Music Essentials for Singers & Actors
It’s here!!
“The pages beyond will change your life…”
– Kristin Chenoweth, from the Foreword
Exciting news: after teaching singers to read and interpret music for years, I decided to write down my method in detail, and I’m thrilled to say it is now available in bookstores, and on Amazon! If you’ve ever wanted to improve your musicianship skills, this book, written specifically for singers and using examples from over 100 Broadway songs, is your book.
“A wonderful book, concise, readable and thorough… If everyone auditioning for musicals owned a copy, our lives would be easier and the world of musical theater would be a better place.”
– Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, two-time
Oscar Award-winning songwriters of Frozen and Coco
BroadwayWorld.com says:
“Animated, effective, and refreshingly modern, Music Essentials for Singers and Actors is the first instructional text of its kind, demystifying music theory’s basic tenets to provide a streamlined, painless educational experience. An essential resource for aspirants and practicing performers alike, this monumental manual will undoubtedly serve as every zealous performer’s go-to reference for years to come.“
One of Playbill.com’s 8 New Theatre Books You Need to Read This Summer!
– Rupert Holmes, multiple Tony Award-winning author “Andrew Gerle is the music theory teacher I wish I’d had. He has the uncanny ability to take what many of us experience as a foreign language and turn it into home base. This book is a must read for any musical theatre actor or teacher, in and out of school. Bravo Maestro! Oh… and it will help you get hired.” – Randy Graff, Tony Award-winning actress and teacher “In a language that everyone can understand, Andrew Gerle takes the fear factor out of studying music theory. And with a wealth of real Broadway score excerpts, this textbook is destined to become the go-to resource for programs all over the country.” -Beth Hiser, music theory faculty, Baldwin Wallace University
and composer of The Mystery of Edwin Drood
“I love this book. Andrew has laid out a clear and thoughtful plan to train your ears and your eyes, to get deeper into the way music works. His method will quicken the learning process, and deepen each performance.”
-Jeanine Tesori, Tony Award-winning composer of Fun Home, Caroline, or Change, and Violet
“As a music director, I say THANK YOU for this fantastic book. The 1-STARRT method is the clearest discussion and explanation of actually how to sight-sing music I’ve ever read. A real achievement—it will be the only book like it and the new gold standard. Bravo!”
-Rob Berman, Emmy Award-winning conductor and music director
“Andrew Gerle has written the most user-friendly, comprehensive book for singing actors that I’ve ever read. Finally, someone has made music theory FUN and easy to learn! I cannot wait to enter into my next rehearsal armed with this invaluable knowledge.”
-Jenn Colella, Drama Desk Award-winning actress and Tony nominee
I believe knowing even a little music theory can give every actor new connections and insight into a song, even one they’ve sung or heard for years. Here, David Michael Garry and I demonstrate just a few secrets hidden in this classic from Camelot.
Learn to analyze a song like this yourself in Chapter 15!