Singing with an Orchestra

Today, I was working on a musical theater piece with a student, and they were taking 'liberties' with the tempo...missing entrances, rhythms were not exact etc...

However, the student brought up an excellent  point - "Why does it matter, since the pianist can easily adjust?"

While most pianists would not like that statement, the student has a good point...an excellent pianist can cover up mistakes and adapt to a new tempo.  A great pianist is like a sports car...quick to turn, accelerate, and stop.

An ORCHESTRA, on the other hand, is a big freight train rolling at a hundred miles per hour.  It takes a WHOLE lot of time and energy to change an orchestra's tempo!  And this is where knowing the exact rhythm of  a piece is SO critical...when you are singing with an orchestra or multiple instruments, it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to change tempos with ease.  You must know  your music by heart rhythmically, or the orchestra freight train will pass you by.  As a voice teacher, it is my responsibility to keep a student on the exact rhythm, so when they sing the piece as a professional on Broadway, they stay with the orchestra!

DWS