It's one thing to compose it. But to teach it...

I could not really figure out what subject this thread would fit under. So, please don't lecture me on posting in the wrong forum. This was the closest I could find to the subject.

Anyway, I have written a musical for my senior project and it's going well. But I am having difficulty teaching everyone their parts! >.<

I will give them their notes to sing. But I feel like that isn't enough because when I see them a week later, they have to learn it all over again and it's starting to concern me. We have exactly two months to put this thing together and these are not the only pieces we have to learn.

YouTube - DustinHahnMusic's Channel

If you have any advice on how to teach this in an effective way that will stick with the actors, please share it. Thanks! :)

From my experience the #1 thing has always been for people to practice things at home..practice practice practice...it seems that in such extracurricular things or even in school concert bands and such, no one likes to practice at home so every time you rehearse you're starting over in a sense..you just have to beat it into them that if they want it to work they NEED to memorize it and practice it at HOME at least half hour to an hour every day if not more.

Nothing sticks with actors, actors are non-musical dipshits (in my experience). Just pray, and beat it into them ad nauseum, they most likely will screw it up anyway.

If you could give them a recording with their part on it, that would likely help out a fair bit, since then they can just memorise it rather than trying to read the music (which I assume most actors aren't proficient at).

Something like this? YouTube - PracticeLMG's Channel

I mean, just pound it into their heads, try to rehearse as frequently as possible so none of it slips away, make them swear on their lives to practice, give them a recording they can sing along to... And of course, when you teach, make sure they really learn it. That means drilling, that means being an asshat and making them sing their parts a zillion time. That's as much as I can suggest... I've been spoiled, I spend too much time with good musicians...

Well, I am going to pray that the youtube videos I posted help them out. I also think I am going to give them all a CD with the music on it and tell them how important it is that they give it twenty of thirty minutes of practice a day (and hour or more for a lead). I also think that having rehearsals twice a week, rather than one will help. Thanks for your thoughts, guys!

Great videos!

Tell them to sing it in the car. ANYONE who can sing can sing anything, if they hear it enough times, and know it. Think of Oops I Did it Again. I can't sing, but I know that song after having heard it a million times on the radio.