Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: recorded or live music for musicals

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magicguy
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Topic: recorded or live music for musicals
Posted: 12/30/07 at 9:49am

We have one member that feels using recorded music is like performing Karoke. The feel of live music gives a higher quality to a performance. The feel of live music at a musical is an awesome experience.

However, I've been to many theatre groups that do an outstanding performance with a musical using recorded music. There are some performers that like the consistency of the recorded music.

There are many more pros and cons. I would love to hear from everyone about this.

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MartyW
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Posted: 1/01/08 at 4:39pm

Live is always best.... but unfortunatly, not always available...

Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

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closetdiva
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Posted: 1/02/08 at 11:38am

Live is best - especially if they can vamp on the fly. (Never have a quick costume change right before your solo!)

Duct tape can fix anything - except a dropped line! ;-)

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whitebat
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Posted: 1/09/08 at 9:11pm

Live is best... if you can get it, and get it early enough. In HS, I was in a musical with canned music. That was what we had for all the rehearsals, so that was what we had for performances. Otherwise, I think we have used canned music for rehearsals, but got live music in for later rehearsals. Our last musical we had live music, but we did a (non-musical) version of "A Christmas Carol" with live instrumental music, live a capella, and live mixed vocal and instrumental, with a canned entre act. I do remember being in a musical with only piano (live), which was played very slowly. I think we might've been better off with canned in that one, as we could've gotten a faster tempo, and maybe more instruments. I guess an advantage of live would be transposing or adjusting the tempo, although maybe you need permission to do so on a non-emergency basis.

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JohnnyOneNote
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Posted: 2/08/08 at 11:35pm

I have done two shows with recorded music and 20 some with live..(directing) I had more problems with live than I did with recorded.

People always bring up the vamping.... well.. if you mess up the orchestra just keeps right on going just like a recording will.

I guess I am bias on this, but having to deal with all those musicians can get a little annoying. Around here they always want to be paid. NO ONE is paid at our theater.. actors, directors... why musicians? One said to me... "Because I have spent a lot of money on my craft" the next day I brought in my student loan balance for my masters..... he shut up.

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magicguy
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Posted: 2/09/08 at 7:07am

I appreciate all of your responses. My main reason for originally posting this was to find out if it's proper to use recorded music. I've heard some say that using recorded music lowers the standard of the production. Sure, using live musicians can be a bonus. But if that is not an option, can't a theatre group use recorded music and still have the audience walk away feeling they have experienced a top-notch show?

An actor is a sculptor who carves in snow. - Lawrence Barrett

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landon2006
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Posted: 3/10/08 at 3:54pm

Depends... If you use something like Orchextra from MTI or Instrumentalease from R&H, you're going to be pretty good. If your playing the music from a CD, you not only might have some issues but unless you have proper clearance to play the music (not just a license to play the Musical, but a license to play the music from the musical too), your violating copyright laws.

Live is always best. Whats even better is if you can use a live orchestra and one of the above mentioned systems... It makes your 15 piece orchestra sound like a symphony.

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Ken W
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Posted: 4/18/08 at 11:10pm

Most of our musicals have a live orchestra, but a few are recorded.

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stagechild
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Posted: 5/16/08 at 2:25pm

We will have a live orchestra all the time in the show but we use some recorded music prior, at intermisson and after the show. Also the sound effects are recorded other then a few (such as the occaisonal gunshot).

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smileon3
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Posted: 1/19/09 at 5:38pm

The CT I've been involved with since 1994 was built in a former grocery store building. The stage is cement. There is no where to put a live orchestra, so we've always used canned music, with the exception of "Forever Plaid," which had a piano on stage.

The other theater group I work with (and will be directing for this summer) uses a stage that was built by people that had never been involved in theater. Among other problems... there is no place for an orchestra. So we have no choice but to use canned music there as well.

I played in a pit orchestra for Fiddler on the Roof in high school, and had a great time. However, when I go see shows, I prefer canned music to live - it's in tune a lot more frequently. LOL

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Poll Question: Do you use recorded music or live music when performing a musical?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
We only use live music (musicians).	32	[62.75%]
We only use recorded music.	6	[11.76%]
We use both in the same show.	3	[5.88%]
We use both; some shows are all live and others use recorded	10	[19.61%]
We don't do muscials.	0	[0.00%]
Other (please explain).	0	[0.00%]
This topic is closed, no new votes accepted

Polls
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Topic: recorded or live music for musicals( Topic Closed)
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Author	Message
magicguy Walk-On Joined: 12/25/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: recorded or live music for musicals Posted: 12/30/07 at 9:49am
	We have one member that feels using recorded music is like performing Karoke. The feel of live music gives a higher quality to a performance. The feel of live music at a musical is an awesome experience. However, I've been to many theatre groups that do an outstanding performance with a musical using recorded music. There are some performers that like the consistency of the recorded music. There are many more pros and cons. I would love to hear from everyone about this.

	IP Logged

MartyW Celebrity Joined: 2/02/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 555	Posted: 1/01/08 at 4:39pm
	Live is always best.... but unfortunatly, not always available...
	Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.."
	IP Logged

closetdiva Player Joined: 2/24/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 1/02/08 at 11:38am
	Live is best - especially if they can vamp on the fly. (Never have a quick costume change right before your solo!)
	Duct tape can fix anything - except a dropped line! ;-)
	IP Logged

whitebat Celebrity Joined: 8/05/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 137	Posted: 1/09/08 at 9:11pm
	Live is best... if you can get it, and get it early enough. In HS, I was in a musical with canned music. That was what we had for all the rehearsals, so that was what we had for performances. Otherwise, I think we have used canned music for rehearsals, but got live music in for later rehearsals. Our last musical we had live music, but we did a (non-musical) version of "A Christmas Carol" with live instrumental music, live a capella, and live mixed vocal and instrumental, with a canned entre act. I do remember being in a musical with only piano (live), which was played very slowly. I think we might've been better off with canned in that one, as we could've gotten a faster tempo, and maybe more instruments. I guess an advantage of live would be transposing or adjusting the tempo, although maybe you need permission to do so on a non-emergency basis.
	IP Logged

JohnnyOneNote Walk-On Joined: 2/18/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 7	Posted: 2/08/08 at 11:35pm
	I have done two shows with recorded music and 20 some with live..(directing) I had more problems with live than I did with recorded. People always bring up the vamping.... well.. if you mess up the orchestra just keeps right on going just like a recording will. I guess I am bias on this, but having to deal with all those musicians can get a little annoying. Around here they always want to be paid. NO ONE is paid at our theater.. actors, directors... why musicians? One said to me... "Because I have spent a lot of money on my craft" the next day I brought in my student loan balance for my masters..... he shut up.
	IP Logged

magicguy Walk-On Joined: 12/25/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 2/09/08 at 7:07am
	I appreciate all of your responses. My main reason for originally posting this was to find out if it's proper to use recorded music. I've heard some say that using recorded music lowers the standard of the production. Sure, using live musicians can be a bonus. But if that is not an option, can't a theatre group use recorded music and still have the audience walk away feeling they have experienced a top-notch show?
	An actor is a sculptor who carves in snow. - Lawrence Barrett
	IP Logged

landon2006 Star Joined: 3/10/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 55	Posted: 3/10/08 at 3:54pm
	Depends... If you use something like Orchextra from MTI or Instrumentalease from R&H, you're going to be pretty good. If your playing the music from a CD, you not only might have some issues but unless you have proper clearance to play the music (not just a license to play the Musical, but a license to play the music from the musical too), your violating copyright laws. Live is always best. Whats even better is if you can use a live orchestra and one of the above mentioned systems... It makes your 15 piece orchestra sound like a symphony.
	IP Logged

Ken W Walk-On Joined: 3/22/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 4/18/08 at 11:10pm
	Most of our musicals have a live orchestra, but a few are recorded.
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stagechild Walk-On Joined: 5/15/08 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 5/16/08 at 2:25pm
	We will have a live orchestra all the time in the show but we use some recorded music prior, at intermisson and after the show. Also the sound effects are recorded other then a few (such as the occaisonal gunshot).
	IP Logged

smileon3 Player Joined: 1/19/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 13	Posted: 1/19/09 at 5:38pm
	The CT I've been involved with since 1994 was built in a former grocery store building. The stage is cement. There is no where to put a live orchestra, so we've always used canned music, with the exception of "Forever Plaid," which had a piano on stage. The other theater group I work with (and will be directing for this summer) uses a stage that was built by people that had never been involved in theater. Among other problems... there is no place for an orchestra. So we have no choice but to use canned music there as well. I played in a pit orchestra for Fiddler on the Roof in high school, and had a great time. However, when I go see shows, I prefer canned music to live - it's in tune a lot more frequently.
	IP Logged