs his

music before audiences, including audiences that come to see the school

musical, the more poise and self-assurance he develops. According to

Singleton and Anderson, this self-confidence carries over into his social

activities, helping to overcome the natural shyness of many teenager^.^'

b. Musicals As ~ransmitters of culture

Music education provides experiences that are unique and difficult to

duplicate in other subject areas. ~t least one such experience is that of

transmitting culture fromone generation to the next. Allen Britton states

that the purpose of high school performing groups is for the students to

study significant musical literat~re.~~ By this of course he is referring

to both past and present Western art music. The kinds of musicals commonly

performed by secondary schools fall into this category. Learning about the

music of our ancestors helps us to better understand the music of today.

As well, music can aid in the understanding of what contributions

various other races have made to our world culture. By using songs and

instrumental compositions of other people, we can promote international

cooperation and understandingW4' MUS~C teachers who use Robert Walkerfa

pancultural approach to music education already know that children who are

accustomed to hearing different cultural musical sounds are more readily

able to assimilate new cultural music after they leave school. This ia

important, because our world is getting smaller, especially with the advent

of airplanes in which we can travel to just about any part of the world

within 24 hours. Today's students are likely to travel to many parts of

the world when they grow up, and they need to learn something about

different cultures before they embark on such travel.

c. Music As An Aid to PLysical Development

Another unique value of music education concerns the students1

physical development. Instrumental music ministers to the smaller muscles

and helps satisfy the teenager's manipulative desire. ~ccording to

Singleton and Anderson, high school students show strong interest in the

development of finger dexterity. This interest finds productive outlet in

instrumental music, providing needed exercise for the smaller muscles and

practice in coordinated finger movement. As well, through vocal music, a

teenage boy can learn about his changing voice and develop facility in its

use. Boys can be prepared for the approaching change in their voices

before its symptoms appear, and can work toward vocal flexibility and

control through singing activities once the change occurs.48

d. ~usicals As An Aid to ~evelopinq creativity

Whether one enrolls in band, choir, orchestra, or music composition,

creativity is encouraged. Leeder and Haynie, in their book, Music

Education in the Hiqh School, say it best:

No nation is really musical if it merely passively enjoys music. The creative artist must never be forgotten. We take great pride in the many fine conductors and performers who interpret music. To be sure, there is creativity in the interpretation of music; however, we have relegated the composer to a starvation garret in a house of musical plenty. Creativity will be properly recognized and rewarded according to the value we place on it in education. This is why creativity should permeate the total school program, 49

With specific regard to musicals, there really cannot be much

creativity associatedwith playing an instrument in the pit orchestra. The

msic m a t be played as written, and any changes to the music are usually

made by the conductor, not the students. However, the lead singers in a

musical can be somewhat creative with their solos if they feel so inclined,

as long as their creative choices do not interfere with anyone elsels lines

or with the harmonies being sung as background to the solo.

e. The Value of Scientific and Artistic Aspects of Music

Both the scientific and artistic aspects of music are valuable to the

learner. By "scientific" I mean the fundamental training which is given

in schools to those who are already musically talented and who may later

choose to go on to study music in a university. such a student may then

become a composer, conductor, performer, scholar, or teacher, and a sound

high school music program provides the opportunities for such career

choices to be explored. By "artistic" I mean the aesthetic value of music.

some people regard music as a "useless artn8 because immediate, inherent,

and practical values such as those that have already been discussed are not

always evident. Yet even these people cannot deny that we need some form

of beauty in our lives. **we need to develop a sensitivity to the beauty

of a rcse as well as a recognition of the value of a vegetable garden" . 5 0

Thus, as Leeder and Haynie point out, an overemphasis on the "fundamentals"

may kill the spirit of music, while on the other hand, a lack of knowledge

of these specifics may cause music to become a "tinkling cymbal".

Therefore, the music teacher who is able to provide a balance between the

scientific and artistic aspects of music is giving the most valuable

education to her students. "Knowledge and skills, in themselves, are

useless if man does not learn to promote teamwork, cooperation, self-

discipline, respect for one another, and the love of beauty" . ''

f. Three Further Values of Music Education

There are three furth2r unique values of music education which will

now be briefly explored. The first concerns the religious and spiritual

interests of the adolescent. Music is closely related to them, partly

because it calls up subtle shades of feeling and emotion and conveys

meanings too nebulous for words. Music is an outlet for the spiritual

needs of the teenager and brings her closer to the spiritual world that

interests and moves her. "It furnishes a medium for expressing emotion and

relieving emotional tension, providing the em~tional catharsis believed

necessary by ancient Greek philosophers for the health of the human mind

and character". 52

Somewhat related to this is the fact that music affects the whole

gamut of human emotions. It can "soothe the savage beast", encourage self-

confidence, stimulate one to action, arouse patriotism and sympathy, and

unite people. For some secondary school students, a control of the

emotions can be gained through participation in music. For others, it

serves as a safety valve for avoiding emotional outburst^.^' See Appendix

"C" for examples of students who claim that their involvement in musicals

helped to channel their negative emotions into positive ones.

It has been said that a nation which loves music has the greatest

resource for happy and wholesome living. The final unique value of music

education to be discussed is exactly that: The sheer joy that music can

bring to those who are learning to sing or play an instrument. The fact

that parents and administrators view music as a pleasurable pastime was

mentioned at the beginning of this section, but in a negative tone. Why

must it be considered a negative thing? The pleasure element is important

in any kind of teaching, as John Dewey pointed out when he discussed the

relation between interest and effort, and the importance of practice with

satisfacti~n.~~ What is wrong with providing a pleasurable educational

experience (such as music], which students look forward to in their crowded

school timetables? The fact that music is pleasurable should not take away

from its value, but rather, add to it. Leeder and Haynie go so far as to

say that "the pleasure potential of music is so great that it would be

suicidal to ignore it".ss Again, the fact that students who involve

themselves in musicals enjoy it immensely can be seen by reading the

student interview transcript in Appendix "Cv .

Thus far, many valuable aspects of music education have been

discussed. some of them are quite similar to those dealt with in the

previous section of this chapter (drama education). Each of the claims

made by music philosophers as to the value of music education may be

related to the rehearsals and performances of musicals in some way.

An ~xamination of the B.C. Music curriculum Guide

Using the "Goals For secondary MUS~C Programs" found in the 1980

secondary (8 - 12) Music curriculum / Resource Guide, as well as the

learning ontcomes, it will now be further shown how the value of music

education carries over into the production of a high school musical. on

page seven of the gusic Curriculum/Resource Guide we find the following:

The purpose of music in secondary education is to provide experiences through which students can enrich their lives by:

- - developing aesthetically, intellectually and emotionally through music.

-- extending and transmitting their cultural heritage and that of other cultures through music.

-- creating music. - - understanding the relationship between music and the environment.

-- understanding music as a means of communication. -- developingthe skills requiredto understand sophisticated and complex music.

-- developing an awareness of the vocational and avocational opportunities available through music.

-- performing music in public.

Most of these eight goals have already been discussed (albeit with

slightly different wording in some cases) as being valuable in the context

of a broad general education. It will now be shown how the value of at

least seven of these eight goals may be found in rehearsals and

performances of high school musicals.

-- developing aesthetically, intellectually and emotionally through music. students who perform either on stage or in the pit orchestra of musicals

learn to appreciate first-hand the beauty of this unique art form. In my

view, in order for a student to develop aesthetically, he or she must be

given an opportunity to study the beautiful, and to develop a taste for

various kinds of music. Performing in a musical a•’ fords this opportunity.

The student also develops intellectually and emotionally in the sense that

he learns purely academic information (among other things) while working

on the school musical, and he may learn to channel some of his negative or

even positive emotions into the songs or instrumental pieces in the

musical. Learning to control one's emotions is an important part of

growing up, and if some students are helped along in this area by their

participation in the school musical, then this can be considered a valid

educational experience.

-- extending and transmitting their cultural heritage and that of other cultures through music. AS outlined in chapter One, the musical as we know

it today is largely an American development, often containing ~merican

subject matter. Since Canadian culture is closely aligned with that of the

U.S.A. it can be assumed that in most cases when American musicals are

performed in B.C. high schools, the students are absorbing at least some

cultural heritage which can be claimed as their own. Of course, when

musicals with Canadian content are performed, students are transmitting

even more of their cultural heritage.

-- creating music. I find this goal somewhat ambiguous. If it means that

students compose music, then it certainly cannot be claimed that performing

in musicals allows students to do this, except in the rare case where a

school might choose to perform a musical that the students themselves have

-written and scored. Sowever, if "creating music* is interpreted in the

s m e way as one of the dictionary definitions of "create", that "to

cause; bring about'-, then of course musicals cause students to make music1

-- understanding music as a means of communication. The best way to

illustrate how students can communicate to others through the music in a

musical play is to go back to Chapter one and my discussion of scarecrow,

which I performed with the students in Niger. The students performed this

musical in English, as the majority of parents, teachers, and other

interested parties in the audience spoke English. There were, however, a

number of African neople who came to see the show who did not know ~nglish.

When the show was over, they smiled and congratulated the students on the

fine performance they gave. Their comments ranged from things such as,

"Ipve never seen anything like that before" and "That was very different

and unique!", to "It was great to see you children up there enjoying

yourselves so much", and "It gave me great joy to hear you sing". At the

very least, these comments reveal that although the Africans did not

understand the actual words being spoken or sung, the children, through

the music, communicated the positive feeling of joy.

-- developing the skills required to understand sophisticated and complex music. The scores of musicals can range from simple to complex. As was

mentioned in chapter one, the score for Showboat is considered by many to

be nothing short of brilliant. However, even the musical score of You're

A Good Man Charlie Brown, which includes only the piano, drums, double bass

and marimba is sophisticated in its own way. There is a certain kind of

musical understanding that gradually takes place when one is forced to

practice the same pieces over and over again for many months, as is the

case when students are rehearsing for the musical. ~ h u s I would argue that

the instrumentalists in particular are aided by their participation in

certain musicals to further understand sophisticated and complex music.

--developing an awareness of the vocational and avocational opportunities

available through music. AS was previously discussed, some students later

choose a vocation in the field of music, while others will take the skills

they learned and simply enjoy music as a pleasant pastime or hobby for the

rest of their lives. Students who participate in musicals are usually made

aware of what further training is required in order for them to be able to

audition for professional musical theatre companies as either singers or

instrumentalists. Students are generally also made aware of the names and

locations of both professional and amateur companies, should they wish to

obtain more information. occasionally the music and/or drama teacher will

take interested students on a field trip to see either a professional or

amateur production of a musical. Whatever transpires after the secondary

school music student has graduated, her awareness of what is required in

order to participate in either a professional or amateur production of a

musical has been developed, through her direct involvement in the school

musical.

-- performing music in public. It is obvious that this goal is achieved

when students perform in musicals. It is common for high school groups to

give up to six performances of each musical,56 and as was previously

stated, this helps to build self-assurance in vocalists and

instrumentalists alike.

It has been shown that although no detailed mention is made in the

music curriculum concerning the teaching of high school musicals, at least

seven of the eight goals of music education can be interpreted to mean that

musicals would at feast be approved of in theory by the Ministry of

Education- A closer scrutiny of the curricalunt guide reveals no real

evidence of the ministry being either for or against the performing of

mis ica i s per se. Hwi+ever, certain phrases seem to pave the way for the

performance of musicals if teachers feel so inclined. For example, the

sentence, ''The arts may well be taught in correlation with one anotherws7

indicates to me that the combination of music and drama which musical

productions provide would be encouraged by the ministry. As well, t w o of

the general learning outcomes on page seven of the document are: "be able

to perform in ensembles", and "contribute tothe community's musical life".

It seems obvious to me that musicals provide opportunities for students to

achieve both of these learning outcomes quite readily.

One find look at the curriculum guide seems to be in order before

leaving this topic. The curriculum guide is divided into four main

seclions: I. Band Course Section, 2. choral MUS~C Course section, 3.

Strings course Section, and 4. ~usic composition cmrse section. In the

band course section under earning outcomes For Band" we find the

following: "The student should be able to demonstrate, interpret, and

understand the style or' band literature: .concert band .symphony .musical

theatre .film music transcription^".^' since musical theatre is included

in this list, it seems to me that a music teacher would not be out of line

if she decided to rehearse the pit orchestra music during class time.

Musical theatre is also included in the list of learning outcomes for both

choral music and strings.59 hfy understanding is that a choral music

teacher could use this as justification for rehearsing the chorus of her

msical production during regularly scheduled class time. If this is not

what the ministry intended, then what did they mean? That the band or

choir may rehearse pieces from The wizard of Oz in class ac long as they

don't perform them in a ~msical? There would be nothing wrong with that,

of course, if the music teacher had no interest in being part of a full

scale musical, I am merely pointing out that if a teacher chooses to do

a musical at her scbwl, the studenes sfiould be allowed to rehearse daring

endorse musicals; therefore they should not be taught. 'This ambiguity

will be resolved in Chapter Five.

The type of acting done in musicals is different from some other types

of acting. similarly, the type of music used in musicals is distinct from

other types of music. Theoretically speaking, there is no reason for

students to receive a watered-down version of either music or drama when

they are combined in a musical, unless of course the performance of

musicals takes away from the goals and aims of either the music or drama

program, (as specified in each schools' philosophy statement), for some

practical reason. st is the practicalities of performing secondary school

musicals which will be the focus of the remaining three chapters.

Endnotes

'R. Baird Shuman, ed., Educational Drama For Today 's Schools, (London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1978), p. 156.

2~eter Slade, child Drama, (New York: ~hilosophical ~ibrary, 1955), p. 119.

3~usanne K. Langer, Feelinq and Form: A Theory of Art, (New York: Charles Scribner's sons, 1953), p. 366.

4~ducational Drama For Today's schools, p. x.

'~etty Jane Wagner, Dorothy ~eathcote: Drama as a earn ins ~edium, (Washington, D.C.: National Education Association, 1976), p. 15.

6~avid Davis and Chris Lawrence, eds., Gavin Bolton: selected Writinqs, (London: Longman Group Ltd., 1986), p. 265.

'~inistr~ of Education Curriculum Development Branch, frovince of British Colu;nbia, Performance One Actinq 11 ~urriculum/Resource ~uide, Victoria, B.C.: Ministry of Education, 19931, p. 5. "Students introduced to drama through theatre games and creative activities, which encourage the imagination, sharpen sense awareness, and develop skills in speech, movement, and improvisational skills, are likely to create characters that are fresh, unique, and believable. This approach to drama has proven effective in England, Canada, and the United States, under the leadership of well-known educators like Brian Way, Dorothy Heathcote, Keith Johnstone, and Viola spolin".

'christopher Day and John L. Norman, eds., Issues In ~ducational Drama, (London: The Falmer Press, 1983), p. 25.

'~ynn McGregor, Maggie Tate and Ken ~obinson, Learninqthroush Drama, (London: Heinemann Educational Books Ltd., 1977), p. 147.

ll~ducational Drama For Today's Schools, p. 94.

''one such study was that of william Earl Blank, "The ~ffectiveness of Creative Dramatics in Developing Voice Vocabulary and personality in the Primary Grades", Ph. D. dissertation, University of Denver, 1953.

''"~reative Dramatics Spurs verbal Development in Rhode Island", Nations Schools 90 (sept. 1972), p. 51-52. -

17~ducational Drama, p. 89.

lesean Piaget, The Lanquaqe and Thouqht of the child, (Landon: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 13261, p. 34.

Igsee, for example, Mary E. Lunz, "The Effects of Overt Dramatic Enactment on Communication Effectiveness and Role Taking ~bility", Ph D. dissertation, Northwestern university, 1974.

*'Michael Oakeshott, essay in R.R. Petersf Symposium, The Concept of Education, (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1967).

21~ducational Drama, p 91.

22~arbara M. McIntyre, "The Effect of a Program of creative Activities upon Consonant Articulation skills of Adolescent and Pre-Adolescent Children with Speech Disorders", Ph.D. dissertation, University of Pittsburgh, 1957.

2 3 ~ . Irwin, "The Effects of a Program of Creative Dramatics Upon Personality as Measured by the california Test of Personality, sociograms, Teacher Ratings, and Grades", ~ h . D. dissertation, University of Pittsburgh, 1963.

24~ducational Drama, p. 47.

27"~n Experimental Study of the ~etention and comprehension of Poetry Resulting from silent Reading and from oral Interpretation", doctoral dissertation, University of southern california, 1960.

2 8 " ~ Comparative Analysis of ~udience Response to Realistic and Anti- Realistic Drama Where Perceived Through Acting, ~eaderls Theatre, and Silent Reading", doctoral dissertation, university of Denver, 1962.

2g~ducational Drama, p. 51.

31~nne Sheppard, Aesthetics: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Art, (oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987), p. 154.

32~eil E. Glenn, ~illiam B. ~c~ride, and George H. Wilson, secondary School Music: Philosophy, Theory, and Practice, (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: renti ice- all, Inc., 1970), p. 25.

34~ail Seneviratne, The Artist-Musician in ducati ion, (Unpublished Master's Thesis), Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., 1995, p. 219.

33r5inistry of Education Curriculum Devehpment Branch, Province of British Columbia, secondary (8 - 12) Music Curriculum/Resource Guide. (Victoria, R.C.: Ministry of Education, 1980), p. 1.

40~oseph A. Leeder and William S. Haynie, ~usic ducat ion in the Hiqh school, (Englewood Cliffs: renti ice-Hall, Inc., 19581, p. 12.

41secondary School Music, p. 40.

4 2 ~ ~ s i ~ Education in the Hiqh School, p. 10.

431ra C. singleton and simon V. ~nderson, Music in secondary Schools, (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, Inc., 1969), p. 23.

46~econdary School MUS~C, p. 7.

47#~si~ Education in the Hiqh School, p. 11.

4 8 ~ ~ s i ~ in secondary Schools, p. 25.

4g~usic Education in the Hiqh School, p. 22.

5 2 ~ ~ s i ~ in secondary Schools, p. 25.

5 3 ~ u s i ~ Education in the Hiqh School, p. 12.

55f - bid.

56~ee Appendix s*Bs* pages 162 and 189.

57~econdar~ 18 - 12) Music ~urriculum/Resource Guide, p. 219.

58~bid.f p. 14.

bid., pages 71 & 130.

Chapter Three

Methodoloqy

The purpose of this study is to examine the validity of secondary

school musicals from both a theoretical and practical standpoint.

Particular attention was given to the theoretical validity of musicals by

examining the value of their two main components -- music and drama, in Chapter Two. In what follows, I will describe the method I used to research

the practicalities of performing high school musicals.

gualitative, Ethnoqraphic Research -- What Is It?

"Ethnography is a methodological approach that describes, analyzes,

and helps one understand a particular culture".' An ethnography presents

the researcher's interpretation of what she has observed and/or heard and

not merely a description of it.

The difference between description and interpretation is illuminated by considering ways in which anthropologists have distinguished between them. one well-known distinction is Geertzfs differentiation (1973) between "thinwand "thick" description. Thin description depicts behaviour in the sense of physical motions, as seen, for example, by the eye of a camera; in contrast, thick description reveals its significance. Geertz uses the exanple of "twitches" and "winks" to illustrate this point. Both entail the same physical movement -- the contraction of the muscles of the eyelid. A wink, however, conveys meaning: it may be a "conspiratorial" signal or some other message possible within the framework of a "socially established code" .2

It is this "thick" description of secondary school teachersr perceptions

of performing musicals which I intend to use in this study.

~ccording to Patti 3. Krueger (1987), the ethnographic data

collected for such a study can include such things as tape recordings,

observational records, formal or informal interviews with participants,

document analysis of materials given the subjects, and personal diaries

written by the subjectsS3 However, Hammersley and ~tkinson state that

there is no one approach to the organization of an ethnographic text that

has unquestioned superiority over all others, and that can be recommended

as a sure-fire guerantee of success.

Moreover, each style brings with it potential pitfalls. Ethnographers must have an explicit awareness of the possibilities open to them, the various models that may be followed, and the analytic implications of their choice^.^

The fact that this is a qualitative study distinguishes it

significantly from a quantitative approach. As noted by willis:

Quantitative studies often consider onlythe most easily observed and empirically verifiable characteristics of the environment. Qualitative studies usually attempt more fully to consider both observed characteristics and specific qualities perceived as personal forms of meaning.5

This is not to say that a qualitative study is somehow better than a

quantitative study. In fact, in some cases, a qualitative study provides

a complement to a q-dantitative study, since in addition to facts and

figures, it also allows a view of social interaction occurring within a

natural setting.' In the case of this particular study, a qualitative

approach seems more appropriate, for reasons which will be given in the

next section.

Ethnographic, qualitative research methods have been utilized in the

fields of anthropology, sociology, psychology, and education for a number

Of "-'-" ="& "-C' xCiCILJI UG U L L G ~ recently, this approach has been used very littie in

research related to music education. Finstead argues that many problems

in education are most validly studied in the context of their natural

settings.' Ethnography provides this opportunity. As previously stated,

it is the use of the natural setting of the participants which makes

ethnographic research distinct from other types of research. The purpose

of data collection in education-related ethnography is the same as that of

other types of ethnographic research. That is, the investigator attempts

to identify and understand patterns of conduct that guide participants1

day-to-day practice, as well as to explore the institutional structures

that shape that practice.'

Tn her article, "~thnographie Research Hethodology in Music

Educationw, author Patti J. Krueger argues for the use of ethnographic,

qualitative research methods in the area of music education. Three of her

arguments are as follows:

1. Ethnography permits a closeness to the people, events, and natural practice within the context being studied. The researcher has access not only to what people report about their belief s , but also to how those beliefs actually guide their work.

2. Ethnography allows the researcher to give attention to unanticipated, unintended, and unmeasurable consequences of social action. Ethnographic method enables inquiry into why events seem to happen in a particular manner.

3. Study of naturally occurring situations enables the researcher to consider different types of motivation for actions brought to a situation. one type of motivation might be the needs produced by the situation itself, and yet another might be pressures original from the ideology and economic structure of the society outside of the school. Ethnography also allows one to consider the dialectical nature of all of these cause^.^

These three arguments constitute the large part of my rationale for

conducting my research in the qualitative, ethnographic mode as described

above.

Generalization of Findinss

It is obvious that one researcher cannot possibly visit every single

secondary school in B.C. and talk to all the teachers and students who are

currently involved or have been involved in school musicals. ~hus, the

question must be asked, "can one generalize from a particular study and its

analysis to also include other student/teacher situations and school

music/drama classroom contexts?" some critics of this type of research

have argued that the results of field studies are not generalizable, and

are merely isolated descriptions of specific actions and situations. lo

Two authors who disagree with this viewpoint are Romberg and Krueger.

according to Rrueger,

~ield studies are intended to interpret, explain, and produce understanding of the action being investigated, and in that sense, the researcher is concerned with making generalizable conclusions. Care should be taken to ensure that the sample chosen is representative of the population to which one wishes to generalize. l1

And Romberg,

Once these generalizations are reached, it is important to argue that they apply not only to the schools being studied, but are likely to apply to other schools as well. Showing the reader how to relate the original descriptions and interpretations which were rooted in a particular context to a wider social context of assumptions, beliefs, values and purposes is a central issue of a field study.12

Thus, according to these two authors, I would be highly remiss if I did not

try to generalize my findings to include other schools and teachers in

similar situations.

The Particulars of This Study

a- My Conceptual Framework

according to files and Hubeman, a conceptual framework explains,

either graphically or in narrative fom, the main dimensions to be studied

-- the key factors or variables -- and the presumed relationships among them. It specifies who and what will and will not be studied.13 With

respect to this particular study, five current music and drama teachers

were selected and interviewed, using a questionnaire developed by the

researcher. The aim of the questions was to get the teachers to reveal

their perceptions on the topic of high school musicals. The main question

being looked at in this ethnography is whether or not the performance of

musicals is educationally valid from the practical standpoint of drama and

music teachers. As was mentioned in Chapter Two, a separate study needs

to be conducted to determine whether musicals are educationally valid from

the viewpoint of various othsr educators, such as those who teach art,

dance, and carpentry.

Eight current secondary school students were also interviewed (as a

group) to add another dimension to the study. These students have all

participated in musicals in one way or another throughout their high school

years, and are quite knowledgable in all aspects of musical productions.

Even though this study was conducted mainly from the viewpoint of the

teachers involved, it seemed to me that I would be negligent if I did not

interview at least some students, since it is they who stand to either gain

or lose from the performance of musicals. heir viewpoint, although not

the primary focus of this study, has to be considered tool "The ultimate

purpose of research in music education should be to improve the musical

learning of children. Any other purpose is secondary in importance8*.l4

Drawing from this quote, it seems essential to point out once again that

the students8 musical learning stands to either improve or deteriorate

depending on their teachers8 position on the performance of musicals, and

depending on whether by way of this ethnography the performance of musicals

can be shown to be educationally v&id or invalid.

Of the five teachers chosen to participate in this study, only one was

currently in the process of mounting a musical. Therefore, it was this

school's students who I interviewed, this schoolfs rehearsals that I was

able to observe and take notes on, and this school~s final production that

I was able to attend. To obtain information about the other schoolsf

rehearsals and performances, I had to rely on the answers given in the

interviews I conducted with the teachers.

b. Developinq A ~uestionnaire

When an investigator takes the time and thought necessary to construct a sound questionnaire, there is no reason why it cannot be used to acquire information that is obtainable in no other manner. l5

Developing the questionnaire to be followed when interviewing the five

teachers was no easy matter for me. I wanted the questions to be as broad

as possible thus allowing replies to reflect the current state of music and

drama programs in the schools. The questionnaire was divided into two main

components. The first component, containing 13 questions, was designed to

assemble quantitative data. The data collected included information such

as the rider of musicals each teacher has directed, and the number of

hours of rehearsal that is required for a musical. The second component

of the questionnaire, containing 28 questions, was designed to assemble

qualitative data. This component. was of greater interest to me, as the

questions were geared more towards getting a sense of what the teachers

thought were the advantages and disadvantages to performing musicals at

their school. Among other things, responses to questions in this component

also revealed whether or not teachers felt that the performance of musicals

was valuable to their students and to their school's music or drama

program.

mce the rquastiofmaire for the teachers was completed, it was fairly

easy for me to design a questionnaire to be used in the group interview

with the eight students. st needed to be shorter than the teacher

questionnaire, because I recognize that young people sometimes have a

shorter attention span than adults. I therefore selected 25 questions from

the teacher questionnaire that I felt were most important, and I included

two additional questions about musicals that only the students themselves

would be able to answer. See ~ppendix *lAg8 for copies of both

questionnaires.

c. Choosinq the Players

In qualitative research there is a danger of sampling too narrowly. Go to the meatiest, most study-relevant sources. It is also important to work a bit at the peripheries to talk with people who are not central to the phenomenon but are neighbors to it, to people ho longer actively involved, to dissidents and renegades and eccentrics.

In all such cases, there are two possible payoffs. First, you may learn a lot. second, you get contrasting and comparative information that helps you understand the phenomenon at hand.16

At first I thought I would only ask teachers who produce at least one

musical per year to participate in this study. After reading the above

quote, I realized that if there are current music or drama teachers who do

not produce musicals at their school at all, or who do so only rarely,

there must be some reason for their decision. I wanted to find out what

that reason was. I therefore contacted ten area high schools by telephone

and by letter, asking the music and/or drama teachers to participate in an

interview with me.

Only one tc acher phoned me back, enthusiastically agreeing to

participate in this study. That teacher was Tom, (not his real name), a

choral and band teacher who co-directs a musical every year at hie

secondary school, since I now had one teacher who seemed to me to be quite

gung-ho about musicals, I wanted to interview a teacher at the opposite end

of the spectrum, who never performed musicals at his ~chool. I called

Roger, a drama teacher, (again, all names are fictitious), and asked him

if he had read my introductory letter and would agree to be interviewed.

Knowing that my thesis was about secondary school musicals, he asked me why

in the world I would even want to interview him, since he stated that he

hated musicals, had only directed one, and would never do another one. I

assured him that his views needed to be considered in my thesis too, and

his insights would be valuable to me. upon hearing this, he happily agreed

to an interview.

Now that I had teachers representing both ends of the spectrum, I

felt that the remaining three teachers should lie somewhere in between.

I therefore contacted Dennis and James, who are music teachers, and Mark,

a drama teacher. These individuals perform musicals at their school

approximately once ever)- three to five years. ~ l l five teachers agreed to

be interviewed (and simultaneously tape-recorded) on the condition that I

hold the tapes in strictest confidence and change their names and schools

when typing the transcripts to protect their privacy. I was more than

happy to agree to these terms; in fact, it was I who suggested them. I

felt that these teachers, who represent a somewhat conservative community

in the Lower Mainland, would feel more free to tell me the truth about

musicals if they were certain that they would not be identifiable in my

thesis in any way. I would also like to =ention that it was by chance, not

design, that all five teachers happen to be male. I did not even realize

that this was the case until I was typing up the transcripts.

concerning choosing the students to be interviewed, I wanted to

interview students who were currently involved in the performance of a

musical, including students experienceciin acting, instrumentalists, chorus

m&ers, lighting and design people, lead singers, and even students who

take care of front-of-house. Such students could give me their current

insights on the rehearsals and performances of musicals, as well as

insights gained from their past experience. As previously stated, only

Tom's school was doing a musical at the time of this study, so I got

permission from both him and the vice-principal to go ahead and interview

eight students representing the above-mentioned areas of musical

productions. The terms of this interview were exactly the same ae for the

teachers. In addition, to gain further privacy for the students, the

directors of the musical were not present during the interview. This was

to provide the students with an opportunity to say what they really thought

about musicals without fear of repercussions.

The Interviews -

"It is usually possible to obtain more detailed data

lterview than by an impersonal questionnaire sent through

through an

the mail" .17

Thus, by combining a prepared questionnaire with an interview, I was able

to receive detailed answers to all of the questions. However, each

participant was unique, so the questions posed had to be somewhat flexible

based on each teacherrs situation. Although f relied heavily on the

prepared questionnaire, I learned with each passing interview to trust the

alternate directions the conversations sometimes took. James and Dennis

were interviewed together, Mark, Tom, and Roger were interviewed

separately, and the eight students were interviewed as a group. A1 1

interviews took place at the participantsp school, and took between one

hour and one-and-a-half hours to complete.

e . observations

In addition to conducting these interviews, I also attended three

rehearsals and the final perfomnce of ~ k e wizard of 02 at Tolr?'s school

and took "field notesw, In qualitative, ethnographic research, this is one

way to verify scnte of the findings arrived at through the interviews. when

observing the rehearsals I simply sat quietly in the audience, watching

intently and taking notes, Only once during one of the breaks did I get

out of my seat to go and ask a few questions of one student who was not

present during the student interview -- the rehearsal pianist. I wanted

to get her unique pint of view on the topic of musicals. During the

performance, as with the rehearsals, I took notes, but otherwise, I behaved

just like any other audience member enjoying the show.

This constitutes a full description of the methodology of the

ethnographic portion of this research. An analysis of the findings are

described in Chapter Four.

Endnotes

'~uote from ~opkewitz (1981), in Patti J. Krueger, "Ethnographic Research Methodology in Music Education", Journal of Research in Music Education, Vol. 35, number two, p. 69.

avid Jacobson, Readinq Ethnoqraphy, (Albany: state University of New York Press, 1991), p. 4.

3"~thnographic Research Methodology in Music Education", p. 70.

*Martyn Hammersley and Paul Atkinson, Ethnoqraphy: Principles in Practice, (Cambridge: university Press, 1983), p. 230.

'"~thnogra~hic ~esearch Methodology in ~usic ducat ion", p. 69.

6~bid. - 7~bid., p. 74.

at bid., p. 70.

at bid., p. 71, from Romberg & Stephens, in press.

1•‹1bid.$ p. 74.

'%bid.

121bid. - l3Bl.~. Miles and A.M. Huberman, Qua litative Data Analysis: A Source

Book of New Methods, (London: sage ~ublications, 1984), p. 28-29.

14secondary School MUS~C: Philosophy, Theory and Practice, p. 48.

15~oger P. Phelps, A ~uide to Research in Music Education, (Metuchen, H.J.: The Scarecrow Press Inc., 19861, p. 202.

16malitative Data Analvsis, p. 42.

"A Guide to Research in Music Education, p. 210.

Chapter Four

Analysis

This chapter reports the analysis of the data collected through the

interviews I conducted with my five chosen teachers and the students as

described in Chapter Three. According to author Sharon Merriam,

Data analysis is a complex process that involves moving back and forth between concrete bits of data and abstract concepts, between inductive and deductive reasoning, between description and interpretation.'

I also %oliowed au-ihors aarrrrnersley and ~tkinson~s sound advice concerning

data analysis:

The first step in the process of analysis is a careful reading of the data collected up to that point, in order to gain a thorough familiarity with it. ~ook to see whether any interesting patterns can be identified; whether anything stands out as being surprising or puzzling; how the data relate to what one might have expected on the basis of common-sense knowledge, official accounts, or previous theory; and whether there are any apparent inconsistencies or confradictions among the views of different groups or individuals, or between people's expressed beliefs or attitudes and what they

Transcribing the interviews was a long and laborious process, but it

afforded me the opportunity to ruminate further on what the teachers and

students0 common concerns, needs, and issues were. Typing the transcripts

also allowed me to gain complete familiarity with the texts I would be

working with to analyze from a practical standpoint whether musicals should

be considered to be a valid educational opportunity or not.

The Number of Musicals They Had ~irected

At the time of this study, - the number of musicals the five

participants had directed ranged from one, in the case of Roger, to eight

in Mark's case. Tom had co-directed six musicals in six years so he will

soon surpass them all, since the other teachers only perform musicals once

every four to five years and Roger does not participate in any at all.

This quantitative data provides some information about the

participants themsefves, which is also supported by statements made in the

remainder of the interviews. Roger does not believe in performing musicals

at the high school level. His one experience directing a musical left him

with the distinct impression that musicals are a waste of both his and his

studentst time. Dennis, James, and Mark perform musicals only once every

four to five years because musicals require an exceedingly large amount of

extra work on their part. Thus, understandably, they prefer to do them

only sparingly. Tom, who has done six musicals in as many years is

confident that musicals play an important part in the students' secondary

school years, and firmly believes in the educational value of performing

musicals,

Rehearsals

When I asked when the rehearsals for musicals took place, I received

the following replies:

Roger: All after school.

Dennis: The majority for me were after school hours. Closer to the show date some time, some rehearsal would be done during the school day, but almost all after school hours, evening, etc.

James: All after sckaol hours, out of school time.

Tom: Before and after school hours.

Mark: It's all extracurricular, So it's outside of school.

I also asked how long these rehearsals were. The answers varied from

two to twenty hours per week, depending on how close it was to the

performance date.

Dennis: Well, in the last two weeks, when you start to get full run- throughs, you're looking at four or five hours, maybe four times per week, potentially a day.

James: In fact, when we did West side Story, it was four hours, there was only I remember one, two days off for no, maybe four days off in the last two weeks.

Tom: .... oh, at least a good twenty hours a week even. I donft think that's an exaggeration. Yah, including the weekends and stuff, yah.

Mark: well, we've gone up to twelve hours, I guess.

Although this is chiefly a qualitative study, I included these two

quantitative questions concerning the number of musicals the teachers had

directed and the number of hours required to rehearse them for a reason.

The answers given prove that drama and music teachers do indeed put in a

great deal of time after school for the purposes of the secondary school

musical -- time which is over and above what is called for in their job description. It comes as no surprise to anyone that teachers of all

subjects spend time after school preparing for the next days' classes,

marking exams, etc. However, the teachers interviewed spent numerous hours

rehearsing the musicals &I addition to the hours they needed to spend

preparing for other music classes, drama classes, and in some cases, social

studies and French classes that they taught.

When one looks at the gruelling schedule that directors of school

musicals keep, (imagine a full day of teaching and then spending an

additional twenty hours per week on an intense teaching activity that is

not related in any way to the classes taught during the school day), one

begins to see a practical problem with secondary school musicals already.

It is no wonder that music teachers have a very high rate of burn-out. The

issue of burn-out will be discussed in more detail presently , but the point must be made now that if teachers were to use class time to rehearse

the school musical, as was suggested in chapter Two, perhaps some of this

teacher burn-out could be avoided. As it is, some teachers are almost

killing themselves over a school-related activity which clearly goes far

beyond the call of duty. As an aside, it would be interesting if someone

were to do a study of high school physical education teachers, who also

work many extra hours after school coaching and travelling with school

sports teams, to determine whether their time and talent is being abused

as well.

Students Who Play Leadinq Roles

a. How Students Are Chosen

I asked both teachers and students, *'Are students who play leading

roles generally chosen more for their singing ability, their acting

ability, or are both equally as important? TO what extent is popularity

a factor, if at all?" There was a general consensus that the popularity

of the students had nothing to do with them being chosen for a leading

role. The participants of this study indicated that singing and acting

were equally as important, but being able to sing was usually seen a8 being

slightly more important than acting ability.

student: I dontt think that popularity does play a big part in it.

Student: I'd say (it's based) on singing and acting talent.

Mark: ... so the singing auditions, there's much more emphasis placed on those than there is on the acting, and urn, hopefully popularity 4oeentt play any role in it.

Tom: We consider both aspects equally. we discuss back and forth and for particular roles perhaps the vocal demands may not be as important. We consider the characterization....so it depends on the role that we're talking about, whether the vocal or the dialogue, the acting is more important. In terms of popularity, that is absolutely a non-issue. There's no way.

Roger: I think we tried to get someone who could do both. Popularity wasn't a factor. They had to have some singing ability, certainly, and certainly some acting ability, but I've always found at high school its hard to get both in a student.

James: It depends on the musical. But I would say, in the musicals that I've done, the emphasis has been, that, if this person can't act as well as they can sing, that's a better situation, than if they can act but can't

sing. The audience needs to hear the songs being done well. If they don't, it's just going to make it worse.

Dennis: . . . .therets definitely a tendency to look at singing as being something that you're probably not going to be able to create in someone in three months, whereas acting, you might be able to pull that off. Now there's certain roles that might not be as singer-oriented, and maybe those are roles for kids who don't have a strong singing voice but have stronger acting abilities, so it depends on the roles as well.

The issue of whether singing or acting ability in a musical is more

important is very complex. The brief history of musicals outlined in

Chapter one revealed that musicals are continuously evolving, and have

taken on various forms over the years, There may have been times when the

singing was not as important as the acting. The vaudeville and burlesque

shows of the late 19th century, for example, required actors with

impeccable comic t h i n g and supericr dance skills. Such abilities would

have likely taken precedence over singing ability at that time. However,

as the nusical evolved into the format in which we know it today, singing

ability became of utmost importance. Professionally performed musicals

such as The Sound of PZusic, The King and I, and West Side Story, all of

which are commonly performed by secondary school studentst3 require a high

degree of singing talent among all members of the cast.

The question remains as to how any role in a musical can be considered

to be "not importat vocallyn. Does not the very term "musical" imply that

the ausience is going to witness a very high level of musical

entertainment? In my view, if a school is going to perform a musical

intended for perfomance by pr=fessi=nzl eatertziners, then they have an

impossibly high standard of singing to try to live up to. If, on the

other hand, a secondary school were to do a musical intended for

performance by teenagers, such an ensemble could simply do their very best,

knowing that whatever standard they finally attained was all that the

playwright ever intended, The point I am trying to make is that the

musicals commonly performed by secondary schools contain roles that are,

in fact, very important vocally. I am sure that the composers of such

musicals would take issue with anyone who would claim that any of the roles

in their musicals were not important vocally.

As has already been seen, Tom and his students were the only people

interviewed who claimed that singing and acting ability were equally as

important, depending on the role. In Tom's view, certain roles in musicals

are not as important vocally as others. To him, characterization is more

important in certain roles. During the three rehearsals and performance

of The wizard of oz that I attended at Tom's school, I took note of the

fact that the part of the ion, which to me is a very important role, was

played by a non-singer. The young man playing this role could not carry

a tune at all, so instead he spoke the words rhythmically to his solo and

ensemble numbers. His voice stood out among the other actors, especially

wher he sang with them, because while the others were carrying the tune,

he was chanting the words.

As a complete outsider, I did not have any inside knowledge as to why

this person was chosen for the role of the Lion. However, the students had

told me during my interview with them that getting males in the school to

participate in the musical was very difficult. There was always a shortage

of males auditioning for the roles, so basically any boy who did audition

was almost guaranteed to get a role, according to the students. I

therefore deduced that the student playing the part of the Lion probably

would not have been given the role had there been someone available who had

singing talent, In the absence of a boy who could sing, the director had

to find someone who could act, This is definitely the area where thira

particular student shone. Not only did he look the part of the Lion, but

he also put an immense amount of humour and believability into his

character. Were it not for his lack of singing ability, he would have been

absolutely perfect for the role.

This is the crux of the matter for me. I have already stated that in

my view, any role in a musical is very important vocally. It goes against

the very nature of modern musicals, including The wizard of O z , to say that

some roles are not important vocally. If there was not a boy available who

could sing, then perhaps this musical should not have been performed at

all, rather than compromise the role of the Lion by having it performed by

a non-singer. certainly compromises have to be made when non-professionals

attempt to perform a musical intended for professionals. The difference

in budget alone is enough to put any doubts about that to rest. However,

I am asserting that the singing should not be one of those areas of

compromise; that is, if an ensemble is truly striving for excellence. My

opinion is echoed by Robert C. white, who states, "within reason, vocal

considerations must take precedeixs over physical characteristics when

casting a singing rolee4

During the rehearsals, neither the directors nor any of the students

made any mention of the fact that the ion could not sing, even though this

would be blatantly obvious to even a person not trained in music. gain,

several questions arose in my mind about this. I noticed during the three

rehearsals I attended that this particular student had a very friendly

personality and seemed to be well-liked by both the students and the

teachers involved in this production. He was always joking and kidding

around with people when he was not on stage. He made people laugh and he

helped to put many people into a good mood. was it because of his friendly

personality that no one wanted to hurt him by telling him that as a singer,

he had no talent? During the rehearsals that I attended, there seemed to

be a big conspiracy of silence on the topic. Why was everyone afraid to

mention that he wasn't singing any notes? why was everyone pretending that

what he was doing was good? A very crucial question which also must be

asked is whether it was doing this particular student any good at all to

be cast in such an important role as the Lion, to be told that he was doing

great even though he obviously was not, and have him come away from the

experience perhaps fancying himself a singer. will he then have an

inf iated vision of himself t h a t is unrealistic, as Roger claims often

happens with students who do high school musicals? consider what Roger

said, when I asked him if there were any negative outcomes for the students

who participate in the school musical, that he had either seen himself, ox-

could anticipate happening:

Roger: I think they could end up, because -they get so much positive feedback from their peers in many cases and certainly their Moms and Dads and Aunts and uncles and Granddads and everybody that's there, because they get so many positive things that they coul& become very swollen in the head and think that they have nothing else to learn. And I find thet actually a fair bit with kids that have been involved in, like elementary school productions, and church things especially. If they've had a lot of experience in that, and they come to the high school level, it's like, "You can't teach me anything! I already know, because, I've been told I'm good already". And I think that's a danger. They may think that they're better than they really =e, and they think that they have nothing left to learn, or that they canCt grow any further. So that is a real danger as far as I'm concerned.

It is too early to tell whether this will be the outcome for the

student who played the role of the Lion in this production of The wizard

of O z , but if ever there was a likely candidate, it seems to me that this

boy is it. When he was finished rehearsing his solo at the second

rehearsal that I attended, the music director offered no comment. The

drama director simply told him that more movement was needed in the number.

He told him to think about it and then add some moves into the number

himself for next time. A t the rehearsals I attended, not a word was ever

said about ways that this young man could try to sing,

I do not believe that I am making a mountain out of a molehill. What

Tom was doing in this musical was consistent with what he said in the

interview; that is, he considered both the vocal and acting abilities of

students to be important, but for him, some roles were not as impostant

tmcally as others, Obviously to him, the part of the Lion was not as

important vocally as same of the other roles, However, according to the

other teachers I interviewed, in addition to author Robert white, singing

ability is quite important when casting the school musical. Who is right?

I am aware that teachers must do the best they can with what talent they

have t i ~ a i l a b i e . But how can the aesthetic integrity of the musical. not-, be

affected when a non-singer is cast in an important role in a musical?

b. The Possibility of voice Abuse

I asked the participants in this study whether the students who play

leading roles in musicals also take private voice lessons outside of school

hours. What prompted me to ask this question was an article I read by

Robert C . White entitled, "Fiigh school Musicals -- Accentuate the M U S ~ C ~

and Eliminate the Voice Abuse". In this article, White discusses the

objections some teachers raise against musical theatre productions because

of the damage they supposedly bring to adolescent voices. consider the

following story, taken from the article:

some months ago a famer student-teacher of mine asked me for vocal advice for the lead singer in an upcoming high school production of West side story. The student performing the role of Tony had become ~nable to sing without cracking on the high notes required in two of his solos. I discovered that (1) he had beep cast primarily for "typew rather than voice; (2) he had no singing technique whatsoever, nor had any vocal suggestions been made to him during the rehearsal period; and (3) the high notes (sung falsetto in the original production) were being belted in full chest voice without adequate breath support. Naturally, vocal fatigue had set in over the many weeks of intensive practice, and although he had originally been able to make an xceptable sound on the high tones, the overused vocal muscles were now no longer able to respond reliably. In fact, the student showed severe vocal strain throughout his whole range, including a thick, hoarse speaking voice that he claimed had not been present before rehearsals for the musical began. This particular case was further compounded by the fact that only three days remained before the performance and that all the singers, without benefit of amplification, were to be accompanied by a twenty-five piece orchestra.'

When I read this story, I wondered whether this type of thing could

be happening in our local secondary schools. The chances of that, I

reasoned, would be less if students who played leading roles in musicals

had p r i v a t e v o i c e l e s s o n s and t h u s b e t t e r understood how t h e i r voices

needed t o be t aken c a r e o f .

The s t u d e n t s I in terviewed a t f i r s t d i d no t understand what p r i v a t e

v o i c e l e s s o n s w e r e . They mentioned t h e f a c t t h a t s t u d e n t s who play l ead ing

r o l e s i n t h e i r musicals are o f t e n members of t h e c h o i r o r voca l jazz group.

When I e x p l a i n e d t h a t p r i v a t e voice l e s sons w e r e one-on-one s i n g i n g l e s s o n s

w i t h a q u a l i f i e d t e a c h e r who s p e c i a l i z e d i n t each ing s o l o s ing ing , they

s a i d , "A couple of people have them".6 The t e a c h e r s answered a s fo l lows:

Mark: ... i t ' s been very few and f a r between.

Tom: I would s a y most of them don ' t . The v a s t m a j o r i t y a s a m a t t e r of f a c t .

Roger: Not t h a t I 'm aware A, no.

Dennis: I n my exper ience , some of them do, most of them don ' t .

James: Same.

The s t u d e n t s a t Tom's school t o l d m e t h a t t h e s t u d e n t s who p lay

l e a d i n g r o l e s m e e t w i t h t h e music d i r e c t o r f o r about h a l f an hour, once p e r

week t o p r a c t i c e t h e i r s o l o s . This s o l o p r a c t i c e would be t h e only chance

t h a t Tom has t o g i v e p r i v a t e vo ice i n s t r u c t i o n t o s t u d e n t s who play l e a d i n g

r o l e s . Thus, t h e v a s t ma jor i ty of r e h e a r s a l t i m e f o r t h e l e a d s i s spen t

w i t h t h e group, p r a c t i c i n g t h e i r songs. dances, and d ia logue . s i n c e they

don ' t t a k e p r i v a t e v o i c e l e s sons , i f thece a r e any s e r i o u s e r r o r s i n t h e i r

technique, t h e s e would have t o be d iscovared and c o r r e c t e d by Tom dur ing

t h e weekly p r i v a t e l e s s o n a t school. Howevctr, w e must c o n s i d e r Tomf s music

background :

Tom: My degree was from t h e Universi?v of ~ r i t i s h columbia. I t Is a bache lo r o f music degree. rt w a s one of only maybe f o u r o r f i v e c l a s s e ~ t h a t graduated from a n i n t e g r a t e d music program, which was a co-operat ion between t h e Facu l ty of Education and t h e schoo l of ~ u s i c and t h e Facu l ty of A r t s . And t h e y developed a program t h a t w a s s p e c i f i c a l l y des igned t o t r a i n secondary m i i s i c t e z e h e r s , because t h e r e was n o t an elementary program, no. Secondary music t eachers , secondarymusic educa t ion . um, so , t h a t was my m a j o r . My major ins t ruments of s tudy w e r e p iano and trumpet, and t h i s is my e i g h t h y e a r of teaching.

Tom is obviously a highly qualified secondary school music teacher,

but he does not have the specific voice training that a qualified voice

teacher would have. Thus, my concern about possible voice abuse appears

to be valid. The majority of school music activities are by necessity

group activities, and the addition of a further group activity such as the

musical provides yet another opportunity for vocalists (and

instrumentalists) to persist in bad habits which can often continue

undetected in grou? rehearsals and performances.

Student: Yah, two years ago I lost my voice right at matinee performance time. And we have it in January, no, February so it could have been a cold. But I guess there was a lot of stress and I hadn't done a lot of singing bsfore that.

C.T. : You didn't see a doctor to find out the cause because you just figured what was the point?

Student: Yah, everyone gave me all these remedies like garlic and honey and camomile tea and plenty of sleep and don't talk too much.

C.T. : Could you give any suggestions or do you have any suggestions of what could have been done to prevent it? or do you know?

student: I don't know.

student: I don't know either. Warm up is very important. I don't know if I had a weak voice or if there is such a thing as a weak voice but maybe.. .Actually he told me back in September or 30 to strengthen my voice, get practicing because I'm going to be singing a lot, so get used to it.

C.T.: So did you do that?

student: Maybe I didn't, as much as I shou.ld have.

Student: We all fear that though. so much practicing on stage that our voices go. cause by play time welve been working so hard, it seems. So much rehearsing, so much that it just kind o:E starts going down, like your voice quality goes down, and then the perfo~mances start.

From the above dialogue, one can see that voices do indeed get damaged

through participation in musicals at Tom's school. In this particular

case, it appeared that the damage was not permanent. Perhaps next time,

it might be. we must remember that the type of musicals commonly performed

by area high schools were written 3r professional actors and singers ~ h o

are highly trained and usually very well-seasoned performers. It is the

high school. music director's responsibility to be aware of the limitations

of adolescent voices. According to white,

Students cannot and should not be expected to do the same things major Broadvay perfo-rmers do. The adolescent voice is not an indestructible instrument. ...j ust as voice teachers would balk at assigning operatic arias to beginning voice students, there are similar probiems with asking young, untrained singers to undertake major singing and speaking roles in musical comedies. If established, trained Broadway stars suffer vocal strain during the rehearsal period or run of a show -- and they do -- how much more could this occur in young, immature high-school-age voices?

Vocal consideration, then, should take priority when teachers are even contemplating the possibility of producing a musical comedy and should certainly be one of the most important factors in choosing the musical, in casting the parts... . Unless voice and theory instruction are incorporated into the production, the large number of hours devoted to the production of a musical will do little to advance student skills.7

If White is correct, then the students' skills have not been advanced

by their participation in t h ~ school musical. It has already been

mentioned t h ~ t the stadent who were chosen for the main roles were

chosen because they were talented in singing and acting already. Their

participation in the school musical allows them an opportunity to practice

what they already know, but group instruction alone rarely help3 a singer

to become a true soloist. ~ccording to,the synopsis of the performerst

background provided onmusical programs that I have attended, current opera

stars and Broadway stars now have, or have had, private voice lessons to

help develop their technique. r therefore must agree with White, that in

the absence of proper voice and theory instruct.ion, not only can damage to

the vocal cords occur, but the educational opportunity provided by the

performance of school musicals is lost as well.

c, Eqo Manaqement

Almost all of the teachers I interviewed recognized the potential of

students who play leading roles to have a problem with inflated egos. I

asked the question, "What extra benefits do the students who have leading

roles derive fromtheir participation in the schoolmusicaf? The following

are their replies:

Roger: They get their egos stroked* And that's about it.

Dennis: One of the major benefits that those students have is they need to learn and work with ego management.

nark: Itrs difficult to fight that star syndrome, and we fight it every time we do it. But r think the benefit is later on, rather than at the moment.

The only teacher who did not see ego management as a problem was Tom.

Perhaps on a subconscious level he does recognize this as a problem, but

he worded his answer differently than the others.

Tom: I guess they would probably achieve a greater sense of accomplis~ent and therefore a bigger boost to their self-confidence and their self-esteem than maybe someone wno just ciid a minor part or a chorus part.

Possibly the most compelling proof that what Roger said is true comes

from studying what the students iheirseives said.

C.T.: And for studegis playing leading roles, what extra benefit, if any, cia you derive from your participation that the other students in the school musical do not get?

student: More flowers.

C.T.: O.K. More treats at the end of the show?

student: uh huh. (~aughter).

Student: More admirers fromthe elementary schools. Though the last year, being the piicernan, which is a little role, I had like four peclph, kids went back to their schools and drew a picture of their favourite scene, and they drew me or...I was so touched,

Student: It was great.

The students also clearly have an inflated vision of their ability to

perform musicals- They think that they are almost on par with a

professional production. Orie student said, "A lot of people have said that

we s e e m p~ofessional-. Zry thinking at that time was that if these students

had ever seen a professional performance of a musical they would know that

their perfomances do not capare. I therefore asked, Wave any of you

beem to a professional performance of a musicailw, even e h i s

question was not on my hst ,

student: Actually last year when we were doing Annie we a l l went to see Annie,

2 .T. : Where was it?

Student: semi-professionally in Richmond at the Gateway Theatre.

C.T.: Well that's semi-professional so that's pretty good.

student: ... we found that we liked parts of our play better than theirs or even criticized certain of their roles or we learned from other roles and we didn't feel that they were on another level.

Towards the end of the interview, in response to another question, one

student recognized that overconfidence in themselves is sometimes a

problem.

C.T.: Any negative outcomes that you have seen happening as a result of participation in the school musical or could anticipate happening as a result of participation?

Student: sometimes overconfidence. AS a group, on the last performance night both of our directors have a little talk with our cast because things always go very well on the first three nights and they warn us about the effects of overconfidence on the performance and outside of perfomance, I guess just personal,

This "personal overconfidence* that the student referred to is, of course,

an ego problem that some students have. since the student mentioned that

both of the directors warn the students about it, this shows that Tom does

in fact recognize that his students may have an inflated ego due to the

musical, but his going backstage to talk to the students shows that he is

making an attempt to keep the students' self-esteem at a more realistic

f evel,

studentst career Possibilities in the Entertainment Industry

There are some educational theorists who view education in terms of

the career preparation it provides for young people, I asked both students

and teachers if they knew of any students who were involved in high school

musicals who then went on to become professional entertainers as adults.

There was a terrh~cy for thea to tall me about students they knew who went

cm to train in variorts areas 5f -sic or acting. iIven when i clarified my

position that a professional entertainer is someone who makes her living

entertaining others by acting, singing, dancing, or playing an instrument,

(not teaching), the participants of this study, with the exception of Mark,

either said they knew of no one who went on to become a professional

entertainer after high school, or they told me about students who are

trying to become professional after having completed further training.

Here is Mark's reply:

Mark: Yes. They are working in the theatre business right now. And it's really strange that itls only been in the last four or five years that we've really had kids go on and that, so.

C.T.: Are they in T.V.?

Hark: urn, some have done T.V. roles, and some have had different parts in the states, and in Canada, but a mixture of things.

Thus, it can be seen that with the exception of Mark's school, which

only does a m i s s i c a i ever= four or five years, none of the other schools

have produced a student who actually "made it" in the very competitive

world of entertainment. ~t. has been my experience that many a young person

with a big drem will pursue that dream while he is still young and

idealistic. However, after he trains as a performer, and goes out into the

real world and starts auditioning, the harsh reality of the entertainment

business sets in, The would-be entertainer often ends up teachinq music

or drama instead because of financial reasons. The training such a person

received does not go to waste; it simply gets used in a different way than

the person originally intended. Dreams can and do change. There is

nothing wrong with that. This was exactly the case with me, when I first

laoved to B.C. from Ontario, q dream was to become an actress, but now,

m n y years later, I teach drama and music instead.

The point is that the high school years will be for many the only

chance they ever get to pmicipate in something as unic~lae as a musical.

Very few students will become Sroactvay performers after they graduate, and

those who do will of course need further training before they can consider

auditioning for a professional company. Therefore the performance of

msicals at the secondary school level cannot be considered in any way to

be career preparation. It must be for the educational value, then, that

musicals are performed in high schools. since this is the case, teachers

must be very careful to teach musicals in such a way that their educational

value is undisputed. ~dministrators who insist upon musicals being

performed at their school must also be held responsible to ensure that

musicals become a truly educational experience for the students. When does

the performance of a secondary school musical cease being a valid

aducational experience for the students? It ceases to do so when the

purpose is lost among other issues. some of these issues will now be

explored, with specific references to the participants in this study.

side Issues Which Take Away from the ~ducational Purpose of Musicals

a. Musicals as a Public Relations Activity

I asked the teachers i f they felt any obligation to the school to

produce major school musicals on a regular basis. The following are their

rep1 ies :

James and Dennis: No.

Roger: No, definitely not.

Tom: (Be laughs] Yah, there's pressure. It's a popular thing, It bringa a lot of prestige to the school. We're the only school in the district that does one every year. It's a big deal, it's a big budget production. People in the community have looked forward to coming to it.

k : That's a yes and no. Um, it's not part of my job mandate to do it, 'cause it's all extracurricular, but on the other hand, the one thing that keeps the school program going, M, like a drama program going, is um, the high profife productions. And without doing the high profile productions you don't have any cornunity outreach, and therefore, you're not reaching the students that feed the school, so um, then youtre basically relying on drama program in other schools to attract the students coming into your awn drama program. so i n a way to keep the program going, I think it8s zeeessaq ts keep f high p~ofile-

C.T.: Do you feel that you have an obligation to the community to produce major schwl musicals on a regular basis?

Dennis, James, and Roger: No.

Tam: Afo. My only obligation is t o the students in this school.

Hark: only from our own philosophy. And our philosophy within the arts program here LY community outreach, and so we feel that it's important for the corn Cty to see work that is done at this schcol. ..... I think it's really important that the community gets as much positive, um, outreach from the schools, because obviously, therefs a perception that most of the things that the public hears from schools is negative.

~hese two q-~esticns were asked in order that I might determine the

extent to which secordary school musicals are a public relations activity

as oppoeed to a valid educational experience. It would appear that at both

Tom's and Markls schools, the performance of musicals is indeed an

important public relations activity, but for very different reasons. In

the case of Tom's school, even though his answer to the second question was

"No", his answer to the first question revealed that he does in fact

perform musicals at his school prtly for the sake of the community,

members of which look forward to his school musical production every year.

His is a very privileged school, in terms of the upper-middle-class

neighbourhood in which it is located, as well as the traditionally high

academic performance of many of its students. Because the school has

performed musicals every year for many years, the community has come to

expect it. It is alntost as if the teachers at this school would be

lettins the community down if they did not perform an annual musical.

At Markrs schooi, the performance of an occasional musical is

important for an entirely different reason. In the above quote from Mark,

he alluded to the fact that his school has a somewhat bad reputation in the

community. He believes that in his school's case, community outreach is

important, because it seems that the press only publicizes the negative

things that ,enagers from the school do, while ignoring the positive

things that students accomplish. Mark wants to show the community that

4 0 d things are also happening at his school, and the performance of

musicals is one way for the sc5ool. to gain the positive attention it so

badly needs.

Some schools get positive press coverage due to their excellent extra-

curricular sports teams, and others through their musical or dramatic

performances. There is nothing wrong with wanting to bring prestige to

one's school. However, it becomes a problem when "the musical as a public

relations activityn takes precedence over "the musical as a valid

educational experience". Mark's school can hardly be accused of exploiting

the musical for the good public relations it provides, since he only

performs musicals about every four to five years. When he does perform

them, he makes sure that whoever the current music teacher is at the time

is comfortable with her own music program before he approaches the idea of

doing a musi~al.~

Tom's school, on the other hand, is known as the school which does

musicals every year. 12 the yearly musical were to suddenly cease to

exist, a major portion of the school's image would also vanish. To be

fair, this schoolls musical productions are not the sole enhancers of the

schoolls reputation, Tomls school also has fairly high profile sports and

academic programs, But I think one would have to live in this community

to realize the large impact that the sc'noo1;s musicals have. It has

already been mentioned that they are big budget productions and that they

are the only yearly musical in the community. one cannot live in this

community and not be aware of the musicals. They are well advertised in

the local newspapers, and signs are posted everywhere in the city

announcing the performance dates and times. In addition, the newspapers

almost always give these performances a glowing review.

Roger, an experienced secondary school drama teacher, has a different

view of the musicals performed at Tom's school:

Roger: Yes, the public perception of those musicais is that they are wry good and very great and very wonderful, but I've seen themr

c.T.: I haven't seen them. I've got to go this year.

Roger: well I've seen them.

c.T.: I've read the reviews in the paper, and they've always been fantastic reviews but I've never had the time to go. I 've got to go. I '11 go this gear.

Roger: Well, I went because my niece was in it, and it was painful. It was really painful to watch.

In another portion of the interview, Roger stated, "... the community thinks it's wonderful. They're pleased by very little." He was once again

referring to the musicals performed by Tom's school. I asked him what he

learned as a result of directing the one and only school musical that he

ever did.

Rogei-: E learned that 1'11 never do it again. It's completely against my philosophy for one thing. I think it goes completely against what I'm trying to teach the kids in school. It's show dressing, window dressing, more than anything else. ~t's like a pep rally for the arts. It's... and I don't like it.

I also asked Roger, "Are you yourself happy doing musicals? Why or

why not?"

Roger: No. I think that at high school they're put on mostly for public relations and that the quality is generally pretty bad. It makes the parents happy and it makes the administrators happy and the kids have a good time, but I don't think they learn anything from it. The drama program, the acting progran? that I've set up here I was dealing with a completely different acting style, one that's based on believability and truth and honesty, and I don't find that there's too much truth and honesty in high school musicals,

It is obvious from the above quote that Roger sees the performance of high

school musicals as being good for the school's public image, but little

else. Be is interested in providing a salid drama education at his school,

and does not feel that musicals can be considered a valid educational

opportunity for the students.

Is it possible for musicals to be performed both for the good public

relations it provides for the school, as well as for the sound ed~cational

experience it provides for the students? Must the two be mutually

exclusive? Is there a strict dichotomy between the two? I have thought

about this intensely, anu have come to the conclusion that as soon as the

musical even beqins to be seen as a public relations activity, the

possibility is opened up for the educational value of musicals to be

compromised. Educators and administrators must always keep the students

foremost in their minds. If, as a secondary outcome the musical brings

prestige to the school, so be it. However, "the musical as a public

relations activity" should never even enter into the discussion of whether

or not to perform a musical at one's school. The students attend school

to learn. They are not there to be used as pawns for some greater

administrative agenda of which they are not even aware.

b. What Happens When Teachers Alre Pressured Into Doin4 Musicals

I asked the teachers, "What are your feelings about drama or music

educators who are reluctant to produce a major school musical, but do so

anyway, because they are pressured into it?"

Roger: I think it's a shame that they do that. I suspect that in most cases it's younger and new teachers that get put into that position and pressured by fairly powerful administrators or other teachers. I think it's a shame. I sort of felt that that's what happened to me in my second year of teaching, and I wasn't too happy with it.

James: Prell, every music educator has the ability to make a decision about whether to do something or whether not to do something, so I would be quite blunt as to say that I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who get pressured into them, because they are ultimately in charge of their time and they make a decision by themself.

~ennis: same.

W k : Well, I think they should go see their union rep1 (He laughs) . Because they can't be forced into doing it. If they allow themselves to be bullied, I mean, if you take a situation where somebody is bullied into doing something it's like anything in life. They need to be able to stand up for what they believe in, and urn, I can't think that it would be a beneficial, benefit to the students, or a benefit to the school. I just carx't see how it would work that well, that somebody would come out being a positive experience. So, if somebody doesn't like doing it, and they feel like they're being pressured into doing something like that, then we have a drama association that they can contact, or their staff rep in their school, or their own union, because a principal cannot make anybody do something like that because it's extracurricular.

Tcm: {Laughs) I understand where they're at. Um, now if the pressure is coming from administration or staff or community, I would say to them that that's wrong. I don't think you should do that. If they're feeling the pressure, well, from my perspective, if they're feeling t h ~ pressure because they feel that they need to be a part of it --- this is my situation --- because they are concerned about the health of their music program, because itSs gonna go on anyway if they aren't a part of it, so they're trying to make sure that they're there to help stem the tide, then

I understand. I'm not sure I'm saying that that's right either. I'm not sure that what I'm doing is right.

C.T.: ~ u t you understand.

Tom: But I understand why they would do that. I don't, and I don't think I would ever bow to pressure from an administrator or something to do a show. I would never do that.

I also asked if they knew of any teachers who dislike either attending

musicals or being in charge of one. Here is Roger's and Tom's reply:

Roger: I think that the majority of drama teachers that I know donf t like musicals. I think some of them end up doing it because they do feel a certain amount of pressure, but I don 't think they re too crazy about them. It 's certainly a lot more work than theyfre worth in terms of the quality of the product that ends up coming out at the end it's a waste of time.

Tom: . . . I know many teachers that don 't want anything to do with producing a musical or being in charge of it.

C.T.: Both music and drama teachers alike?

Tom: Oh yah! Well, yah! I know drama teachers that will have nothing to do with a musical because they don't see it as a valuable component of drama. They see it as a dilution of drama and not a...

There was a general consensus among the teachers that both drama and

music educators should not bow to any pressure from administration

regarding the performance of musicals. Roger and Tom have both been

pressured in one way or another into performing musicais. Ifn Rogerfs case,

he immediately put his foot down and has not done another musical since.

(That was 13 years ago). In Tom's case, he stated that the year he opted

out of participating in the school musical, the school hired another music

teacher just to direct the musical aspects of the show. This made him feel

out of touch with his students; therefore he decided that in future he

should keep his hand in the show, even though he would rather not perform

musicals every year. There can be no question that at the time of this

study, Tom was being pressured into performing musicals every year.

Tm: There's a lot of pressure. I have opted out one year, my second year here, and there was no repercussions whatsoever. There's some pressure but f think if f really wanted to stay out of it I could. .... If I had my preference, I would do one (musical) every other year. .... Actually I asked to do it this year but I was kind of put into a position where I needed to do it. I could have stayed out but I felt that I should do it.

I find myself agreeing with ark when he says that it can hardly be

beneficial to either the school or the students if the director or co-

director of the musical has been pressured into doing it. ~ccording to

James, Dennis and Mark, it is a simple matter of saying "noq* to the person

or people who are doing the pressuring, and then contacting one's union

representative if further action is required. This may seem overly

simplistic, but since the performance of a musical is completely voluntary,

it would seem that there is no way anyone associated with the school could

force a music or drama teacher to direct a musical against his or her will.

If a teacher directs a musical against his better judgement, how are the

students supposed to gain anything worthwhile from the experience? A

teacher can hide his feelings up to a point, but perceptive students will

eventually recognize their teacher's resentment if any exists. Put simply,

if the teacher himself does not truly believe in the musical, how can the

students be expected to fully profit from the educational potential that

theoretically, musicals contain?

c. When Musicals Take Away from ~xistinq Drama or Music Proqrame

I found it rather ironic that two of the teachers I interviewed

indicated that the performance of musicals actually took away from their

existing music programs, yet they continue to perform them anyway.

Dennis; Coming back to that last question, James mentioned that he felt that musicals built the program to a certain extent. I don't feel musicals do anything at all for the instrumental side of the music program. I don't think they build the instrumental side of the program at all, other than give a handful of kids an opportunity to expand their abilities, but in terms of actually building the program from the ground up, musicals don't do anything for the instrumental side of the program, in my opinion.

Tom: .... So I see it (musicals) as a very valuable thing. I just wish it wasn't killing my music program I guess. That's the only thing, That's probably why a lot of music teachers don't like them, because it does not directly benefit your music program. AS a matter of fact, it's probably detrimental to it, because it draws students away from it, because it's very high profile. Students like to be a part of something ttat's very flashy and everything, and the music program may not be that way. It doesn't have that glitz and glamour being on stage under the

lights. . . . .That ' s how the system kind of happens, and that ' s the reason why I find it difficult to support the musical, because it pulls away from kids being in ...,( his other music programs).

From what the students told me, the musicals at Tom's school also take away

from the drama program to a certain extent.

C.T. : Is your production here, of the yearly musical, does that affect um, the amount of other types of plays you are able to do, such as serious dramas or just straight comedies? or do you do those in addition to the yearly musical?

Student: Well, one girl in our cast does both and she just doesn't have time to sleep. ~ u t um, I'd like to audition for the festival play but I, this is more important. , - .~ut um, I just didn't think there would be enough time with classes and work and everything.

C.T.: Is it (the festival play) also put on for the students and parents at this school?

student: Usually, but we decided not to do that this year.

C . T . : SO this year it was not presented for the parents and students in public. ~ust...

Student: For the parents, but not for the school.

Student: Yah, not for the students at the school.

C.T.: ... is the musical then the only one that's open to the public and advertised to parents and public?

Student: It's the biggest.

Student: Yah, it's the biggest.

The annual musical at Tom's school, therefore, can be clearly seen to

be detrimental to both the drama and music programs. More students would

be interested in auditioning for the straight play each fall, but the glitz

and glamour of the much higher profile annual musical draws them away from

the drama program. According to Tom, the same is true for his music

program. In my view, when the performance of musicals takes away from

existing school programs, this is a valid reason to discontinue doing them.

Bs has Been mentioned in chapter 008, nusicals w e a distinct geze anong

the arts; therefore, what the performance of high school musicals may add

to the existing music and drama programs does not balance out what it

detracts from it.

Their Love-Hate Relationship with Musicals

Many teachers of various subjects must do job-related tasks that they

don't necessarily want to do, and in fact, find most unpleasant (such as

marking), but they do them anyway because it is part of their job. since

participation in the school musical is completely voluntary, one would hope

that teachers volunteering would at least like the process. Such is not

always the case. The teachers I interviewed found the process extremely

gruelling, and for the most part, stated that they were really only happy

and satisfied during the performance nights, after the major port1.m of the

work was finished. When I asked, **Are you yourself happy doing musicals?",

there was a tendency for the teachers to want to talk about the benafits

of musicals to the students, rather than discuss whether they themselves

were happy. The following are portions of their replies:

James: The product is happy, but the process has been exhausting and draining, so I would do one every three years. It helps to build the program, and you can see the net results of it during and after, but I would say, from my experience, it has been an exhausting process.

Dennis: I think there's a feeling of satisfaction that comes after it's over, and you look at what you've accomplished, you feel good about it. I think there's a certain satisfaction in getting involved with something at a very intense level of time commitment and energy. It starts to become part of you, and that's quite rewarding. Often at the time, it's difficult, but once it has all come together, it can be quite rewarding. isltting on the shows themselves, that's quite enjoyable. I'm definitely the happiest once the rehearsals are finished and we're putting on the shows.

Tom: Am I happy doing musicals? I would say yes and no. . . .When I ' m there on opening night, and the overture starts and the show begins, I get a wonderful feeling and it's an incredible nigh for me to see the students on stage and in the pit and what they're doing and how far they've come and how confident they are and the way they've grown and it brings me a great sense of accomplishment, a great sense of pride in them, a great sense of j o y I really feel good about what we've done. The process? I would have to say no, it makes me crazy. I hate it. . . . . .the process is just gmel l ing far the tezcher. ~t really is for both of us.

c.T.: In terms of?

Tom: Well just the hours you keep. I'm here from 6:30 in the aorning until nine at night three nights a week and it just, it takes.. , So it makes for a really gruelling schedule for three months, four months, whatever it is, and despite the fact that last year and the year before, especially the year before I loved it, things in my life have changed. I'm

married now and I have other concerns and I have other commitments that I need to emphasize so that my life doesnf t fall apart, but the problem with a musical is that it becomes parmount in your life when you do one. It just eats up everything that you have and for that reason, I'm not happy doing musicals.. . .the big joke between the director and I is boy, teaching sure gets in the way of this doesnft it?" Thatfs the big joke, and it's ironic, but to a certain extent itfs really true. I mean the last week, when the show is running, I walk into my French class and I open up my book and I say l'well, what are we going to do today?" ~t s not like last night I was busy ...(p reparing for class). ,...But the fact is that, and I would be lying, and I wouldnft even lie to my own administrator and say that, that my students do suffer during that time, my French classes and my other music classes.

Mark: If youfve done anything like this on a consistent basis you know the rollercoaster emotional ride that you go through, and um, there's no arguing that there are times when you're going through this that you actually hate it and you wish it would go away and stuff like that. Um, I think what makes me the happiest about going through these things is the incredible connections that you make with the kids, ....

As can be seen from the snippets of dialogue above, four of the five

teachers interviewed performmusicals mainly forthe studentsf benefit, and

for the satisfaction of presenting the final product. They find that

musicals not only make students happy, but they also believe that musicals

benefit the students in many other ways. These teachers are very

unselfish, giving generously of their time and talent to help make the

musical a success, even though the process is not at all happy for them.

Teachers hate the process because it is very time-consuming and almost

certainly contributes to burn-out, The students also stated that the

rehearsal process was very time-consuming and that it sometimes took away

from time that should be spent studying. However, they, like their

teacher, live for the product; that is, they live for the thrill of being

up on stage performing, and it is at that point that they feel the whole

process has been wortfiwhile.

Student: I guess when ycrufre on stage and you see the audience response and you know how much hard work you've put into preparing for where you are on stage, its very self-satisfying.

Dennis: A musical tends to be very product oriented, so itrs kind of interesting in the last couple of weeks because the focus really is coming up with the best product possible. So that's a bit of a learning experience- It's a little different than in the classroom. In the classroom you have time to do other things. Musical, very quality product focussed, Intense.

According t~ author Robert C. White, ducatio ion ally, a student-

orierited approach places emphasis on the process rather than on the product

while still encouraging the achievement of a product of fine q~ality".~

If White is correct, then these students and teachers should be more

concerned with making sure that the process is educationally sound. I must

question whether a process which places such severe stress on both teachers

and students can still be considered educationally sound. when I was

practicing long hours in preparation for my A.R.C.T. piano performance

exam, I realized fully that anything worthwhile does not come easy.

Worthwhile achievements can only transpire after a great deal o f hard work

and effort. However, if students were allowed to rehearse the musical

during school time, the necessary effort could go into it, but the process

would end up putting much less strain on participants' lives outside of

school. perhaps then the process would be much happier for the directors

of school musicals, and this love-hate relationship could be stabilized.

aiqh school Versus Professional Musicals

I asked both students and teachers, "What standards of quality do you

maintain for the production of a musical? In other words, is there a

separate standard for professional musicals as opposed to high school

musicals?" I wondered whether teachers were striving to copy the standards

of professional musicals. ~f so, I felt that the educational value of

musicals would be lost, since the aims and objectives of professional

musicals are completely different than educational objectives. For

example, the aim of professional productions is to draw in as many people

as possible so that as much money as possible can be made. People involved

in professional productions are not there to learn; they have already been

trained elsewhere, hey are there to make their living entertaining

others, High schools, on the other hand, are educational institutions and

as such, have zn cbligzzion to teach students something. In the case of

xi~sicals, students should, among other things, learn the style of acting,

sirrging and dancing traditionally used in musicals, hnterestingly enough,

Xoger is the only teacher 1 interviewed who recognized the difference

between high school musicals and professional musicals. All of the other

teachers and students either claimed that their performances were

professional, or else they were striving for prof.~sa.'~+,:al quality

productions.

mger: I think you have to lower your expectations for high school musicals, 'cause you're not gonna get kids that can do it all -- sing, dance and act well, so you put on a little.. . . .it ends up being kind of shallow and thin, in my opinion, so yah, your standards have to be lower, even though the cornunity thinks it's wonderful. They're pleased by very little - Dennis: No. There's absolutely no difference in the standard, in my opinion, because I thinjr that a professional director does exa-tly the same thing that an amateur director does, in that they look at the talent they have, the horses they have and they do the most with what theylve got, and 60 from that aspect, the p ~ r s u i t of quality is the sane, You do the nrost with what yourve got. Now, because of the higher skill level or innate talent combined with skill at the professional level, the product will be at a SFgher level. But in terms of a professional doing their absolute best to do the best they can, I think therefs high school kids out there that are also doing the absolute best they can. ~t's at a lower level.

James: In fact, I think thilt the standard that we can expect from students is a little bit higher, in terms of working together as a team, than it would be with professionals, just because of age and level of ego.

Hark: No. My bottom line with everybody is that it is as good as it can possibly be. . . . .like when we did West side Story, um, I know that they wanted to cut cone of the nusic, and I know that +,hey wanted to cut some of the dancing, but the dancing was exactly what they did in the professional show. The same as on the movie. And so, we had a lot of non- dancers, and so our expectations are always as high as they can possibly be, and it's funny, the kids xsually meet them. so our shows may lack something in experience, but hopefully the quality by everybody is extremely high, and that's what I consider professional.

Student: You would never ever hear our director say, "That's O.K. We can be mediocre because we're not professional". He wants the quality of a professional performance and a lot of people have said that we seem professional. Like we take it seriously enough, that we could be, for amateurs,

As described in Chapter One, I have seen several professional musicals

in Vancouver, and I have afso attended two secondary school productions of

musicals. There is a definite difference between the two. The

professional musicals I saw were performed by trained singers, actors and

instrumentalists. These people already had a high level of talent before

receiving further training in their respective fields, and they were also

working with professionally trained directors, lighting designers, etc.,

utilizing a farqe budget- AS a result, there were little or no flat notes

eLther played or sung, the dance steps were always done in unison, and

there were no technical glitches such as scenery falling down, etc. As

professionals, the performersr livelihood depended upon a perfect or near

perfect finished prodwt .

The discrepancy may lie in onefs definition of the word

"professional". I have already described what I deem to be a professional

production in the paxagraph above, The teachers and students definitions

of the word obviously differ from mine. As seen from the interview

excerpts shown above, they described a professional show as being one where

the quality is extremely high, where the director does the best he can with

whae talent he has, and where the students take the rehearsal process and

performances very seriously. ~ennis mentioned that high school

productions of musicals would end up being at a lower level due to the

fower level of taient available. In my view, teachers need make no apology

for their musicals not being professional in the true sense of the word.

In fact, rather than change the meaning of the word "professional" so

that they can use it to describe secondary school productions of musicals,

teachers would be better off to drop the term altogether and concentrate,

once again, on the truly educational focus that musicals should provide for

the students. That is to say, musicals should be a learning experience

for the students first and foremost.

~usicals and Burn-Out

A C C O ~ U ~ ~ to Stock (1989) and stone (19871, across Canada music

teachers have the Sighest rate of burn-out anmong teachers of every other

school. subject. other researchers have found that individuals most

frequently affected by burn-out are those who are the most productive,

dedicated, and corn-itted in their fields,'" There can be no question that

at least four of the teachers interviewed are likely candidates for

suffering burn-out, particularly when they are in the process of directing

a musical. The large number of hours that they spend after school on the

musical has already been discussed at the beginning of this chapter.

Having too much work to do and not enough time to do it is one of four

major factors which contribute to music teacher burn-out, according to

author ~onald Hamann. The other three factors include: ( 1) a lack of

recognition by administration, teachers in other disciplines, parents, and

students; (2) unclear goals from principals, music administrators, and

fellow music teachers (e-g. unclear program direction, hidden curricula,

or lack of program support), and lack of goals in overall planning; and ( 3 )

lack of coordination between levels in the curriculum (e.g. inability to

work for and set curricular goals and objectives that are consistent with

the professional expectations of all music faculty members) and lack of

cooperation among music teachers in the school or in the district.''

By examining in detail the teachers' own words, one can clearly see

indications of the possibility of burn-out, I asked the teachers, "What

are the risks, if any, that you personally take when you produce a school

musical?"

Tom: (He laughs) My wife leaving me! Um, I gue-1s the risks that I take, I find that towards the end of a show I ' m very tired, and I can feel physical symptoms cf being tired, whether ltrs constant headaches, or shoulder and bdck pain I get from the stress. It's not from conducting I don't think because I've never had that problem before when I directed and taught music full time, so I don't think that's the problem. It's from the stress. The week the show runs, I have a headache the whole week basically. So I think my health, I tend to, I think that I am risking my health to a certain extent. ... I made a little joke about my wife but I do put that relationship and some other relationships at risk when I do a show, because of the time commitment. ... ~ u t , I know that not being home three nights a week is something that she would rather not happen and urn, I think that if I don't consider that and change my routine in the nex t little while it could damage our relationship.

James: Committing too much time to it, so that the program can actually suffer in the short term, Um, the life that you lead, beyond school can suffer in these time commitments. Those would be the main risks.

Dennis: Yep. same.

Additionally, I asked Mark, "What have you learned as a result of

directing school musicais in secondary schod~?~*

Hark: Don't do them! (He laughs).

C.T.: Don't do them? After ycu said all this about how great they are?

Mark: Yep. I guess %hat people tend to forget, people sort of say, "Well, you've got to do them because you love them*. I think what a lot of people tend to forget is the fact that as a teacher it's a full time job, and taking on something like this is like a second full time job, and anybody who says it isn't is kidding themselves, or is lying, and it's really stressful. ... but they are extremely stressful, and unless you have a lot of follow up afterwards they can even do a little bit of harm. So, the experience is good. I like doing them every three or four years, butthey are tough, and urn, they're extremely draining.

Consider what James said when I asked him, *'Do you assess either the

rehearsals or the performances once they are over?"

James: MG, ?: ~rouldn'i; have assessed them, beyond just a thought process of haw well it :+er~t, but I don't think it8s even as conscious as that, 'cause you're scrambling. There's no question about it. There's deadlines and you're under the pressure, and you don't even have time to think about the process. It's just like survival. Thatts my experience.

The students at Tom's school recognize that their directors are stressed

out during rehearsals and performances of musicals.

Student: They act grouchy sometimes but that's because they want everything better arid better.

Student: And they're stressed,

The participants commonly used the word astress's in the above

excerpts, recognizing that directing the school musical is indeed a

stressful undertaking. They did not, however, make the connection between

being stressed and being "burnt outw. According to author Christina

Maslach, "Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization,

and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who

do 'people work' of some kindw.'* he variety of physical and emotional

side effects as described by the teachers in the above excerpts are all

signs that these teachers either are presently, or have in the past, been

heading along the path which leads to burn-out.

There are, however, some positive elements of directing musicals which

my interviews with the teachers revealed. All of the teachers stated that

the students and administrators were very faithful about thanking them in

some appropriate way for the tremendous amount of work they did for the

musical. cards and small gifts were the most commonly cited form of

recognition. The teachers were obviouslynot directingthe musical forthe

cards, gifts and recognition they would receive, but they welcomed these

thoughtful gestures nonetheless. Thus, lack of recognition, which is one

of Hamann's four factors leading to burn-out, apparently does not apply to

the teachers I interviewed. AS well, all of the teachers stated that they

had a good working relationship with either the music or drama director of

the musical. Since no major problems were reported, I must conclude that

thankfully, this is mother of Hamannls factors contributing to burn-out

which does not apply to the participants of this study.

It would seem then, that the teachers I interviewed have suffered

mainly physical stress and tiredness due to their participation in the

school musical, and they also share a common concern that their

relationships outside of school suffer during the course of rehearsals and

performances. Since the msical only takes up part of the school. year,

teachers work with a mentality that goes something like this: "If I can

only make it to the final performance, then after that, I'll. get sose

rest". There is no pacing like there is with a person who works a regular

40 hour per week job, Thus, the mad pace of rehearsals and performances

of musicals leads to tired teachers, which in turn leads to burn-out. The

long-term effect of burn-out, which many teachers of all subjects tend to

forget in the frenzy of everyday school activities, is that they will not

last as many years in their job, and will perhaps ernd up changing

professions altogether* Personally, I have never met a high school music

teacher who has taught $or 40 years, and perhaps the burn-orrt rat9 ae

reported by Patty Stock and Donna Joy stone is the reason why.

Musicals and creativity

There was disagreement among the teachers as to whether or not

musicals help to foster students* creativity.

Janes: I think that because they are doing a previous work that has been done and actually can6t change the script, you know, &th the agreement that's signed, that the creativity has gat to be wi;hin that structure. It also has to be within the structure of the standards of the director and the music director, in terms of, there isn't too much creativity in terms of -hanging things. But all the creativity would be ... largely within the actlilg.

Dennis: I think I agree with that. I think itts a good lesson. ~irst you have to learn the game plan. once they know the game plan, then they can start to have some Freedom with it, which can potentially awaken some creativity that they hiwe.

Roger: You know what I've found is that musicals, unlike other things are director-led. They're really director-focussed and centred. You have to, much more than another kind of play, rather than give them the freedom to make their own selections and choices in terms of character motivation and stuff l i k e that, and line reading and aovement and blocking, is that you'll be standing here and you want, no, hold your head up, it (musicals ) is much more puppet theatre as far as I'm concerned. so I don't think they (the students) have much input. They have less input I think, at least from my perspective.

C-T.: So you wouldn't say it really helps their creativity at all?

Roger: I don't thirtk it enters, no.

Tom: I would say the people who play in the pit don't get a lot in terms of creativity. I pretty much set the artistic creativity for them. . . .The students who are on stage, who are acting and singing, we both encourage them to do thsir o m thing .... But I do try hard a d get them to come up with a creative interpretation ... Mark: Urn, sometimes a light goes on in their head and sometimes it doesn't- I've had studects in the past that have struggled for a while and all of a sudden they understand, and then the creativity just takes over, and where we've worked with other students that have been just as talented, but the light doesnlt go on. They don't understand the process, and nothing happens. so I think it comes down to whether the individual is ready at that given time, and can understand what the process is, or trust themselves.

C .T. : In what ways, if any, does involvement in a school musical encourage your creativity?

Student: Coming up with set designs,

C.T.: You have to be creative in that? You're not given the set designs?

student: No, we come up with our own,

student: We make them from scratch.

C . T . : How do you do it then? How can you be creative and do that?

Student: Thatfs basically it. You have to have ideas. If you don't have ideas then youf re not going to go anywhere.

Student: As actors and singers we make up some of our own choreography and same of your costumes and even your own character, like, everyone knows what Dorothy is iike but there is a bit of leeway. BOW old do you think she is? Like is she twelve or is she innocent, you know, how mature is she? You have creativity in coming up with your own character. Especially from the chorus, itrs not defined, you can be whatever you want. He just says, "Well, youf re at a party, do what you do at a party". It's up to you to pick a character and act how that character acts, and so a lot of creativity.

From this analysis of the topic, "~usicals and ~reativity~', it would

appear that the discrepancy among the teachers regarding the degree to

which musicals foster the studentsf creativity is due to the fact that

musicals only marsinally encourage the studentsf creativity. students who

play in the pit orchestra are not permitted to change the notes;

therefore, as Tom mentioned, there can be no creativity for the students

in that area. There is a possibility that students who act in musicals can

be creative with their character development, but as Roger pointed out,

the type of acting found in musicals is usually very director-led.

Additionally, the time constraints imposed by the musical being an after-

school activity necessitates the drama director working out most of the

blocking for the actors ahead of time in order to make the most of each

rehearsal- The nurturing of creativity takes time -- time which the directors simply cannot afford to give to the students.

As can be clearly seen, there is a serious discrepancy between the

theory and practice of performing high school musicals. ~ccording to this

analysis, the full educational potential of musicals is not presently being

actualized. In the nexk chapter, I will offer my c,nclusions and

recommendations in an attempt to resolve the ambiguities which lie between

Chapters Two and Four. I will show what needs to be done in order to help

mke musicals a viable and valuable form of education for secondary school

sf,udents.

Endnotes

'~haron Herrim, Case Study Research In ducati ion, (San Francisco, ~afifornia: Jossey-Bass Inc., Pubiishers, 1988), p. 3.47.

'~art~n Hammersley and Paul Atkinson, Ethnoqraphy: Principles in Practice, (Cambridge: university Press, 1983), p. 178.

3 ~ e e Appendix "B" for the names of musicals done by the participants of this study,

Robert C. White, "High School Musicals -- Accentuate the Musical and Eliminate the Voice Abuse", Music Educators Journal, May, 1978, p. 29.

%bid. , page 2 8.

6 ~ e e Appendix "c" for student interview.

7"~igh School Musicals -- Accentuate the Musical and Eliminate the Voice Abuse", p. 28.

%ee Appendix **B" for teacher interview transcripts.

'"~igh School Musicals -- Accentuate the ~usical and Eliminate the Voice Abuse", p. 33.

'O~onald Hamann, Burnout: How To Spot ~ t , HOW To void It, Music Educators Journal, Val. 77, number 2, p. 31.

12christina MasLach, Burnout: The Cost of carinq, (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-aall, Inc., 1982), p. 3.

Chapter Five

conclusion

The primary purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth look at

secondary school musicals from both atheoretical and practical standpoint,

to determine whether or not these musicals are educationally valid. A

study of the two main components of musicals, drama and music, was

completed in Chapter Two. ~ n e findings suggested that from a purely

theoretical standpoint, there is much for students to gain from performing

in a musical. Rowever, the findings as analyzed in chapter Four suggest

that from a practical standpoint, there are many problems associated with

performing a musical. The contradiction between these two findings will

now be explored, as they have implications for teachers who are considering

performing a musical at their secondary school. In addition, the results

of this study will be used to provide recommendations for teachers who

Discussion and Implicatip~

Common threads were drawn out throughout chapte

decide to proceed with performing musicals at their school.

r Four i n orde

clearly compare and contrast the participantst views on performing

secondary school musicals. In the interest of brevity, only the negative

aspects of musicals were discussed; however, the reader is encouraged to

read Appendices "Bm and "c" for information regarding the positive

contributions performing in musicals has made to the students8 lives. It

is not my intention to ignore what the students and teachers said about the

benefits of performing in musicals. at her, I wish to weigh the "pros and

consn aa it were, to see which outweighs the other, unfortunately, it is

not at all as simple as that, as will now be seen.

First of all, we rnust remember that there should be no schism hetween

theory and practice, rf, as Chapter Four suggests, there are practical

problems with performing musicals, then we must go back to the theory

behind it to see where the problems lie. As shown in chapter Two, many

theorists of both drama and music have made great claims as to the value

of their particular subject in the educational system. These claims can

all be related to different aspects of musicals; therefore, from a

theoretical standpoint, the performance of musicals can be claimed to have

significant educational value. The clue to unlocking the mystery of why

there is a discrepancy between the findings of chapter Two and Chapter Four

must therefore lie either with something that was said by the theorists

concerning musicals, or else what was not done by the practitioners.

As noted in chapter Two, neither the B.C. Music curriculum ~uide nor

the Drama Curriculum ~uide specifically state whether musicals should or

should not be taught. 1t is the in is try of ducati ion's silence on the

matter which concerns me. A list of "suggested Musicals" is given in the

appendix of the grades 11 and 12 curriculum/resource guides for drama.

Since no mention of teaching the style of acting used in musicals is made

in the curriculum guide, this list seems to have been added as an

afterthought. It is almost as if the authors of these guides assume that

a drama teacher will, of course, want to spend many hours after school for

months on end, directing a high school musical, in addition to fulfilling

her myriad of other responsi~iiities during tne school day. It is obvious

to me that not much thought was given to the theory behind adding a list

of musicals to the back of the drama curriculum guide, and it is hoped that

the present study is providing the type of research which ought to have

taken place before any such List was published.

~asicafly, my argument comes down to this: If performing in secondary

school musicals & without a doubt a valid educational opportunity, then

musicafs should not only be clearly identified as such in both the drama

and music curriculum guides, but in-school hours should be allotted for the

rehearsals. only the performances would take place in the evenings,

allowing more people to attend. This way, there would not be the excess

demands placed on the directors, which was shown in chapter Four to

contribute to burn-cut. surely without the current level of stress which

occurs when excess demands are placed on both studentst and teachers' time,

nany of the negative comments made about musicals by the participants of

this study would not have been verbalized, If, on the other hand, musicals

are not valid educationally, (i.e., if they are only seen as being a

pleasant after school "fringe" activity), then why are so many schools

performing then? Is it for the fun and satisfaction they provide for

students who participate? or is it because of the great educational value

that musicals provide for students? If the latter is the case, we then

come back to my original question, which was, why is the curriculum not

more clear in specifying not only that musicals should be taught, but that

musicals should bs rehearsed (taught) during school hours? It appears that

the drama and music curriculum guides ambiguity regarding musicals has

been allowed to occur because no ona has taken the time to adequately

consolidate theory with practice, Until the Ministry of ducat ion is

willing to take a stand either way regarding musicals, they should not te

part of a schoo18s educational profile or curriculum.

The placement of a i ist of musicals at the back of the drvna

c=riculm guide has contributed to the widely-held assumption of most

teachers and administrators that musicals are only to be viewed as an after

school activity; thus, most rehearsals take place after school. If, as

I suggested, teachers were to be allowed to rehearse the musical during

school hours, (for reasons given in Chapter TWO), it would require the

complete re-education of many music and drama teachers, as well as their

administrators. By this I mean two things. ~irst of all, these people

would need to obtain a vdry thorough education on the care of the

adolescent voice. Secondly, they would need to completely change their

mindset regarding musicals, viewing them as a valuable educational

opportunity for the students which is worthy of being rehearsed during

school hours, since the current assumption is so widespread, such re-

education would require much time and patience. However, my effort to

knock down this assumption will come to naught if those concerned do not

study both the theory and the practice of performing high school musicals.

Thus, after studying both, I have come to the conclusion that unless

the curriculum guides are changed to clearly include the teaching of

musicals as a valid, in-school educational opportunity, most teachers will

continue to spend countless hours after school directing them. This is all

done to the detriment of their health, their students8 grades in other

subjects, and both theirs and their studentsr levels of stress which may

lead to burn-out, to name just a few of the negative ostcomes. If this

situation continues to be the norm, then this evidence does not support

the perfomance of high school r~usicals, even though the students obviously

love doing the= and would miss them if they were taken away. However, when

I asked the teachers what the worst part of directing musicals was, it was

not the musicals themselves about which most teachers felt negatively;

instead they replied that it was the endless hours of after school

rehearsal. If it were not for that, more teachers would be able to

aneqiiivocally silpport the scisoui. musical. consider what Tom said:

Tom: I always come home at the end, and I say if I co~7ld do this for a living and not have to teach, Soy, this woilld be great, all I'd have to do after we rehearsed it, if we could xun the show for six months, I'd come down to the theatre every day at five orclock and get myself set and

psyched and you know, and everything, that would be wonderful. I would love it!

C.T.: After having had the day off.

Tom: Oh yahi After having had the day to walk in the park and mow my lawn or do something like that, but, when you have xo teach as well it becomes a real..-..

It seems to me that the role of arts educators and the academic role

of both music and drama is somewhat invalidated by the lack of

consideration and understanding of others, particularly those who insist

that musicals be performed regularly at the secondary school level, even

though it is commonly understood that the preparation and performances of

such musicals will take place almost entirely during the teachers' free

time. Authors Glenn, XcBride, and Wilson offer sound advice to music

educators who are reviawing the content of their programs, and this advice

can easily be applied to the performance of musicals:

To be workable, a program for teaching music muzt be carefully worked out both theoretically and practically. The theoretical gives continuity, stability, and direction to the teaching of music. The practical makes theory explicit and applicable to particular cases. l

This quotation reaffirms the point made earlier, that if the theory

arid practice sf secoadzry school musicals do not harmonize, practical

problems will result. The flaw which I discovereci in the theory, that is,

the noticeable silence in the curriculum guides on the topic of teaching

musicals, paves the way for the exploitation of music and drama teachersf

time and talent. In turn, teachers who direct musicals after school are

=re apt to do things in the most expedient way, rather than the way which

will allow the students to gain the most from the educational experiences

offered through their participation in a musical. For example, when

involved in the details of each rehearsal, both the music and drama

directors have numerous short-tsrm objectives to achieve. Because of this

pressure of the azment, ti-e, , the lead singer must learn all of the notes

to her solo by the end of today's rehearsal), it is possible for a teacher

to neglect the long-range purposes of her music or drama program. It has

already been pointed out in the previous chapter ,hat some teachers

recognize that their music programs suffer or at least do not gain anything

from the performance of musicals, yet these teachers continue to perform

them anyway. "An effective masic (or drama) teacher must have one overall

purpose if perspective is to be retained".2 I maintain that the

educational value of musicals can only be retained if the teacher's

originaL purpose for her music or drama program is upheld first and

foremost. This would be easier for teachers to do if they did not have to

deal with the extra pressure put on them by tha demands of the extra-

curricular i u i ; ~ i ~ 9 1.

For those teachers who nevertheless decide to continue to direct

school musicals in their free time, many suggestions have been put forward

by various authors as to how they may protect their physical and mental

well-being, as well as improve the educational value of musicals to

students. In light of the various problems with musicals as discussed

previously, I will in what follows bring together some of the more

pertinent recommendations for teachers to consider.

a. Dealins with urn-out

"Every teacher is a tired teacher. ..every good teacher, that isWe3

Too often, both music and drama teachers make the mistake of blaming

themselces for low enthusiasm or for feeling less excitement than usual.

In reality, they may be experiencing symptoms of burn-out, caused by

factors such as were mentioned in Chapter Four with regard to the

pexfannance of musicals. Author Donald Bamann offers the following

suggestions: Take a holiday, ask to be reassigned to another position or

even another school, and pursue other interests such as write a book, swim,

sail, etce4 Other common coping strategies include religion, reading,

paying more attention to diet and nutrition, deep breathing, muscle

tension/relaxation exercises, sports, aerobic exercise, crafts, and

detachment.

Once again, I must mention that if teachers were to insist that

musical rehearsals take place during school hours, many of the factors

which lead to burn-out could be avoided. However, if teachers do recognize

symptoms of burn-out in themselves or their co-directors, it is hoped that

these authorst suggestions provide some assistance.

b. Eearinq Tests For Music Teachers

An issue which has not been mentioned thus far is one which

particularly concerns the director of the pit orchestra. There are many

serious medical problems which music teachers may face as a direct result

of performing the duties associated with their job. The issue of hearing

loss among music teachers has not been mentioned thus far in this study

simply because not one teacher even mentioned it in any of the interviews

I conducted. Yet it is a crucial problem arid one which is certainly worthy

of being addressed in a study such as this. cutietta, Klich, ROySe, and

Rainbolt conducted a study entitled, "The Incidence of Moise-Induced

Hearing Loss Among Husic Teachers". They begin this study by noting that

Hillar found that the typical high school band rehearsal produced sound

levels above those legally permitted in industry without requiring ear

protection. Furthermore, these levels were seven to twelve decibels

greater than those produced by symphony orchestra^.^

Nillar also found that,

The dynamic range of bands (an average of only three decibels) was more restricted than in the orchestras (an average of thirteen decibels), thereby resulting in longer exposure to loud sounds. ~hus, with its greater sound levels and reduced dynamic fluctuation, band music seems to present more of a threat to the hearing of a conductor than does symphonic music.'

In case I have not made this clear, the "pit orchestra" of a secondary

school musical is not usually an orchestra at all, as string instruments

are not commonly found at the high school level. Band instruments only are

the norm for the pit orchestra. Very often, a synthesizer will be used to

play the violin or cther string parts in the score. Thus, this study is

relevant to those who conduct the pit orchestra.

Proceeding on the findings of Millar, this new study was conducted to

compare the incidence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among three

groups of school musicians: choir/general music teachers, teachers of

elementary instrumental music, and teachers of high school band. One

hundred and four people ages 22-62 participated in the study, and the

result was that elementary and high school instrumental music teachers

showed a much higher percentage of hearing loss than did vocal teachers.'

The study suggests that at the very least, high school band directors need

to be cautious about their continued exposure to loud sounds in and out of

school.

Cutietta, ~lich, Royse, and Rainbolt offer some suggestions if signs

of NIHL are found. Tney first recommend that band directors request

periodic hearing tests, for example, every 12 -18 months. Another

realistic suggestion is for teachers to request that their rehearsal rooms

be evaluated for proper acoustical treatment. With professionally

installed acoustical treatment, much can be done to reduce the sound levels

in a rehearsal room.' The authors conclude with a pertinent question:

"These suggested safeqtmzds are followed in other enviroments that pose

occupational hazards to hearing, especially industrial and military

environments, so why aren't they followed in schools?"10

My answer to this is that in the area of occupational health and

safety, as in other areas, teachers of the arts are forgotten or at least

not treated with the same respect as those in other occupations. Thus,

directors of pit orchestras in secondary school musicals need to be

extremely careful, especially if they also teach regular band classes

during the day.

c. Teacher Empowerment

It was clear from the interviews I conducted that if teachers could do

some things differently regarding their musical productions, they would.

Researchers have found that teachers tend to be happier, more confident,

more effective, and remain in the profession longer when they have more

control over their professional lives.'' Teacher empowerment involves

this real transfer of power to teachers. When teachers contribute strongly

to scheduling, curriculum, budgeting, goal setting, and the daily

operations of the school without being manipulated by a&inistrators, then

those teachers are truly empowered.'* Advocates of teacher empowerment

hope that it will improve education by improving instruction and helping

teachers achieve greater satisfaction in their work.13

In the book Teachers Talk, by John ~odar, many teachers talk about

their experiences in various aspects of school teaching. This book

consists of transcripts of interviews conducted with teachers across the

U.S .A. One teacher says this:

Teachs~s must have control of what is taught and how it is taught. The working professional is the one who has the experience to know what has to be done and how best to do it. Ifm sick of hearing administrators and college professors talk about this global view they have of education which is so much better than the isolated view of the individual classroom teacher. change global to idealistic, naive, inexperienced, no contact with reality, educationese, itwry tower -- and you're closer to the truth. Honestly now, who do you want operating on your child, the doctor who's been in the operating room for the last 10 years or the one who's been sitting in his office theorizing about the human body?14

To me, this quote provides a good argument for the case of teachers

being given the time to pursue graduate studies in their field of interest,

or at the very least, they should be given the time to read and study the

research which has been done on their behalf. The quote is an example of

a teacher who is kept very busy with the daily mad rush that is his job.

As a result, he has no respect for people who know nothing about what it

is really like to be in his position, yet they presume to theorize about

the subject he teaches. The teachers I interviewed are all intelligent

people who would certainly be interested in keeping up with the research

being done in their area of specialty, if only they had the time. It is

my belief that if they pursued a Master's degree this would be an ideal

situation. They would then not only be practicing teachers who were

completely aware of the real situation that working professionals must

face, but they would also be able to do research of the theoretical type

in order to contribute to the knowledge and understanding which may become

the backbone of the newest curriculum guide being published in their

subject area. one of the teachers I interviewed already has his Master's

degree and one other teacher was just completing his graduate studies at

the time of the interview.

My recommendation regarding teacher empowerment may seem overly

simplistic and perhaps idealistic, but I see it working in this manner:

The drama or music teacher who is interested in directing a musical sets

up alocally developed course during school hours called "Musical Theatrew.

The purpose of such a course would be to rehearse the annual school

musical- The auditions for the course (and therefore the musical) would

take place either at the end of Jane before summer vacation started, or

else in late August just before school began in September. This would be

one example of a way in which a music or drama teacher could be more

empowered with regard to the musical, By having the musical theatre course

take place during school hours, the teacher would be able to give more time

and energy to the rehearsals, instead of having to draw on reserves that

just aren't there by eight or nine o'clock at night, after a full day of

teaching followed by after school rehearsals. Another way in which music

or drama teachers could be more empowered with respect to musicals is to

just say no, if they felt they were being somehow forced into performing

one, even though they had no interest in directing a musical.

d. Recommendations In the oreqon Report

In 1984 in the state of oregon, a group of secondary school band

directors, concerned with the performance demands put on them by way of

numerous competitions, festivals, etc., wrote a document entitled, "Bands:

Guidelines, Expectations and Limitations". This document became very

significant in oregon, as it has since been adopted as official state

policy by the Oregon Band ~irectors Association, the Oregon Music Educators

Association, and the Oregon school Activities Associati~n.~~ Even though

this is an American document, I see no reason why Canadian teachers and

their administrators cannot learn fromthe recommendations contained within

it, as music teachers here face many of the same problems as American

teachers. The Oregon Do~ument has helped band directors resist

unreasonable demands and given administrators a buffer from the pressures

of the public, coaches, and band directors themselves. It is also hoped

that it will guard against student exploitation. The document takes a firm

stand for a balanced curriculum that places the educational nature of the

music program on equal footing with the performance aspects of the band

program. l6

I do not view this as a danger to teacher autonomy as discussed in the

previous section. For one thing, this document was written by working

professionals for working professionals; thus, it can be assumedthat their

recommendations can be trusted. Secondly, this document does not take a

stand which would force teachers to perform musicals at their school. The

choice of whether or not to perform musicals is left entirely up to the

individual teacher. The document merely gives recommendations regarding

the procedures that should be followed if and when a teacher decides to

perform a musical at his or her school.

The authors of this document reiterate what I have already asserted:

that when one is establishing a school policy with respect to public

performance, the primary criterion must always be the educational value of

the experience. The document states that it is important that the demands

of public performance not be allowed to become dominant or excessive, and

that public performance remain secondary to education in the curriculum.

There is no dichotomy between the two, for the former clearly supports the

fatter, but this relationship must be kept in perspective.17 The Oregon

Report was necessary because it occasionally happens that students tend to

be exploited by finding themselves required, in order to retain membership

in the group, to devote excessive amounts of time and energy to enterprises

of questionable educational merit. These pressures should be resisted in

the interest of balanced, quality education.18

There are many sub-headings in the Oregon Report, dealing with various

aspects of music programs. Under the sub-heading "Musical Shows", the

report states:

Thoughtful directors guard against letting the musical show dominate the mssic program. with proper planning of the details of production, the proper scheduling of rehearsals, and the complete utilization of every minute of the rehearsal time, the musical show can be a welcome addition to the schoolfs extracurricular activity schedule.19

Although I have already stated that in my view, school musicals should

either be taught during school hours or else not done at all, I do agree

with the report in that, no matter when the musical is rehearsed, it should

not be allowed to dominate the music (or drama) program.

Regarding musicals, the Oregon Report recommends that:

1. A musical show be scheduled only every other year. Ratianale: The drain, not only on the music department 5ut on the other involved departments of the school, is considerable when shows are scheduled yearly.

2. The band and orchestra director be given a major voice in the scheduling of the musical. Rationale: The entire instrumental program is often totally disrupted for several weeks because of the musical. This can be a nightmare when major festivals, play-off games, tours, and concerts are scheduled too close to the musical.

3. Directors limit the number of consecutive nights students are asked tc be involved in rehearsals and performances to four. Rationale: For example, one school has reported scheduling 13 rehearsals and performances in a two-week period. his excessive use of student time can prove to be devastating to the students' educational program.

4. No more than five "combined" rehearsals, including the dress rehearsals be scheduled for the pit orchestra with the cast. Rationale: his does not include the rehearsals held exclusively for the pit orchestra in preparation for the combined rehearsals. When possible, the pit orchestra should be scheduled during the school day during the term of the musical.

5. When the pit orchestra rehearses with the full cast, the student musicians8 time be used to full advantage. Rationale: Time should not be used to coach singers and actom, reblock scenes, or work out technical problems.

6. The use of professional or volunteer musicians be encouraged to augment students in the orchestra. Money should be budgeted for this in the musical. Rationale: Parts in Broadway musicals are often too difficult for the personnel in many schools. ~aving students play parts that are beyond them can be a negative experience for them and the band and orchestra program in general.20

The six recommendations regarding musicals in the oregon Re&-xt have

been reproduced here in their entirety because I believe them to be well-

thought-out, reasonable and logical suggestions which are definitely

applicable to teachers of secondary sch~ol musicals. If Canadian teachers

and administrators wonld heed the advice given in the Oregon Report,

perhaps more of the educational value of musicals would be retained.

Final Thouqhts

As mentioned in chapter Two, one question that ran repeatedly through

my mind as I researched and wrote this thesis is, "when music, drama, and

dance are combined to form a musical, are secondary school students simply

getting a watered-down version of all three that is not educationally

valid?" In the primary grades, different subjects are combined into

themes. The teacher picks a theme such as "Ants", for example, and the^

teaches the children different things about ants that cover the different

subject areas. This is done in order that the teacher maintain her

studentsr interest. she may bring in an ant colony for the students to

observe and study (this is a science lesson), she may have the children

write a story or poem about ants, (English), and finally, they may learn

to sing a song about ants, (music). AS the children get older, (and this

is particularly the case at the high school level), the subjects are

clearly defined. The students go to their science class in one zoom, then

move on to their ~nglish class in another room, and so on. This

distinction between subjects is necessary as students get older, in order

to provide more in-depth study of the various subjects. At one of the

secondary schools represented in this study, separate drama, music and

dance classes are offered for students who want to specialize in certain

areas of the arts. Interestingly enough, it is not a require~~ent at this

school that students who audition for the musical have taken any of these

classes before.

The integration of the arts began long before musicals evolved; in

fact, it began with the Greeks. ~ u t if we are truly striving for

excellence in the arts, (yes, even at the high school level), it is

necessary to divide the arts into their various segments to allow for more

in-depth study. In my view, it is only after the individual components of

a musical have been mastered that they should be combined to present the

synergy that is a musical. Secondary school students rarely master any of

the arts before they graduate, so does this mean that they should never

perform in a musical? Certainly not. I am suggesting instead that if

teachers and students want to perform a musical at their school then the

type of musicals they choose should be at a level which the students could

possibly master.

The musicals commonly performed in B.C. secondary schools were

written for professionals with a high degree of training and experience,

not teenagers. The musical which I directed in Niger, on the other hand,

was written for the age group that I performed it with. The majority of

the rehearsals took place during school hours, another factor which I

highly recommend, In B.c., when schools perform musicals that some

audience members may have seen performed professionally, an unrealistic

expectation is held by both the audience and the school that what they are

about to witness is no different that the professional prcduction, except

perhaps that the parts are played by younger people than usual. I have

attended both professional musicals and high school musicals and can say

without a doubt that there is a large gap between the two. No one should

expect otherwise, and parents and teachers who would deny this are only

kidding themselves. However, if high schools were to perform musicals

intended for teenagers, then the vocal range would be smaller, the subject

matter would be more relevant to teenagers' lives, and the length would

possibly be shorter than professional musicals, to name a few of the

differences. There is a need for more composers and playwrights to

collaborate and write the type of musical just described, so that high

school students have a chance of mastering it. Then the pretending can

stop.

My suggestion is that talented secondary school students themselves

write their own musicals, if they so desire. This would be one way to

ensure that the subject matter of the musical as well as the degree of

difficulty of both the music and acting is uniquely suited to teenagers.

Having atudents compose their own musicals has another major advantage:

the students involved in such a project would have an opportunity for their

creativity to blossom. When I was growing up in southern Ontario, I knew

of one high school which performed a major play every year. These playa

were written either by the students or the drama teacher. Some years they

performed musical plays, and other years, straight plays. One student who

attended this school has told me that the musical plays were enjoyed just

as much as the straight plays. rt can be assumed that these plays did not

meet professional standards, but no one expected them to be professional

in the first place. students and parents alike appreciated these plays,

(musical or otherwise), with the knowledge that their friends or children

had a major part in the creativity that went into the perfxmance.

As a pianist, I have often played difficult pieces that I know I will

never master. I am also acquainted with a dancer who has danced pieces

tfiat she says she will never master. There is a certain joy in the

challenge of pushing oneself in a discipline. However, both of us learned

these pieces purely for our own amusement and enjoyment, without the

expectation that we would perform our piano piece or dance for an audience.

since secondary schools rehearse musicals specifically in order to perform

them, shouldn't they be presenting something that they can be expected to

have mastered, both for their own sake and for the sake of their audience?

In their book, Secondarv school Music: ~hiloso~hv. Theory. and

Practice, Glenn, William, and Wilson state that several positive steps must

be taken before progress can be made in the performance program of a music

department. Two of the recommended steps that can also be expanded to

include the draina department are: 1, The school and the community must

look upon the band, the chorus, and the orchestra as educational media

rather than as a public relations segment of the school curriculum; and

2. Music (and drama) teachers must become adequately prepared to teach

performing groups in a manner that is musically and educationally sound.21

It is with this final thought that the present study now comes to a close.

Are secondary school musicals educationally valid? Not the way they are

presently rehearsed and performed, or at the very least this study shows

that they are not as educationally valid as they could be. Is there a

possibility for musicals to become completely educationally valid? Yes,

but only if the results of this study are heeded. It is my hope that

secondary school educators who choose to perform musicals at their school

will consider the present research, which has been done on their behalf,

and take action accordingly.

Endnotes

'~eif E. Glenn, B. William, and George H. Wilson, Secondary School misic: ~hilosophy, Theory, and practice, (Englewood cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Ball, Inc,, 1970), p. v.

bid., p. 88, bracketed section is mine.

'~ohn Godar, Teachers Talk, (Macomb, Illinois: ~lenbridge publishing Ltd-, 1990), p. 41.

4~onald Hamann, "Burnout: How to Spot it, How to Avoid it", Music Educator's Journal, Vol. 77, number 2, pages 30-33.

5~atricia Brown, An lnvestiqation of Problems which Cause Stress AmOnq Music Teachers in Tennessee, Dissertation Abstracts International, Vo:. 48 (3 - A), 1987, p. 521.

6~obert A. ~utietta, Richard J. ~lich, avid Royse, and Harry Rainbolt, "The Incidence of Noise-Induced ~earing Loss Among Music Teachers", Journal cf Research in Husic Education, Vol . 42, number 4, 1994, pages 318-330,

"William R. Lee, v*~mpowering ~usic Teachers: A catalyst for Changew, Music Educators Journal, Vol. 78, r&er 1, 1991, pages 36-39.

14~eachers - Talk, p. 293.

15~ohn McManus, "How Much Is Toc Much? Oregon's ~uidelines For Band Performance", Music Educators Journal, Vol. 71, number 1, 1984, pages 28- 33.

*%id., pages 31-32.

% e i P E. Glenn, William B . McBride, and George H . wilson, secondary School ~usic: Phifosophy. Theory, and Pract ice , (Englewood c l i f f s , New Jersey: Prentice-HafL, Inc. , 1970), p, 212. Bracketed s e c t i o n m i c e .

APPENDIX A

QUESTfOHS FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA TEACHER INTERVIEWS

PART A: QUZ%HTfTATIlTE QZJESTIONS

Questions Pertaininq to ~usicals in General

1- on average, how xiany musicals does your school produce per year?

2. Which nusicafs has your school produced in the last five years?

3. Do rehearsals take place during school hours, before school hours, after school hours, or a combination of the three?

4. How long are these rehearsals?

5, Bow many performances of each musical does your school generally give?

puestions Pertaininq Particularly to the students

6 , ~pproximately how many hours per week, and for how many weeks does the cast rehearse in preparation for the final performances? Are the hours increased in the last three weeks of rehearsals?

7. How many extra kours per week are the students who have leading roles required to rehearse?

8 - What are the procedures by which students are chosen for their prospective roles?

9. Are the students who play major roles in your musicals generally chosen -re for their singing ability, their acting ability, or are both equally as important? To what extent is popularity a factor, if at all?

10. Do the students who play leading roles in your musicals have private voice lessons outside of school hoiirs?

3.1. Do some of the instrsatentalists have private lessons on their band instruments outside of school hours?

12. k'hen do the instnmentalists start rehearsing their parts in class in preparation for the musical? Do the students also rehearse other music at the sane time?

13. Do you know of any students who were involved in high school musicals who then went on to become professional entertainers as adults?

Questions Pertaining to Musicals in General

14. Do you feel that you have an obligation to the school to produce major school musicals on a regular basis? -

XI. Do you feel that you have an obligation to the community to produce major school musicals on a regular basis?

16. As the music or drama director, what role does other peoples' encouragement play in your decision to produce a musical at your school on a regular basis? or is producing musicals entirely your own decision? How is the final decision made?

17. Are you yourself happy doing musicals?

18. Do you know of any teachers who dislike either attending musicals or being in charge of one?

18. what are your feelings about music educators who are reluctant to produce a major school musical, but do so anlway because they are pressured into it?

20. Could you tell me about your musical background?

21. Row are teachers who play key roles in producing musicals recognized cx thanked once the final perfcam-aaces are over?

22. AS the (music or drama) teacher, could you describe for me the kind of working relationship you have with the (music or drama) teacher?

23. What standards of quality do you maintain for each production? In other words, is there a separate standard for professional musicals as opposed to high school musicals?

24. What have vou learned as a result of directing school musicals in secondary schools?

25. In your view, in order for a rehearsal of a school musical to be called wsuccessfuln, w h a t has to have taken place?

26- To what extent are your rehearsals designed to prevent physical stress for the studentsJ voices? for the instrumentalists?

2 7 - In your view, in order for a performance of a school musical to be called nsuccessful", what has to have taken place?

28. Do you assess either the rehearsals or the performances once they are over? If so, do you comnit your analysis to paper, or do you do it in your head?

29. What are the risks, if any, that you personally take when you produce a school musical?

30, Are there any risks at all for the rest of the staf f, or for the school, when you produce a school musical?

9uestFons Pertainins Particularly to the students

31, Where do believe the students get tha desire to participate in a school musical? Would it be from your enthusiasm, or from outside sources?

32. In what ways, if any, does involvement in the school musical encourage the students' creativity?

33. what is the value to the students of participating in the school musical, in any capacity, including backstage h..inds, members of the chorus, and both minor and leading roles?

34. what extra benefits do the students who have leadinq roles derive from their participation in the school musical?

35. Are there any negative outcomes for the students who participate in the school musical, that you have either seen yourself, or could anticipate happening?

36. Once the cast is chosen, how committed do you expect them to be to the show?

33. What do you do if a student quits half-way through rehearsals?

38. Wb.at words would you use to describe the atmosphere when the students are rehearsing for the musical? Tense? ~nxious? Relaxed? Happy? Focussed? Positive? Negative?

38. %hat words would you use to describe the atmosphere during performance nights?

40. What words would you use to describe the atmosphere during a post- production meeting, or if you don't have one, how do you think the students feel after the run is finished?

41. If you do have a post-production meeting, what teachers and students are involved in it?

QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN MUSICALS

(These questions were asked in a group interview)

1. How many musicals have you been involved in so far in high school?

2. In what capacity were you involved?

3. Do rehearsals take place during school hours, before school hours, after school hours, or a combination of the three?

4. How long are these rehearsals?

5. How many extra hours per week are the students who have leading roles required to rehearse?

6. Are the students who play major roles in your musicals generally chosen more for their singing ability, their acting ability, or are both equally as important? To what extent is popularity a factor, if at all?

7. Do the students who play leading roles in your musicals have private voice lessons outside of school hours?

8. Do some of the instrumentalists have private lessons on their band instruments outside of school hours?

9. Is class time ever used to rehearse either the vocal or the instrumental parts for the musical? If so, about how much class time is used?

10. Do you know of any students who were involved in high school musicals who then went on to become professional entertainers as adults?

XI. Alre you students happy doing musicals? why or why not7

12. Don't qive me any names, but do you know of any teachers who dislike either attending musicals or being in charge of one?

13. How do you recognize or thank teachers who play key roles in producing a musical once the final performances are over?

14. Could you describe for me the kind of relationship you have with members of the cast and crew? Is the relationship different according to what role the student plays in the musical? In your opinion, do musicals encourage friendships?

15. What standards of quality are maintained for each production of a high school musical? In other words, is there a separate standard for professional musicals as opposed to high school musicals?

16, what have vou learned as a result of participating in a school musical?

17. To the vocalists: fs there any physical stress on your voice during rehearsals? If so, please describe it, and what you think could or should be done to prevent this,

1%. To the instrumentalists: Is there any physical stress on you in the course of pit orchestra rehearsals? If so, piease describe it, and what you think could or should be done to prevent this.

19. Where do you get your desire to participate in a school musical? Is it from your teachersf enthusiasm, or from outside sources?

20. In what ways, if any, does involvement in the school. musical encourage your creativity?

21. What is the value of participating in the school musical, in any capacity, including backstage hands, members of the chorus, and both minor and leading ~oles?

22. To the students who play leading roles: What extra benefits do you derive from your participation in the school musical?

23. Are there any negative outcomes for the students who participate in the performance of a school musical, that you have either seen yourself, or could anticipate happening?

24. What words would you use to describe the atmosphere when you are rehearsing for the musical? Tense? ~nxious? Relaxed? Happy? Focussed? positive? Negative?

2 5 . What words would you use to describe the azmosphere during the actual performance nights?

26. For those of you who have attended a post-production meeting, what words would you use to describe the atmosphere at that meeting, or if your school does not have post-production meetings, can you tell me how you feel after the run is finished?

27. Are there any recommendations you would like to make in order to improve the quality or quantity of musicals produced in your school?

APPENDIX B

TRANSCRIPTS OF DRAMA AND MUSIC TEACHER INTERVIEWS

( ~ l l teacherst names are fictitious)

INTERVIEW # 1 -- JAMES AND DENNIS -- MUSIC TEACHERS

Background information: James, a vocal music teacher, and Dennis, a band teacher, have both taught music at the secondary school level for many years, at several different schools in B.C. The school in which they presently teach opened in sept., 1993, so at the time of this interview, the school was just beginning its third year of operation.

Celeste-tina: Has your school ever produced a musical?

Dennis: No.

Celeste-tina: Approximately how many musicals have you been involved in as music director in your lifetime at a high school?

Dennis: Four or five. I think four.

Celeste-tina: Which musicals were those? Do you remember?

Dennis: Pyjama Game, Bye Bye Birdie, Where's charlie, West Side Story.

Celeste-tina: James, how many musicals have you been involved in as music director in a high school?

James: Four, I think.

C.T.: Can you name them?

James: Uh, I did West side Story my first year of teaching, then I did Ann Mortifee's Reflections on Crooked Walking, Anne of Green ~ables, and West side story again.

C.T.: Do rehearsals take place during school hours, before school hours, after school hours or a combination of the three?

D: The majority for me were after school hours, closer to the show date some time, some rehearsal would be done during the school day, but almost all after school hours, evening, etc.

J: All after school hours, out of school time.

C.T.: How long are these rehearsals? Approximately?

D: Different groups would be rehearsing at different times, you know, choreography would be doing certain things, long rehearsals, t.m, thres , four hours. The acting portion, the music portion, the music rehearsals, three, four hours.

C.T.: In one session?

D: Uh huh. Or two and three hours, but a good length of time.

J: Yah, I think we started out with hour and a half rehearsals, I'm thinking back to the three that I did. The first three were West side story, which I did for the first time and I took care of the vocal and the instrumental - pit orchestra - and then the Reflections on crooked Walking and with Anne of Green Gables they started out being abcut an hour and a half, and then as we got closer, and started pulling things together with the singers, and the pit orchestra then there's more length of time, and then of course the tech runs are, you know, double length.

D: The times I gave you were closer to the show.

C.T.: Yep.

D: It does start less, and gradually builds.

C .T. : O.K. How many performances of each school musical would your school generally give, after all these rehearsals?

D: At (name of school), I think we would give about five or six, and I think at when we did West side Story that was the last one we did, probably similar, five or six performances.

J: I would think vith the matinees, seven or eight.

C .T. : O.K. My next cpestion is approximately how many hours per week, and for how many weeks does the cast rehearse in preparation for the final performances? And then my next question is, are the hours increased in the last three weeks of rehearsals?

D: Hours are definitely increased in the last three weeks of rehearsal. on average, they probably spend two hours a day, six days a week, twelve hours a week, and then it increases.

C . T . : So, in the last three weeks then, what would it increase to, approximately?

D: Well, in the last two weeks, when you start to get full run-throughs, you're looking at four or five hours, maybe four times per week, potentially a day.

J: In fact, when we did West Side story, it was four hours, there was only I remember one, two days off for no, maybe four days off in the last two weeks.

D: In the last two weeks I don't ever remember not doing Saturdays and Sundays.

C.T. : O.K. How many extra hours per week are the students who have leading roles required to rehearse?

3: Again, that depends on how close you are to the show. when it was getting close to the run, within I'd say, two weeks of the run, there were some little rehearsals that were happening as well, uh, just with them, with the leads, but urn, beforehand, there's significant, urn , I'd say up to, say three months before the show, there's quite a bit more extra work that they have, extra rehearsals.

D: Probably five hours a week at least, of extra.

C.T.: What are the procedures by which students are chosen for their prospective roles?

J and D: Audition.

C.T.: Open audition? The whole school?

J: Yes, that's what every musical i've ever done has do.ae.

C.T.: Are the students who play major roles in your musicals generally chosen more for their singing ability, their acting ability, or are both equally as important? The second part to that question is, to what extent is popularity a factor, if at all?

J: Popularity of?

C.T.: The student.

J: Oh! It was never a factor in anything I've done.

D: The issue is whether they can do the job or not, and if they happen to have a strong singing voice, that ' s a point in their favour, but that ' s got to be balanced against their acting ability. so if there's no acting ability and there's a strong singing voice they're not gonna get a lead. If there's no singing ability and strong acting ability, they're probably not gonna get a lead. Therers a baiance in there.

J: It depends on the musical. But I would say, in the musicals that I've done, the emphasis has been, that, if this person canrt act as well as they can sing, that's a better situation, than if they can act but can't sing. The audience needs to hear the songs being done well. If they don't, its just going to make it worse.

D: I think there's a tendency to look at, and this has been my experience with the drama teachers sitting there as well, listening to the auditions, there's definitely a tendency to look at singing as being something that yourre probably not going to be able to create in someone in three months, whereas acting, you might be able to pull that off.

J: And, that division between singing and acting is that there is so much drama in singing. I guess it's fair to separate the two but really, if the person is doing a great job of singing, they're really acting.

D: Now there's certain roles that might not be as singer-oriented, and maybe those are roles for kids who don't have a strong singing voice but have stronger acting abilities, so it depends on the roles as well.

C.T.: Do the students who play leading roles in the musicals have private voice lessons outside of school hours?

D: In my experience, some of them do, most of them don't.

J: Yah, same.

C.T.: Do some of the instrumentalists have private lessons on their band instruments outside of school hours?

D: In my experience, some of them do, most of them don't.

C.T.: when do the instrumentalists start rehearsing their parts in class in preparation for the musical, as in how many months before....

D: They don't rehearse it in class. They rehearse it outside of school as a separate ensemble, and a couple of months before at least.

C.T: Do the students rehearse other music then, during class time?

D: completely different. They're still responsible for all of their course work in music.

C.T.: Do you know of any students who were involved in high school musicals who then went on to become professional entertainers as adults?

J: Um, well I know of some students who have gone on to train in acting. I donrt know if theylre professional. singing wise, I know of some who have gone on to train, but I don't know if theyrre actually .... C.T.: Don't knaw if they made it?

J: Yah.

D: Yah. Definitely there are students who have gone on to university. It all depends how you define professional.

C.T.: They make their living as a professionai entertainer.

D: I don't actually know of any, that come off the top of my head, but there might be somebody out there.

C .T. : Do you feel that you have an obligation to the school to produce major school musicals on a regular basis?

J. and D.: NO.

C. T. : Do you feel that you have an obligation to the community to produce major school musicals on a regular basis?

J. and D.: NO.

C.T.: As the music teacher, what role does other people's encouragement play in your decision to produce a musical at your school, or is producing musicals entirely your own decision? HOW is the final decision made?

D: For me, other people have a significant role to play in that, because whether or not I'm going to pledge myself to that, commit to that depends entirely upon the commitment of the drama teacher, who the producers are, where they're coming from in terms of the support they're going to give, in other words, it's got to be a team approach. No one person can do it. I would never even consider looking at it, unless there was serious motivation to do a musical from drama people, and either doing dance themselves or somebody else doing dance or bringing somebody else in for the choreography, and uh, there's also got to be the production aspect, and the technical aspect. ~ l l these people have got to be on side, and for me personally, I won't make a decision until all these people are on side. I'll be the last to get on board, probably.

J: In my experience, I/ve always been a cog in a wheel. The other factors of producing a zusical, like the producer, is really ultimately in charge and then the director and the music director have been sort of a ------- role. ~ u t the decision as far as what musical is going to be done is ultimately between the director and the music director. But aPI those other decisions about the multitude of ground work that has to be laid in order to put this thing on, because they've all been big productions that I've been involved in, they've been a tremendous amount of work, and there's no way that I could be handling more than what i've done with a full time job. Itrs just not possible.

C.T.: ~esides the directors, is the principal involved in the decision or other teachers in the school involved in the decision to produca a musical? Not what musical in particular, but just produce a musical?

J: In that there needed to be some funds available, start-up funds and so, yah . C.T.: Whose idea is it then, usually, originally?

J: Who sparks the whole thing off? Urn, I think it has usually come from the drama person.

D: O.K., for me, going back to the question about the principal and other teachers, I agree with James, funding and support from that avenue. other teachers, in terms of volunteer involvement as well, maybe they don't have artistic backgrounds, per se, but they'll have different organizational skills, and I've never done a musical where there haven't been other teachers that have gotten involved, maybe sewing costumes, maybe in selling tickets, you know, all of those kinds of things. So, it goes way beyond just the performing arts department. That's been my experience. It reaches out to other teachers in the school who are not in the fine and performing arts department, and they're pulled in.

C.T.: James, are you yourself happy doing musicals?

J: The product is happy, but the process has been exhausting and draining, so I would do one every three years. It helps to build the program, and you can see the net results of it during and after, but I would say, from my experience, it has been an exhausting process.

C.T.: Dennis?

D: I think therefs a feeling of satisfaction that comes after it's over, and you look at what you've accomplished, you feel good about it. f think there's a certain satisfaction in getting involved with something at a very intense level of time commitment and energy. ~t starts to become part of you, and that's quite rewarding. Often at the time, it's difficult, but once it has all come together, it can be quite rewarding. putting on the shows themselves, thatfs quite enjoyable. I'm definitely the happiest once the rehearsals are finished and we're putting on the shows.

C.T.: Do you know of any teachers who dislike either attending musicals, or being in charge of one?

J: So any teacher who has like, actually taken on the role and then...

C.T.: Or who just don't like even going to sit in the audience and watch.

J: NO, I've never seen that.

D: I think other teachers really enjoy seeing their students doing something different than what they might be doing in their own classroom, and whether or not they have an appreciation for musicals is beaids the point, they really enjoy seeing some of their students doing things on the stage or pit orchestra, that are different. coming back to that last question, James mentioned that he felt that musicals built the program to a certain extent. I don't feel musicals do anything at all for the instrumental side of the music program. I don't think they build the instrumental side of the progra at all, other than give a handful of kids an opportunity to expand their abilities, but in terms of actually building the program from the ground up, musicals don't do anything for the instrumental side of the program, in my opinion.

C.T.: What are your feelings about music educators who are reluctant to produce a major school musical, but do so anyway because they are pressured into it.

: Well, every music educator has the ability to make a decision about whether to do something or whether not to do something, so I would be quite blunt as to say that I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who get pressured into t:xm, because they are ultimately in charge of their time and they make a decision by themseif.

D: same.

C.T.: One at a time, could you tell me about your musical background? what degrees do you have, and what specific music training do you have?

D: I have a music degree from Western Washington University.

C.T.: Major in instrumental?

D: In instrunrental music, And then I did a year of education at U.B.C. in music. And you know, I had piano lessons and trumpet lessons and this and that and everything else growing up, and through the college years.

J: Formal training would be a music degree from U.B.C., general music, piano and voice, and a Master's degree in choral music, University of Arizona.

C.T.: Performance, or conducting?

J: conducting.

C.T. : How are the teachers who play key roles in producing musicals recognized or thanked once the final performances are over?

J: How are they thanked? Verbal and cards and gifts and...

C.T.: From who?

J: Mostly from the students, and then from the committees, and sometimes the parents.

D: I agree with everything that James said bat I think that the bottom line is that you have to thank yourself first, and you don't expect anything else. If it comes, itfs a bonus, and that gets back to why you do a musical. You don't do a musical to get a thank you at the end. You've got to make a personal decision that itrs something that you want to commit to. So you thank yourself first when it's over. And if that's all that ever happens, fine, but things do tend to roll in from kids and teachers and administrators and whatnot, and parents, because, once again, they were involved in a very intense process, so it tends to be quite rewarding for them, so then they want to....

J: Any time I've been involved it's actually been part of the process of putting the show on. It's a set up thing, that the students thank the committees that have been vorking and they show their appreciation. The cast thanks the cast and its kind of a set up deal.

D: Part of the learning process.

J: Yah.

C.T. : As the music teacher, could you describe for me the kind of working relationship you have with the other music teacher and the drama taachar.

3: In the past, regarding the music? well, in this partnership here with music there's always been a close, effective working relationship. Xtts always been the music issues as they are, not necessarily the pit orchestra or the vocal issues. The music issues as they relate to the dramatic issues, and you know, concerns for the music stuff has been dealt with the director and the producer. ~ n d therels been hassles and conflicts. No question. There always will be. Therefs a tendency to always make sure that your area is covered, and when you collaborate, there's gonna be conflicts. I donft think I've ever been in a relationship of putting a show on with other directors and producers, that there has been a hugs conflict, but there is always stuff to be discussed and worked around and that comes right back to the auditions. There's students that I felt should be in the lead position because of what I know about their singing voice and I think the best possible situation is if there's two music directors and the director, battling it out, and fighting for the cause of what strengths you see the students having. I think that's the best possible situation.

D: What was the question again?

C.T.: As the music teacher, could you describe for me the kind of working relationship you have with the other music teacher, and the drama teacher? And I just wanted to ask here, is the drama teacher then usually the director, the overall director? Over the whole thing? Who is the boss?

D: My last musical, that's more or less the way it was, the three I did at , the other music director tended to be the director of the show, the main director, so itrs varied for me. The working relationship with the other music director, yah, in all four musicals, it's always been open, and wide open, in terms of any problems. With the drama aspect, that's always been more or less wide open. There is a tendency to work in your own area. very little conflicts develop at that time. Most of the conflicts that develop seem to be two weeks before the show, when everything has to start coming together.

J: Yah, particularly, I would say, between the pit orchestra and the choreography. When they've been rehearsing with recorded music, or even piano score reduction tapes, they're going back and forth, and then when you actually put in the orchestra and maybe the tempo isn't exactly 108, it's maybe 100, and it throws them off, you know, there's conflicts that happen that way.

C.T.: What standards of quality do you maintain for each production? In other words, is there a separate standard for professional musicals, as opposed to high school musicals?

D: No. There's absolutely no difference in the standard, in my opinion, because I think that a professional director does exactly the same thing that an amateur director does, in that they look at the talent they have, the horses they have and they do the most with what they've got, and so from that aspect, the pursuit of quality is the same. You do the most with what you've got. Now, because of the higher skill level or innate talent combined with skill at the professional level, the product will be at a higher level. But in terms of a professional doing their absolute beat to do the hest they can, I think there's high school kids out there thzt are also doing the absolute best they can. Itrs at a lower level.

C.T.: And James, what would your answer be to the same question?

J: And the question was?

c.T.: What standards of quality do you maintain for each production? In other words, is there a separate standard for professional musicals, as opposed to high school musicals?

J: I don't think so. In fact, I think that the standard that we can expect from students is a little bit higher, in terms of working together as a team, than it would be with professionals, just because of age and level of ego.

C . T . : What have you learned as a result of directing school musicals in secondary schools?

D: I don't know if I can answer that off the top of my head. I 've learned how to direct school musicals, I suppose. ~ ' m not sure what I've learned off the top of my head. That's really hard to ansxer.

C.T.: Yah.

D: You learn a lot of things, I guess. YOU learn to appreciate kids who are doing different things in other areas of the arts.

J: Yah.

D: I have a lot of respect. Probably part of it is because of the work in musicals for what the drama teacher might be doing, or what happens in fine art. There's a real appreciation for the ability of people to put together the sets, those kinds of things.

J: I don't think there's any other activity that the school would put on that would affect as many students and as many staff from all areas of the school, than a musical.

D: A musical tends to be very product oriented, so it's kind of interesting in the last couple of weeks because the focus really is coming up with the best product possible. so that's a bit of a learning experience. ~ t l s a little different than in the classroom. In the classroom you have time to do otherthings. Musical, very quality product focussed. Intense.

C-T. : O.K. In your view, in order for a rehearsal of a school musical to be called successful, what has to have taken place?

3: Well, at least catching up to what had happened last day, of the level of the previous rehearsal. If that hasn't happened, and we're going backward same of the time.,.

D: Right. I guess three things. ~eview of past material, an opportunity to look at and develop some new material, and hopefullyr some past material that goes into long term memory and hopefully some new material that's at least in short term memory. so some kind of sense of accomplishment of putting old materiel together better than before and getting a handle on some new material.

C.T.: To what exterrt are your rehearsals designed to prevent physical stress for the studentsr voices? Thatf s a question for you, James, and for ycu, !%anis, the instr -msntal ists?

3: Just encourajirq them , there's some specific things in teaching them to relax and teaching them how to be easy on their voice in the other 16 hours of the day, or whatever. Lots of liquids, stuff iike that. But

trying to balance out the rehearsals so that they're not on all the time and so they don't need to produce 100% all the time.

C.T.: O.K. For the instrumentalists?

D: The last two or three weeks it's not a problem when yourre starting to put things together because there's lots of rest periods. I think the big challenge is to maintain focus so you don't slide back, cause you donf t want to have wasted time. so give them breaks once in a while.

C.T. : O.K., there's only one more page of questions. I think we can finish during T.A.P. In your view, in order for a performance of a school musical to be called successful, what has to have taken place?

D: For me, that's not so much a technical issue, as it is a sense of feeling. It's an emotional issue when you're working with kids. They need to feel good about it. And the directors need, to feel good &out it. I guess feeling good about it, feeling successful..... A lot of that comes from the audience responding well. They can tell when they've got a reasonably good quality product and there's a feeling there, when it's all over, that it was wortnwhile. I think that's how you know it was successful. When itrs over and you feel that it was worthwhile.

J: Yah, I would agree with that. The attitude has to be there. Everybody. You know it was a successful run if it was a team approach.

C.T.: Do you assess either the rehearsals or the performances once they are over? If so, do you commit your analysis to paper or do you do it in your head?

J: No, I wouldn't have assessed them, beyond just a thought process of how well it went, but I don't think it's even as conscious as that, 'cause you're scrambling. There's no question about it. Therels deadlines and you're under the pressure, and you don't even have time to think about the process. It's just like survival. That8s my experience.

D: Are you talking about the performance?

C.T.: Both. Either the rehearsals, or the performances.

D: Well, with the rehearsals, I find that I have an incredible amount of stuff narked in the score with a pencil, that really is, next time we do this, these are things that need to be worked on and therers a tremendous number of cuts and whatnot. That's like an ongoing assessment. But nothing actually written out on anything else. ~t's all in the score, any marks that are made, and the rest of it IS in the head. Performances? Urn, I haven't personally, as part of the pit orchestra, but I know that there's often meetings with the main director after, and they will take notes, and they will meet with the kids and go over the notes. That always occurs. From the pit orchestra aspect, they'll look at what went well, or more likely, what didn't go well, and we might find a few minutes to rehearse what didn't go well, so itrs better next time. so that's informal.

C.T. : What are the risks, if any, that you personally take when you prduce a school musical?

J: Produce, meaning?

C.T.: when you put one on at your school? What are the personal risks to you, if any?

J: committing too much time to it, so that the program can actually suffer in the short term, m, the life that you lead, beyond school can suffer in these time commitments. Those would be the main risks.

C.T.: Are there any risks at all for the rest of the staff or for the school when you produce a school musical?

D: 1 think thersls a concern about kids that are heavily invol-.red starting to have difficulty keeping it all tugether and balance their lives and balance their acadeec work and other course work. I think there is a risk that the students who are involved will start to lose their level in an academic course. There is a lot of concern about that among other teachers.

J: And there's the financial concern of losing money on it. There's always that concern,

C . T . : where do you believe the students get the desire to participate in a school musical? would it be from your enthusiasm, or from outside sources?

3: I would say largely from outside sources, that they've seen, or heard about, or have been in contact with, the big musicals, you know, on Broadway , therers kind of a thing with that with students.

D: I agree.

C . T . : In what ways, if any, does involvement in the school musical encourage the students* creativity?

3: Urn, I think that because they are doing a previous work that has been done and actually can't change the script, you know, with the agreement that's signed, that the creativity has got to be within that structure. It also has to be within the structure of the standards of the director and the xmsic: director, in tern of, there isn't too much creativity in terms of changing things. ~ u t all the creativity wmld be within, I wauld think, largely within the acting,

D: I think I agree with that. I think it's a good lesson. First you have to feam the game plan, once they know the game plan, then they can start to have some freed- with it, which can potentially awaken some creativity that they have.

€,T, : What is the value to the students of participating in the school msical, in any capacity, including backstage hands, members of the chorus, and both minor and leading roles?

J: I think it's just pride of accomplishment, whether it's a musical or mything else, the actual. task of preparing something thatf s been done before to a standard to then sharing it with others, and whether it's the person who is connecting cables underneath the pit orchestra, or somebody rt~~lning the booth, or somebody running front of house, they're a part of that thing that actually is a gift to an audience. I think that acccsqf i sh~~~~t is the biggest: thing,

D: I think therers a feeling that theyJre a part of something that is bigger than life. Itts a little bigger than each of them individually, and that#s quite exciting, I think they really look forward to some of the social events that take place, I think they really look forward to the

party that takes place after the musical is over, and that 211 reflects back to the team aspect and the group aspect of doing it.

C.T.: what extra benefits do the students who have leading roles derive from +*fie.;%- participation in the school musical?

D: One of the major benefits that those students have is they need to learn and work with ego management.

J: Yah, and they've got to handle pressure. Those people, because they've got =ore of a time commitment, they've got to get themselves organized. At a very young age, theyfre responsible for, if they're gonna make it they've got to have their time organized, they've also got to have their school work organized. I think it's a good personal challenge, that they have. More so than the other members of the cast.

C.T.: Are there any negative outcomes for the students who participate in the school musical, that you have either seen yourself, or could anticipate happening?

3: Yes, stress. I would say number one is that a lot of students don't have that foundation for, or ability to handle stress.

C - T . : Because they're not mature enough?

J: Yah, and because they don't have the model for how to handle it.

D: And yet some of them are. But there8 s some who are not, and it's tough on them.

J: And yet when the show is going, and they8ve got a job to do, and they've got to handle the rest of their life, you know, uh, it's pressure, and some students don't have the skills to handle it.

D: Also, no question, the feeling of loss when it's over. They've dedicated so much of their time and energy to this project. It stops and that's it. It is over.

C.T.: Like Christmas being over, the next day. Done!

J. and D.: Yah.

C.T.: Once the cast is chosen, how committed do you expect them to be to the show?

J: I think you think that when you've got your magical number of cast all picked and you think that that's "Well finally, we've got the ones that are really committed. We 're a team and we 're off and running" . That ' s not the case. There's many times that we've experienced dealing with commitment . C.T. : Well let's say that you've chosen the cast and, urn, you're sure these are the people you want. what would you expect of them, as far as commitment?

D: To be prepared, to try their best, and to always be where they *re supposed to be on time and ready to go.

c,T,: Anct what do you do if a student quits half-way through reheariala, whether it be an actor, a vocal person, an instrumental person. ... ? What do you actually do?

3: It's happened a couple of times. when they make the decision to quit and they let you kncs, we go back to the contract they signed.

c.T.: Oh, they sign a contract?

J: Yah, they sign a contract for commitment.

C.T.: Does everybody sign a contract?

J: Not all. I'm thinking of actors and singers. I don't remember the pit orchestra having to sign a contract.

D: I think the bottom line is that if you lose somebody, you hope that an open communication was in process before that so they don't suddenly just. . . .they're gone. ~zlt if that happens, and it has happened to me once, you just let it go, because you don't need them, and you figure out a way to either cover the missing part, or improvise in some way, and you carry on.

3: And with the leads or characters, in some cases, IIve done a musical with understudies, but I don't recommend that for students.

C . T . : Because you think it would give them a way out?

J: Even the fact that there was an understudy, or there were two doing the one role, and you know one night there was one person doing it, and then the next night it was the next person. It didn't work out well.

D: Comparisons get made.

C.T.: Uh huh.

D: For one thing.

C.T.: O.K., there's just four more questions. What words would you use to describe the atmosphere when the students are rehearsing for the musical? Some suggestions might be tense, anxious, relaxed, happy, focussed, positive, negative, or any others.

3: All of those.

C.T.: All of those?

3: Yah, at various times, sure.

0: I would say all of those. Particularly when I'm rehearsing the pit orchestra though, I think there would be a tendency to have certain emotions more than others. I think they would tend to feel anxious more than happy. There would be a level of concern. They would feel concerned that it was right. A lot of that.

C.T. : What words would you use to describe the atmosphere during performance nights?

a: That changes actually. There's quite a range in the atmosphere from opening night through the run, You can almost predict when the low show is going to be, and itrs tended to be toward the end of the show, but maybe not... like the second last night or the third last night, thexets a low kind of-... The last night has typically been a real up night, as is the first. But as they get more exhausted, the energy level, therefs one night when the energy is low. But within that theref s also some neat things that

happen too. y gain, it's a range of emotions but there's some typical things that happen.

D: Therefs a lot of excitement about performing. A lot of kids are very excited.

C . T . : What words would you use to describe the atmosphere during a post- production meeting, or, if you didnft have one, how do you think the students feel after the run is finished? You mentioned it a little bit already, Dennis.

J: There is a post show down time, for sure, but there's also a closeness that carries through for the rest of the year that I've found with the cast. They always stick together. In fact, some of them beyond having graduated a number of years before, they still talk about that closeness.

D: I would agree with that.

C-T. : The Last question is, if you do have a post production meeting, what teachers and students are involved in it?

J: Student involvement in that is the stage manager, but otherwise you get the producer and the heads of each committee.

D: Right. And that always takes place, at least in my experience. Some kind of a meeting for everybody.

C.T.: Good! That's it! Wonderful!

INTERVIEW # 2 -- ROGER -- DRAMA TEACHER Background information: Roger has been a drama teacher at the same secondary school for 16 years. In that time, he has only directed one muaical, and that was 13 years ago. He says he will never do another one.

C.T.: Has this school ever produced a musical, that you know of?

Roger: Yes. I think there was one the year before I started here, and that would be 1979. I did one myself in 19 8 1. Probably the spring of ' 82. Yes, I think it was the spring of '82.

C.T.: What musical did you do?

Roger: I did a thing called The Pyjama Game.

C.T.: When you did The Pyjama Game, did the rehearsals take place during school hours, before school hours, after school hours, or a combination of the three?

Roger: All after school.

C.T.: 90w long were the rehearsals?

Roger: Well at least two hours at a crack, probably three times a week to start, and I'm sure we went for eight weeks, maybe nine or ten weeks.

C.T.: SO you started about nine or ten weeks before?

Roger: I would think so, ah. I'd normally start about eight weeks before on a straight play, so I ~magine we started a little earlier on a musical.

C.T.: How many performances of the school musical did your school give?

R.: I think we did three, Yep.

C .T. : Approximately how many hours per week and for how many weeks did the cast rehearse in preparation for the final performances? And the second part of that question is, were the hours increased in the last three weeks of rehearsals?

R.: Yah. once we got into combining all the elements it involved a lot more hours. I think we were up to four hours, four days a week. I think we came in on a weekend or two as well. Yes it was very substantial.

C .T. : How many extra hours per week are the students who have leading roles required to rehearse?

R.: I don't remember it working quite that way. I think we arranged rehearsals so that there wasn't just like a lead rehearsal. I think it was in combination with the other cast members. There wasnrt any sort of special focus put on the leads.

C.T.: O.K. So they didn't have to rehearse extra?

R.: No.

C .T. : what were the procedures by which the students were chosen for their prospective roles?

R.: They all had to audition.

C-T.: open school audition?

R.: open school, uh huh.

C.T.: Are the students who play major roles in school musicals generally chosen more for their singing ability, their acting ability, or are both equally as important? TO what extent is popularity a factor, if at all?

R. : I think we tried to get someone who could do both. Popularity wasnft a factor. They had to have some singing ability certainly, and certainly some acting ability, but I've always found at high school its hard to get both in a student.

C.T. : Do the students who play leading roles in musicals have private voice lessons outside of school hours?

R.: No.

C.T.: DO some of the instrumentalists have private lessons outside of school hours on their band instruments?

R.: Not that I was aware of. I know that the music section probably did some work in class as well as extra curricular.

C.T.: After school?

R.: Yah.

C.T. : But as far as private instrumental lessons on their band instruments, you don't know.

R.: Not that I'm aware of, no.

C.T.: O.K. Do you know of any students who were involved in high school musicals who then went on to become professional entertainers as adults?

R.: In my experience in this school?

C.T.: Or in any school that you've worked at.

R.: This is the only school Irve worked at. (He laughs). No. None that I'm aware of that went on to...because of musicals. No.

C.T.: Do you feel that you have an obligation to the school to produce major school musicals on a regular basis?

Re: NO.

C.T.: Do you feel that you have an obligation to the community to produce major school musicals on a regular basis?

R.: No. Definitely not.

C.T.: As the drama director, what role does other peoplesf encouragement play in your decision to produce a musical at yoor school? Or would producing musicals be entirely your decision? How woiild the final decision be made if a musical were to be produced?

R.: It wculd be my decision, but I would never do another one. So that pretty much ends it right there.

C .T. : Yep! O.K. Here's the next question. Are you yourself happy doing musicals? Why or why not?

R.: No. I think that at high school they're put on mostly for public relations and that the quality is generally pretty bad. It makes the parents happy and it makes the administrators happy and the kids have a good time, but I don't think they learn anything from it. The drama program, the acting program that I've set up here I was dealing with a completely different acting style, one that's based on believability and truth and honesty, and I don't find that there's too much truth and honesty in high school musicals.

C.T.: Or any musicals?

R.: No, I mean it seems ludicrous to me you know, in a short scene, you speak a few lines and then break into song.

C.T.: I know.

R.: Yah.

C.T.: Do you know of any teachers who dislike either attending musicals or being in charge of one, besides yourself?

R.: I think that the majority of drama teachers that I know dontt like musicals. I think some of them end up doing it because they do feel a certain amount of pressure, but I don't think they're too crazy about them. It's certainly a lot more work than they're worth in terms of the quality of the product that ends up coming out at the end it's a waste of time.

C.T.: What are your feelings about drama educators who are reluctant to produce a major school musical, but do so anyway, because they are pressured into it?

R.: I think it's a shame that they do that. I suspect that in most cases it's younger and new teachers that get put into that position and pressured by fairly powerful administrators or other teachers. I think it's a shame. 1 sort of felt that that's what happened to me in my second year of teaching, and I wasn't too happy with it.

C.T.: Could you tell me about your drama background? What degrees do you hold, and your experience directing and so on?

R.: Um, I got my B.A. in theatre at U.B.C., and I've taught for 16 years and directed at least two shows a year. I've done....

c.T.: comedies, tragedies .... ?

R.: I mix. I do them both.

C.T.: 0.K.

R.: Actually I try to alternate. One year it's going to be a serious play, the next play is a comedy. Urn, I've done some acting locally, in the community.

C.T.: How are teachers who play key roles in producing musicals recognized 0,- thanked once the final perfomiinces are over?

R.: he present administrator likes to write a little note of thank you, and sometimes you get a fetter from other members of the staff and stuff. That's about it.

C.T.: Students?

R.: oh, you know, they thank you. ~ u t again, I haven't had much experience in musicals. Yep. They show their thanks by committing themselves to the rehearsal process and to the production, and doing the best they can.

C.T.: As the drama teacher, can you describe for me the kind of working relationship you had with the music teacher when you did the musical?

R.: We got along very well. He was a nice sort of low-key guy and he wasn't too stressed out. He had a good music program at the time, so it worked out fine. We had a good working relationship.

C .T. : What standards of quality did you maintain for the production of the musical? In other words, is there a separate standard for professions1 musicals as opposed to high school musicals?

R.: I think there has to be. I think you have to lower your expectations for high school musicals, lcause you're not gonna get kids that can do it all -- sing, dance, and act well, so you put on a little. . . . .it ends up being kind of shallow and thin, in my opinion, so yah, your standards have to be lower, even though the community thinks it's wonderful. They're pleased by very little.

C.T. : What have you learned as a result of directing that school musical, The Pyjama Game?

R. : I learned that 1'11 never do it again. It's completely against my philosophy for one thing. I think it goes completely against what I'm trying to teach the kids in school. It's show dressing, window dressing, more than anything else. xtrs like a pep rally for the arts. It ' 8 . . . . and I don't like it.

C.T.: In your view, in order for a rehearsal of a school musical to be called successful, what has to have taken place?

R.: Well, I guess there has to be sort of a mutually decided upon and everybody knows what the goals for that rehearsal are, and that you meet them, that this is the rehearsal where they're going to learn this particular dance step and number, and by the end of the rehearsal it 's done.

C.T.: And then that would be successful?

R. : Uh huh.

6.T.: In your view, in order for a performance of a school musical to be called successful, what has to have taken place?

R.: To be truly successful? That there's a high standard of acting, high standard of dancing, the music is fantastic, the singing is wonderful, and the acting is superb, but you're not going to find that in high school, so I don't think high school musicals are successful, from my point of view.

C.T.: Did you assess either the rehearsals, or the performances once they were over? If so, did you commit your analysis to paper, or did you do it in your head?

R. : I do everything in my head so yah, there s nothing on paper. (He laughs). Well, by my first definition of success, we weren't successful. By public response, it was a huge success, and I found that kind of sad,

that they are generally very satisfied with a low level of achievement. They're just happy to see their kids up there.

c.T.: what are the risks, if any, that you personally took, when you produced the school musical?

P.: Well, I'd never done one before so, and I don't have a musical background, and I don't enjoy them, so I guess the risk was that it would be a terrible flop.

C.T.: That would be a reflection on you.

R.: Yah, I suppose anything that I do has my name on it.

C.T.: Are there any risks at all for the rest of the staff or for the school when a school musical is produced?

R.: Well, the same thing. Anything that the school produces is a reflection of the people that work there and the students that go there and its so-called image. so, if it really stinks then I guess that does reflect on the school. And it certainly reflects on the program.

C.T.: How about financially?

R . : 1 suppose that s a risk if you donf t draw the crowds, there 's usually a fair amount of money that's put into these things. I remember getting something from ~lberta, a fellow working in Edmonton . He spent something like $14,000 on a musical at a high school level. I don't know where they would get that money.

C.T.: Where do you believe the students get the desire to participate in a school musical? Would it be from your enthusiasm or from outsides sources?

R.: Gee, I wonder! Outside sources, I would think! I mean, they don't ask anymore here.

c.T.: what outside sources would influence them?

R.: Probably parents.

C .T. : How about T .V., movies, live shows that they go to see in Vancouver, any of that?

R.: I suppose. I mean they go see Phantom and Les ~ i z and stuff like that, and I have to admit that I'm organizing a trip to take them to see Showboat, but I just want to see the new theatre, so I don't care about the show. (He laughs). so after I take them to see that, there may be some more questions asked. "Why don't we do a musical?" But whenever I meet my classes at the beginning of the year I tell them that if you want to do musicals go to that school (he gestures towards the high school across town), 'cause they do musicals over there, and wa don't here.

C.T.: I know. I'll be going over there next. (Laughter) I have to get a good broad range of evezybodyls views in order to approach this truly openly.

. tch huh. Yes, the public perception of those musicals is that they are very good and very great and very wonderful, but I've seen them!

c .T . : I haven't seen them. I've got to go this year.

R.: Well I've seen them.

C.T.: I've read the reviews in the paper, and they've always been fantastic reviews but I've never had the time to go. I Ive got to go, I 'll go this year.

R.: Well, I went because my niece was in it, and it was painful. It was really painful to watch. ~ut.....

C.T.: In what ways if any, does involvement in the school musical encourage the studentsr creativity?

R. : You know what I 've found is that musicals, unlike other things are director - led. They're really director-focussed and centred. You have to, much more than another kind of play, rather than give them the freedom to make their own selections and choices in terms of character motivation and stuff like that, and line reading and movement and blocking, is that you'll be standing here and you want, no, hold your head up, it (musicals) is much more puppet theatre as far as I'm concerned. So I don't think they (the students) have much input. They have less input I think, at least from my perspective.

C.T.: So you wouldn't say it really helps their creativity at all?

R.: I don't think it enters, no.

C.T.: What is the value to the student of participating in a school musical, in any capacity including backstage hands, members of the chorus, and both minor and leading roles?

R.: well I think it certainly develops skills of co-operation and teamwork. And that's something. But in terms of creating something that has quality and artistic means, I don't think it does (have value).

C.T.: O.K. What extra benefits do the students who have leading roles derive from their participation in the school musical?

R.: They get their egos stroked. And that's about it.

C.T.: Alright, now here's a question you'll like. Are there any negative outcomes for the students who participate in the school musical, that you have either seen yourself or could anticipate happening?

R. : I think they could end up, because they get so much positive feedback from their peers in many cases and certainly their Moms and Dads acd aunts and uncles and granddads and everybody that's there, because they get so many positive things that they could become very swollen in the head and think that they have nothing else to learn. ~ n d I find that actually a fair bit with kids that have been involved in, like elementary school productions, and church things especially. If they've had a lot of experience in that, and they come to the high school level, it's like, "You canltteach me anything! I already know, because, I've been told I'm good already." And I think that's a danger. They may think that they're better than they really are, and they think that they have nothing left to learn, or that they can't grow any further. So that is a real danger as far as Ifm concerned.

C.T.: Anything else?

R.: Um, well, I guess that they might have sort of a narrow view of what theatre is, and its possibilities. That would be something too, that musical theatre is the.,..itts really pushed by Broadway as being sort of

the pinnacle of artistic achievement, and that's unfortunate, because a lot of good, smaller and more meaningful plays get forgotten. I guess it (musicals) sort of perpetuates that myth.

c.T.: once the cast is chosen, how committed do you expect them to be to the show?

R. : Of any play, I expect 100%. I expect that once they've been selected and we've gone through our first meetings and wetve organized a schedule that they have agreed upon, that they will commit totally to it and see it to the end.

C.T.: what do you do if a student quits half way through rehearsals?

R.: You know, to be honest, I haven't had that happen too often.

C.T.: Do you have understudies at all?

R.: No, I donrt. I think mainly because I don't want to spend that much time on it, and I don't think it's fair to the poor understudy to just sit and watch as the performances go by and the run is over and they haven't done anything. I've had to recast I guess, once or twice in 16 years.

C . T . : So you just re-cast and just go on?

R.: And just go for it. Yah. In fact, we had one case where two of our main characters, this was in the first year that I taught here too, uh, were suspended a week and a half before a production, and they just happened to be older characters in the play so I took one role and one of the- other teachers took the other role -and off we went.

C.T.: That worked out, that time.

R.: Yah.

C.T.: What words would you use to describe the atmosphere when the students are rehearsing for the musical? some suggestions would be tense, anxious, relaxed, happy, focussed, positive, negative, or anything else.

R.: Well, at different times it could be any of those. Not talking about musicals, but for rehearsals in general I try to keep them positive and focussed. I try real hard to make rehearsals worthwhile and meaningful for them so that they're actually accomplishing something, that they're not just running through lines, but actually trying to discover things and shape things and stuff, so generally positive and focussed. Butthat's not just musicals.

C.T.: Yep. What words would you use to describe the atmosphere during performance nights?

R,: Energetic, focussed, high, co-operative, creative.

C.T.: what words would you use to describe the atmosphere during a post- production meeting, or if you don't have one, how do you think the students feel after the is finished?

R.: Usually pretty satisfied. Um, satisfied generally with the work that they've done. They h o w themselves when it hasn't been as good as it could have been. They want more. They always want more. In fact I ran into two kids last night who were in a production two years ago and they still are talking about it, and they want to get the cast together and try it again, so yep, positive I think. In many cases I think raised self-esteem is a

big big big thing. Really big thing for some kids. And that enters into my casting sometimes. Giving that one kid a chance who needs it.

C,T.: Thinking back can you think of any differences between the poet- production meeting atmosphere after a musical, and the post-production meeting atmosphere after one of your regular plays that you usually do?

R.: Hum. Yah, I don't really do post-production meetings so that....

C .T. : If not, then just the general feeling that you get f r ~ m the students after the play is over. Is there any sort of post-play let-down like, the day after Christmas kind of let-down or is that not.. .Is it always positive still, and they're talking about it two years later and are happy about it?

R. : Hum. That's really tough. I mean, that was so long ago, that's twelve or thirteen years ago. I'd have to say I didnft really notice a difference. (Long pause here). I think one thing that I know is different is that generally in the straight plays that we do, the cast is much closer than the musical cast was.

c.T.: why is that?

R.: Numbers. That there is much more of a pecking order in a musical. You know, you're the third dancer from the left, and oh, you're a lead, and oh you're lust in the pit, that kind of thing.

C.T.: You're in the chorus.

R. : Yep. Yep. The pecking order is the thing so I don't think a musical has that sort of cohesiveness in terms of the feeling of company or ensemble.

C.T.: And the last question is, if you do have a post-production meeting, what teachers and students are involved in it?

R.: I don't normally have one, If anything it's informal. We just sort of get together and have a few drinks.

C.T.: Uh huh. O.K. That's it!

INTERVIEW # 3 -- TOM -- MUSIC TEACHER

C.T.: On average, how many musicals does your school produce per year?

Tom: one.

C.T.: Approximately how many musicals have you been involved in as the music director?

Tom: At this school, or...?

C.T.: Anywhere, in your teaching career.

Tom: I think this is my sixth one I'm doing this year.

C.T.: In how many years?

Tom: In as many years.

C.T.: which musicals has your school produced in the last five years?

Tom: Let6s see. The ~ i n g and I, My air Lady, Oliver, The sound of Music, Annie, and this year is The wizard of 02. Wefre just starting the production right now.

C.T.: Do rehearsals take place during school hours, before school hours, after school hours, or a combination of the three?

Tom: Before and after school hours.

C.T.: How long are these rehearsals?

Tom: Well they vary. We have, most of the time, an hour to an hour and a half, but as we get closer to the production date, then they begin to run longer -- two hours, three hours -- the last two to three weeks they're two to three hours.

c.a. : How many performances of each school musical does your school generally give?

Tom: Including the elementary school matinee performances, six.

C.T.: Approximately how many hours per week, and for how many weeks does the cast rehearse in preparation for the final performances? Are the hours increased in the last three weeks of rehearsals?

Tom: Yah, they are increased in the last three weeks of rehearsals definitely. All totalled, how many hours?

C.T.: Per week.

: ah per week, . f '4 say the cast, uh, (ltng pause here), well individual east members would probably rehearse about two to three hours a week for the first two months, and it starts to go up after that. The third month, it would be probably four or five, and then the last three weeks, there's lots of hours, I would say probably , oh, at least a good twenty hours a week even. I don't think that's an exaggeration. Yah, including the weekends and stuff, yah.

C.T.: What are the procedures by which the students are chosen for their prospective roles?

Tom: Um, there's an audition process, and itls an cpen audition. The structure here at this school this year and last year has been that there's a musical theatre class. But auditions are open to anyone in the school and we tell the students at the beginning that its a clean slate. NO one has an advantage because they were in 2 show last year or the year before, except of course that they have experience, which may enable them to do better, but its a clean slate at the beginning of the year. We go through a process of teaching the students how to audition for a show, first of all. Then we give them music. They do a vocal audition, and we give them dialogue and they do a dialogue audition as well. Then we call back a group of students who we feel are the best possible choices for the roles and they do another audition. The initial vocal auditions are by themselves without anyone in the room except the two directors, myself and the director of the show, and the dialogue auditions, obviously they need to talk to other people so the call back audition is done as a group. I think we called back 15 or 20 people this year, which is pretty much a good example of what goes on, and they sing and do dialogue in an evening in about a two hour period. They go through the various things we ask them to go through, and they do it as a group. And then the director and I sit down and discuss what has transpired, and we post a list of people who were selected. We have for the past few years also held a separate audition for younger students from the elementary schools, the schools that feed into

(this school), and thatls a one evening thing, It's a tortuous event. We had 75 students singing "~ing Dong, The Witch is Dead" one at a time, from ages six to twelve, and they come in and audition one at a time as well for those parts.

C.T.: Are the students vho play major roles in your musicals generally chosen more for their singing ability, their acting ability, or are both equally as important? To what extent is popularity a factor, if at a117

Tom: I've only done one show with another person other than the director of this show.

C.T.: What do you mean with another person?

Tan: with another director. As myself, music director, and working with another director of the show, so I guess I can only speak from that experience basically. we consider both aspects equally. we discuss back and forth and for particulcr roles perhaps the vocal demands may not be as important. We consider the characterization. In some cases, if I decide, for example in the case of Dorothy, I feel that the song has to be sung well, then the vocal becomes a paramount issue. so it depends on Lne role that we're talking about, whether the vocal or the dialogue, the acting j-s m r e important. In tern of popularity, that is absolutely a non-issue. There's no way. I mean who knows, maybe I'm blind to that kind of stuff, but I don't think so- I think we1re pretty straight ahead and sometimes welve had to pay the price because of it and people will argue the point when we pick people who might not be as popular as other people. But that doesn't bear on our choice really.

C.T. : X the s t w k n t s 323 phi-' leading roles in yozr i;iusicals have private voice lessons outside of school hours?

Tom: Some of them do, but, for example one of the students that was chosen this year does. But my experience has been that thatls not a trend. That's not a deciding factor. I would say most of them don't. The vast majority as a matter of fact,

c . T . : 0-K. DO some of the instrumentalists have private lessons on their band instruments outside of school hours?

om: One or two, but for the most part, no.

C-T.: When do the inst-mmentalists start rehearsing their parts in class 5-. greparation for the msical? Do the students also rehearse other music 3 ; the same tke?

Tom: students who are chosen to play in the pit are not in class. They are all students who are in band classes but the band classes themselves don't rehearse the music. These students get credit for musical theatre. The musical theatre course is one that is locally developed and we designed it basically,

c.T,: Does that course take place during school hours?

Tom: No, it runs outside sf the regular school day.

C.T.: But they stiff get credit for it?

Tom: Right.

C.T, : So then, if they take regular band class, that includes separate music from the musical theatre class.

Tom: That's completely different, yah. And we rehearse, for example, the music arrived at the beginning of this month. I'd already been speaking ro students about who would like to do it and I basically take students who are interested in doing it, and who have the ability to play the music. I don't audition them, I go based on the fact that I know them and I've heard them play before, I've never had a situation where I had more than one student really want a part, so I've never had to choose between two people or anything like that, There usually doesn't seem to be an issue that arises there. vm, and then, what 1/11 do over the next two weeks is I'll meet with individual sections and well1 go over the music because it's difficult and they canpt read it, ...

Tom: And this happens all after school, yah. They make appointments and then we rehearse on Thursday evenings for two hours.

f3.T.: For how many weeks?

Tan: Far, let's see.,.,, we'll probably start meeting in Cwo weeks, and we411 rehearse all the way 'ti1 the end of January when we start playing w i c h the singers.

C-TI: 0 . K . Do you know of any students who were involved in high school musicals who then went on to become professional entertainers as adults?

Tart: I know at few that are in the process, yes. one student who just came to visit = the other day just finished his training in Mew York at AMDA - - American Musical Theatre and Dance Academy or something like that, Dramatic Arts or sanething, I can't remember, and he's been auditioning in tww Pork. #e have one young rn who graduated from here several years ago

is studying opera, and he had voice lessons, etc, while he was here, d be b s sung 3ith k b ~acestta opra, and has a roie with the Seattle opera c d n g up. Cme other student who sang and acted in our school srusicals but his first love is t rumpet is studying at M c G i l l now and plans

to become a professional musician, and one young woman who is also into AMnA in New York and I think is presently finishing her studies there.

C.T.: Do you feel that you have an obligation to the school to produce major school musicals on a regular basis?

Tom: (He laughs). Yah, therets pressure. Itls a popular thing. It brings a lot of prestige to the school. Welre the only school in the district that does one every year. Itls a big deal, itls a big budget production. People in the community have looked forward to coming to it. There's a lot of pressure. I have opted out one year, my second year here, and there was no repercussions whatsoever. Therefis some pressure but I think if I really wanted to stay out of it I could.

C.T.: Do you feel that you have an obligation to the community to produce major school musicals on a regular basis?

Tom: No. My only obligation is to the studen's in this school.

C.T.: As the music teacher, what role does other peoples1 encouragement play in your decision to produce a musical at your school on a regular basis? or is producing musicals entirely your own decision? How is the final decision made? Not the decision of what musical to put on, but the decision whether to produce a musical or not that year?

Tom: I don't drive the musical. The director of the show does.

C.T.: Would that be the drama teacher?

Tom: Well, no. ~usical theatre is the only course he teaches. He is actually a social studies teacher here at (name of school).

C.T.: And is he the overall director of the show?

Tom: And he's the overall director of the show. Be really drives it. If I had my preference, I would do one (musical) every other year. There are issues that arise in terms of the music program, in terms of the popularity of musical theatre, that can in some ways be detrimental to a music program because it draws students away from it. ~t takes up their time so that they don't have time to participate in other music events. The year I stayed out of it I found that that was a problem.

C.T.: Well that year the school didn't do a musical?

Tom: No, there was still a production that went on.

C.T.: But you stayed out of it?

Tom: I decided to stay out of it and they brought a music teacher in from (name of town) to do the musical part. There is another music

teacher here at the school who didn't want to do it either at the time. We decided that we needed to concentrate on the music department specifically because there were some things that were suffering. So the musical went on, despite the fact that I stayed out of it, and that ----- you begin to lose touch with some of the kids and I found that it was better to stay in it so that I could keep some of the kids involved in music, and that's one of the reasons why I've stayed with it.

c,~.: so the final decision is really made by?

TO: rhe direict~r sf the show, He drives what's going on in terms of musical theatre here,

c.T. : Here's a question that's maybe not too easy to answer, but just take your time and think about it if you need to. Are you yourself happy doing musicals?

Tom: Musicals are a wonderful, wonderful way for students to be part of something special. (He continues on at length about how good musicals are for students].

C.T.: What about you? I'm asking you if vou are happy doing musicals?

Tom: Oh, if happy doing musicals!

c.T.: Yes!

Tom: Once again the question? I'm sorry, maybe I'm missing the point.

c.T,: Are you yourself happy doing musicals?

Tom: oh. O.K. From my perspective?

C.T.: ~ight.

Tom: O.K. Yah. Happy?

C.T.: See, nobody wants to talk about themselves. Ev to talk about the students.

eryb ody just wants

Tom: Am I happy doing musicals? I would say yes and no. It's kind of like a.......When I'm there on opening night, and the overture starts and the show begins, I get a wonderful feeling and itts an incredible high for me to see the students on stage and in the pit and what they're doing and how far they've come and how confident they are and the way they've grown and it brings me a great sense of accomplishment, a great sense of pride in them, a great sense of joy. I really feel good about what we've done. The process? I would have to say no, it makes me crazy. I hate it. I guess the only reason I really keep doing it .... Actually I asked not to do it this year but I was kind of put into a position where I needed to do it. I could have stayed out but I felt that I should do it. It's a hard one to answer, because really you know, when the show is on it's just the most incredible thing and the kids have come through so much and they're just doing so wonderful and everything but the process is just gruelling for the teacher. It really is for both of us.

C.T.: In terms of?

Tom: Well just the hours you keep. I'm here from 6:30 in the morning until nine at night three nights a week and it just, it takes....

C .T. : When it comes down to the crunch, like three weeks before the show?

Tom: Well even now! This is what happens now! Monday and Wednesday we rehearse with the young ones..,

C.T.: Sat this is only Wtober.

Tom: Yep.

C.T.: And when....O.K. This is October now and the show will be put on, what month?

Tom: February 12th is the first performance, I think,

C.T,: I didn't realize you started so soon with the rehearsals and everything.

Tom: Well, see the thing is that I do the choral part and the instrumental part.

C.T. : And where are you on opening night? Are you conducting the pit orchestra?

Tom: I conduct the pit orchestra.

C.T.: That's what I thought.

Tom: ah. so, on Monday and Wednesday evenings we do the young ones, the elementary school students.

C.T.: Starting now, You've already started with them.

Tom: We'll start tomorrow night. The lists were just ~ublished on Friday and we haven't been able to get in touch with everybody yet. and then Tuesday and Thursday after school we meet with the people from the high school. Then I have separate appointments with the lead singers to practice their part and go ovsr it and all the sections of the orchestra, And then Thursday nights the orchestra meets. so it makes for a really gruelling schedule for three months, four months, whatever it is, and despite the fact that last year and the year before, especially the year before I loved it, things in my life have changed. I'm married now and I have other concerns and I have other commitments that I need to emphasize so that my life doesnFt fail apart, but the problem with a musical is that it becomes paramount in your life when you do one. It just eats up everything that you have and for that reason, I'm not happy doing musicals. For the reason that, when it comes time and the curtain goes up and we're doing it...

C.T.: That's for the kids.

Tom: I always come home at the end, and I say if I could do thie for a living and not have to teach, boy, this would be great, all I'd have to do after we rehearsed it, if we could run the show for six months, I'd come down to the theatre every day at five o'clock and get myself set and psyched and you know, and everything, that would be wonderful. I would love it !

C.T.: After having had the day off.

Tom: Oh yah! After having had the day to walk in the park and mow my lawn or do something like that, but, when you have to teach as well it becomes a real.. . . . well, the big joke between the director and I is "Boy, teaching sure gets in the way of this doesn't it?" That's the big joke, and it's ironic, but to a certain extent it's really true. I mean the last week, when the show is running, I walk into my French class and I open up my book and I say "Well, what are we going to do today?" It's not like last night I was busy.,..

c.T.: ~ n d the students know that, too.

Tom: Oh and I tell them that. I tell them, "~cok, it's crunch time for me, You know you're going to have to be patient. I'm not a very patient person at this point, I'm right on the edge so,. . .". And you know, they're understanding and they do.. . . , I already cut them some slack at the f#giming of the yex ad I will refind them of that fact and that they need to return the favour, and we get along just fine. But the fact is

that, and I would be lying, and I wouldn't even lie to my own administrator and say that, that my students do suffer during that time, my French classes and my other music classes.

c . T. : Don ' t give me any names, but do you know of any teachers who dislike either attending musicals or being in charge of one?

Tom: I know many teachers that dislike being in charge of a musical or even being a part of it. I know many teachers that don't see it as a valuable thing. Attending a school musical or attending any musical?

C.T.: School musical.

Tom : I've never had a teacher say to me "I don't like attending school musicals". I know there's a lot of teachers who don't attend them for various reasons, but I donft know why. I would suspect that some of them don't attend them because they just have no interest in them, they don't want to listen to it and they just don't care. But I know many teachers that don't want anything to do with producing a musical or being in charge of it.

C.T.: ~ o t h music and drama teachers alike?

Tom: oh yah! Well, yahr I know drama teachers that will have nothing to do with a musical because they don't see it as a valuable component of drama. They see it as a dilution of drama and not a....

C.T.: Have you had discussions with drama teachers about that?

Ton: Oh yah!

C.T. : What would you say to a teacher that said that to you, that "I don't see it as a valuable thing for studentsw?

Tom: I would say to them, "You need to expand your horizons and you need to re-think your position and be a little bit more open minded. I think it is a unique form of art which combines many different aspects of art -- the arts in general, whether it's set design, visual arts, drawing backdrops, etc., and drama and music. It brings it all together and creates something completely unique, kind of a synergistic aspect to it that you cantt get in any one of those areas by itself. So I see it as a very valuable thing. I just wish it wasn't killing my music program I guess. That's the only thing. That's probably why a lot of music teachers don't like them, because It does not directly benefit your music program. As a matter of fact, it's probably detrimental to it, because it draws students away from it, because it's very high profile. students like to be a part of something that's very flashy and everything, and the music program may not be that way. It doesn't have that glitz and glamour being on stage under the lights.

C.T.: I'm not sure I understand how they would be drawn away because you have your regular band class I guess during school hours, that a student could sign up for, say they were a clarinet player, or they could take the musical theatre class after school. would they still be playing their instrument there or no? Is it strictly singing?

Tom: Yes, they could do that.

C.T.: Could they take both? Is that possible?

Tom: Oh yes, they do, All the players in the pit orchestra are playing in the band except for maybe one or two I think.

C.T.: But, I'm just trying to think now, if they wanted to sign up for this musical theatre class after school, because thatrs .the type of music they're interested in, say , as a clarinetist, then do they have the option of not taking band class?

Tom: oh yah, I've done that before.

C.T. : O.K. So is that what you mean by drawing away from the music programs?

Tom: This school is a wonderful place to teach. It's a very high achieving academic school. very strong science program, everything is very strong. The catchment area is filled with peop: 2 from upwardly, upper middle class families, professionals, business people who live around here, so you get a lot of very highly motivated kids who come to this school. Their parents are pushing them to succeed and they want to succeed.

C.T. : I donf t live in this area of (name of town). IS it the mountain kids who come down here?

Tom: Yep.

C T O.K. Then I know what yolllre talking about.

Tom: So that 's a really neat thing because you end up with a lot of highly motivated kids. we don't have the problems for example, that they have at

or (names of schools) where they get a different class of students.

C.T.: I substituted here for the last four years so I know what you're talking about. I've subbed in all the schools.

Tom: Yah. So you get a really different thing. Now this school has its problems too. I mean, we have very few visible minorities in the school, and for that reason racism is rampant in this school to a great extent, and that is an issue that needs to be dealt with very seriously here. So I mean it's not a paradise, but on the other hand, there is that. Now students that come here are driven academically. They really want to go to university. They want to become accountants, doctors, lawyers, whatever. So they have a very heavy academic load. Traditionally, the students who take the academic load are the students that take music. That has been, I don't know, I haven't read all the studies on that.

C.T.: Smart people are musicians1

Tom: Whether one produces the other or how it works exactly, but that has been my experience in seven years of teaching music, and I've heard other teachers say the same thing. What you end up with now, let's say, for example, O.K. I have a student, 1'11 give you an example. A student cams to me today and said, ''1 would like to drop choir because I want to play rugby". He's a fine athlete, really nice young man, grade 12. He's in my vocal jazz. Now, I require my vocal jazz students to take concert choir because in vocal jazz, vocal jazz is a performance group. I don't deal with teaching them how to sing. I do some, because they need some, but I count on what they do in choir to learn sight singing, to learn a lot of the -chnical aspects, vocal exercises, etc. So I require them tc be in concert choir if they're going to be in vocal jazz. So here you have a young man who is already taking two courses; one in the morning ... C.T.: And that is.,..?

Tom: It goes Tuesday, Thursday, ~riday mornings. hat's vocal jazz. ~ n d concert choir meets Monday and Wednesday after school. So now he's filling up his time already. Now, the young man will be playing the wizard in The wizard of oz. so now hers putting something else on his plate. So now hels got Tuesdays and Thursdays after school as well, as a commitment. So now this young man is full. Now he's got to start making some decisions because rugby is Monday and Wednesday. If he drops concert choir he's gonna lose vocal jazz as well. I told him, "I'm sorry. I can't help you out. It's just a policy that I have to stick with". So you begin to have students having to make choices because their timetable is just too full. Their life is too full. And musical theatre takes up a huge amount of their time. SO what you end up with is students, um, who, um, were in choir, and like the idea of musical theatre, end up with a good size role because they can sing relztively well or whatever reason they end up with a good size role. Musical theatre is a huge commitment. I can't keep up with choir. I can't get my homework done. I haven't got time to get everything done. So what does the student choose now? Does he choose the lead role in the show, or are they a member of the concert choir, which has 35 members and they 're just another face in the crowd? It's decision time, and what happens? Well, what has happened is the student goes to musical theatre. They drop choir, so we lose another student in choir. That's how the system kind of happens, and that's the reason why I find it difficult to support the musical, because it pulls away from kids being in.. . . . Now, on the other hand, I cften convince kids in musical theatre to take choir because it's good for them, their singing voice, etc. But I haven't been as successful at that as has happened the other way around. So that's kind of how it works.

C.T.: 0.K; What are your feelings about music educators who are reluctant to produce a major school musical, but do so anyway, because they are pressured into it?

Tom: (Laughs). I understand where they're at. Um, now if the pressure is coming from administration or staff or community, I would say to them that that's wrong. I don't think you should do that. If they're feeling the pressure, well, from my perspective, if they're feeling the pressure because they feel that they need to be a part of it --- this is my situation --- because they are concerned about the health of their music program, because itts gonna go on anyway if they aren't a part of it, so they're trying to make sure that they're there to help stem the tide, then I understand. I'm not sure I'm saying that that's right either. I'm not sure that what I'm doing is right.

C . T . : But you understand.

Tom: But I understand why they would do that. I don't, and I don't think I would ever bow to pressure from an administrator or something to do a show. I would never do that.

C . T . : could you tell me about your musical background? What degrees do you hold and how many years have you been teaching and what specific musical training do you have?

Tom: My degree was from the university of ~ritish columbia. It's a bachelor of music degree, It was one of only maybe four or five classes tk=+ L-I.CLL yLa6iiated from aii irltegrated i~tiisic program, which was a es-operation between the Faculty of Education and the school of Music and the Faculty of Arts. And they developed a program that was specifically designed to train secondary music teachers, because there was not an elementary program, no. Secondary music teachers, secondary music education. Um, so, that was my major. xy major instruments of study were piano and trumpet, and this is my eighth year of teaching. I've taught for seven years? Yes.

C.T.: O.K. so this is your eighth year. Have you been at this school all those years?

Tom: NO, I've taught here for four years, and 1 taught in which is part of school district for three years.

C .T. : How are teachers who play key roles in producing school musicals recognized or thanked once the final performances are over?

Tom: Um, on closing nights students usually present the directors and other teachers, producer, etc. with a gift and a thank-you on stage at the end of the last performance, after the final bows. Um, the administration is pretty good about thanking us publicly, staff meetings. They're very good about thanking us again and again publicly, wherever it may be, um, parents meetings, PAC meetings, uh, at the year end awards assembly they're very good about giving credit.

C.T.: As the music teacher, could you describe for me the kind of working relationship you have with the drama teacher?

Tom: I would say it's excellent. We work very well together, actually. When I first came to , I'd done one show when I was in I

and neither of us knew what we were doing because we'd never done one before and it had never been done there, so we sort of did it by the seat of our pants. The director here is a major veteran of musicals. Before he came to this school he used to do them at his old school in Eastern Canada. I don't know, he's probably done 30 or some odd shows. something like that.

C.T.: I should interview him then.

Tom: He's done many many shows. And uh, in the beginning it was very much a mentor - tutor relationship because I didn't know really what I was doing and he was very good about giving me the, making me feel that what I wanted, my interpretations of what should be happening, full credit, and he gave me every opportunity. And it's kind of grown since then to I guess a point last year and now where I feel like we're more on an equal level and we work very well together in terms of that; kind of stuff. It's give and take and it's very good. Very, very good.

C.T.: What have you learned as a result of directing school musicals in secondary schools?

Tom: Lots. I learned how to be organized, thatts for sure, because if you're not you're gonna go crazy. Um, how have I learned? (long pause). Well, I suppose I've learned a lot about theatre music. It's quite different from concert band music or jazz band music or vocal jazz music, or whatever. It plays a different role. so I think I've grown that way tremendously. Improved my repertoire in terms of my understanding of musical theatre and of how music works in theatre. urn, f 've learned a lot about a co-operative effort. working with someone else as closely as 3 do with the director. Urn, I've learned a lot about kids, that's for sure. what they're capable of, how to bring their talents out, perhaps more so in teaching music in band or choir or whatever. I don't know. What elae have I learned? Yah, I guess that's about it. I Dean, I've learned the praductloa aspect of a musical too, what that's all about a:: well, and the technical aspects of it.

C.T.: Good. In your view, in order for a rehearsal of a school musical to be called successful, what has to have taken place?

Tom: Well I guess basically we have to have moved forward somehow. I try and set some sort of a goal for a rehearsal, what I would like to accomplish. sometimes they're realistic and sometimes they're not. It's difficult to tell sometimes. I see a show as a very large, cumbersome thing, lumbering along, and as it moves along it picks up speed and it begins to move faster and more cleanly, more precisely, more efficiently, as it moves along. It's very slow in the beginning, so I guess what I expect from a rehearsal in the beginning is very different than what I expect in the end. And specific objectives I guess are what have to be set for each rehearsal, and if those get met, then I would consider the rehearsal a success. If it was a rehearsal now, um, that uh, tomorrow I plan to start working with the chorus on the music for the chorus sections. If we can sing through from beginning to end and mark our music and all be breathing in the right places and on those kinds of basic things for the first rehearsal then I will consider that a success. In February? A typically rehearsal might be if the first rehearsal with the orchestra and the singers isnSt a total disaster, then I would consider that a success. 'Cuz that one has the potential for incredible disaster.

C .T. : To what extent are your rehearsals designed to prevent physical stress for the students1 voices, and the second part of that question would be for the instrumentalists?

Tom: Well, in terms of the studentsf voices, one thing that we do is we double the main characters. We put two people on the main characters so that, urn, there are two ~orothys for this show, and each will da half the performances, so that they are not overly burdened and that will help them in terms of rehearsal time. They don't always have to be thers. One or the other can be there. ~t splits the time in half a little bit. In terms of the orchestra though, it makes it more difficult for them because they have to play twice as much rehearsal times sometimes, in some cases, because we don't double everything, just the biggest characters. so um, in terms of the characters, in terms of the singers, we try, well we, when we're rehearsing, thr~ugh most of the time, from the beginning 'ti1 about February, urn, we rarely go more than an hour and a half, and I wouldn't say most of the time that that is singing. When we're learning music, before we start choreography etc., then the rehearsals won't go more than an hour. So they're not singing more than an hour. Every rehearsal begins with a warm up, whether it's a dialogue and singing rehearsal, or whether we're working on just the music we do a vocal warm-up, so we try to make sure that their voices are warm and they're ready to go, so they're not straining anything. We also try to make sure that people who are selected for parts match the vocal range of the songs they're gonna have to sing. I'm very careful about that, so that people aren't straining tremendously to get notes or whatever that are just impossible for them to get.

C.T. : Are there any rehearsals where they're allowed to sing at half voice, to save their voices, like when it gets nearer to....

Tom: Oh! Thatls never an issue, because they never sing at full voice, unless they're singers.

C.T.: They never do?

Tom: No. They, urn, it takes three months of coaxing to get them to sing at full voice, Xrve found. Un, and....

C.T.: Is it because they're not trained?

Tom: Yes, they're not well trained enough to understand the difference between full voice and half voice, so they wouldn't do it. I mean someone

like the girl who is playing Dorothy this year who takes voice lessons, yes , that's a girl that I might say that to.

C.T.: What would you tell her?

Tom: I would tell her just, you know, don't go whole hog tonight, just hold back.

c.T.: In order to...?

Tom: And go through the song, you know, in order to save your voice, in order to, so that you're not getting tired. specially if shefs done a lot of singing in that week or something like that. But most of them, that's not an issue, because they don't sing out. So I have to coax them into singing out, and that takes up a lot of energy and time.

C.T.: In your view, in order for a performance of a school musical to be called successful, what has to have taken place?

Tom: No mistakes! No, um, let's think of one of the ones that was really good. (Long pause). I think the performances that I've seen, that I've directed that have been most successful, are the ones where the students are focussed and their energy is high, and they're in control and focussed. Focussed is the most important word. Focussed performances are good performances.

C.T.: And successful?

Tom: And successful. Most definitely, because when they're focussed and they have high energy then theyfre communicating to the audience what they're wantingto communicate. ~f they're unfocussed like they very often are on closing night, because it's the last night and they get all kind of....

C.T.: The party.

Tom: Yah, wired, and usually at the intermission we go in and have a good chat with them, because they 'vet I ve had even instances where people have forgotten to come on stage at the right t i m and things like that, and that's because they're unfocussed. They're not thinking about what they're supposed to be thinking about and they need to be re-focussed. We work very hard at focussing them again during intermission. so I would say, the most successful, and those little things, despite the fact that an audience might not know.. . . . (We get interrupted by the janitor who wants to come in and clean the room). urn, those little things, despite the fact that an audience doesn' t know the script and doesnr t know the music, they don't know maybe the mistakes that were made, urn, I think really, unconsciously, the audience knows that it was not good. And they may not go away saying "Oh, they made all these mistakesw, because they may not see that, but they'll go away saying, "Oh, that was an O.K. performance but it wasn't greatw. ~ n d itfs because they weren't focussed and they werenft communicating with the audience out there. And the same thing with the pit orchestra. When they get unfocussed they start making mistakes and they start not thinking about what they're doing and not putting their heart into it and that's when you get less than a good performance.

C.T.: So the key word here, then, is "focussedw.

Tom: Focussed, yes.

C.T.: DO you assess either the rehearsals or the performances once they are over? ~f so, do you commit your analysis to paper or do you do it in your head?

Tom: No, we do it in our head, and through discussion. We talk about iti the director and I. we'll talk about how the rehearsal went, and who did what, and that kind of thing, but we donft usually write things down. The only notes I make to myself in a rehearsal are for the next rehearsal so that I know where I need to start up and where to continue on, and what areas I need to work on. I may make myself notes about particular singers, like, make sure you talk to so and so and meet with them, in shorthand of course, urn, and uh, so that we solve some problems with them, individual leads. or areas of concern. I'm known as the yellow sticky man because I always have all these stickies for the orchestra especially, and I hand them out and say, I cut them up into little slivers and ask them to stick them in their music where there's problems, and uh, I use that as a tool to.. . . and then we remove the stickies as the problems disappear, etc. So I mean, those kinds of things, but we donft, I donft write down like after a performance, we'll sit down and talk about it. "How did you think it went? What did you think went well?" etc. etc. and "What should we say to them tomorrow before we start the show?" and that kind of thing. But other than that, we don't do anything other than that.

C.T. : What are the risks, if any, that you personally take when you produce a school musical?

Tom: (He laughs) My wife leaving me! Um, I guess the risks that I take, I find that towards the end of a show I'm very tired, and I can feel physical symptoms of being tired, whether it's constant headaches, or shoulder and back pain I get from the stress. Itis not from conducting I don't think because Ilve never had that problem before when I directed and taught music full time, so I: donft think that's the problem. It Is from the stress. The week the show runs, I have a headache the whole week basically. So I think my health, I tend to, I think that I am risking my health to a certain extent. I think I also, to a certain extent, I mean I made a little joke about my wife but I do put that relationship and some other relationships at risk when I do a show, because of the time commitment. So it, I mean f don't want to over - dramatize it, because my wife understands, and she 1s very, she knows, and she s got commitments too and things that are important to her, and I understand and I think that we're very good about that. But, I know that not being home three nights a week is something that she would rather not happen and urn, I think that if I donlt consider that and change my routine in the next little while it could damage our relationship.

C.T.: O.R. Are there any risks at all for the rest of the staff or for the school when you produce a school musical?

Tom: The director can get really wired on this thing and I sometimes worry about him in terms of his health. I think he risks a lot in terms of that. I don't know, I'm trying to think of risk in a different perspective too.

C.T.: How about financially?

Tom: Uh, to a certain extent, yah, that crossed my mind. We've never lost money except last year but there was another issue there. There was an anonymous donor that provided the school with a set of twelve wireless microphones which is a huge donation. It's a $12,000 item. On the condition that the schooi would pay for a third of it. or a third, or 20% or something like that. And so the show actually lost money last year because we had to pay for that out of the show funds.

C.T.: But now you have them.

Tom: But now we have them, and there's a certain amount of risk. Last year was the biggest production in terms of budget. I think it was an $18,000 budget that it actually came to be. Now I think that those, I don't know that that was considered part of it, just the one-third of the payment the school had to make for the microphones was part of that budget. But, it is fairly well established now. It's not a huge risk. But I mean, they could decide not to come and you know, this year's show will probably be about $14,000 in terms of set design and materials and music rentals, royalties, etc., so, yah, there is a certain financial risk that the administration takes on.

C.T.: Are there any other risks at all for the school?

Tom: Well I suppose every time you go on stage, youfre only as good as your last performance and every time you do a show you risk the reputation of the musical theatre tradition at this school to a certain extent. If itts a bad show, that's definitely gonna damage your reputation, because people will remember The Wizard of Oz, for example. They won't remember the five successful shows before it necessarily.

C.T.: They'll say, his school does bad musicals".

Tom: That could happen. I mean there's a lot of truth to, "You're only as good as your last performancew. So I guess that's about it.

C .T. : O.K. The last few questions are pertaining particularly to the students now. where do you believe the students get the desire to participate in the school musical? would it be from your enthusiasm, or from outside sources?

Tom: I would say it's a combination. I think that Vancouver in the last ten years or so has now been included more frequently on the touring circuit of major shows that are on the road and I think that that's created a lot of interest from students. um, (tape ends and a bit of talking is last as I turn the tape over).

C.T.: So, we're talking about the studentsf enthusiasm. So they see Phantom, Les Miz, in Vancouver and they, that's part of it.

Tom: Yes. A lot of the students here will go to see those shows with their parents. Their parents like to do that, 1 mean I think it's the people that live in this area that would do that kind of thing. So thatlll be part of it. The shows themselves generate a lot of interest because we do the matinee performances for the elementary schools and the elementary school students see the high school students up on stage doing their thing. . . c.T.: And they want to do it too.

Tom: And we get huge turnouts for elementary auditions.

C.T.: So, it wouldn't matter whether you were enthusiastic or not? You think the kids would still want to do it?

Tom: Well, if I wasn't enthusiastic I don't think they'd want to do it. I mean, who wants to work with an unenthusiastic director? I certainly wouldnrt. I, you know, I encourage the students to be a part of it.

c.T.: You say, "come on out and audition! You never knowfw

Tom: oh yah, we do a lot of that kind of thing and we encourage especially the students who we think will do well, you know, to be a part of it, for the success of the show, and for their own personal development and benefit, So uh, yah, I would say it's a combination of those things, and *La-- --- c r r t z ~ e : ~tray be a lot of other things too. I don't t--r* R L A U V Y .

C.T.: O.K. In what ways, if any, does involvement in the school musical encourage the studentsr creativity?

Tom: I would say the people who play in the pit donft get a lot in terms of creativity. I pretty much set the artistic creativity for them. The students? The director is very very good about giving the students a free hand in terms of everything they do. The set is usually designed by students and he directs them in their design, but they do it. The lighting design is done by students and again, he may say, "Look, that's not going to work, for these reasons", and give them guidance, but they do the design. The artwork that is done for backdrops etc., the program that is done, is all designed by students. It's all studentsf ideas. The students who are on stage, who are acting and singing, we both encourage them to do their own thing. The thing I tell students is, "Go rent The Wizard of Oz, but don't come back here trying to be Judy Garland, because you're not. It would be a mistake for you to try to be Judy Garland. we want to see you and what you will bring to the part". And so the director does a lot of really good things with them in terms of giving them direction, but giving them the freedom to interpret the part the way they want. When I talk tc them about the music, I talk about, I ask them questions about it, and I try and stimulate their thought, as to "what are you singing about here? What is she thinking? what is she feeling? what is she trying to communicate to the audience in this song? Why is she singing this song? You have to figure it out. YOU have to find out why is she doing this? Why? And then, drawing from this concept you have in your head, now, how should you sing it to make sure yousre communicating those ideas? How are you gonna phrase it? Where are you gonna breathe to communicate that idea better?" Um, so I try to ask a lot of questions to the students to stimulate their thought so that they will interpret it, and be creative with it. Now, the technical aspects of singing, etc., I correct and I do a lot of that kind of thing and direct them, "No, you're not going to be able to sing it that way because yourre just not going to be in....whateverw etc. It just doesnft sound right to breathe there, you know. But I do try and get them to come up with a creative interpretation and it can be very scary because you're a week away and youfre still thinking, "They're not really coming up with anything very creative1. But if you're willing to let it go, and willing to keep supporting them and willing to keep prodding them along, itf s a much better product than if you tell them, "A11 right. You have to sing it this way or that way". so we try hard to do that.

C.T.: What is the value to the students of participating in the school musical, in any capacity, including backstage hands, members of the chorus, and both minor and leading roles?

Tom: Um, thac's a good question. (He laughs).

C . T . : Itfs fundamental to my thesis.

Tom: And it is a very compiex thing. And f guess tne way 1'11 answer it is to give you some examples of what I've seen happen with students, and why I think, how it's hportant to their development and what it does for them. we had a student here, um, 1'11 start with someone who works behind the scenes, who came to us in grade eight, and was a disaster in terms of his school situation. He was failing in a big way, getting into a lot of trouble, doing a lot of things that would end him up in the administrator's

office and reprimands, and I don't think it ever got to suspensions or anything really serious but it was, you know, he was headed in a really bad direction. In grade nine, he became a part of the musical. Now thera was probably a lot of other circumstances that arose for this young man, and has contributed tt his success now, but, I really really believe that the m~sical, and perhaps theatre in general, because he is involved in the other plays, etc., played a major role in it. Because he found something as a lighting directorlco-ordinator in the first show he was a part of, with which he could express himself, that gave a phenomenal boost to his self-esteem, and .... C.T.: And lots of responsibility.

Tom: And responsibility, which is where his self-esteem came from, which is where I believe self-esteem comes from, from doing great things. Not necessarily from telling someone that theylre great but from them doing things. And he did! He did the lighting design for The Sound of Music, and last year was a big part of the lighting again, and he is the sound technician for my vocal jazz. He now is a very confident young man. He has no problems in terms of getting in trouble. He is very focussed. He is perhaps not a high academic achiever, but he has found an area in which he's good. Hers really good at what he does. And r think that his self confidence is head and shoulders above what it was two years ago.

C ,T. : So one of the values would be improved self confidence for the students?

Tom: Big time. ~ n d self-esteem, and um, urn, uh, to a great extent also team building as well, I donrt know what he was like before, but he was not major social. He's not hugely social now either, but he I think relates to other peopls a lot better. Hers learned to communicate with people and get what he wants without having to resort to negative kinds of behaviour. So I would say that's a big one, and I see that in students whs come to us in grade eight and now have such poise, and such confidence, and such high self-esteem from going through, and whatever it is, whether it's playing in the pit, which probably is the one that does the least, I think. aackstage and onstage really makes students, forces students to be confident in what they do. They go out there and they have a huge success, and I think that they becone more confident from it. I don't know. I think in the pit, that's not always the case. I work very hard with the students in the orchestra to make sure that they feel that they are contributing a major part to the show, because that's not always the way. It's very easy to overlook those people because they're not visual in any way, and I tell the students that the biggest compliment the audience can pay you, is that they didn't even really notice that the music was there. That means that you played it so well, that it was so much a part of what was going or, stage and you supported them so well that it was natural. It couldn't have been any other way for the people there.

c.T.: It was not intrusive.

Tom: Right. And I tell them that "Hey! You're incredibly important". The thing I a l w a y s tell them is you know, "An actor can only-bore the audience to Zeath but you can actually cause pain if you do it wrong. You bow, if you play something out of tune, or wrong notes or just play phrases bacily or whatever, you can cause pain, and incredi~iy damage t h e person up on stage in terms of their performance, so your responsibility is a huae one". I try and make sure they get recognized for it- And I think they do. I think they feel much better for it because they're dying to do it again, for the most part, and that tells me that they feel good about what they're doing, that they've done something well.

C.T,: What extra benefits do the students who have leading roles derive from their participation in the school musical?

Tom: As opposed to students who have minor roles?

c .T. : Right. Are there any extra benefits for the people who play leading rof es?

Tom: ~enefits in terms of their personal growth, or benefits in terms of material things, or .... C.T.: Well, personal growth.

Tom: I tell my students that self esteem comes from accomplishing great things. Now, I would think that probably if you played a minor part or in the chorus, it l s easier to do less your best and get away with it. If you are a major part, and you are not putting out 100% and you donft do your very best, I think itls magnified, and therefore, yo2 have no choice but to do your best. fcuere much more on the hot seat, much more in the spotlight, and because of that I think that you will achieve a greater sense of accompfishnent when you accomplish that than if you are a minor chorus part, or soetfring like that, where, you know you do your thing but you're not....And I donst, Bmmrmn, That's a terrible thing to say, isn't it? Maybe, as a teacher. 'Cause they're all important and everything makes a big difference,

C.T.: Uh hmm, but not everybody can be a star. And you've chosen those leads for a reason, 'cause they can do it.

Tom: Yah. Yah. I don't knew, That's a tough one. But I guess they would probably achieve a greater sense of accomplishment and therefore a bigger boost to their self confidence and their self esteem than maybe soneone who just did a m i n o r part or a chorus part.

C.T.: Are there any negative outcomes for the students who participate in the school. musical, that youfve either seen yourself, or could anticipate happening?

Tam: I r v e never had a seadent that went up there and I was scared to death for them because I didngt think they could do it. I don't think I would ever let a student do that, I would never put a student in that position. tl, I'd find a way to say, "we. 're going to have to cut this song. I think it's better for you", somehaw. m t I think that that would be the most horrendous thing for a student.

C . T - : If they got up there and froze.

Tam: ~f they got up there and they bombed.

T ~ u t you've never seen that, happen, as a teacher.

m r Bevex. Never. well, r've seen little minor glitches that have caused people huge amunts of anxiety. one girl went up there and it was during the rnatixees for the elementary school so technically they were our chess rehearsals, %%at's what they are. ~ut, one case, where there was ai chiinge on stage and the Zigbts c- up before they'd finished changing k, which was pretty devastating for her. And one where a cordless aiercghese fef f mt wiiiie die was singing her song and it kind of des-t;royed everything. Again, during a dress rehearsal. I've never had a major incident, you know, *ere, or, and those things are minor, but they can be a bit hard on the studen&.

C.T.: How about personally, in terms of students not managing their time, or, are they all really organized and efficient and that's not a problem.

Tom: Most of the students are really pretty good and we don't. . . , I 've never had a student fail a course for example, or drop hugely because they were doing a show.

C.T. : This comes back to what you originally said, that usually it's the academically good students that are attracted to music in the first place.

Tom: Yep.

C.T.: So that might account for your success in thia area.

Tom: That's right.

C.T.: Because they are already acadenically good. They've managed their time well up to this point. That's why they're good students, so it ties in with what you said originally.

Tom: I think that's very true. They're really good at it. Some of them, their grades drop a bit in the second term, which is when the big part of the rehearsing goes on. I mean that's not a good thing, but on the other hand I think that in most cases itjs minor and they pick up again after the show is over, and what they get as a result of the show is a good thing, and I think that the payment is an equal kind of thing.

C.T.: So overall you'd say it was more positive than negative.

Tom: I would say, oh, tremendously more positive than negative. Yes. ,Yost definitely.

C.T.: Once the cast is chosen, how committed do you expect them to be to the show?

Tom: Absolutely. Completely. We're careful when we choose students, that we're aware of what goes on in their life, well1 even ask them questions. We got into trouble one year because we asked all the women if they had boyfriends and we forgot to ask the boys if they had girlfriends, so our pianist, who is a raging feminist, no, ~ ' m just kidding, she pointed out that we hadn't done it and that we better do it and so we did. (He laughs ) . C.T.: Fair is fair.

Tom: Fair is fair. She was right. so we did after that. But I mean we do ask questions like that. "Do you have a job outside of school? what kind of athletics are you committed to?" And we even have asked, "Do you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend? Is that going to be a problem for you?" So we're really careful about who we choose before we start in terms of that. And then, after we've chosen, and it starts tomorrow, they'll get the talking to in the beginning that you can't miss a rehearsal. You just can't. It's all there is to it, unless of course you're ill, or there's some emergency that comes up of course we understand. But don't come to me: ard say you had to miss a rehearsal because you had to work. I'm not going to listen to it. I won't. And if you can't be here, then we'll find someone else to do the part. SO in my time in teaching music and in teaching msicai theatre I *ve come to the conclusion f inaily, I guess &out a year ago or two, that compromise is not a good thing to do. I tell the students, I guess it's not totally true because I do compromise still to a certain extent, but I tell the students that I don't do anythins half way. We *ve always done quality stuff here, W e will continue to do quality

stuff. TO do quality stuff, you're going to have to commit to this. If you can't then I would recommend that you go with what you think is important and do a good job of it. If you think itls important to you to be a good soccer player then hey, go be a good soccer player, and I think that 's wonderful. ~ u t if you' re gonna be here, then I want you to do a good job and this is what you have to do to do a good job. So we're very hard lined about that kind of thing. Very hard lined.

C.T.: what do you do if a student quits half-way through rehearsals?

Tom: Pick somebody else to do what they were doing, if that needs to be done.

C.T.: Has it happened? Have you had to do that?

Tom: Um, we kind of hedge our bet. That's another reason why we double aajor parts because sometimes students break down a bit and they can't manage it.

C.T.: Time wise?

Tom: Time wise, because of the schooi, stress. sometimes we've had that situation arise. sickness.

C.T.: u e they sick of the musical though? or is it not that? They love the musical but other things get in the way? If they were to quit, is it always outside things, li?e their jobs at McDonald's or other work?

Tom: Yah, if they were to quit, no, um, it depends. I mean if i~'s a minor part that can happen. Major leading roles don't usually, that doesn't arise, no.

C.T.: No. Because they're lucky to get a good part.

Tom: Because they've made the decision that they're gonna commit to that. But we have had situations where students couldn't handle the stress of managing everything in their lives: all their homework, and just the stress of having to be up there and doing it and maybe the anxiety they had to deal with in terms of perfomance. They just couldn't manage it. So that's part of the reason why the major roles are doubled.

C.T. : But for people like that, who couldn't manage the stress, you Id just pick somebody else and carry on?

Tom: Well, I mean you deal with each circumstance individually. I mean last year x;e had a student who um, was, I spoke with her mother who was having real difficulty managing everything in her life, in terms of her commitments to choir and vocal jazz and the musical. She had a major role, so , and she was reaching, you know, kind of a critical point here and mom was saying, "Look, this is not worth your mental health here. We've got to make some decisicns and decide". so rather than having her quit one or all of those three things we lightened her load a little bit in terms of her rehearsal attendance, her vocal jazz and choir until the show was over, and then she could pick things up again. We kind of managed that for her.

C.T.: So you managed it so she wouldn't have to quit.

Tom: Right. So we try and monitor the kids and ask them you know, "How axe things going?" and "Are you getting your work done?" Especially the people who are committing a big time to the show. And if it's a problem, we do other things you know. We'll talk to their teachers and we'll say to them, "Look. They're mdex a lot of stress, can you kind of cut them

a little slack for the next week and a half or so until they get themselves back together?" We've done a lot of things. So we try and avoid that situation by being proactive. But if someone says, *#~ook, I just canf t do this an;more. I just can't ." Then, O.K., fair enough, thatts fine. I Sean it's too bad but that's O.K.

c.T.: You have to let them go.

Tom: And we let them go and you manage with what you've got. Either someone else picks up the part, or, if it's doubled, then that person does the role for the entire run of the show.

C.T.: What words would you use to describe the atmosphere when the students are rehearsing for the musical? Tense? Anxious? Relaxed? Happy? Focussed? Positi7e? Negative? Or any others?

Tam: I guess it depends, There are good days and there are bad days. In the beginning there's more bad days than good, I think. Towards the end L think that there's probably some anxiety. I wouldn't say that it's really high. In some cases it does get high.

C.T.: And this i3 rehearsals.

Tom: Yep. Leading right up to the show when it opens, Ird say there can be times when it gets pretty anxious and pretty stressful if things aren't going well. In the beginning, if you look at it, it kinda starts here (he gestures with his hand towards the ceiling), and then you hit a point down here somewhere (he gestures somewhat lower) in the beginning of January or something like that.

C.T.: Like a low point?

Tom: Yah. And then you begin to build towards the show. And I think that the students come in really excited about what they're going to do and the new music and everything, and then the drudgery of learning and going tirough and you know, learning the music, and then final f y it finally comes down, and then they've got the music and they Ire beginning to feel good abut the way theyrre singing it etc., and then we throw in the choreography and then itls harder again and it comes back down and then they begin to learn the choreography and by that point werre kinda 8': fting to peak towards the show. So, I think you fight at certain times negative kinds of atmospheres, when the kids are tired and they don't want to do it, and they don't want to work anymore etc., so there is some of t- st at tines. I think it starts out very enthusiastic and we get into those kinds of slumps and things and we have to really push hard to get through things and it's difficult then to stay high and to stay motivated and stay up and everything. I would say if theress anxiety that comes, it doesn't come in until the week leading up to opening night in which the anxiety is, will we be able to get it together for the time we have to perform it. And you know, that's when things begin to happen in terms of people start to get into snits and fight a little bit ana that kind of stuff, so you get a lot of, some of that negative kind of stuff. It depends on the people who are Ln the show. I remember one year our choreographer was just you know, it was a week to go before the show and she was just devastated because these peopie werenit learning the choreography and she felt totaiiy responsible and she was only fifteen years old and she felt the weight of all this, so that tends to create some stress too, those kinds of things. So I guess 2% varies. It varies depending on what the situation is, where we are in the process and how things are going.

C.T. : What words would you use to describe the atmosphere during pezfarmance nights?

Tom: Excited. Um, anxious. Sometimes very focussed. Upbeat. Definitely upbeat. Very positive. Happy. I don't know.

C.T.: What words would you use to describe the atmosphere during a post production meeting, or if you don't have one, how do you think the students feel after the run is finished?

Tom- I think there's a definite low after the show is over. There's a big void there for everybody. You know, all of a sudden they've got all this time and they don't know what to do with it. something has come to an end and it's out of their life and it was a really exciting thing and it's over and I think there' s some sadness and um, I wouldn't say depression. I wouldn't go that far, but you know, people are a little bit down about the fact that it's over. I think that's natural. You're at the end of your song. Itrs up here, and there's bound to be a compensation after that and 30, but nothing I would say that's out of the ordinary.

C.T.: O.K. And the last question is, if you do have a post production meeting, what teachers and students are involved in it?

Tom: I don't know that we hold a post production meeting. we usually have a, on the Sunday, after the Saturday night closing night we usually have a thing for the students here at the school where we have pizza and stuff like that and they sign autographs and sign each other's programs and that kind of thing, but that's just kind of a social kind of thing. It's not really a meeting. The teachers, the producer and various people involved will get together to talk about things. But there's not like a formal meeting. Of course the director and I get together and discuss what we thought about things and how it went and what kinds of things we should do different next time, and wrap up various things. We have to assign students grades and things like that, so we htvb to do all that kind of stuff , 'cause it is a credit course so. . . .other than that, I wouldn't really say there's a post production meeting as such. Maybe we should consider having one.

C.T.: O.K. And that's it!

INTERVIEW # 4 -- MARK -- DRAMA TEACHER

celeste-tina: On average, how many musicals does your school produce per year?

Mark: None. We have a policy here where we do one every three years.

Celeste-tina: O.K. So, um, when was the last musical that the school did?

Mark: &out three years ago. um, but we're not doing another one simply because of the fact that werve had a turnover in music teachers in the last few years. so itfs on hold.

C.T.: O.K. on hold until .... Indefinitely? Mark: Indefinitely until we can, until the music teacher at this school can feel comfortable with her own program, and wefve already talked about it, but we'll wait until they feel comfortable with their own program and then we'll approach the idea of doing another musical.

C.T.: O.K. Approximately how many musicals have you been involved in as music director, in any school, at the high school level?

-Mark: At the high school level, about eight.

C.T.: spanning how many years?

Mark: About ten years.

C.T.: And which musicals ha-re you been involved in as the director?

Mark: You want them all?

C.T.: well, just name the most recent ones.

Mark: O.K. We've done West side Story, and we've done Anne of Green Gables, and um Godspell. we wrote our own once. Um, I can't think of all of them right now. Um, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown.

C-T,: O.K. The usual.

Mark: Yah.

C.T.: O.K. Do rehearsals take place d- ing school hours, before school hours, after school hours or a combination of the three?

Mark: It's all extracurricular. so it's outside of school.

C.T.: After school?

Mark: Well, it varies. ~t's after school, but sometimes we'll rehearse on weekends, so,,,

C - T , : How long are these rehearsaisl

Mark: Again it varies. Urn, the normal rehearsal will last three hours, hut when we get closer to the production it will be longer.

c.T.: HOW many performances of each musical does your school generally give?

Hark: Including the dress rehearsal, well1 do eight.

C.T.: ~pproximately how many hours per week, and for how many weeks does the cast rehearse in preparation for the final performances? Are the hours increased in the last three weeks of rehearsals?

Mark: Again, it varies, depending on the type of musical that we do. Uh, something like west side story we will actually start in motion a year and a half and the kids will start, like the dancing will start uh, in June, for a March production, so we'll be starting, oh, nine months in advance of the production. And again, it varies as far as rehearsal time, but because of the cast members being involved in singing, dancing, and music, each one of those rehearsals to begin with will be one slot a week for three hours, so a particular kid could be doing nine hours of rehearsal a week, and yes, we increase our rehearsal time in the last three weeks.

C. T, : HOW many extra hours per week are the students who have leading roles required to rehearse?

Mark: gain, it depends on the type of musical. We try to break the productions up so that we see the minimum amount of kids per rehearsal. So it really does depend on the leads themselves. So, if somebody only has a singing part, then obviously they're gonna be in a lot less than someone who has to do singing, dancing, and acting. So, I don't like to look at leads. We usually rehearse in chunks so that we'll take a scene and rehearse a scene, as opposed to, you know, we'll bring in the leads you know, four or five hours more per week than some other time.

C.T.: And what are the procedures by which students are chosen for their prospective roles?

Mark: Well, we go through three different kinds of auditions depending on who we have in. For most times we bring in an outside person to do the choreography. So, a student will have to go through urn, a dancing rehearsai, a singing rehearsal,

C.T.: Audition.

nark: fah, 1% sorry, auditions, as well as an acting audition.

c.T.: a d is it open school?

Hark: Yes.

C.T. : Are the students who play major roles in your musicals generally chosen more for their singing ability, their acting ability, or are both equally as important? To what extent is popularity a factor, if at all?

Mark: I would like to say that theyrre equal. But I'm from the philosophy that, and same with the people that I've worked with, that I can usually help most people that have never had any form of acting, um, but it's a lot more difficult to slo that wikh singing, so the singing auditions, there's mch m e emphasis placed on those than there is on the acting, and urn, hopefully popularity doesn't play any role in it.

e ,T. : Um, so when we're talking about auditions, this is sort of along the same lines, who decides then?

Mark: Ah! his is the good question! Um, I've never had a problem in the past where um, IJve always had the final say. If thereJs a problem.

C.T.: And you're the drama teacher.

Mark: Yes.

C.T.: Now are you the overall director of the show?

Mark: Yes. I've always sort of taken on the artistic director and that's come from mutual consent from the people we 've worked with, but I feel very strongly that there has to be one person that has artistic contrsl over the show.

C.T.: Certainly.

Mark: And uh, thatfs usually left with me, but we've never ever had a problem you know, where, um the choreographer or the singing teacher or the music teacher has had such a groblem that we've become deadlocked. So, um, I forget what the question was. (He laughs).

C.T.: So I just wanted to know here, who8s the boss? Who gets the final say on what kids get to play these important roles?

Mark: Yah. It's a mutual consent, but I reserve the right as artistic director, even though we have producers involved in the show, I usually try to reserve that right.

C.T.: Do the students who play leading roles in your musicals have private voice lessons outside of school hours?

Mark: How do you mean by that?

C . T . : Do you happen to know if acy of the students have a voice teacher, a singing teacher?

Mark: There have been students in the past that have had voice teachers, but we don't send them out to voice teachers. ~ u t its been very few and far between.

C.T.: So probably, some of them do, but most of them don't?

Mark: No, I would say in the last five or six, seven years 'hat we've done musicals, um, that um, we've only had one, and that was ( name of student) but um, that reminds me of another one, we did - Anne Mortifee show. I can't think of what it is now. ~ u t anyways, she was the only one that I know of who had a private voice teacher.

C.T.: And do some of the instrumentalists have private lessons on their band instruments outside of school?

k : I couldn't answer that,

COT.: O.K. I don't know if you'll be able to answer this but I'll ask ----a z u ~ . k%en do the instrunentaiists start rehearsing their parts in class In preparation for the musical? Or do they rehearse in class at all?

Mark: Thatrs easy to answer. Urn, in the past, we've usually had them start around September, niaybe as late as mid-october for a March production. So about six months.

(3,T.: Do they reheame in class, or not?

Mark: It depends. Most times, the people that I've worked with, they usually have drawn from a class, like stage band or something like that, and so it has been class rehearsals up until maybe the last three or four weeks, and then it becomes class and extracurricular,

C .T. : 0 .K. I 'rn just trying to think now, would any of the people who are in band class not be involved in the musical, or they're in band, then they're in the musical, because they're needed for the pit orchestra?

Mark: Well, my recollection, especially of west Side story and Anne; they were coerced, or they auditioned. So sometimes it was -- usually they work from a core which is like stage band, which is a very small class.

c . T . : IS that an after school class, do you know?

Mark: It depends on the school, It depends whether they're an early morning or after school class. ~ u t it's part of the curriculum.

C . T . : Right. so they get credit for this.

Mark: Yes.

C . T . : Um, do the students also rehearse other music at the same time that they're rehearsing their music for the musical? I'mthinking of band class again.

Mark: I can't answer this honestly. I would assume, because of something like West Side story and that, especially towards the end that they can't, but I don't know that. I'm not the music teacher.

C . T . : Yep, I know. I just thought, if you know, you can tell me, and if you don't, itls all right. DO you know of any students who were involved in high school musicals who then went on to become professional entertainers as adults?

Mark: Yes.

C . T . : what did they become? Actors, singers, both?

Mark: Yes. They are working in the theatre business right now. And it's really strange that itls only been in the last four or five years that we've really had kids go on and that, so.

C . T . : Are they in T.V.?

Mark: Um, some have done T.V. roles, and some have had different parts in the States, and in Canada, but a mixture of things.

C . T . : Do you feel you have an obligation to the school to produce major school musicals on a regular basis?

Mark: That's a yes and no. Urn, it's not part of my job mandate to do it, 'cause it's all extracurricular, but on the other hand, the one thing that keeps the school program going, um, like a drama program going, is urn, the I%: xxiyft - profile prcxkrietioiis, withozt doing the high profile productions you don't have any community outreach, and therefore, you're not reaching the students that feed the school, so, urn , then you're basically relying on drama programs in other schools to attract the students coming into your own drama program. So in a way to keep the program going, I think it's necessary to keep a high profile.

C.T.: Do you feel that you have an obligation to the community to produce major school musicals on a regular basis?

Mark: only fro= our own philosophy. And our philosophy within the arts program here is commanity outreach, and so we feel that itfs important for the community to see work that is done at this school.

C.T.: Right, and that would.... Ifm thinking of your mimastics group. O.X. That goes along with that philosophy again, because they are very high profile in the community and we know they come from this school.

Mark: Yep, and I think itts really important that the community gets as much positive, um, outreach from the schools, because obviously, therefs a perception that most of the things that the public hears from schools is negative.

C.T.: As the drama director, what role does other peoplest encouragement play in your decision to produce a musical at your school on a regular basis, or whenever you produce them? or is producing musicals entirely your own decision? HOW is the final decision made?

Mark: Um, we have a core group of people in the arts department, and that includes the music teachers, the arts teachers, the dance teacher and myself, and itfs that core that looks at producing either the other alternative, which is dinner theatre, or the musical. And itts usually a group decision that wetre gonna go ahead with doing it, because it involves all of those departments as well as the catering program at the school. But the final decision of what musical is usually mine.

C.T.: -And the final decision &g pr~&~ce a musical, never mind what one, but the final decision that, we're going to do a musical this year. In other words, they couldn't go ahead without you?

Mark: Well, if they wanted to they could, I guess. (He laughs).

C.T.: But then they would have to bring in another acting teacher.

Mark: Right. or another person. But usually, we try to keep it as a group decision, and....

C.T.: Who sparks it all off though?

Mark: Well, we have to go back five or six years ago where there was a core group of arts teachers where we decided that we were gonna expand the arts at this school, So we started a video program, we started a dance program, and then because of that group and the interest within that group, we developed a philosophy where we would try to do alternative theatre one year, weid do a dinner theatre another year, and a musical in the third year, and then rotate because we figured, we have grade 101s through 12fe here, and if somebody was involved, 10 through 12 they would get a really different experience each year, and we thought that would be very valuable to the student. So it's a group decision, and as I said, in planning a musical, usually we take a year and a half and so that decision is made really early. And it has to be a whole group decision because we involve a Itt of teachers at this school. Ill1 bring one or two zriusicals, and the group will read them, and well1 talk about it. But if f said, "I want to do this onew, and the rest of the group didn't want to do it, I couldnft do it either, so.

C.T.: Are you yourself happy doing musicals?

Mark: Um, before I did my first musical, I didn't ever want to do them. I didnf t like them. But as we lve done them over the years, and that, I've grown to like them, but every three years. (He laughs).

c.T. : could you tell me why you had this impression before you did a musical?

Mark: well, I still do because I think that mostly, it's nothing but pure entertainment, and we like to try to do things where urn, the themes have a lot of current relevancy to what they're doing. Part of our philosophy is that theatre has some connection with life, and has some connection with a theme, and should have some meaning as opposed to just entertainment, so there aren't a lot of musicals out there that combine all of those things, and that. But it really is a neat experience for the kids to go through, and for me to go through as well,

C.T.: The main question though is are you happy, because I have another question later on about the students.

Mark: If you've done anything like this on a consistent basis you know khe rollercoaster emotional. ride that you go through, and urn, there's no arguing that there are times when you're going through this that you actually hate it and you wish it would go away and stuff like that. Urn, I think what makes me the happiest about going through these things is the incredible connections that you make with the kids, and that becomes lifetime, because the kids are constantly coming back. Why we feel the arts are really important at this school is because itf s another place for involvement for a student. The more things that a school can offer for involvement, then we, as a group feel that the more successful the student will be. And I think that's what keeps us going, is that, every couple of years we have a new group of kids coming through, and seeing all work and th-2 effort that they put into it and the happiness that they get out of it is what makes it worthwhile. So, happy is a relative term, because you go through all those emotions but that type of connection that you make in going through this type of venture is what makes it all worthwhile.

C.T.: so it's the connection with the students.

Mark: Yep.

C.T.: O.K.

Mark: The lifetime! (He laughs)

C.T.: Do you know of any teachers who dislike either attending musicals or being in charge of one?

nark: I don lt know. I mean obviously, there are those people who will not attend, and obviously there are those people that like certain musicals and not other musicals, but I have no idea whether somebody would not attend because they didnlt like a musical. And there's lots of people that wouldn8t want anythicg to do with it. That's why they teach rugby or something else.

C . T . : xhat would you say then, to a teacher who disliked being in charge of a musical, directing? what would you have to say to someone like that?

ark: Why are they doing it?

C.T.: so you think they should, if they don't like it, then don't do it and that's that?

Hark: Yep.

C.T.: O.K. What are your feelings about drama educators who are reluctant to produce a major school musical, but do so anyway, because they are pressured into it?

Mark: Well, I think they should go see their union rep! (He laughs). Because they can't be forced into doing it. If they allow themselves to be bullied, I mean, if you take a situation where somebody is bullied into doing something itfs like anything in life. They need to be able to stand up for what they believe in, and um, I canrt think that it would be a beneficial, benefit to the students, or a benefit to the school. I just can't see how it would work that well, that somebody would come out being a positive experience. so, if somebody doesn't like doing it, and they feel like theyrre being pressured into doing something like that, then we have a drama association that they can contact, or their staff rep in their school, or their own union, because a principal cannot make anybody do something like that because it's extracurricular.

C.T.: So if somebody did it, and deep down inside they didn't want to, you don't have much sympathy for them. They should take the appropriate steps .... Mark: No, it's not a matter of having sympathy because I know that I've been blessed with having really good principals, and Irm trusted, and there's only been once where I've felt like, in the rape scene in West Side Story where I asked the principal to come in and look at it, 'cause soma of the other people that were involved in the production end were feeling a little bit uncomfortable about how the public would perceive it. But I know in the past where there have been drama teachers and I've felt a little bit awkward as well in producing a piece of drama and wondering whether you would get it in the neck from the public, and then the principal would get it in the neck, and having those types of reservations in going through it. We're in a really really dicey situation because um, this is an educational institution, and so every school district differs in how conservative they are. And I know I've even done a play in the past where people from Vancouver and that came up and said, "How in the world did you ever get away with doing that play?" And I'm going, "Why are you saying that because I felt that the play that wetre doing is very conservative?" SO it varies from community to community, about what you can and cannot do, and then I think it varies from schools as well, but my bottom line has always been that if you do something really well, you can push the boundaries a lot more. And that seems to be the bottom line, ia how well the production ends up looking at the very end.

C.T. : Could you tell me about your drama background? What degrees do you hold and what specific acting training do you have?

Mark: O.K. I did some freelance working before I went to university, and I have a B.A. in theatre from U.B.C., and I majored in theatre and creative writing and film, and since that time as well, I've worked in community theatre, I've worked in radio, I've done some television, done some film work, but since about 1982 or ' 8 3 , because of having a family that I've concentrated only on the school stuff.

C.T.: How are teachers who play key roles in producingmusicals recognized or thanked once the final performance is over?

Mark: Ah! You hit on a very tough question!

C . T . : They're all kind of tough.

Mark: Urn, we've decided right fromthe very beginning that anybody who is involved with the production gets a thank-you card from the principal. That's anybody, whether itrs a student, whether it's a parent.

C.T.: What do you mean, you decided? b id the principal decide or did you decide for him?

Mark: we decided as a production team.

C.T.: You said, "Principal, you're gonna give a card to everybody"?

Mark: Yep.

C.T.: Really!

Mark: Yep!

C.T. : Oh, you guys are bossy!

Mark: Yep, and that's her involvement and itfs actually carried on for over the last few principals but as I said, we've always been really blessed with principals, and they always say how can we get involved, and we just said well, this is how you get involved. And we felt that this is one, itfs not a tiny job, but one job that would be very effective coming from the principal, is sending a thank-you card and I know when we did our dinner theatre last year when we came back from holidays, the kids were coming and saying, "Hey, lookit! I gct a card from the principal saying thank-you!" And that's it. There are no gifts or anything else, and it comes from the principal and so it seems to cover all the bases that are necessary, because once you start giving something to someone thatfs different than somebody else, there are always hard feelings.

C.T.: So all the teachers get the same. A card.

Mark: Yep, yep.

C .T. : AS the drama teacher, could you describe for me the kind of working relationship you have with the music teacher in a musical?

Mark: Vm, what did James say? (He laughs).

C.T.: I'm not going to tell you!

Mark: Um, I lve never ever had any problems. Ever. I've always felt that they ve been very very good. Time plays a great healer anyway so it's hard to remember dirty moments or moments where we may be arguing over how something might be presented, but if I have any strong qualities, it's empathy, and so I can't really remember, and I've worked with some pretty volatile people in the past. And so I can't ever reme&er having a real problem artistically with someone.

C.T.: So you'd describe it as a good working relationship?

Mark: Eep.

C.T.: What standards of quality do you maintain for each production? In other words, is there a separate standard for high school musicals, as opposed to professional musicals?

Mark: No. My bottom line with everybody is that it is as good as it can possibly be. And obviously everybody is on a different journey and so sometjbaes kids can start off really well and fall behind, or somebody can

be behind and then do really well by production time, but um, like when we did West Side Story, urn, I know that they wanted to cut some of the music, and I know that they wanted to cut some of the dancing, but the dancing was exactly what they did in the professional. show. The same as on the movie. And so, we had a lot of non-dancers, and so our expectations are always as high as they can possibly be, and it's funny, the kids usrslly meet them. So our shows may lack something in experience, but hopefully the quality by everybody is extremely high, and thatfs what I consider professional.

C.T.: What have you learned as a result of directing school musicals in secondary schools?

Mark: Don't do them! (He laughs).

C . . Don't do them? After you said all this about how great they are?

Mark: Yep. Urn, uh. I guess what people tend to forget, people sort of say "Well, you've got to do them because you love them". I think what a lot of people tend to forget is the fact that as a teacher itls a full time job, and taking on something like this is like a second full time job, and anybody who says it isn't is kidding themselves, or is lying, and it's really stressful. I don't think that anybody has a better production team than we have, and uh, we involve up to 30, 35 teachers on staff in them, and a lot of parents and things like that. so itls an incxsdible co- operative venture, but they are extremely stressful, and unless you have a lot of follow up afterwards they can even do a little bit of harm. So, the experience is good. I like doing them every three or four years, but they are tough, and um, they're extremely draining.

C.T.: In your view, in order for a rehearsal of a school musical. to be called successful, what has to have taken place?

Mark: Uh, gee where do you start? I guess the bottom line before anything else is that the kids understand that a rehearsal means that they 're there. Pad we think that we've got the system beat every year but when you bring in new kids, itfs always going through a training process. So that has to be the bottom line, that eveq5aQ is there, because that can be the biggest killer of all rehearsals, even if itls a minor character not being there. Especially if nothing has been discussed in advance. And at the end, that the kids are feeling good about what they've done. And we always try to make sure that eve,ry rehearsal, no matter what has happened to it, ends on an extremely positive note, and that seems to be that level of, where tine kids are feeling that they've achieved something, and we've achieved something as well.

C.T.: To what extent are the rehearsals designed to prevent physical stress for the studentsr voices, in certain musicals that have a lot of singing, and also for the instrumentalists, if you know?

Mark: Usually, when we've gone into rehearsals, and we've gone through auditions, usually most of the cast are singers, or the leads are singers.

C.T.: In that they've had school training in singing, not private voice lessons,

Mark: Yep, And therefore at this level, they probably have had a minimum of ftur years eqerience.

C.T.: Singing in choirs.

H a r k : Singing in choirs and that, and therefore theyrve also gone through, whether they realize it or not, a set w m - i i p routine. -d so, if t h e

music teachers are cot there at a particular rehearsal, then the music zeacher and I have usually gone through it and make sure that at least one of the students is pretty well set in vocal warm-ups, So they will lead the students. I will do one, and they will also do one, and we'll take the kids through vocal warm-ups, so almost every rehearsal we'll go through a physical warm-up and a vocal warm-up before we start.

C . T . : knd what about the instmentalists3 Do they have any kind of a warm-up?

Marir: Well, the way our rehearsals are structured is that there are a lot of times that we won't even see as a large group, the instrumentalists until two weeks before the show. So at that point I set the show rehearsal times and before that will be warm-up times, and so if the band can come in and do their warm-ups or whatever, but when werve set the rehearsal times, if theytre starting at 6 o'clock at night then we're right into show rehearsal at 6 o'clock.

C.T.: So they've got to warm up beforehand.

Hark: Yes, in the past, they come in and warm up, before that time.

C.T.: I'm just thinking no%, sonle time in the last two weeks before the show opens, you said rehearsals could possibly be up to tweive hours. Now f assume then the instrumentalists would not be playing for all twelve hours. So they'd get breaks in there.

Hark: Uh, yes.

C.T.: ~ u t you'd be here 12 hours.

Hark: Nope, What would happen is, m, depending on the show, but mn, if Wednesday is a dress rehearsal,... We always start with the show and back up, That's how we do our rehearsal schedule. So when we start planning, and um , on something like west side Story when we did it, we would probably have our cue to cue on the Sunday before. So cue to cue could possibly start at one o'cfmk in tbe afternoon or,...

c.T.: could you explain for the tape what that is7

Mark: Cue to cue? m, that's the opening anu closing of every scene. It's possible to start that at iO o'clock in the morning and going all the way though to 10 o'clock at night.

C . T . : And this is a technical rehearsal.

Hark: Yah, cue to cue, technical rehearsal. So we would build in breaks %here where we might have lunch at two 08clock and we might have dinner at six, for forty minutes or half a ha^, and m, that's completely done by the parents or the chef catering program. The breaks are minimal, but urn, to get through a cue to cue, you kind of like to run it all at once, or tlseress a possibility that m, that's usually the one that takes the longest in going through, and so it can end up being twelve hours. Mtbrmgh there's a fot of times when wefll split that into two days or there kave been same rehearsals that may start at one o'clock in the &teanosn irnd go all the way through to eight orelock at night, We sort af over-schedule o-E ~ e k e a r s z f the fa, we have a policy where we' 13. never ask the kids to give any mre time other than what the rehearsal schedule says. ff;'s a great motivator, and sometimes, what wesll. do is wepii say, "You guys are doing so well, we donle need to use this day*, or whatever, and so they get it off. Usually, id we are opening on a Wednesday night with a dress rehearsal, usually the Friday, S3turday, Sunday are the long

days and then by the Honday we're into show time, so call is at five or six and show is at eight.

T : In your view, in order for a performance of a school musical to be called successful, what has to have taken place?

Mark: urn, it has to have met our expectations.

C.T.: What would your expectations be at this particular school?

Mark: Urn, well, going back to the other question, and that is, right from the very beginning, we're trying to achieve the highest standard possible, so we usually involve two professionals outside of the school, and one is our set designer, and that's - (name), and our choreographer. so the expectations are set from those first sketches, or the painting of the set, the little design of it, because right from that, people can see, "Oh yah, this is what the show is going to be like", and so it sets a nice tone right from the very beginning. SO no matter what obstacles get in the way, it's "Did we actually achieve what we set out to do?" Like, even with West side Story, I mean without changing any of it, we felt that we could actually say something with the end of the show, that we felt that was really relevant to today, and gangs and violence and that, just by the focus right at the very end and so, um, and did we get that at the very end and so that's how we measure that success.

C,T.: Do you assess either the rehearsals or the performances once they are over? If so, do you commit your analysis to paper, or do you do it in your head?

Hark: We try to do it as a group at the end and yes it does get committed to paper, because obviously I 'm never happy with, or I shouldn't say happy, but, um, my mind is constantly creating, and so, I may come out of a rehearsal saying, "I'm going in a different direction." Or, "I want to work on thisu, or -1 want to work on something else5, but we try to end it with the whole group talking.

C.T,: And that would be a way of assessing how it went, So you get input from both the teachers who were at that rehearsal as well as the students who were at the rehearsal,

Mark: Yep.

C.T.: So the students get to assess too, themselves.

Mark: Yep,

C-T- : What are the risks, if any, that you personally take when you produce a school musicall

k : Well, I donft know who said it. I think it was a baseball player, I'm not sure, but that is, that you're only as good as the last thing you did.

C.T.: I've heard that before.

=-k: 824 ac yatz p t ycx= reputzirion On the tine every time. This school could do dinner theatre every year because they 're so highly receiwed, and that, but it is, it's dangerous going in because most of the people that -weeve Ead cane back for dinner theatres, mu I guess t h e same with musicals, is that they have the memories of the previous one, and so if it doesn*t meet t h a t expectation then utn, then you feel, "Well, I've let solipehdy d m " . so I am pretty hard on myself, and going into it;, you'd

think it would become easier and easier butthere are a lot of things that are easier, like the plailning process. The planning process now is, we've got down as a real snap, aut the artistic and creative side is always difficult,

C .T. : So the question was, the risks that vou take so, um, is it a reflection on you personally if the musical doesn't go well?

Mark: well, touch wood that's never happened.

C.T.: That's good!

Mark: Um, I really like taking risks because that's what keeps me alive. No matter what we're doing, we're always trying to find a new in, a new way of presenting it, a new way of doing something, and so I feel that the risks are always there. sometimes it's really difficult to pull the kids along. Because if youfre trying to do something a little different, or something that's not quite what they think should be going on that's what's difficult. so I like taking risks and I like trying things that are new, but there's azways that risk of failure.

C.T.: Are there any risks at all for the rest of the staff or for the school when you produce a school musical?

Mark: Of course there are.

C.T.: What would those risks be?

Nark: Well, let's jump back to West side story and the rape scene. Um, this is quite a conservative community and urn, it could be interpreted the wrong way. I mean, it's a very sensitive issue right now. Well, it always has 'been, but it always seems to be in the media somehow and um, you know, how do you take a scene like that in a show which is deallng with entertainment on one levef of dance and singing and colour and everything else, and then you put sowthing in which is very sensitive subject matter, and, but also make it believable, and powerful, and you're dealing with a I?-year-old. Therets all of these things that are going on there and then if the public perceives that this is not working, then it can reflect very badly on the school. And this scfiool in particular has had some things, not necessaily show - wise, but where the media has picked up on, and has become a bad reflection upon the school, and I'm assuming that there are a lot of stories out there, of drama teachers that have tried things, and it has backfired, and has either gotten the school in trouble or the teacher in trouble or, and then, the difficulty with that is that we've built up such a great rapport with our teachers in helping, that if they experience something which is negati~e, are they going to come back next year and help you as well? so, you're back to that whole square of, your reputation exists on what you've just done.

C .T. : O X . The rest of the questions pertain particularly to the students now. Where do you believe the students get the desire to participate in a school msicaf? would it be fro= your enthusiasm, or from outside sources?

Mark: I think itis basically an opportunity that's provided to a group of sttrdes%s df,f. , in t h i s yble st.&denk M y , %hat shpl- &I say, *I wa';tld like to be of that", And *ether that has come from a grade three musical that they were invdved in, or something off television or a keen interest on their part. So there could be any vehicle that was being offered that would attract a certain number of students anyways. Does it have any effect on who is doing it? I think that that's a possibility as well. I think that you know, s- students may be involved if a particular teacher

was involved, and if another one was there, they might not be involved. ~ u t to say that there's a mass of students running to be in a show, because f f m directing it, I don't think so. (He laughs).

C.T.: So you would say maybe itrs a combination of all these different things?

Mark: Yah. But it's basically the opportunity thatts provided, and that there is a natural instinct on the part of the kids to want to be involved in it. Plus, if the kids are involved in something the previous year, that makes a big difference. They really want to be involved. If it was a positive thing for them the year before, they really want to be involved the next year in something.

C.T.: In what ways, if any, does involvement in the school musical encourage the students1 creativity?

Mark: Urn, sometimes a light goes on in their head and sometimes it doesnft. I've had students in the past that have struggled for a while and all of a sudden they understand, and then the creativity just takes over, and where wefve worked with other students that have been just as talented, but the light doesn't go on. They don't understand the process, and nothing happens. so I think it comes down to whether the individual is ready at that given time, and can understand what the process is, or trust themselves.

C.T.: what is the value to the students of participating in the school musical, in any capacity, including backstage hands, members of the chorus, and both minor and leading roles?

Hark: At this level, I think it's totally invaluable to them, because as much as people look at kids of this age, with their bravado and that, they zre looking for somewhere to belong within this community. And just attending classes is not enough for them to feel successful within this community. And whether we're looking at rugby or basketball or football, or the yearbook or whatever, if a student is involved in one of these activities and they fael very successful, they feel part of this ccrmmunity, and in most cases that reflects on their whole attitude within this community and also reflects on their attitude once they leave here as well.

C.T.: What extra benefits do the students who have leading roles derive from their participation in the school musical? or are there any extra brief its?

Mark: Um, I think only later on that it just acts as a positive memory in their past, so that when they look back on high school, there's this very positive memory for them, when they're running through it, it depends on the student themselves. Because sametimes they will take it, the lead role, and everything else that goes with it, and become a leader or a mivator for the rest of the students. or, you know, they just go in the opposite direction. so I think it ends up being the individual at the

in time when theycre actually doing it and how they react to what going on. It's difficult to fight that star syndrome, and we fight it every time we do it, But I think the benefit is later on, rather than at tfre moment.

C.T.: Are there any negative outcoines for the students who participate in the school musical, th& you have either seen yourself, or could anticipate happening?

Mark: I'm not sure that this is gonna answer this question, becauae itis a debate that werve had for a long time. The one negative thing that I

think comes out of this is, if we have a student who is involved in this for two or three years, and they have an inclination to really go on somewhere else at a professional or school level, sometimes they get lost when they leave here. There's sort of this sense of hollowness.

C.T.: After the show is over, you mean?

Mark: Well, we try to take care of that one, but once they leave the school, so um, if there was something that we could offer for kids that were actually graduating would be something that would be a follow-up once they were outside the school, because depending on whether the community has a really good active community theatre or whatever, which this community doesn't seem to have at the moment, urn the students seem somewhat lost, which ends up being a little bit of a negative once they've gone through this. Because this is a very high energy, impact, on their life, event, and it becomes totally absorbing. And we try to look after that point right after the show. That's why we always do the shows where we do them in the year. Because they just come out of it, and then we're into spring break. We always build our shows around that, and so we try to take care of those downs. We even discuss it as a large group, sort of the emotions after the show is over, but once the kids that have been involved in the programs, and they've been really involved in them, once they leave school, um, there's a sense of loss that they go through, and that's the one negative that, if we had the possibility of changing, we would like to change.

C.T.: Once the cast is chosen, how committed do you expect them to be to the show?

Mark: This is what we do. once we've cast them, we give them outs all the time, and when we do the first read-through with the whole cast, that's their last chance to quit. You can walk away and no hard feelings or anything else. We involve the parents and everything else with this. we make the kids sign contracts, although the contract is only for a sense of memory more than anything else, I mean it's not a legal, binding contract, run, so once they've committed after the first read-through, then they are in for it, and therels no backing out.

C.T.: What do you do if a student quits half-way through rehearsals?

Mark: Have I had that happen to me? Yes.

C.T.: And what did you do?

N a r k : Well, it's um, luckily I've always been able to read the kids that are in the rest of the cast, and we've had somebody drop out of a lead two weeks before, as a matter of fact we ve even had.. . . . I 11 come back to that one, but one of the more recent ones was somebody who dropped out two weeks before we actually went on, and because the nature of that play, it was kind of easy to ask someone else to step into it, and then we filled his role with someone else, because he had been there for all the rehearsals. Now that didn't mean that he, he didn't have all the lines down. He had a tremendous amount to go through, urn, but, we have had it happen and usually we'll pick someone right out of the cast and say, "can you take this on?" and urn, that happened the first time we did a musical, when I was at - (name of s c b d ) , we had air techfdress rehearsal on 2 Saturday evenzng, and the main lead was not there on a Friday, urn she had to work, and so I let that go, and she had to be there on Saturday, and she wasn't there Saturday, and I phoned and she was at work, so I kicked her out. We went on on the Wednesday after that.

c.T.: And who played her part?

Mark: Again, one of the girls who was playing a minor role in it, and she, it became total absorbing, and she did nothing else until opening night, and she was wonderful.

Mark: so, it happens. It happens all the time, and it's just a, you gotta weigh that issue right then and say, "can we put omebody in and do it?" And usually at this level the kids will really rise.

C,T,: But you don't have understudies.

Mark: Nope. hey don't work. We've done do:,:? cast, wefve done triple cast, they don't work,

C.T.: So you'd rather do it this way, and it has worked so far when that has happened.

nark: Yep, Icause usually, unless its laid out right from the very very beginning that they're gonna get one or two shows, and the lead understands it. But its hardly ever that you ever do a show where you only have one or two understudies. If you're gonna do it for leads then youtre gonna do it for everybody. Um, and what's really difficult is, is that it's not a professional rehearsal schedule so the intensity is slightly different, and therefore, when you go into rehearsals, if I have three hour rehearsals, yourve got to spend that on the main people. You cannot stop and say, "O.K., now we're going to do some other blocking or exploration with the other peoplen. And so, thsre are usually a lot of hard feelings going through it, so we would rather go through with no understudies, and then if the emergency ever arises, we just pull somebody, and then we find somebody for the person that we pull.

C.T. : What words would you use to describe the atmosphere when the students are rehearsing for the school musical? Tense, anxious, relaxed, happy, focussed, positive, negative?

.Hark: (He laughs) All of themr They run the gamut. Itfs my job, and the other key players in it to keep the rehearsals as positive as possible. Because once a student feels that they can't do something, you've lost them. So you just keep them positive, and I feel like that's my job, that's my role.

C.T.: What words would you w e to describe the atmosphere during performance nights?

pn-ark: We've always been really blessed. They ve always been really good. 1 mean, even last year, in our show, on dress rehearsal, one of the kids went and was in a car accident, and had to go in the hospital and everything else. Now he didn't appear until the second act, but he was a lead, so we explained this to the audience and everything else, and we had one of the teachers step in and read the part, and the other actors just pushed him around where he was supposed to go, and it worked out really well. And again, what you're always looking for is something which will gel the cast, and that type of thing you donf t want to happen, but it gelled that cast, because they had to pull together. So I would think the k5.k feef really =ell prepzed =hen they go into it, and obviously there's always nerves on the dress rehearsal night but I think they realize by the time they've got there that they're well rehearsed.

C.T. : O X , The second last question is, what words would you use to describe the atmosphere during a post-production meeting, or if you don't have one, how do you think the students feel after the run is finished?

Hark: Post production is usually, we usually have a couple of post productions. And that is, that we will have one with everybody, and then we'll have one with sort of the main production people and then we'll pull one where it's just our production team, and uh....

C.T.: So are there students in any of those meetings?

Mark: Yes. We turn the show over completely to our e tridents. So we will have a student stage manager. obviously the zonducting isn't done by a student, but where we can, so all the lighting and everything else is done all by the students, and we lve always firmly believed that we step away from the show. so a student runs the show.

C.T.: So the students are the main production people.

Mark: Yep.

C . T . : So of course they're going to be in the post-production meeting.

Mark: Yep.

C.T.: what teachers though? Like yourself, the music teachers.....

Mark: well, you see, the person that runs the lighting and the sound, it's like me, as the director, with my assistant director, whoever that may be. I mean, theylre with me all the time, and that, and as we get in there then I start turning over the warm-ups to them as we get down there, and going through and making sure that the kids are here and everything. So obviously with the lighting and the sound and all of that, those teachers would be there as well, and urn, usually though, when it's the final meeting, it would just be the assistant director and the stage manager and one or two other key students rather than a lot of students in that final meeting.

C.T.: And what kind of atmosphere is it?

Mark: Well, they've always been usually good. It's usually when we get into just the four or five of us that are sort of the key peaple that are running it, that we will sort of vent frustrations in the sense of what worked and what didn't work and what could we do for the next year and stuff like that. And a lot of times there are hard feelings one way or another about little things that have happened, but usually they are very positive, and people want to do them again, once theytve got sleep again.

APPENDIX C

INTERVIEW 4 5 -- GRADE 11 & 12 STUDENTS

Background information: ~ i g h t s tudents , ( s i x g i r l s and two boys), i n grades I1 and 12 w e r e iriterviewed f o r one hour a f t e r school. These s tudents w e r e joined about ha l f way through the interview by one more g i r l who has taken c a r e of t h e t echn ica l aspect of mnsicals- A l l s tudents have been involved i n musicals i n various capac i t i e s s ince grade e igh t . The school they a t t end produces a major musical every year . A l l names and p laces have been changed t o p ro t ec t t h e s tudents t privacy.

Celeste-t ina: o . K . , how many musicals have you been involved i n s o f a r i n high school?

Student # 1: Five?

Student ++ 2: Four*

Celeste-t ina: Louder.

Student f 3: Two.

Student f 4: Two.

Student # 5: Four.

Student f 6: Three .

Student # 7: Four.

s tuden t # 8: Three.

ce les te - t ina : Great, 1x1 w h t capaci ty w e r e you involved? What d i d you do?

s tuden t # 1: I 've been i n t h e chorus and small speaking and s inging p a r t s and then l a s t year I shared a l ead and t h a t ' s it.

Student # 2: I have been i n t h e chorus and I ' ve a l s o had some urnall speaking p m t s a s w e l l as being on sound crew and costume.

Student ii 3: sound technic ian and a s s i s t a n t s tage manager.

s tuden t C 4: Urn, I've done l i g h t i n g worked on s tage , f l i e s , etc.

Student i7 5: Um, ac t ing and s inging small and b ig parts and t h e chorus.

Student % 6: I p lay t h e c l a r i n e t i n t h e p i t o rches t ra .

Student i: 7: urn, stage management, sound, and s t age c r e w .

s t 8 I w a s a ~ & e r of t h e a rches t ra .

Celeste-t ina: Excellent! So we've got a good cross-sect ion of everybody who is involved i n musicals and w e a l l know t h a t a musical can ' t happen without a l l or' you. Yourre a l l important, DO r ehea r sa l s t ake p lace during school hours, before school hours, a f t e r school hours o r a combination of tne three? 3ust a few of you could answer that,

student: After.

student: After.

student: After.

student: Evenings.

c.T.: ~ l l after school and evenings?

S: And we have matinee performances which happen during the day, and we have to leave at lunch so we miss a little bit of school.

C.T. So there's just one matinee performance where that happens?

S: Two*

C.T.: How long are these rehearsals? I know that really varies but just give me a rough idea.

S: TWO hours for the orchestra.

C.T.: Two hours for the orchestra, how many times per week?

S: Usually we meet once a week and then we have sectionals for the individual groups and then.,.(the rest is inaudible),

C.T.: And this is all after school?

s: uh huh.

C.T.: O.X. Other rehearsals?

S: Technical stuff can sometimes get up to twelvs hours.

C.T.: And that would occur when in your rehearsal process?

S: Towards the end. ~ u s t before the show.

C.T.: Three weeks, two weeks, one week before the show?

S: Uh, two weeks.

S: Last year, we spent two days there, we were there twelve hours one day and thirteen hours the other day,

C.T.: O.K., so that happened on two occasions.

S: Yep.

C.T.: O.K.

S: Tech people spend a lot of time at home working not in a group but as individuals.

S : Yes, so we accumulate a lot of hours there too.

c.T.: What can you practice at home?

s: Well like we take out our script and we start to read it, find cues and then we spend a lot of time doing that. Then we come in just occasionally and compare cues and start to put together a master script.

C.T.: O.K. What about the cho-as? How long are the rehearsals?

S: Um. It depends whether they're practicing the scene. Oftentimes in past years I think the chorus only had two practices a week, an hour or an hour and a half each.

S: Thatls in the beginning.

S: In the beginning, yah, And then as it goes farther, as it comes closer and closer rehearsals increase, and you start doing more of the chorus with the actors together so they spend more time. By the end its crazy. Itrs I think every day starting in January.

C.T.: Every day after school?

s: Definitely.

S: After school at the (location).

S: ~ n d in the evenings.

S: And wsekends.

S: On weekends you have dinner there and it gets really crazy.

C.T.: Every day through all of January.

S: Yah.

S: Yah.

s: I probably won't work at all in January.

S: It's February that this usually happens because we perform in the middle of February.

S: We move into the (name of theatre) the last week in January. But January not on Saturdays and Sundays you understand.

Z.T.: But still, after a full day of school you do this,

S: In September we start, well now that musical theatre the class is in place, we started off doing about an hour every Tuesday and Thursday and now we're doing anytime between 45 minutes to, I don't know, two hours. And by the end we'll be there probably six hours at a time, do you thin^ that would be the maximum? ~t the (name of theatre) other than Saturdays?

S: Uh huh. Like when we take our Saturday. usually we take the weekend before and do a big run through and that would be all day. six hours.

S: Also during the day people who have solos have to go in sometime during the wsek for thsir esli sectionals for about half zn hour.

C.T. : That's my next question. How many extra hours per week are the students who have leading roles required to rehearse or do they rehearse no more extra that anybody else?

s: well, uh they don't do too much extra uh except about a half hour is spent with um, the musical director running over songs and um, singing over the songs.

c . T . : So it's a one time thing?

s: And that is like every week for half an hour or so spent individually one on one and urn, learning the lines you do on your own time and um the rest of the tinie is with everyone else -- group time. S: The leads of course would have more rehearsal time because theylrs in more scenes and we just go by scenes: like this scene will be today and this scene will be tomorrow, and the leads will have to be there for all the scenes, sr at least the majority.

C.T.: Right. Are the students who play major roles in musicals generally chosen more for their singing ability, their acting ability, or are both equally as important? TO what extent is popularity a factor, if at all? I'd like to have all of your opinions on this, not just the ones who have had leads. zcuz you all have a perception, right, of who has played what leads in various years so you haven't all played a lead but you know who has. And I'd like you to be very honest and so if popularity is not a factor at all tell me so, but if you think it is, you can tell me, 'cuz your name is not going to be on here.

S: I don't think that popuiarity does play a big part in it because it's the directors that are doing the choosing. They say, "I think this person would be goad for this role or whatever", so I personally don't think that popularity has anything to do with it.

S : Last year, for last year's musical I sat in on the auditions. I was doing sound while the music teacher played, so I got to see all of the auditions. And, well, there were two separate people, one person, the music teacher was there judging the music, and our director was checking out the acting, judging how the person fit the role. And then they'd sort of discuss among each other what each other liked in this particular person, whether the singing or the acting needs to better, or whether it was the same as the last person or...

C.T.: Uh huh. so it's based purely on talent.

s : Urn, yah, Izd say on singing and acting talent.

S : And potential, yah. Mr., uh, our music director has said that he looks for, he realizes that we're nervous and our acting director always tells the story of a boy who was the best lead ever and he fainted at his audition. They take into account ouu nervousness. They look for, in voice, um, strength like volume and pitch, but not, like if pitch is off once in a while they don't get too concerned, and especially if we mess up the words he doesn't get too upset, but they look for potential and just underlying talent.

C.T.: Any other opinions on that topic of who plays the lead role?

s: Um, yah. urn, I think they're excellent at choosing, but um, one thing you can't kelp is how you look and um, they do choose based on appearance as well, if you look the part. md so even though you may sing well, yah that has happened, they do base on appearance as well.

C .T. : 'Jh huh. That's the way its done in professional theatre too. I 've lost many a role 'cuz I'm too tall. Supposedly. For a lead role.

S: The last role you were too short1

C.T. : Yah. That's the way its done in professional theatre too so that's the breaks.

S: I think that um, like this year in the play we all sit around, as you can imagine, go around figuring out, "O.K., now this person is gonna get this role, and this person is gonna be this, and this person is gonna be this for sure". And sometimes the people that you think for sure will get chosen for the part, aren't. And that's often surprising. Well to me it seems so obvious that they would be perfectly fitted for the part, and they end up getting another part and I don't know why and...

C.T.: Your teacher may think differently than you. Who knows?

S: I know that by the end of the play I can't imagine anyone else in that part and I just, I think of them, and I see a scarecrow. I see a lion. I see a Dorothy. And its like its, I think, "Wow1 They did a good job. That person is a lion. That person is a scarecrow". I usually find that they did a pretty good job of casting.

C.T.: O.K. We'll go on to the next question. DO the students who play leading roles in musicals have private voice lessons outside of school hours that you know of?

S: I think the other Dorothy does have voice training but that's independent of the play.

C.T.: That's what I mean. Outside of school.

s: some of them do.

S: There's choir.

S: A lot of people are involved in extracurricular lessons, like some people have piano lessons, and there's like vocal jazz.

C .T. : O.K. But not very many have actual voice lessons. Do you know what voice lessons are? They're singing lessons with a one-on-one teacher.

S : A couple of people have them.

C.T.: O.K. And do some of the instrumentalists have private lessons on their band instruments outside of school hours that you know of?

S : I don't think so.

C.T. No? Are you aware that there are lessons available at places like (name of music school)? Thatls if you can afford them.

S: A lot of the students are also in like jazz band, concert band, and plus musical theatre, so it takes up a lot of their time. So they do practice lots.

C.T.: Yep. O.K. Is class time ever used to rehearse either the vocal or the instrumental parts for the musical? If so, about how much class time is used?

S: None.

C.T.: Not at all?

s: Well, like, there are classes that were made for rehearsing.

c.T.: Regular music classes.

S : The musical theatre class?

C.T.: No, like band and choir. lCuz some of you are in those and some people are in choir right now so they canft be here for this interview but.. . S: They wonft be practicing anything to do with the play. They'll be doing all choir pieces.

C.T.: Even though some of them might be in the musical theyfre doing totally different music? Instrumental and vocal?

S : Yes.

C.T.: O.K. Do you know of any students who were involved in high school musicals who then went on to become professional entertainers as adults? Not study in university but actually have become a professional entertainer famous or not. A professional entertainer is someone who makes their living entertaining others by either singing, dancing, playing horn.

S : I can't say her name but how is doing if you know who I'm talking about?

S: I think shefs doing, right now she's not...

C.T.: Is she making a living performing?

S: I think she's still studying at this point but urn, two individuals from our school have gone on to Broadway and...

C.T. : Really!

S: Yah, and the boy is finished his study and is trying to, he wants to be doing this for the rest of his life.

C.T.: Has he gotten any parts yet?

s: Um, hers got call-backs. so he said that was encouraging.

C O T . : That's good. Anybody else?

S: The girl, I donft know how she's doing. I know that she shared a taxi with Brad Pitt. she was excited about that.

s: Youfre kidding!

s : NO. she really did! someone told me that, but you know, I don't know how she's doing as far as acting..,.

C O T , : This is a crucial question. Are you students happy doing musicals? Why or why not?

S: Yes, itfs worth it.

s: I thirik we 're happy.

C.T.: Elaborate.

S : (laughter) f guess when xy-urre 1- on stage and you see the audience response and you know how much hard work you've put into preparing for where you are on stage, its very self-satisfying.

S: sometimes when we first begin, I find the process more boring, the technical side because I do a lot of lighting and stuff, sometimes I think this is boring, you know its not all that much fun. But then when we get into the theatre and start doing more of the hands on working with the technical stuff and really starting to work seriously on the play I look back and think it was all worth it. All the work I did then, it pays off in what you get to do during the play. Itd say it was worth it because it really made a difference to the show.

S : when I was on sound crew and costume I remember...I don't know why I didn't audition that year, I probably figured I'd be too busy, but um, the play started going and I started being jealous of all the people who got to go to rehearsal and that's why I became a part of the sound and costume, and, actually I'll give you something else. When I 'm in a play I 'm usually in the chorus but I have a lot of different roles. ~ i k e last year I had four roles so I was always changing and was very busy. I was doing sound crew, and that~s all I was doing. And urn, I found that I was bored back stage just doing that, even though I was trying to get involved and so that's why I got involved in costumes so I would be busy again doing it. But I found I was very jealous of the people who got to go on stage to do it so that's why.

C.T.: O.K. is there anybody here who would say they're really not happy doing musicals?

S: I think you have to like it to do it 'cuz it is all voluntary.

C.T.: Yah. It's assumed... but I'm just asking.

S: All of us have done it once so..

s: We probably wouldn't be here if we didn't enjoy doing it.

C.T.: Yah. That's an assumption, so I need to hear it from you.

S : In the beginning when we have so much homework and there's a humongous biology exam the next day and we have to do all of ~ c t one and you start to think, "Why am I here and..." but, itrs just like he was saying, the process of getting to the point of being on stage (is no fun), but.. . there's no other feeling in the world like being on staye and, it's just a whole other world on stage and its all worth it.

t2.T.: Don't give me any names but do you know of any teachers who dislike either attending musicals or being in charge of one? In this school or any other school that you've attended or that you know of at all.

s: I don't think so. They act grouchy sometimes but thak8s because they want everything h"cter aid htter &id better.

S: And they're stressed.

s: I think that the staff here have a very positive response.

C.T.: So they all come?

S: Yes. We had a substitute actually come one year.

C . T . : I ' m coming. I bought a ticket.

S : Great!

C.T.: Of course.

S : What night are you conring?

C.T.: Friday night. I have an excellent seat because I'm coming myself so, anyways... Alright, how do you recognize or thank teachers who play key roles in producing musicals once the final performances are all over?

S : on the final night of the show we have some of the leads come out and we've all put in some money and werve bought them presents.. . kind of more personal. presents like usually a box of chocolates and if it was our biology teacher then we buy him a plant, our director, we buy him a nice chair, a directors chair or something like that to show our appreciation, as well as just thank you during the run and helping ... C . T . : O . K . What do you guys give the music teacher?

S : Um, I think it was a whip.

C.T.: A whip!

S: (Laughter) . Yah, that was last year. There was this one line in Annie we did it last year and mnie comes and she says, **IJm going to a movie? Gee, I've never gone to that before!" And so, I don't know we gave Hr....... "Well then we'll go to the Roxy and after that we'll have some ice cream at the park". so we bought him two movie passes and Baskin Robbins certificates so he could have a night on the town, and say to himself, "Gee, I've never gone there before", so ...( laughter).

S : We made them uh a mural of pictures that we had taken all during the performances.

S: In a frame,

S : In a frame, and tee-shirts usually.

S: And last year we bought them bloomers because all the orphans had to wear bloomers and we all signed them and things like that are very personal.

C.T. : Could you describe for me the kind of relationship you have with members of the cast and crew? Is the relationship different according to what role the student plays in the musical? In your opinion do musicals encourage friendships?

S: Yes.

S: Yes,

S: Definitely. It's probably, like, the reasons Z'm in it. i like, -ma3 team type of activities. I play team sports and I like the play because I feel its a team sort of activity a d I get to know a lot of people of a lot of different ages. ~ m , and, you were talking about the roles people play. I find that &he leads usually do have a leadership in the rehearsals. Um, when I was younger I looked up to the leads and urn, I thought they were cool people.

c.T.: So there's no difference, like for instance, the leading roles, are they more, do you want to be friends with them more than be friends with someone who works backstage or 60 you work together as such a team that it doesn't matter what role the person has to play in the musical? You are as apt to become friends with the lighting person as you are to become friends with a person in the chorus, 'cuz you're all working on this together. Or is there a difference, you know? AS these friendships develop do you notice um, any difference as to who seems to attract more friends? You mentioned the leads as being the ones that you looked up to, not that you would necessarily become friends with them but when you were younger you looked up to them.

S: Yah.

C . T . : So 1.m wondering if that kind of thing happens amongst other cast and crew members.

S: Probably in rehearsals that are still at school, the chorus would become better friends with each other and the leads will because their rehearsals are individual, But once we get to the (name of theatre) we all rehearse together like with the pit, and the lighting people and we all get to know each other more there than we would in the individual rehearsals. PC ,, I find its ve-q,., ,

S: Yah, its not cliquish at all once we get to the (name of theatre). We have a lot of people who come from different kind of groups in this school, like the intellectuals, and you know, people who play sports. When it comes to play tine we all depend on each other so much and when the previous rehearsals, the lighting crew and the sound and the actors are all separate but then we all come together and everybody gets to be friends.

S : We all go out afterwards, every night after rehearsal. The sound crew and everyone's invited.

S: We fill up the restaurant too ~ u c h so they kick us out. (Laughter)

C.T.: What standards of quality are maintained for each production of a high school musical? In other words, is there a separate standard for professional musicals as opposed to high school musicals?

S: Definitely. The budget and all that you know. But we always try to make it the best we can and we're nat doing it until its right.. . . the teacher gets really.. . but we get it right the next time and it always turns out.

S: You would never ever hear our director say, "That's 0.K. We can be mediocre because we're not professional". He wants the quality of a professional performance and a lot of people have said that we seem professional. Like we take it seriously enough, that we could be, for amateurs,

C.T.: Have any of you been to a professional performance of a musical?

S: Actually last year when we were doing Annie we all went to see Annie.

c.T.: Where was it?

s : Semi-professionally in Richmond at the Gateway Theatre.

C.T.: Well that's semi-professional so that's pretty good.

s : Yah, and we went and we watched it so we all went. But I found that or we found, that we liked parts of our play better than theirs or even criticized certain of their roles or we learned from other roles and we didn't feel that they were on another level.

S: Our director, hers always really fun to go to those plays with because he has such a critical eye that, I was going to say this when you asked about if there were any teachers who don't enjoy watching them, well, our director cannot stand to watch our performances.

C.T.: which one, the music or drama director.

S: Um, our drama director.

C.T.: H e doesn't watch them2

S: He never watches the performance because he knows every line, he knows where we should be. He can't handle sitting in the audience. He did it once. He almost had a heart attack.

C-T,: So where does he gc?

S: He stays backstage.

S: Backstage.

C.T.: So he can hear but not see?

S: Well, he watches from the side, from the wings. Listening.

S: I think once he takes a seat in the audience its like he doesn't have any control so hers in the wings saying, "Get on stagei" and he couldnft if he were in the audience.

C.T.: What have you learned as a result of participating in the schooi. musical?

S: Hrmmn. Hard question.

C.T.: What have you learned for yourself?

S : I've learned all the experience of doing what Ifm doing and its different. You have more respect like for the actors 'cuz they put in so much time and effort and, you get to know some more people.

C.T.: What about you. You're talking about other people but how have you been benefitted or how have you progressed as a person, positively or negatively as a result of participating in the school musical?

S: Urn, I've, urn, gained a lot m x e confidence, um, because, I mean I started as chorus and I had a couple lines and it was really scary and I ciicinrt at all want a singing part because I didn't believe I could sing. And so now in grade 12 its changed and I love to sing and I love to act and 1 have more confidence in my ahilitg to do those things and so I've learned a lot about theatre generally.

S: And now she's the lead that everybody looks up to, so its come full circle for her.

S : I think I've learned to work with people since the beginning when I first came into musical theatre. I nay have not been used to working. I think 18ve learned to work with all different types of people, different personalities, different attitudes. urn, I've also, personally I've um, I've gotten mrt of a connection from miisicals. f 've gotten to know people outside of the school and they could potentially help out later on in life.

s : I think I've learned how to deal with stress. Last year, we were staying at the (theatre) late. I've been involved in tech every year and we had stayed late to do some touch ups on the set, and the set was white. We had some blue paint, and it was a full bucket and it went upside down on tt- set.

C.T.: Oh no.

S: Remember that Ryan?

S: Yah.

s : we thought the director was going to freak and get very, very mad. He was standing there laughing at us. 'Cuz we were trying to get this cleaned up as quickly as we can so that the set wzsn't completely ruined, and they were all standing there afterwards like, why? Was that supposed to happen? We were, like, all here freaking out wondering what's going to happen now when the director sees this, but he was standing there laughing.

(We are interrupted by the P.A. system for the umpteenth time and so a portion of what she was saying is inaudible).

S : ..... A whole bucket of.... S: You're kidding. I didn't even know.

S: Yep. Nobody knew 'cuz that was after all the actors had left.

C.T.: Any other things that you've learned?

S: I think I've probably learned how to respect watching a play. So I don't just go for the entertainment. when I go I see their concentration, and I can see the work they've put behind it instead of just what they've presented.

C.T.: So its a drama education?

S: Yah. But I enjoy going to watch these things because I can understand and respect all the work that they've put into it. It's kind of like a movie. You see what's there on the surface, but they've put in so much time in the background.

S: I appreciate different aspects of movies and performances because you learn about things like timing and, if a line is said you know, just three seconds, earlier or later it has a different effect and you learn how to play an audience and,..you know what I mean?

S: Lrh huh.

S: Yah, I do.

C .To : Great1 To the vocalists, is there any physical stress on your voice during rehearsals? If so please describe it and what you think could be done or should be done to prevent this?

S : Talk about what happened l a s t year .

S: or was it t h e year before?

S : Yah, two yea r s ago i l o s t my voice r i g k t a t matinee performance t i m e . And we have it i n January, no, February so it could have been a cold. But I guess t h e r e w a s a l o t of stress and I h a a n f t done a l o t of s inging before t h a t .

C.T. : You d idn ' t see a doctor t o f i n d ou t t h e cause because you j u s t f i gu red what w a s t h e po in t?

S: Yah, everyone gave m e a l l these remedies l i k e g a r l i c and honey and camomile t e a and p l en ty of s l eep and don' t t a l k t oo much.

C.T.: Could you g ive any suggestions o r do you have any suggestions of what could have been done t o prevent i t ? O r do you know?

S: I don ' t know.

S : I don ' t know e i t h e r . warm up i s very important. I don ' t know i f I had a weak voice o r i f t h e r e i s such a th ing a s a weak voice bu t maybe ... Actual ly he t o l d m e back i n September o r s o t o s t rengthen my voice, g e t p r a c t i c i n g because I ' m going t o be s inging a l o t , s o g e t used t o it.

C.T.: So d i d you do t h a t ?

S: Maybe I d i d n f t , a s much a s I should have.

S: W e a l l f e a r t h a t though. s o much p rac t i c ing on s tage t h a t our voices go. Cause by playtime weive been working s o hard, it seems. So much rehears ing, s o much t h a t it j u s t kind of s t a r t s going down, l i k e your voice q u a l i t y goes down, and then t h e performances s t a r t .

C.T.: Where do you g e t your d e s i r e t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n a school musical? Is it from yoar t e a c h e r i s entnusiasm o r from outs ide sources?

S: Outside sources. Person has f r iends , r i g h t , they a l l do it, t r y ou t . So I went t he re , thought it was fun f o r t he f i r s t year s o I went back t h e second year . And urn, a c t u a l l y it was a t eacher t h a t asked f o r some help, s o a couple of us r a i s e d up our hands, and I 've been doing it ever s ince .

S: I guess t h e very f i r s t time I got involved i n a musical was through a t eacher , woodwork teacher . And I came i n and I s t a r t e d o u t j u s t hammering some n a i l s i n t o t h e set, and wi th in t h a t same play I worked with t h e s tage crew and i n t h a t same play again I worked up t o f l i e s . You know how a person could do t h a t , and now t h e next year, t h e i n t e r e s t has held because I enjoyed it s o much t h e year before.

S: I th ink t h e f i r s t time I ever go t involved i n a musical i s someone asked m e , " apply f o r t h i s r o l e , l i k e audi t ion f o r t h i s ro l e . "

C.T.: Was it a s tuden t o r a teacher?

S: It w a s a t eache r and I w a s young. I was l i k e i n grade fiva o r something, And he s a i d "audi t ion f o r t h i s . " Actually he d idn ' t even say audition for t h i s bu t "come i n t o t h e gym and s i n g t h i s song." I d idn ' t even know what I was doing. But I l i k e d t h a t and ever s i n c e then its j u s t kind of been my own excitement.

c.T.: I n what ways i f any does involvercent i n a school musical encourage your c r e a t i v i t y ?

s: coming up with set designs.

C . T . : YOU have t o be c r e a t i v e i n t h a t ? You're not given t h e s e t designs?

S: NO we come up with our own.

S : W e make them f r o m scra tch .

C.T.: How do you do it then? How can you be c r e a t i v e and do t h a t ?

S : T h a t r s b a s i c a l l y it, you have t o have ideas , i f you don' t have i deas then you t r e not going t o go anywhere. For t h e t ech people t h i s year w e had t o COB:= up with our own set design and hand it i n f o r marks t h e f i r s t sem~ster o r f i r s t term r a t h e r and people t h a t d idn ' t hand it i n obviously d i d not g e t marks f o r it.

S: What was t h e quest ion again?

C.T. : I was j u s t asking i f you th ink t h a t involvement i n a school musical encourages your c r e a t i v i t y o r does it s t i f l e c r e a t i v i t y ?

s : It encourages it, it ct .uldnt t s t i f l e it. A s a c t o r s and s i n g e r s w e make up some of our own choreography and some of your costumes and even your own cha rac t e r , l i k e , everyone knows what Dorothy i s l i k e bu t t h e r e i s a b i t of leeway. How o l d do you th ink she is? Like i s she twelve o r i s she innocent, you know, how mature i s she? You have c r e a t i v i t y i n coming up wi th your own charac te r . Especial ly f r o m t h e chorus, i ts no t defined, you can be whatever you want. He j u s t says, "Well, you're a t a par ty , do what you do a t a par ty ." Its up t o you t o pick a cha rac t e r and a c t how t h a t cha rac t e r a c t s , and s o a lo t of c r e a t i v i t y .

S: I n performance one would need c r e a t i v i t y j u s t t o improvise i f something does not go q u i t e r i g h t . Like we were doing M y Fair Lady and t h e b i r d cage i n Higginst house f e l l down and it f e l l down twice i n one scer~e . They w e r e saying, "Oh how i s t h a t b i rd?" and t h a t kind of th ing . If somebody misses a cue and doesn' t come i n you have t o say, "Where i s t h a t guy?" or "Why don't they come and v i s i t me?" (Laughter) .

C.T.: Yah, t h a t has happened to m e before.

s : I th ink it was l a s t year , someone was a couple of minutes l a t e f o r being on s tage . They w e r e ou t of t h e bu i ld ing ac tua l ly .

S: H e had popped o u t to t h e seven-Eleven dur ing rehearsa l .

S: Anyway, t h e poor l ead was s i t t i n g on s tage , M i s s ~ a n n i g a n . She s t a r t e d d r ink ing her b o t t l e s of t h i s , and c a l l i n g people on t h e phone and s t a l l i n g .

C.T.: OK, what is t h e value of p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n a school musical i n any capac i ty inc lud ing backstage hands, members of t h e chorus, and both minor and l ead ing r o l e s ? This i s a l i t t l e b i t s i m i l a r t o t h e o t h e r ques t ion which I asked which was, "What have you learned as a r e s u l t , , ? " But now I am asking you what i s t h e educat ional value of pa r t i c ipa t i ng? Because this is a schwf aztsvity a d s c k w l s do c e r t a i n t h ings to educate you and so what do you th ink i n t h e r o l e s t h a t you have been involved i n , how have you been educated? what i s t h e value t o you?

s : ~f you're in the lead role, or whether its backstage or on stage you cbviously get the leadership skills out of it.

C.T. : 0.K. So leadership skills happen both backstage and on stage.

S: You have to learn about comitment and dedication because its a long process and it requires a lot of hard work. And time management because you have to have your lines memorized by a certain amount of time.

S : I think probably everything that we learn here in high school is time management.

C.T.: And for students playing leading roles, what extra benefit if any do you derive from your participation that the other students in the school musical do not get?

S : More flowers.

C . T . : O.K. More treats at the end of the show?

s : uh huh. (Laughter) . S : More admirers fromthe elementary schools. ~hough the last year, being the policenan, which is a little role, I had like four people, kids went back to their schools and *ew a picture of their f avourite scene, and they drew me or...I was so taucf?o,d,

S: It was great.

C . T . : Are there any negative outcomes for the students who have participated in a performance of a school musical that you have either seen yourself or could anticipate happening?

S: Falling behind in school work because they are so involved, and they have rehearsal every night until ten or eleven o'clock at night. They get home to do their homework then the next day at school they get into trouble because the work isn't done.

S: Last year I did lighting. I was in there, because you need to do lighting when its dark and you can't do that when people are working on stage, so I would stay there after everyone else was done, me and one other person. I would get home and I would be burnt out t3tally. I wouldn't want to get up for my next class in the morning, although last year I did manage to get up. It was just a real, you know, my teachers understood, the ones that I had, I told them what was going ox. They understood that r was involved in the play and that it was a lot of work. Some of the homework that I was supposed to do I just waited, and did it after the play was over.

S: Yah, teachers in crunch time are usually very flexible.

C.T.: Any negative outcomes that you have seen happening as a result of participation in the school musical or could anticipate happening as a result of participation?

S: Sometimes overconfidence. As a group, on the last performance night both of our directors have a little talk with our cast because things always go very well on the first three nights and they wars us &out the effects of overconfidence on the performance and outside of performance, I guess just personal.

S : Do you mean let downs? Because when you, from year to year, one year you may have a really successful year and you have a nice big role and the next year you think you deserve more than the part you got because of your involvement in previous years so that would make for a big let down. It's hard to live up to your previous year, always,

c.T.: Yes.

S : Our director always says, "You're only as good as your last performance." And you always have to keep working on it.

C.T.: Right, He said that to me too, Ok I have a question that is to the instrumentalists. Is there any physical stress on you in the course of pit orchestra rehearsals? ~f so please describe it and say what you think could or should be done to prevent this.

S : At the beginning there really isn't any but once you get to the centre and going through it scene by scene it gets tiring. BY that time we know our part. Thatls our job to know it and we just play and accompany the singers. And sometimes, for some reason or another things just don't go right and you just have to wait and tkatrs kind of frustrating on behalf of the musicians because yourre just there for hours and by that time like if exams are happening or whatever you want to be studying for them. So that can make for stress.

C.T.: So, more mental stress than physical. You're not physically tired from playing your instruments? Do you get enough breaks that your fingers don't get tired or your breath control is all out of whack, you're OK?

S: That can happen especially during the week when you play because its like every night. I don't know, four nights or whatever.

C.T.: Is there anything that can be done to prevent that or is that a necessary part of rehearsals?

S: Once your doing it you just have to go straight through. You got to rest lots before you get down there, drink lots of water and not be claustrophobic.

C.T.: Do you do any instrumental warm ups as a group or else on your own before you start rehearsals?

S: Yah, we could go through scales and usually people they just warm up their own individual way.

C.T.: Just blow into their instrument and get it warm or whatever?

s: Yah, just go through notes.

C-T.: So people do actually do that, or are we just talking about it? People actually do it?

s: some people do it. I don't know if everyone does.

c.T.: would you recommend that they should all do it?

s: Well it depends on what kind of performer they are. If they are really nervous before its good to go through things that you know how to, because it builds up confidence, Its probably good for sound too because if you're a reed instrument or whatever you don't want to just start playing right away without warming up or anything like that.

C.T. : Ok, I just have a few more questions. Three more. What words would you use to describe the atmosphere when you are rehearsing for the musical? Some suggestions would be tense, anxious, relaxed, happy, focussed, positive, negative. This is when you are rehearsing, not the perforntance, but rehearsals, how are they?

S: It depends what month you're on. In the beginning they could be excited and then it kind of goes down, getting tired, you don't really see it going very far and so you kind of get low, but then as December and January start coming back around you re very focussed and very excited once you get to the (name of theatre). perhaps frustrating because things are going wrong, but I think the excitement focusses you.

S: Technical is pretty tense cause um you start to rehearse and you're not quite sure what you#re doing #ti1 the end. So every time you do it it gets easier but then they always change things around on you so you gotta start from scratch again and you freak out because somebody is in the wrong spot.

C.T.: Yah, its very last minute. For you guys.

S: Yah.

C.T.: The others have had months and months and you guys don't get that because its just not possible. You know.

S: Uh huh.

S: For flies and special effects uh like we get two weeks. That's the time we're booked in there and wegve got two weeks to get everything down before the performance time.

C.T. : O.K. Along the same lines, what words would you use to describe the atmosphere during the actual performance nights?

S: Oh, excited!

S: Excited.

s: Butterflies, excited.

S: Its a huge adrenalin rush. Tears at the end.

S: Uh huh.

S: Uh huh.

S: Its very emotional.

C.T.: All right. And for those of you who have attended a post-production meeting, what words would you use to describe the atmosphere at that meeting, or if your school does not have post-production meetings, can you tell me just how you students feel after the run is finished? First of all, post-production meeting. Do you guys have one?

s: uh huh.

C.T.: Have any of you here been to one?

s: uh huh.

c.T.: What's it like?

S : sad. sad but happy still because yourre proud of what you've just done, and sad because its over.

S: rts a downer,

C.T.: Are they productive? Do you get things done at that meeting? or just talk about it?

S: At the meeting? No. We just eat pizza and party.

C.T.: Oh.

S: Yah, we party t

C.T.: A post-production meeting is a meeting thatgs held afterwards. Usually the crew and, not usually the cast members but mostly its the crew and the directors that are there.

5: We have the clean-up.

S: usually people aren't in a good mood to do clean up because its over, they're tired, they've been busting their butts for quite awhile. Clean up is like, everybody is nattering at each other and stuff like that.

C.T.: And all meetings aside, just how do you feel? Can you give me some words to describe how you feel when its all over? When you're back at school the next Monday?

S: Yee haw!

S: I miss it.

S: Yes, you do.

S: Yep. You miss it.

S: Yes.

S: You're really proud that you like, tried your best and really did just kind of a grade "A" work.

S: And you find you have so much time on your hands.

S: Yes.

S: I started working out when I was finished the play 'cuz there's no time to do it when youfre doing the play. Irm like, "oh wow, I have so much time!

S: For a week after I'm lost. I'm thinking, "Don't I have to be somewhere right now? Shouldn't I be practicing? Shouldn't I be..." I don't know. I just sit on th2 couch and go..,

s : And those songs get in your head so bad. (Loud laughter).

s: oh, ~ ' d be sitting in social studies and I think I hear somebody singing that. There's always one song that they have to do so many times, like "I Am Sixteen Going On Seventeen". (Loud laughter). (To another

student) Do you remember that? I was sitting there, "Do you hear that song?" Wad you were like, "No", and I was thinking, "Oh my goodnessw.

C.T.: Little voices are in your head now. So you're saying yourre going insane? O.K., I'll write that down. (More laughter!. O.K., this is the absolute last question honestly. Are there any recommendations that any of you would like to make in order to improve either the quality or the quantity of musicals produced in your school? Now is the time to have your voice.

S: I think the quantity is fine. You can't really do more than one musical per year.

C.T.: SO you wouldn't suggest you do less than one per year?

S: No.

C.T.: .md you wouldn't suggest that they do two per year.

S: I don't think that would be possible.

C.T.: You think one is just about right?

S: They were trying to do a musical revue, and a musical.

C.T.: When would the musical revue be done?

S: That was supposed to be before.

S: That was a very, whatfs the word I'm looking for, um, well, ambitious.

S : Yes, that's the right word.

S: Yes. Ambitious idea.

C.T.: Whose idea was that?

S: The director's.

C.T.: Music or drama director.

S : Both. They were both pretty psyched by it. Butthey didn't get it on time. Like they wanted it to be hexe like the first week of school, and we'd just start on it right away. And you know, two months, you might be able to get something up, It would be fun, I'm sure, 'cuz rts a lot of singing and a lot of dancing and everyone would have kind of an equal role, so I can see why they were going in that direction.

C.T.: Did you know that musicals, like you do, they originally were musical revues. There's a long history of musicals which I've researched and urn, there are many forerunners to the musical. ~ u t the musical revue is one of the forerunners of the musical so it would make sense if you were gonna do that to have it first in the fall and then have your musical as a sort of historical viewpoint. But. anyways, are there any other suggestions? So you guys tnink one a year is good?

S: Excellent.

C.T.: That's about right?

S: Yah.

C.T.: ~ n d any leas would be what?

S: You miss it.

S: Yah, youfre usually pretty excited. well last year when we finished Annie we thought we were doing Grease the next year. We were already talking about who we were gonna audition for. we got together and watched Grease the movie, and were talking about parts but then it was released.

S: I think it w a s 2 collelje in Vancouver.

S: So all the rights were sold so we couldnrt do it.

C.T.: Any other suggestions you would like to make to improve the quality of musicals at your school?

s : I think quality is one of our strengths,

s: Definitely.

S: I was just thinking of that. somehow encourage, um, males.

C.T.: You have a lack of guys auditioning for parts. And as a result what happens ?

S: We have teachers playing the roles.

S: Yah. we have male teachers playing the roles. It adds some comedy.

C.T.: Is that O.K. with you?

s : It does. Its alwczys neat to see teachers.

C.T. : But you would rather the students (do it) because it is your school.

S: Yah, And the competition for the girls is so hard. The competition for the guys is,..Therefs two guy parts and there's two guys well, guess what1 (Laughter).

C.T.: Yep, that's how it is in professional plays too, 'cuz there's just not as many men.

S: I think the mzles have an easier time, but they don't have the idea of what the playfs about. They think we're doing My Fair Lady "Oh, you have to be a wimp to go and dance and,," stuff like that. so if we could get across to the guys in our school that,,

S: well, I think they're kind of dumb. Look at how many girls are in it!

S: Y a h t (Laughter),

S: But that's a common thing though. You don't see very many guys getting involved in it.

S: They don't mind comedy and that type of thing, but if its kind of ser ious or its get singing and dancing, something like that, thay just hesitate.

C.T.: What about um, either from the instrumental side or the technical aspects? Is there anything that should be improved? ater rial-wise or not.

S: Technically, we need bigger crews. People just aren't willing to give out their time to come and help out so...

C.T.: So you'd like to see more people?

S: Uh huh. Yah.

S: We've had a few problems with sound, but, not because our crew Isn't good. You guys are awesome, putting in all the time and everything. Maybe its the equipment because..

S: No. That's not it. It's because we only have two weeks to do it every year eh, because they tell us two weeks before.

S: Sometimes the mike's batteries run out.

S: Like sometimes its not clipped on properly or the antenna is on your shirt or something.

S: I've seen people holding their battery packs in their hands. A lot of people were doing that in The Sound of Music.

S: Maybe it (the mike) fell off or something. sometimes that happens.

s : Yah.

S : ~t was an embarrassing thing.

S: It might have been, ~cuz I was sitting there thinking, "Does she have a battery pack in her hand?" I radioed over to there and she said "what?"

S: I had thirty second changes so, it was kind of hard to put them on. Yah Jill was in costume then,

C.T. : Um, I just have a little bit of t a p left so I'll just ask this, um, are any other, um, you're familiar with other types of drama. Like there s comedies, with no singing, just comedies and there's serious plays. Is your production here, of the yearly school musical, does that affect um, the amount of other types of plays you are able to do, such as serious dramas or just straight comedies? Or do you do those in addition to the yearly musical?

S: Well, one girl in our cast does both and she just doesn't have time to sleep. But um, I'd like to audition for the festival play but I, this is more important. Festival plzy is one of those genres you just described - - serious, C.T,: Right.

S: But WE, I just didn't thiak there would be enough time with classes and work and everything,

C.T.: O.K. So if you could fit it into your schedule, maybe you would.

c.T,: And when is that other play done?

S: The festival play was conipleted on the twenty-third of November.

C-T.: Is it also put on for the students and parents at this school?

S: Usually, but we decided not to do that this year.

S: Yah, because we figared, because of the type of comedy it was, people aren't exactly going to sort of "oh, hah hah thatfs funny". The students didn't think they'd uuderstand the comedy in it.

C.T.: So this year it was not presented for the parents and students in public. just...

S t Fur the parents, but not for the school.

S: Yah, not for the students at the school.

C.T.: Alright, well you've all been here enough years to know, um, is the musical then the only one that's open to the public and advertised to p=el;t;; an& p.*"l; t f ~ ~ t - 2 - s: It's the biggest.

s: ah, its the biggest.

S: The festival play is open to the public.

St When wetre c-eting tbat is, But during rehearsal we don't usually have people sitting there watching, other than the director.

C-T-: Um, but the festival play, you are talking about when you perform it, you perform it wherever the festival happens to be that year. what I 'm talking is a pexf.~-nsa.rre that is done either here at your school or at (name of local theatre). There, its just the musical. Is that right?

S: Yes,

S: we did a performance of the play here at the school for the parents.

s: was it an evening or lunch hour?

S: It was an evening.

C-T.: O.K. So it wasnst open to the public but parents could come.

Sz Yes it was, It was open to whoever wanted to come.

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